Lamy Accent Fountain Pen Review

Lamy make a lot of similar looking pens. The Linea, CP1, Logo, Pur, ST and Scala are all variations of slim metal cylinder with identical nibs. The Accent is no exception to this aesthetic, it’s particular schtick being a contrasting grip section. An accent, no less. In this pen’s case, the colour is similar (i.e. grey) but the contrast is in the material – Finnish wood against a palladium barrel.

Price: £55 (there are other versions costing just under £150)
Nib options: extra-fine, fine, medium, broad, with further options available as extras
Barrel options: grey Karelia wood with palladium barrel or black india rubber with palladium barrel
Filling system: proprietary cartridge/converter (supplied)

Thank you to Cult Pens for sending me this pen to review. These are my own personal opinions.

Although this Lamy isn’t drastically different to many other Lamys, it does look good. I wish they would change things up a little more but each pen in isolation looks great. I particularly like the rather 70s vibe that this one has going on.

The clip is hinged and so strong and quite clippy.

The cap screws closed in just half a turn and pushes onto the end to post. This for me is great: I prefer caps that screw closed but caps that screw on to post and then don’t line up with the nib drive me bonkers. It pushes on with a click and so won’t come off and you can line the clip on anyway you like. I do keep forgetting which is which though, and try to push it on to close or screw it on to post. That’s what I’m like. It’s a very long pen, posted, and a little top heavy, so in most cases you’ll probably want to use it unposted.

Lamy nibs are generally pretty good and this medium one is no exception. It’s pretty smooth (not buttery smooth but certainly not rough) and has a good flow. I don’t find them to have much character but they get the job done.

The included converter holds a reasonable amount of ink and is smooth in operation. Cartridges are restricted to Lamy’s own but they offer the standard colours and are well-behaved. When I first received the pen I was worried about staining the wood when refilling but it’s made in such a way that this part slips off when you take the pen apart, thus avoiding that potential issue.

Unposted, the Accent is a good length and a light weight. The wooden grip tips the balance towards the nib end of the pen just a little. The barrel is slender but the hard wooden section bulges and, for me, is quite uncomfortable to hold. I wouldn’t want to write for long periods with this pen. I imagine the version with the rubber grip could be a lot better.

All in all, this is an interesting looking pen and, dare I say it, a good looking pen. It offers the standard Lamy writing experience: it’s safe and reliable. Replacement nibs are cheap so it’s a good pen with which to try ouy a few different widths. I do think the ‘feature’ grip is an uncomfortable shape, unfortunately. It may be that you find it more comfortable than I; it may be that for you the looks outweigh this slight discomfort. It may be that the rubber grip version is a better option. Or maybe, if you like this general Lamy style, a different model is a better bet. (In which case, I’d recommend taking a look at the Logo.)

Pros

Comfortable size and weight
Good quality clip
Good nib
Easily and cheaply replaceable nib
Looks interesting

Cons

A little uncomfortable to hold
Looks similar to most other Lamy pens in this price bracket

Thank you once again to Cult Pens for sending me this pen to review.

You can find some more reviews of the Lamy Accent on Pennaquod.