First unveiled at the 2010 Paperworld show and reviewed at Lexikaliker, a few LAMY plus pencils have washed up on this side of the Atlantic.
From LAMY, a firm renowned for their design capabilities, we have two-tone grey and silver triangular pencils.
The “plus” is a slightly oversize 8.5mm diameter pencil with an oversize 4mm core. The silver side has the familiar LAMY logo. It comes in HB and B grades.
The “4plus” is a jumbo 10mm diameter pencil with a huge 6.25mm core. It comes only in B, and varies slightly from the plus in having the cap completely finished.
The “Made in Germany” pencils have an amazing appearance and with dark, rich graphite cores, offer a great writing experience. The only minor thing I’ll note is that the HB and B leads did seem very similar to me.
This is a great boost for the pencil industry. To have a company with the stature of LAMY enter this market with a high end product bodes well. Just when many companies are leaving the field, we have a very savvy new entrant.
My thanks to Gunther from Lexikaliker for sending me these samples.
Nice, I like those!
Pencils from space! They look like the pencils you would use on the moon
Pretty cool. Good thing I do not use PayPal or I would have been tempted to order them without thinking. I already have more graphite that I could possibly use in the forseeable future, but I might give these pencils a try if I ever come across them in the USA.
Just a point of clarification. To my knowledge these pencils are not produced by Lamy themselves as I learned during the Paperworld show this past winter when these products were first introduced. I beleive that Staedtler may be the actual producer of these pencils for Lamy if they are indeed “Made in Germany” and not just stamped “Germany”. The last image did not come up for me so I cannot tell which stamp it is if that is an photo that shows this detail. If a pencil is just stamped “Germany” then there is no certainty the pencil is acually produced in Germany just that the marketer (brand owner) is a German company or affiliate. Country of origin rules in EU are different than in US market. Something I’ve written before about on Timberlines.
I agree however that these pencils seem quite nice.
Woodchuck, there has definitely been some interesting speculation about the manufacturer. The shape (including the shape of the cap), lead diameter, and the way the lead doesn’t extend to the end of the slat would make my guess Lyra.
They definitely state “Made in Germany”:
Also, my thanks to those who ordered pencils. With the help of my better half, they were all shipped out before noon today. I hope you enjoy them. Though this is a small experiment, it has already given me a lot of confidence in the reach of the blog and the appeal of quality pencils. Some of each type are still available!
I bought some of the colored pencils by Lamy; also the plus and 4plus. They both come in packs of 12-the plus is 10 Euro/12 pk and the 4plus is 17 Euro/12 pk. I love them-rich and vibrant colors!
I bought them in Germany-I was there on a scholarship for 3 wks.
I’ve been eyeing these since yesterday, but I try not to buy things while at work. I also have a lot of pencils already, so I’m trying to cut down on purchases until I’ve used what I have.
But these are so very tempting! D:
Are you planning on doing more pencil offerings if any other wholesalers step up to the plate?
Vikram, thanks for the comment. A 3-week scholarship? That sounds like a vacation. :-)
Hi Pisces6, I understand. As to more offerings – this is a learning experience – so far it has been good, so let’s see what happens!
And – all orders received yesterday were shipped today.
Easy to buy online in Germany:
http://shop.ebay.de/e-shop-muehlheim/m.html?_nkw=graphitstift&_sacat=0&_odkw=&_osacat=0&bkBtn=&_trksid=p3911.m270.l1313
Well, rats. That’s what I get for not checking this website more often. These pencils look beautiful.
dmirek7, thank you, but 12.50 Euros shipping for two pencils to North America! – this blog’s offer was much gentler on the wallet.
So eleven of the twelve boxes of pencils sold like hotcakes. But no one seems to want the twelfth – it may soon appear on eBay. And the wholesaler who contacted me now has some of the (possibly more desirable to some) HB plus pencils. I am going to get a similar small amount for late-July sale.
Yes, I know… but I hope, that link could be useful for european pencil fans. Not in every country these pencil are easy to get.
Thank you for this superb blog.
Penciladmin thanks for your blog, I love it.
These pencils are beautiful, simple and elegant, I ask for them where Lamy is available in my city but they don’t carry them -hopefullly- yet.
Futural, thank you very much.
Grew up in South Africa using Staedtler Traditions, and my left-handed kid starts kindergarten on Monday. I need the perfect pencil, especially as lefties,push rather then pull their writing implements. About to go searching for Staedtler’s at a local indie Art Supply store for the local college, but should I try these out too?
I just received my Lamy plus pencils today. They write beautifully and thank you for the matching eraser.
Thanks, David. Glad you like them!
I try to click on the icon, and items not found. I believe this is out of stock? I am interested in buying some. Hopefully you still have some in stock.
Please let me know if you have LAMY PLUS 3 color pencils….12 or 18. I would like to buy them with the red cloth covering. I am excited to show the people I know in the US these extraordinary colored pencils.
Thank you.
Peter
Peter, sorry but the offering expired years ago. I’ve removed the last two paragraphs of the post.