I’ve written much this year about Lamy’s newfound fondness for special and limited editions. In addition to the blue Macrolon Lamy 2000 they released to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Bauhaus, Lamy has also issued three different Safaris in various pastel colors, two different Studios, an AL-Star in “Bronze,” and now a Lamy LX in “Marron.”

I’ll give Lamy this: their clip game is killing it. I couldn’t choose between the burnished clip on the LX Marron and the red clip on the “Independence Day” Safari, so I picked up both.

I reviewed the standard version of the Lamy LX last summer, and my overall reaction was “meh.” Though far from a bad pen, I questioned whether Lamy did enough to justify the markup over a standard AL-Star by adding new “iPhone colors” and a fancier nib. I’m still leaning towards “no” on the regular versions of the LX, but this new “Marron” (French for chestnut) model might be a different story.

I don’t typically go for brown pens, but I have to hand it to Lamy here: the combination of brown anodizing and the burnished copper/bronze clip look better than any special edition AL-Star in recent memory. I think I’ve said it before, but it would serve Lamy well to rein in the volume of special edition releases - especially the more generic ones - in favor of cranking out real beauties like this pen.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Unless you don’t already have another Lamy AL-Star or Lamy LX, the Marron special edition is basically a vanity purchase for the new color scheme. Those who aren’t really drawn to this particular color will - and should - question whether it’s worth it to pay the markup for the LX instead of the perfectly functional AL-Star. Personally, I think the dark chestnut brown looks excellent, and the combination of this particular anodization with the metallic bronze clip makes me wonder if Lamy should have gone all-in on the Marron instead of this year’s somewhat uninspiring special edition AL-Star release in “Bronze”.

Apart from the special colors, the only real difference in terms of hardware between the Lamy AL-Star and the Lamy LX is the nib.

You can purchase the Lamy LX Marron special edition fountain pen from our sponsor Pen Chalet, currently priced at $56. Pen Chalet also carries the full line of standard Lamy AL-Stars, and if the Bronze special edition interests you, it’s currently on sale at a reduced price.

For those of you located outside the U.S., our sponsor Appelboom also carries the Lamy LX fountain pen, in both the standard colors as well as the Marron Special Edition.

Disclaimer: This post contains links to paid sponsors and affiliates. I purchased the Lamy LX featured in this review using affiliate credit generated through Pen Chalet’s affiliate program. Many thanks to Pen Chalet for making this review possible.

Lamy caused a lot of shoulders to shrug a couple years ago when they released the Lamy "LX," which to many people looked just like a pricier Lamy AL-Star in three new color options and a new nib. And honestly, that's really what it is, though I do like both the redesigned nib and the new color schemes.

The Lamy LX features a redesigned black-plated steel nib. Sharp looking!

There's not too much new here to review. The Lamy LX is very much an "upgraded" version of the AL-Star, and the functionality is the same. Let's be clear: you're paying a premium for looks, from the "iPhone-style" anodizing, to the redesigned nib, to the premium packaging. All of this boosts the price of the LX to $50+ at most retailers, compared to $38 for a standard AL-Star. Whether or not the upgrade is worth it to you depends on your own aesthetic preference, and I will say that the redesigned nib looks stellar. It also feels slightly stiffer than the standard Lamy Safari/AL-Star stainless steel nib, so if you prefer a true "nail," you might want to consider this pen. If you missed my earlier review of the Lamy AL-Star, you can check it out here. It's a great pen, but I think over time I've come to prefer the Safari since it's lighter and better balanced, IMHO.

The Lamy LX nib (left) compared against the AL-Star nib (right).

Takeaways and Where to Buy

Again, don't buy a Lamy LX thinking that you're going to get something other than an AL-Star, at least as far as the core writing experience is concerned. That said, I'm not sorry that I have this "ruthenium" pen in my collection - it looks great, and the nib writes smoothly with no hiccups.

You can purchase the Lamy LX from our sponsor Pen Chalet, which currently has them on sale at $49, before any applicable coupon codes or further discounts. The LX is available in four colors: Gold, Palladium, Rose Gold, and Ruthenium, which will match up well with whatever color iPhone you carry (assuming you're an Apple fan).

Disclaimer: I purchased this ink from Pen Chalet using affiliate credit. I was not compensated monetarily for this review, though this post does contain affiliate links.