Lamy Dark Lilac Ink Controversy, My Take! 

Looking at my "other" hobby of knitting, it's always been well-known and understood that even large commercial wool manufacturers can't exactly reproduce a colour time after time. Thus, all the wool dyed in one go will get an individual "Dye Lot" number alongside the more general colour name or number. The colour number remains constant, but each fresh batch of yarn will get a new dye lot number. When you buy wool, you always get asked if you've checked that all the dye lot numbers match because even if it looks like the same colour to the eye, when you knit it up there is a chance of getting a noticeable stripe where different batches of dye have been used. This is even more pronounced in the realm of small-batch independent hand-dyers where you can pretty much assume you won't get a very close match between any two skeins of yarn. So, am I surprised to learn that the new Lamy Dark Lilac isn't the same as the original Lamy Dark Lilac? Not really. It's interesting to read several comments about how Lamy, Waterman etc should have renamed their inks if they couldn't match the original formula. When Montblanc rename inks there are lots of comments that they are cheating by selling the same colour under a new name. It must feel to these manufacturers that they just can't win.

As a former geology student I am partial to Monteverde Gemstone Ink - Amethyst Purple ! “A man can never have too much red wine, too many books, or too much ammunition” Kipling

"i'm not a big fan of purple ink" FRIENDSHIP OVER!... okay i forgive you, this time.

Totally agree with you and glad you made this video! They should have made it Dark Lilac v2 or even "Darker Lilac" lol. The biggest issue to me is that they made something that they knew would be fundamentally different (different ingredients) and thought they could pass it off as the exact same thing. They were wrong on that one!

See also: Waterman's reformulation of its very popular Mysterious Blue ink. I recently purchased a bottle, not realizing it had been reformulated so that it's a standard blue ink instead of a warmer, teal-blue ink. But they didn't change the name, and a lot of the color cards that online retailers have for this ink show the older formulation (including the one where I purchased my bottle). I was a little mad, frankly. The bottle of Mysterious Blue I received is not what I thought I was purchasing.

This reminds me of the Shakespeare play ... Much Ado About Nothing.

Fantastic episode! Really appreciate the business perspective. Frankly, I think Lamy simply underestimated us! Fountain pen people are insane in the best way, and gold sheen is nothing to sneeze your nose at. Well, I guess Lamy knows that now. I do hope you get some media interviews on this! P.S. Totally agree about the Boheme. I will be standing in line with a fistful of dollars if they do as you suggest. Cheers!

Honestly, I think I like the green sheen better than the original gold sheen. Purple and green are two of my favorite colors so them being together in an ink, chefs kiss 💋 🎉

If someone told me thirty years ago that I would be obsessing over ink I would have told them they were crazy, yet, here we are. I agree with your assessment, not a great start for the new owners but it will probably settle over time.

Not into purple either so I've skipped all the news. But, since you posted about it, I figured I should just hear the scoop. Thank you for sharing.

It's still crazy to me that getting an ink color wrong is worth putting someone in hot water, but if only they'd called it "Homage to Dark Lilac" or "Shadowed Lilac" or something.

Brilliant. You're at your best when you just speak extemporaneously on a subject you're passionate about. If you were reading from bullet-point notes, you did that better than anyone else I've ever seen. Very thought-provoking and thoughtfully done.

As I recall, Lamy and Wacom have already produced a bundle with a tablet and the stylus was a Lamy Safari. Maybe this is the kind of digital writing we are looking at. I don't think it will replace the regular fountain pens. It's just like art. There are plenty of digital artists in the world, but they haven't completely replaced artists who still use paper and canvas.

About the "what was that ink the european retailers had?" issue. It was regular Lamy stock. Lamy shipped boxes of this ink to some retailers, and didn't send any information about when it was allowed to be shown or how (presuming it was because of being busy with the merger), so retailers debuted this ink before Lamy could explain what it was, or how it was different. At least my usual stores tends to put stock up very quickly unless there's a specific release date defined by the company. Lamy even put it up a few days later in their own lineup of products on their official website, and the product is named just Dark Lilac (so the official and confusing name of this new ink came from them originally, not the retailers). Later a few retailers explained the situation, saying they'd had to get in touch with Lamy too after the intense demand for information, and were told that the ink was a reimagining after all. I genuinely think this was a mismanaged product idea (dark purple with green sheen is a beloved category of ink, so even if it wasn't called Dark Lilac I reckon it'd still sell well compared to the rest of their super boring T52 range) compounded further by a slowness to reply, and what I can only call "throwing retailers under the bus to take the brunt of the backlash". Even their communication was mostly just telling retailers how to manage the situation. I've always had a lot of respect for Lamy, but I don't know. Maybe they're just busy and goofed.

I feel like they shouldn't have tried to bring back dark lilac if they couldn't get the pigment right (as previously mentioned the red dye they used for the original was discontinued). Since it has a green sheen, I wonder how it compares to Lamy Azurite, which is also a purple with a green sheen. I don't think it is too big of a scandal, but I am also not a massive fan of Lamy because their aesthetic is too modern for me. However, if Robert Oster ever changed their Envy shimmer ink, I'd be pretty sad. So, I understand why people are frustrated by it.

Not sure I've ever seen you so animated when talking about inks and pen companies. Keep it up!

I have a conspiracy: Mitsubishi Pencil Europe arranged this scandal and made sure this news was properly broadcasted.

It’s the New Coke of ink. I kind of like that the new formula is darker. I kind of wonder since Lamy never puts the ink name on their box or bottle (which I find extremely annoying), they don’t actually care about the name.

Ha! I got that same "page not found" error! Great video. Appreciate your banker's insights.

I love how you went back in editing and made all of those clarifications!! Quality control baby! Well done.

Thank you for this video. New to the FP world and your channel so the more I learn the better!

Excellent investigative journalism. Thanks for exposing the frightening conspiracy of Big Pen! As always, you've made an engaging and interesting post. Your thought that Lamy could have avoided this by simply using a new name for their new ink is spot on. I'd also guess that those who are most loudly offended are the ones trying to make money by "flipping" ink bottles.

Hello HJ. If I were a fan of anything and it went away, it would be heartbreaking. But imagine if it came back and it was different than the original, think what a huge let down that would be. I would prefer that it just wasn't available anymore as opposed to getting my hopes up then crushing them. I do use one purple ink in my Montblanc 146 calligraphy pen and that is Waterman's Tender Purple. I feel like royalty when I use it. The color purple has such an opulat style to it. Great video. Love the controversy topic. It engages the senses.

An excellent explanation from a business viewpoint, thanks HJ !!

Thank you for another splendid episode!

They should have done it like perfumers do. Perfumers release “flankers” of the original, with just a few changes. They just call it “extrait ” or “intense” or any number of names just to distinguish it from the OG. They might just slightly change the color or the notes. It seems like that would have worked here.

Being German it makes me sad that Lamy has been sold internationally. I wonder if the new colours of the Safari have anything to do with that (I think the dual colourway is so ugly and so not on brand for Lamy). I think I´m going to get my hands on some Safaris and Al Stars I like that were produced when Lamy was still Lamy (thinking Cream, Cosmic and LX Marron).

I don't know about the old Dark Lilac, but I purchased a bottle of the new one and it's green shading on lilac (dark lilac, I should say!) and is quite amazing. That's the kind of ink that is to be repurchased once the bottle runs dry. Two funny things about that story: 1) Lamy does not produce so many ink colors that they need to re-use an old name 2) Lamy does not bother labeling their bottle with the ink name

Enjoyed this video H.J. I still have a bottle of the original dark lilac also parker penman sapphire and emerald. I had a bottle of montblanc Alfred Hitchcock blood red but it got contaminated somehow. When I had no choice but to toss it in the trash I came to the conclusion that it's only ink and life goes on. I have recently focused my attention on parker quink and waterman inks hint ,hint tender purple which I prefer to dark lilac,Why? Because they are easy to flush out of your pen, well behaved and are budget friendly.

Sadly many companies just do not care to have attention to details anymore. I find this entire story fascinating, and I am glad I never found Lamy fountain pens to be to my personal liking. I agree with you, Lamy should have not named this ink the same name.

I was considering a deal out here with the limited edn blackberry/violet safari bundled with the ink. I love purple inks (especially deeper tones) & thought I'd get the bundle based on the ink. The pen itself doesn't particularly grab me... I have no issues with two tone, I just don't think the violet (pink) matches all that brilliantly with the much darker blackberry. Interesting video... Thank you HJ. Cheers. 🖊️🖊️🖊️

I loving this 1st world Pen & ink drama news....bravo, well done... 😂👍🌟

I’m over here enjoying my new Lamy Blackberry ink with its lovely sheen and not caring. Normally purple is one of my least favorite ink colors, but I completely understand the frustration of people not getting what they expected. Very good explanation of the situation. I have about 2% of a conspiracy question of whether the company wanted a different issue to actually take attention away from the merger/acquisition.

I would suggest that digital writing is something like the Kindle Scribe. Where you can hand write a journal, draw pics and loads of other things, on the device, with a pen, in e-ink. While i love reading on my Kindles, i have no intention of giving up the experience of a fountain pen on quality paper for some digital contraption. If i need something written digitally i'll type it, thanks. One thing about Lamy being taken over is that Mitsubishi may have the business sense to start releasing the Safari with a round grip at long last. I've never understood why Lamy won't do that.

They could have called it Dusk Lilac and marketed it as a homage or cousin to Dark Lilac. On the other hand they managed to get fountain pens in The New York Times.

Thank you for enlightening us with what was going on… I honestly have been under a rock only hearing some whispers of drama and since I like the dark purples especially the 2024 with purple and green bc I lost my younger brother who was “Hulk” ish ❤ Digital Writing! 😮💔 yes I have bought tech like that BUT agreed this was a more important real news topic than the ink! I only have one LAMY pen, I’m newer to fountain pens and yes the brand is BIG, but actually TWSBI impressed me more. Personally I really like how there is so much similar inks… especially bc many different price ranges! I look for ink comparisons that detail more than one nib type with it regardless of the names. I think the name captured nostalgic feelings and thus supply n demand shifted the price in someone’s hope for it to be same or very close favorite.

Great video Tim! Purple is my favourite colour and yes, I've been one of the people who would have loved to have purchased a bottle of the REAL Lamy Dark Lilac when it was released. Didn't happen. It's ok. There are sooo many things to concern ourselves with than not obtaining a cult classic only made so by its unavailability and I'm not willing to pay what's being offered up on Ebay. Unfortunately, I knew this new formulation wouldn't be it; otherwise, I would've jumped on it. I feel bad for those who thought it would be. I'm with you on so many fronts. It's disappointing that they couldn't or wouldn't think of a different name and, thus, have created this messy business - pun certainly intended. 😉 Though work has been extremely hectic and I've been working 80-hour weeks lately, I always enjoy your videos and try to tune in on Tuesdays whenever possible - even if I'm quiet in the background.😊 Be well!

In the last year we've been dealing with cancer, a child with extreme social anxiety, and another child who's entered a crisis of self confidence and is wondering whether there's life after school. And I'm trying to decide whether to retire. This Lamy business looked like the straw that was going to make my go to my room and cry, then I suddenly realized that, like you, I don't care for purple ink. Crisis resolved, my life is back on track, I'm going to tell my children "I love you very much now go get a job", and I'm back to composing my retirement letter. As my sister says, if your income doesn't fall with retirement, you can safely retire. As my wife says, if you're thinking about retirement, it's time to retire. As my brother says, drop dead and they'll have a work-around tomorrow and someone new in your office in a month. As a fountain-pen-loving colleague says, "be sure to give yourself a nice pen on your way out." Yep. I don't actually know anyone who's upset about Dark Lilac ink. I've heard about such people, but I have real life friends who use fountain pens and not one of them has uttered a word about Lamy. I enjoyed your take on it. I feel sorry for the product manager who stuck his (or her) foot in this. Maybe he (or she) should retire. Or maybe upper management will respond with a shrug because this represents such a miniscule part of the business and hey, green sheen happens. In a world where there are so many brands and colors of ink that look the same, I can't imagine that there's not a Dark Lilac look-alike out there somewhere or that Kiwi Inks can't custom craft something that Dark Lilac fanciers won't like as much. Dark purple and gold? No problem! I'll be waiting for your take on the new Edelstein ink, Golden Lapis.

Thanks for this excellent and informative video. 🙌

When I saw the photo of you with the _NYT_ beside your image, I thought it was a mock-article you had collaged together to poke fun at all the talk about the LDL variations. “Clever,” Ivthought and noted your video as something to which to come back. Later, I was reading the _Times_ on my phone and lo and behold! There was the article!

😮 Great video H. Timely and with deep introspection. The merger into a larger company does not need this distraction. Just ask the folks at Bud Light about advertising to the base core of customers. Proper prior planning prevents poor performance. Just sayin. 😅😅😅

Usually companies going under an umbrella company are never good. R.I.P. Lamy. Maybe this will be good and they will fix Lamys out of whack NIB standards. My L2K EF is larger than my Kaweco medium.

Digital Writing refers to Wacom internals to iconic pen forms like the Safari for use in e-ink tablets like reMarkable 2 and Kindle Scribe.

Great commentary. Very thoughtful

Although I am sad that another family owned company is sold, I am happy that Lamy was sold to Mitsubishi Pencil and not to an anonymous company which sells everything as long as the profit is fine. What they plan regarding "digital writing" is of course questionable - let's see what they will do. The "ink scandal" was completely new to me. But I think Montblanc also had some "scandals" with re-issuing inks that were previously sold as limited editions. Let's hope that Lamy stays Lamy.

Great video. Great analysis. I personally do really like purple inks and will probably buy this ink regardless of what happened. Maybe they should have called it aubergine?

There is an increasing demand for analog things like turntables, fountain pens, diaries and planners like Hobonichi and Travelers Notebook, typewriters, and hardcover books. People are tired of the planned obsolescence of cell phones and the unreality of living life online.

I got the impression that ink is just a "by-product" of Lamy. When I called customer service because I had questions about the Mango, they couldn't help me. On the contrary, the lady didn't even have a basic understanding of Lamy inks. This may have been a "coincidence", but it gives the impression that the inks are somehow unimportant...

Who knew purple ink could create such a kerfuffle? Grimace would have been a better choice lol. Funny you mentioned safety razors, I’ve been using one for several years now. There must be something about these hobbies that attach themselves to me…great video!

Thank you for providing your original insights on this. I have often wondered when an ink is so popular, why not make it either another limited release or even add it to the regular production line. Montblanc, if you are reading this, please bring back lavender purple! I also loved your musical selection for the end credits. Could I ask the name of that piece?

im that kind of guy who gravitates into analogue tech and just got into fountain pens just because i heard about this drama

I love a deep dark lilac ink, with shade or sheen. Not a pale one though. Fun to paint with even if it’s not lightfast but fine for sketchbooks. It makes glorious botanicals.

💜 Thanks 🖐️Have a nice day

This is a Tempest in an Ink Pot. In any case, Vinta has made a dark violet ink with monster green sheen for years. It’s called Harlequin Bodabil (Filipino creole for Vaudeville)

Thanks for another great video. Regarding the quartz crisis, not sure this will happen to the fount pen industry. Like mechanical watches, perhaps fountain pens lost some popularity a while back, but I think (and hope) it isn't going anywhere. Now, more than ever it seems people are craving an analogue experience. Now, will they make a push toward digital writing? Perhaps. There's value and function in it. I have tried it, but it just doesn't feel the same as writing with pen in a paper notebook. I think analogue is here to stay for the foreseeable future.

I'm coming into this contraversy a few days late. Definitely not trying to start any fights here. Hemmingway, Really appreciate your take from a business standpoint, you thought up some interesting points. In regards to the ink contraversy, I find it interesting that a brand like Noodler's can be known for having slight differences in formula and color over time for a particular ink color, and that be seen as a positive thing as it adds uniqueness to the bottle or batch your bottle came from, and also adds a layer of forgery resistance, but Lamy makes a similar change, and it is like the end of the world. From what I heard it appears to be a new EU regulation on one of the dye components. As a side note, maybe it is better for our health that it isn't the same. Side note over. My understanding is that when Lamy officiall announced this release they noted that there was a change in the formulation. Was it the best roll out maybe not, but why is our community treating one brand different then the other? I don't understand the double standard. On the ink itself. For me, and seemingly many people in the hobby, the uniqueness of fountain pen writing is a big draw, so I never really understood chasing an ink color just because it is popular. It is odd. The amount of use of a color has an inverse relationship to the uniqueness. The more an ink is used the less unique it is. I do have inks that are popular, but I most of my personal favorites aren't regularly reviewed or brought up in videos. I also like inks that have a theme, a recent example is the Diamine Metallica ink I ordered last night. Can't wait to combine my love for metal music and Fountain pens. All that to say if uniquess is a goal or at least a pleasent side affect for you in the hobby, why does it matter if a color shifts? It just means another layer of uniqueness. Caring about it seems to imply that there are other motivations at play other then uniqueness. Would love to hear what those motivations are and how those motivations play or don't play with the uniqueness. But, hey my mom also says if we were all the same life would be pretty boring. Not trying to start any fights here, just trying to understand. As a side note, shout out to SBRBROWN's video on this subject, I thought put things in perspective quite well. Best-Vic

That part of the Lamy press release also caught my attention. What do they mean about focus on digital writing? I wonder.

I love purple inks and bought 3 bottles of Lamy Dark Lilac when it was released. I have recently opened my final bottle and am using it sparely, because there is only ONE dark Lilac.

Sinister conspiracy confections aside, the hapless corporate "oops!" is legend. Never underestimate the cluelessness of bloated conglomerates.

Not generally a fan of purple inks, but Pilot's Iroshizuku Murasaki-shikibu is otherworldly. It lives in my Visconti Lotus Garden, and matches the colors in the pen body perfectly. There's nothing garish about it; it's the stuff of springtime dreams.

I seriously thought you had pushed this video out by mistake, because you made it for April 1st. For the first 5 minutes i thought you made the New York Times headline in photoshop! Your sincere delivery had me questioning myself that this could be parody, and googled it, to my surprise, Crazy stuff!

The simple answer: One of the original red colors to mix the dark lilac from 2016 isn't available anymore so Lamy has to make a new mixture formular that comes close (but is not 100% the same).

Interesting thoughts and I appreciate you sharing yours. I always worry about brands loosing themselves when companies change hands. I always use Tilly hats as an example of that. I agree with you not a good look with the change.

I agree it should have something on the box to distinguish it. Even "Dark Lilac 24" so we know. but that ink presented on its own is still a great one and if Dark Lilac '16 had never existed, would likely have been received in just the same way. I think (and hope) that you're making more of this issue than it really is. Happy writing!

I agree with the “digital writing” concern and thought the same when I read the release. “Whaaaaat?”…I think FP users in general are grasping on to the enjoyable pleasures of a somewhat simpler time and it’s disappointing to anticipate change to what we know and love. We shall see, indeed. Fortunately, I bet the majority of your followers have purchased a number of LAMYs to last a lifetime…IF the worst were to happen! ;0) Nice discussion on ink-gate

Thanks Doc

Nice take with NYT. If you are interested, Manda B reviewed the “European-retailer Dark Lilac” few days ago.

I am very concerned what this will do to Lamy, being that it was family owned until now if I‘m not mistaken…😢

Why in the world would they give the same name to two different inks?

I'm old enough to remember the wreck of Sheaffer when it was acquired by Bic. They moved production out of Iowa. Quality went down. It has never recovered. And I think Sheaffer has been sold on, what, twice after Bic bought them out? So I'm looking at Lamy and Mitsubishi with a cynical side eye. I hope I'm wrong. I have some hope because it's a Japanese company, and I love sailor and pilot pens.

Brian Goulet stated that one of the components in the original ink was no longer available, which he said could contribute to the difference between the old and the new. For what it's worth.

Hi. I love Purple inks. 🦘 cheers from Australia.

Per Brian Goulet in the recent Pencast the red color that was originally used in Dark Lilac is no longer made & so they used the new red which caused the lilac to be different. They should made a slight change to the name to differentiate between the old & new versions.

It sheds a bad light on the merger. Gives me the impression that Mitsubishi will mismanage Lamy. This controversy has created a clean break between old Lamy and and new Lamy in the eyes of consumers. New Lamy is cutting corners, low quality, profit-chasing, watered-down, etc. You know the way people talk about how Boeing was so great before the merger with McDonnell-Douglas

09:05 Safety razors: YES! Been wondering how much overlap there is between these two communities. Clearly the superior option.

I think I just bought my last Lamy. I own over 15, but with most mergers the first thing to go is legacy quality. If UniBall does improve Lamy quality, which would be quite a trick, then we'll see...

So, from what I see, the new ink is better than the old. Except a bit too much sheen, I think. I wonder if adding a bit of water would take down the sheen a notch? The color is strong enough to hold a bit of water I think.

Hi, I totally love your take on this whole Lamy matter. I am (as a former bachelors in English and now business student) very interested in your understanding of this. I do however, love purple inks haha. I'm currently loving Diamine Imperial Purple in my Visconti Queen Diamond jubilee it's a cheaper pen but lovely and I had the nib tuned. Purples are my fav colour. Anyways, I would be interested in what happens with Lamy now, are we going to see more pens, pencils, and designs or are we going to see big differences in the way Lamy is doing business? Only time will tell. PS, thanks for another video. Chelsea c:

I want Ford to bring back the 66 Mustang, too, but it’s not going to happen. 😔😔

Well done, though I don’t particularly have and opinion on this. Thank you SBRE and his Roman friend M. A. Though I guess I should check and see what I could get for a sealed, original box, and in zip lock bagged box of the 2016 L Dark Lilac. I bought the matching Safari for my youngest daughter’s birthday, included 2 packs of D Lilac cartridges and a bottle of DL to go with the pen. On a spur of the moment decision I thought what the heck and ordered a 2nd bottle for me still have it box unopened and in the ziplock. My fav Purple is Richard Binder’s “Burple:” a 50/50 mix of Waterman Tender Purple and Serenity Blue. Pretty close to the original Private Reserve Tanzanite, without all the drawbacks and nasties.

You are definitely a watch guy. I love my fountain pens and automatic watches. I have noticed there is a bit of crossover with those hobbies.

Change is the only constant in life. Things change, all the time, nothing stays the same. Some adapt to change and go with the new stuff, some stay within a shrinking hobbyist community and they’ll always be there, no matter how many companies disappear (I am one of them). Maybe in the future fountain pens will not be any convenient for newbies and casuals anymore, but there will always be hobbyists. With the appearance of combustion engines, the horse people declined, but there are still a lot of horse people raising horses as hobby. That’s just how the world spins. Scarcity usually makes things more precious and enjoyable, I like to toast green coffee myself and more and more it’s harder to find proper widely available green grains. That makes roasting coffee a more valued hobby than hobbies more widely available.

yeah, digital writing perked up my ears too. it could be a green virtue signal saying they are dropping environmentally unfriendly production, by creating digital notepads and pens for them.

What brand is the notebook you use for your writing samples? Love your videos.

A great video,I hate wen one company buys out another,cross, Shaffer , ain't the same,frank in Oswego,ill

I've heard from another source that the original formula could not be used because of new EU regulations. They SHOULD have changed the name or at least made that clear.

If you think about how companies change when bought by a big conglomerate, it’s chilling to see why they choose what they choose. Example: hubby is a retired programmer who worked for Clorox Corp. for decades. Imagine if you will, a bleach company owning and acquiring Burt’s Bees, Kingsford Charcoal, Hidden Valley Ranch, Glad (bags etc), pharmaceutical supplies and insurance, Fresh Step cat litter, KC Masterpiece, Armorall, Pinesol…list goes on. It’s not about symbiotic mergers or buyouts anymore. It’s 💰Profit.

That's part of the downside of having such a dedicated and passionate customer base. They may love most everything you do, but if you do something they consider not in keeping with your traditions and level of quality you'll certainly hear about it.

Darklilacgate is turning out to be a pretty interesting scandal. Speaking of reissues, I wish Montblanc would bring Napoleon Blue back out. I missed out on it when it was first offered. It's a beautiful French blue.

They probably put it out too soon, perhaps. their story, which I actually believe, its that one of the dye components (red) that was used in the old DL was no longer available, so they did a good match. This kind of issue often exists -- there is no dye manufacturer that lives or dies on sales to fountain pen ink makers. (The same is true of paper.) And yes, many Swiss watch companies went under or at least disappeared as mechanical makers (some were resurrected later). BTW: I still miss Parker Penman Sapphire.

I don't own the dark purple but my Diamine Scribble Purple swatches similarly to those pictures

Excellent! I don't know either what digital writing is. (However, not very keen on vintage cameras; as for calendars & address books, going digital was a real relief for me). (I use fountain pens more or less exclusively for writing fiction). BTW, I've never tried Lamy Dark Lilac ;-)

I wish Montblanc would bring back Bordeaux too.. I am about to order Leonardo Taurasi Vino .. 🍷

The Grinch was green, Sir. That being said, this video was an excellent piece of work! Very well-informed.

From what I understand is they couldn't get the right pink color and they let the distribution know. It wasn't meant to be dark lilac but an updated version. It was the retailers who knew about the ink difference was. BTW Lamy has been making Digital pens for Digital tables I have an Al Star body one for my tablet and S24. It's really nice. I use both

It's interesting that an ink decision overshadows the merger. I do get that they can't get it the same because the red isn't the same. But who made the decision to change the sheen color. I agree, just change the name just a bit so people arent nuts because it isn't identical. I guess I should get a Lamy200 soon before Mitsubishi does something to change it. I know of it's current reputation and it was on my eventually list. I's just that I'm not a big fan of plain black pen. But I just might need to get an original before packaging changes or heaven forbid they screw with how it is made.

Well thought and delivered. What was the lovely music in the outro?

I'm not a fan of purple inks either, but this is a huge mistake by Lamy. My fear is that this merger will mean an end to the more expensive Lamy fountain pens such as the Studio and 2000 lines. This conglomerate seems to be more interested in digital products or inexpensive analogue products. I doubt if the Safari and Al-Star lines will disappear, but the higher end fountain pens don't seem to be in the long terms company vision.

My first thought was that they will make other lineup of japanese fountain pens, but i'm not sure if that's a good idea

That digital writing also caught my attention. I wouldn't be surprised if Mitsubishi is also going to buy a company producing their own digital writing device. Maybe Supernote? Ore reMarkable? Supernote is already selling Lamy emr styluses as an accessory. Who knows? And what are other large writing companies going to do? Can they afford to miss out on this?