Minimalism, but bigger | Lamy Aion
We all know Lamy, probably the largest fountain pen brand in Germany and probably all over Europe. They surely make a lot of things, but whenever we see a Lamy out in the wild, we know it is a Lamy. So, without further ado, here is another Lamy review, this time with one of their younger releases, specifically late 2017 - the Lamy Aion fountain pen.
The Aion is a collaboration between Lamy and the minimalist designer Jasper Morrison, and even though this pen is a collab, we still get that sense of it being a Lamy right from the first glance.
The overall silhouette of the Aion is a cylindrical tube, with a shiny streamline clip and everything is covered in brushed anodized aluminum. At first glance we might brush it off (cough cough intended) as a childish and not so unique design of a pen, but I do appreciate that they changed the profile of the nib into 2 curves to match the curvature of the section. If say we decide to put this year’s iPhone 15 titanium model next to the Aion, we might be able to confidently mistake it as an Apple product.
To my commoner’s eyes I do find Lamy’s writing instruments’ designs a bit “too simple” - they do the bare minimum without ever trying to do more than necessary. Of course that’s their strength, as so many people of the current generation resonate with their aesthetic choices and material as well as texture, and also because they fit it seamlessly with the modern tech accessories that we all surround ourselves with these days.
Lamy also did an introductory interview with lovely words describing his inspiration and design philosophy in the making of the Aion series of pens. You can also check out that article here and I must say I do find the way the whole article was written a bit too “Apple” in a sense. The way his designs strive to not offend anyone or the way Lamy was trying to make it so that all of the lines and edges as well as the finishing of the materials seem “super normal” and probably uninspiring to a great number of people. However, after reading further into his works and spent a good few hours visiting his website at jaspermorrison.com I kind of get those ideas and why they work. Unless an element is contributing to the form or function of a design, it is pretty much redundant and probably better off removed from the whole thing, as if it is not a simplified whole, it would not be a complete product.
As per the writing experience, the aion feels like a Lamy and writes like a Lamy as well. We get a consistent inkflow, rather on the dry side but it creates a constant line and of course does it job really well. For users with sweaty palm like mine I do feel like you might get some slippery time if you write with the aion for long period of time but I haven’t really seen it happening with my example yet. Overall the aion is a good pen, and I can definitely see it becoming a future classic more so than the current best seller aka the Safari.
Who knows may be one day if they decided to make an aion with matte plastic and a sleeker profile then it could surely do wonders? Probably a good thought to entertain our mind.
What do you think about the Aion and would you like to add it into your fountain pen collection? Let me know your thoughts :)
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