Start With How the Pen Was Filled
A LAMY Safari that has stopped writing is not automatically a failed-nib case. Name the starting state first: a pen being set up with a T10 cartridge, one running from bottled ink through a Z28 converter, or one that sat unused long enough for the feed to dry. The checks below match those states; they are reasonable next steps, not a measured majority or a promised fix.
A Pen Being Set Up With a T10 Cartridge
Packaging varies between models, regions and sellers, and a second-hand Safari may arrive with none. If a cardboard shipping ring is holding the cartridge away from the grip section, remove it before you install anything. Do not assume every Safari arrives with a blue cartridge or a ring; check what is actually in the pen.
Goulet's LAMY fountain pen filling guide describes the orientation: with the grip section in your left hand, the cartridge logo faces you right-side up, and it looks upside down if you hold the pen the other way. Seat the cartridge as the maker or retailer describes, and stop if it resists. Do not crush it or keep pressing it into place, and do not treat a loud pop as the required result. Some guides start the cartridge loosely and let the barrel push it home; follow the guidance for your own pen rather than adding pressure. Then cap the pen and allow a little time for ink to reach the feed. Goulet suggests about 30 seconds for a dry feed, but that is a rule of thumb, not a guaranteed timer. A new pen may show blue residue at the nib from factory testing; that residue does not prove the pen was used or faulty.
A Pen Running From a Z28 Converter
If the Safari runs on bottled ink, check the converter first. The Z28 is the converter LAMY lists for the Safari, and its pegs seat into grooves in the grip section. Fill it with the piston fully down: turn the knob until the piston reaches the end, immerse the nib up to the grip section in fountain-pen ink, then turn the knob the other way to draw ink up. If the first pull does not fill the converter, a second pass may draw more. Wipe the grip section before writing.
Do not treat cartridges or converters from other pen systems as interchangeable, and do not dunk the whole pen in ink. If the converter is seated correctly and holds ink but the pen still does not write, check the feed next rather than the bottle.
A Pen That Sat Unused
Dried ink in the nib and ink duct is one reason fountain pen ink may not flow at all, especially with cartridges. LAMY's cleaning guidance uses plain water alone: fill the converter with water and flush several times. If that is not enough, the front section may be soaked in plain water for several hours, then dried completely before reassembly. LAMY says never to add soap or detergent. Keep the routine just as plain: no ammonia, alcohol, hot water, abrasive paper, tine bending or nib grinding.
Still choosing between cartridges and bottled ink? Our LAMY Safari review covers the refill choice and what comes in the box.
Symptom-to-Next-Check Table
What you see | Likely starting point | Next check |
|---|---|---|
New pen has never written | Cartridge not seated, or a shipping ring still in place | Remove any ring, seat the T10 per instructions; stop if it resists |
Pen writes dry after a refill | Converter not fully filled or not seated | Bottom the piston, refill from the bottle, check the Z28 pegs |
Writing faded after weeks unused | Dried ink in the nib or feed | Flush with plain water, soak the front section, dry it fully |
Scratchy or bent nib, crack or leak | Needs inspection; not a routine flow fix | Stop and take it to an authorized retailer or the maker |
Still dry after a correct fill and flush | Fault beyond routine care | Stop and ask an authorized retailer or the maker |
When to Stop
Stop and get help if the nib is bent, damaged or scratchy, if a part is cracked or leaking, if you meet resistance when assembling the pen, or if a correct fill and plain-water flush still leave it dry. Those signs point to a part that needs inspection rather than another cleaning attempt. An authorized LAMY retailer or the manufacturer is the right next step, but do not assume a repair will be covered by warranty; eligibility depends on the case and the seller.
For a Safari fountain pen in one of these three states, check the cartridge, the converter and the dried feed in that order, use plain water for cleaning, and leave the nib alone. These are reasonable checks for those states, not a promise that every pen will be fixed.
