Compiled from 15 sources; we haven't tested these products ourselves yet. How we research
Quick answer
Both are plastic steel-nib fountain pens in our $$$ band. The TWSBI ECO is a piston filler that holds about 1.76 ml of bottled ink and has a clear barrel. The LAMY safari takes T10 cartridges or a Z28 converter and has swappable nibs, including a left-hand nib. Pick the safari as a first pen, the ECO for bottled ink.
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Both posted, to scale at 1 mm = 3.4 px, from Goldspot and Goulet Pens measurements.
TWSBI ECO Fountain Pen: Made by TaShin Precision (Taiwan). Made in Taiwan: Goldspot's ECO spec sheet says "Made in Taiwan", and Pen Chalet shows "ECO-T Taiwan" engraved on the ECO-T's cap band. TWSBI's own product pages don't print a country of manufacture, and its Taiwanese site, twsbi.com.tw, didn't load for us on October 20, 2026. JetPens says TWSBI nibs are made in Germany. Source. Price: example listing.
LAMY safari Fountain Pen: Made by C. Josef Lamy GmbH, Heidelberg (part of Mitsubishi Pencil Co., Ltd.). Made in Germany: LAMY's own product listing (India storefront) gives Germany as the country of origin and names C. Josef Lamy GmbH, Heidelberg, as the manufacturer, and also says made in Germany. LAMY's German page names no country. Source. Price: example listing. Released: Museum Boijmans and LAMY's India listing give 1980; LAMY's German page says the safari was introduced in the 1980s.
Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026. Conversions to US dollars are approximate, at October 2026 rates (US$1 = ¥158 = ₩1,330 = NT$32.5 = CN¥6.7 = SEK 9.9 = DKK 6.7 = ₺49.6 = C$1.41 = A$1.43 = CZK 21.7; €1 = US$1.12; £1 = US$1.32; CHF 1 = US$1.21).
Key takeaways
Filling: the ECO's built-in piston holds about 1.76 ml (Goulet Pens); the safari takes a T10 cartridge (1.1 ml per JetPens) or a Z28 converter (about 0.8 ml).
Nibs: the ECO comes in EF, F, M, B and a 1.1 mm stub; the safari in EF, F, M, B and LH, with 1.1 and 1.5 mm italics, all swappable by hand.
Size: Goldspot lists the ECO at 138.8 mm capped and 21 g; Goulet Pens measures the safari at 139.5 mm capped and 17.0 g.
On October 20, 2026 TWSBI's store listed the ECO at US$36.99; LAMY Germany lists the safari at €22.90 (about US$26).
The ECO is made in Taiwan (Goldspot) and launched in 2015; the safari is made in Germany (LAMY) and dates to 1980.
What is the difference between the TWSBI ECO and the LAMY safari?
How they hold ink: the ECO is a piston filler that fills only from a bottle, while the safari runs on cartridges or a converter. Both are plastic, steel-nib fountain pens of about the same length, and both sit in our $$$ band ($20–75 per pen).
The TWSBI ECO comes from TaShin Precision of Taiwan and launched in 2015. The LAMY safari was designed in 1980 and is made in Heidelberg by LAMY, now part of Mitsubishi Pencil.
How do the specs compare?
The ECO holds more ink and is a little heavier; the safari has more nib choices and a shaped grip.
TWSBI ECO
LAMY safari
Filling
Built-in piston, bottled ink only
LAMY T10 cartridge or Z28 converter
Ink per fill
About 1.76 ml (Goulet)
T10 1.1 ml (JetPens); Z28 about 0.8 ml
Steel nibs
EF, F, M, B, 1.1 mm stub
EF, F, M, B, LH; 1.1 and 1.5 mm italics
Nib swaps
No ECO nib unit sold
Push-on nibs, swap by hand
Grip
Clear, no molded flats
Molded tripod flats
Capped
138.8 mm (5.5 in)
139.5 mm (5.5 in); LAMY: 144 mm
Posted
167.5 mm (6.6 in)
163.9 mm (6.5 in)
Weight
21 g
17.0 g; LAMY: 16 g
Cap
Screw-on, with an inner cap (TWSBI)
Postable, spring clip (LAMY)
Made in
Taiwan (Goldspot)
Germany (LAMY)
Price band
$$$ ($20–75)
$$$ ($20–75)
ECO measurements are Goldspot’s and Goulet Pens’; safari measurements are Goulet Pens’, with LAMY’s own figures where they differ.
How much ink does each one hold?
The ECO holds the most, more than double a Z28 converter, because the whole barrel is the ink tank. You dip the nib in a bottle and turn the knob at the end, and the piston draws ink into the barrel.
A T10 cartridge holds more than the safari's converter, but only in LAMY's colors.
The safari is easier day to day: push in a cartridge and write. Its Z28 converter opens up bottled ink, though it holds less than a cartridge.
Capacity figures vary by source. JetPens lists the T10 at 1.1 ml and Galaxus at 1.25 ml, while Goulet Pens’ AL-star page gives 1.56 ml with a cartridge and 1.08 ml with the converter, so treat the LAMY numbers as approximate.
Which has the better nibs?
The safari, on choice and convenience; the ECO, if you want a stub. LAMY’s steel nibs push on and pull off by hand, so one pen can wear an EF today and a 1.5 mm italic tomorrow, and LAMY makes a left-hand (LH) nib.
TWSBI sells the ECO with five nib widths, including a 1.1 mm stub, but no separate ECO nib unit. Pure Pens says a Diamond Mini nib unit can be moved across with care. Our fountain pen nib sizes explainer compares typical widths.
Which is more comfortable to hold?
It depends on your grip: the safari’s molded flats suit a standard tripod grip, while the ECO’s clear grip has no flats to fight. Wikipedia describes the safari’s grip as non-round and shaped for a tripod grip, so writers who hold a pen differently should try one first.
The ECO is 4 g heavier and its posted length is 3.6 mm longer. Both caps post, and the ECO’s screw-on cap seals with an inner cap, per TWSBI.
Which should you buy?
Pick the LAMY safari if it’s your first fountain pen, you want cartridges, a left-hand nib or nib swaps; pick the TWSBI ECO if you already use bottled ink, want the biggest ink supply or like a clear demonstrator.
LAMY safari: the easier start. Add a Z28 later for bottled ink, such as LAMY’s T52 ink.
TWSBI ECO: budget for a bottle too, since it can’t take a cartridge. It comes with a wrench and silicone grease for the piston.
Is the TWSBI ECO or the LAMY safari better for beginners?
The safari, for most people. It works out of the box with a cartridge, nibs swap by hand and there's a left-hand nib. The ECO suits beginners who already want bottled ink and a big ink supply.
Can you use cartridges in a TWSBI ECO?
No. The ECO fills only from a bottle with its built-in piston and doesn't accept cartridges or a converter, according to JetPens.
Does the LAMY safari come with a converter?
Usually not. The safari normally comes with one blue T10 cartridge, and the Z28 converter is sold separately for bottled ink.
Can you swap nibs between the ECO and the safari?
No. LAMY's push-on steel nibs fit LAMY pens, and TWSBI doesn't sell a separate ECO nib unit; Pure Pens says a TWSBI Diamond Mini nib unit can be moved into an ECO.
Which holds more ink, the ECO or the safari?
The ECO. Goulet Pens lists it at about 1.76 ml, against 1.1 ml for a LAMY T10 cartridge (JetPens) and about 0.8 ml for the Z28 converter.
Which is heavier, the TWSBI ECO or the LAMY safari?
The ECO, slightly: 21 g per Goldspot and Goulet Pens, against 17.0 g for the safari per Goulet Pens (LAMY Germany lists 16 g).
Where are the TWSBI ECO and LAMY safari made?
The ECO in Taiwan, per Goldspot's spec sheet; the safari in Heidelberg, Germany, per LAMY's own listing.
