Gs4 Security: Lamy Pens

Wednesday 2 January 2013

Lamy Pens

The firm of C. Josef Lamy GmbH (of Heidelberg in southwestern Germany) is without a doubt my favorite of all modern penmakers. Here we have family-run firm that competes right in the middle of the busy European mid-price pen market with the big conglomerates, and consistently exemplifies the same spirit of technical innovation and design sense that drove the pen industry throughout its classic age in the mid-20th century — what's not to like? Well, I suppose you might yawn if your tastes run to limited-production jewel-encrusted swirly-colored gegaws commemorating sundry DWEMs (Dead White European Males), or if the subtlety of matté black and stainless steel don't exactly set your pulses racing. However, if (like me) you're a Meyers-Briggs INFP type who somehow found his way into the engineering game, Lamy (the name rhymes with 'Tommy') may be right up your alley too.C. Josef Lamy was an executive with Parker's operation in Continental Europe; in 1930, he left to go into business for himself, with the acquisition of the existing Orthos pen firm. For a time, the company made Duofold-inspired button fillers under the Orthos name.