What can I say? I've started to really have a thing for Lamy pens. Perusing their site can be a dangerous game... For one, their photography is amazing, and two, their stuff is just so cool. I even took the time to watch a Lamy company information video (all in German) which was fascinating. I don't speak German, and even if you don't you should give it a go as it's a trip.
I enjoy a good rollerball, and I really like when I can find a nice retractable one. Not that I'm opposed to capped rollerballs at all, I just like the convenience of a retractable sometimes.
When I saw the Swift I knew it was probably one I'd pick up at some point. I went for the matte black one although the blue one at Scottsdale Pen up close looked surprisingly good. I wish they made a polished chrome (or Platinum) version like they do in the Studio as it is jaw dropping, although the Pt Studio is $300. Mmmm, probably not.
The pen has a good weight to it being mostly metal and feels good. I think the pen looks good too with the all-black finish and just a small Lamy stamp near the knock. The grip section has some holes in it probably to help hold it better, but when writing they aren't overly obvious to me. These kind of remind me of vents on a machine gun barrel.
Personally, the Lamy M66 refill is top notch in my opinion. Super smooth and puts out a good solid line.
One of the coolest features is that the clip retracts into the barrel when you extend the tip. I don't know why this was a major feature decision, but it is pretty awesome. This is definitely something to impress the friends with, but probably only if they aren't already annoyed by your constant pen talk. (guilty)
Now you see it...
Now you don't...sort of
Sounds like the coolest pen ever, right? Well, there are a couple of downsides to the pen I think:
I believe that the clip might actually be made of plastic (kind of a downer) as well as some of the click mechanism. The rest of the pen seems to be brass and this kind of cheapens it for me.
The "click" itself isn't overly smooth either and takes some technique to not have it feel kind of weird. I think this is due to all the crazy things happening inside to actually make the clip retract. It takes a bit more pressure to push in the knock which is uncommon with most retractable pens. I wouldn't call the knock pleasant to use.
The third issue isn't an issue for me, but in showing the pen to others, two of my friends commented on the lip near the grip section. I hold it right where the little gun barrel type holes are, but they tended to grip it where the lip was which they found uncomfortable. If you hold your pens really close to the tip, this may be a problem.
Aside from the few complaints, I do really like the pen and will use it a lot.
And, as a bonus, Lamy ships them out in these cool Transformers style boxes!