Fountain Pen Review: Lamy Aion

Review by Laura Cameron

When I first saw photos of the new Lamy Aion (€42.98 via Appelboom), I was actually quite excited about trying it.  With no offense to Lamy Safari and AL-Star devotees, I have never found either pen to be comfortable in my hand because of the molded grip.  So I was thrilled for a new pen that was sleek and modern, and most of all had a lovely round barrel.

I pestered Ana to order one for The Desk to try and she graciously ordered a silver Lamy Aion with an EF nib for me to try.

Lamy Aion

The Aion is a beautiful aluminum pen with a silver brushed matte finish. This gives the Aion both a smooth feeling body, and just a tiny bit of texture that makes for a lovely grip. The nib in the Lamy Aion has been redesigned to boast slightly different lines, but the feed can still hold your favorite Lamy nib from another pen if you wish.

Lamy Aion

The Aion is a metal pen with some weight to it. Empty, the body of the pen weighs in at 21g and the cap adds another 12g, so if you prefer the lighter weight Safari and AL-Star, this pen may not be for you.

As with other models, the Aion has a snap cap that is postable. The length of the Aion closed (with the cap on) is 5.6″ and posted is 6.4″. I found this to be a little long for my tastes and chose to use the pen with the cap unposted.

Lamy Aion
Left to Right: Pilot Metropolitan Pop, TWSBI Eco, Lamy Aion, Retro 51 Tornado Fountain, Sailor Pro-Gear Slim

Lamy Aion

Overall, I enjoyed writing with the Aion. I don’t think it’s a great fit for me personally, because I found it slightly too large for my hand. I like the weight of the pen but the barrel circumference, even with a slightly tapered section, still feels fairly large in my hands and after a bit my hand ached using it.

When I filled the Aion with ink, it was a little slow to fill the feed and nib, but once filled, the nib wrote super smoothly.

Lamy Aion

Lamy Aion

Overall, I enjoyed testing the Lamy Aion and I’m a little sorry that it doesn’t work for me. However, my loss is your gain!


THE GIVEAWAY: We are giving away this Lamy Aion Silver Fountain Pen with Extra Fine Nib. This is a tester model so it has been inked and tested here at The Desk but will be cleaned, re-boxed and shipped directly to you in like-new condition.

Please leave a comment below and tell us what ink you’d put in the Lamy Aion for your first fill?

FINE PRINT: All entries must be submitted by 10pm CST on Saturday, March 10th. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Saturday. Winner will be selected by random number generator from entries that played by the rules (see above). Please include your email address in the comment form so that I can contact you if you win. We will not save email addresses or sell them to anyone — pinky swear. If winner does not respond within five (5) days, we will draw a new giveaway winner. Shipping via USPS Priority Mail is covered. Additional shipping options or insurance will be paid by the winner upon request. We are generous but we’re not made of money. US residents/APO only.


Laura is a tech editor, podcaster, knitter, spinner and recent pen addict. You can learn more about her knitting and tea adventures on her website, The Corner of Knit & Tea and can find her on Instagram as Fluffykira.


DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by Appelboom for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

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147 comments

  1. I would love to give it a try with Noodler’s Blue Ghost. I got a small bottle and have been waiting for something nice to try it with. Would probably just try a little bit with that and move to Pilot’s Iroshizuku Take-Sumi ink.

    Also I’m a fan of the style of this new nib.

  2. I’d fill it with Robert Oster’s Blue Denim!
    But first I’d switch out the nib to a 1.1 mm italic…

  3. Ooooo….I have some Diamine Grey Flannel. Or….hrm…..it’s got such a mid century modern look to it that I may want a really vibrant color.

  4. Sounds like a good size for me! I think I might fill it with Montblanc Leo Tolstoy, because I really like blue inks.

  5. Thanks for the opportunity to win! I’d fill it from one of the numerous ink samples I’ve acquired … something bright and cheerful, like Diamine Flamingo Pink.

  6. I believe, if I were to win, I would fill the pen with Organic studios Walden. Love the sheen.

  7. I’d fill it with Iroshizuku Kon-peki. I’ve been so curious about these Lamys and also love the sleek look. Thanks for doing a giveaway. 🙂

  8. I’d fill it with Noodler’s Navajo Turquoise – I love the contrast of a bright color with a simple pen

  9. I love that this pen has some heft to it. I prefer a pen to avoid cramping and enjoy Lamy. It would be a great fit to pair with my Noodler’s Heart of Darkness ink for a first fill.

  10. Probably my Diamine Marine since that’s the bottle I’m trying to kill for the ink bottle challenge.

  11. Hey, Thanks for the review. I like the pen, even though I also have small hands. It looks a bit like the Metropolitan in shape. I think I might try to ink with my Coalsack Nebula, a cool lavender silver.

  12. I’d ink up this beauty with my new favorite ink – Organics Studio F. Scott Fitzgerald Golden Orange.

  13. Oh man… If I win, I would put any cartridge ink I could find in it just to start using it since I have never owned or used a fountain pen before in my life.

  14. Nice review! With that silver colour, I’d have to ink it up first with some Iroshizuku Fuyu-Syogun. This silver Aion and grey ink would really pair well with the Hydrogen Elemental Notebook when that KS campaign finishes!

  15. If I won the Lamy Aion, I’d fill it with my latest purchase…KWZ Ink in Gummiberry.

  16. I’d fill my Aion with Robert Oster Jade. When I write with ink, the paper becomes a wall that I cover with vines that are preparing to burst into flower as spring ripens.

  17. A fun, spring blue like Robert Oster Bondi Blue would look great with this brushed aluminum.

  18. I would rotate three inks, all Private Reserve. Velvet Black for drafting documents, Fiesta Red for editing documents, and finally DC Supershow Blue for signing those final .documents

  19. I believe I would fill the Aion with Lamy Blue Black, or J.Herbin Cacao du Brésil.

  20. I love the clean lines on this pen. I kind of wish they made the gold nib in that shape too. Have been interested in trying one out, might have to go find one in a shop!

    I’d probably Diamine Earl Grey, or maybe Moon Dust in it.

  21. I’m still looking for a EDC pen for blue-ink, so I’ll probably put my Pilot Blue workhorse ink into this workhorse pen. Sorry it’s boring, but they don’t call it “work” for nothin’.

  22. I, of course, would put Lamy Petrol in it. What else would one put in a serious Lamy?

  23. I have Lamy blue black in my other Lamy pen, but I’d be tempted to make this an EDC blue.

  24. I could use an EF pen for work.
    Monteverde California Teal… A good color for work, but not a standard black or blue.

  25. I’ve got a bottle of Noodler’s Black Swans in English Roses that is waiting for a pen. I think this might be the one 🙂

  26. Well, I’m just getting into fountain pens and only have one ink choice at the moment… but I have several different colors of Pilot Iroshizuku in my Amazon shopping cart, just haven’t decided which I will buy now and which I will save for later. I want to have an orange ink, so probably burnt orange or deep orange. Vivid purplish blue is another option.

  27. For an EF nib, I’d likely go with something nice and dark — maybe Levenger Raven Black, or (as would be appropriate) Lamy Dark Lilac.

  28. So silly, but with silver pens I always use a teal or turquoise ink because those are the two colors of my office decor. Maybe with a free pen I could splurge on a new bottle, like Caran D’Ache Hypnotic Turquoise.

  29. Since it has an EF nib, I’d use it for sketching, so I’d put a De Atramentis Document ink it, probably the gray rather than the black.

  30. My first fill would depend on whether or not I made it my everyday pen. I like a heavier pen, and I like brushed aluminum so I might make it my everyday pen in which case I’d go for something conventional like Pelikan Edelstein Onyx. If I kept it for more personal use I’d go with Noodler’s Purple Wampum!

  31. Just recently started getting into pens, so I only have Aurora Black and Diamine Oxblood. I’d probably go for the Oxblood since I’ve mostly only used black in my other pen.

  32. Iroshizuku Shi-kai. Typically my go-to ink when testing a new pen out (plus it’s a great color!).

  33. I love Diamine Majestic Purple. And I would love to have a Lamy. It has been on my “to buy” list for a while now

  34. Most likely, some Caran d’Ache Violet I was gifted at Christmas and have yet to try!

  35. Diamine Sherwood Green, I think. Or I’d let my daughter give it a try with her bottle of Bilberry–she loves the finer Lamy nibs.

  36. I think I would load up this pen with Diamine Blue Velvet. I’ve been wanting to try this ink and see how it stacks up against Iroshizuku Kon Peki.

  37. I think I’d go with a nice stand-out color. Maybe the Lamy Dark Lilac, or the Diamine Red Dragon. Steel pens are a challenge for pairings though, because you can’t really get a silver ink to match, and I’m not sure what I’d call contrasting with that color.

  38. I’d probably put a blue black, Aurora Blue Black. I feel like an understated pen like this needs an understated ink.

  39. I’d fill it with Montblanc Irish Green, which is the most adequate substitute I’ve found for the late lamented Parker Penman Emerald.

  40. I’m new to the fountain pen realm, and Lamy is one of the brands that catches my eye, this model would be a great addition to my starter collection. So I would test it with my go to inks: Parker Quink.

  41. Oooh! I hoped I would get the aion for Christmas, but it didn’t happen! I would live to add it to my little collection and fill it with the new gorgeous Diamine dark purple anniversary ink you recently reviewed!!! Thanks for doing the giveaway!

  42. My first fill would be Colorverse Gravity Wave recently reviewed right here- what a beautiful color!

  43. I would ink with Diamine Oxblood. It’s my go-to ink. And it’s subtle enough to be professional while still being a bit different/stylish, which I think fits this pen well.

  44. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity! I’d have to go with Diamine Red Dragon for my first fill!

  45. I’m not usually a matchy-matchy guy when it comes to pens & inks, but I might seek out a bottle of Diamine Moon Dust to load up this one. Nice pen!

  46. It would be a great daily writer for work, so I’d go with a basic Noodler’s Black.

  47. I find Aurora Black flows beautifully in steel Lamy nibs and for no particular reason have used Lamys exclusively for bullet journaling.

    Have to say Aurora Black then!

  48. A nice, unpretentious but quality pen from a good company, Lamy. It’s on my wish list. An unpretentious pen deserves an unpretentious ink…Noodler’s Black.

  49. I think it needs sometime slightly unexpected, and really bright, so I’d go with Organic Studios Emily Dickinson Posey Pink.

  50. I’d probably use Akkerman #11 Treves-Turquoise as a first fill. I usually fill with a blue first, to test out how a pen writes.

  51. My first fill would have to be Rohrer and Klingner Dokumentus Ink. Firsts need to be preserved, and this is no different, hence, a bulletproof ink.

  52. I just got a bottle of J. Herbin 1798 Amethyste de l’Oural, so that would be what I’d use in this sweet Lamy Aion!

  53. Since it’s Saint Patrick’s day this week, I would go with Diamine Apple Glory, which is becoming a favorite green for me.

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