Lamy safari

[shakey01]

Is there any better click pen out there ?
This guy offers so much bang for the buck, but I'm sure there must be more out there.
My preference is ballpoint with clicker, so please chime in with any opinions.

[SoylentGreenChi]

For click ballpoint pens, I’m partial to Parker Jotters and Caran d’Ache 849s. Can’t go wrong with the Lamy, though!

[shakey01]

I tried the Caran d’Ache 849 but could not stand the pocket clip. I do pull a pen out 20-30 times a day so a good clip ramp is essential. I will look into Jotters with my next purchase.

[Subforlife]

I agree the safari is the best. I keep losing them though.

[Dave455]

The problem I find with the Safari is that the Lamy Ballpoint refills tend to be very dry. Quite often they don’t write from the start. it’s only one stroke of a letter, but it’s annoying. I also find the blue refills incredibly insipid.

The Caran d’Ache 849 has been mentioned, and they tend to be my “go to” now. The refills are superb, perhaps the very best all round, but yes, the pocket clips leave a bit to be desired.

You can, of course, always opt for a decent refill in the pen of your choice. I’m currently using the Rotring 600 shown, with a Schneider “Slider” refill, that possibly writes better than the Caran.

The Uni Ball Jetstream is another awesome writer, perhaps the best writing of the lot with it’s unique ink, but it is a cheaper pen, almost disposable, and the clip is awful.

As I think the O.P. has found out, there isn’t really a clip out there that’s better than the Lamy Safari. When I need a ballpoint I really need to be able to extend / retract it with one hand, and return it to my pocket with one hand. Considering the variety of pens out there, many fail to meet one or other of these requirements.

Pilot G2 is another option if you like gel pens.

Safari, Caran 849, Rotring 600 and Uni Ball Jetstream shown.