Lamy Safari (F) feel scratchy

[Edit]

I ended up grabbing a Pilot Metropoliton M and a pad of Rhodia paper. That's the feeling I was looking for! Much smoother! The metro also writes well in the shinola notebook (although, it is a touch rougher than on the rhodia paper).

The Safari also writes a bit better on the Rhodia paper, but it still has more feedback for sure. I may try cleaning it to see if that makes any additional difference.

So, I think it was a combo of the paper and the fineness of the nib. Thanks so much for all the suggestions!

[Original Post]

Hey folks!

I recently got into journaling. I won a shinola notebook at work and decided to just start writing down thoughts everyday. I've really liked it.

Me, being unable to not geek out in whatever hobby I picked up, started looking into "best pens" and fountain pens came up! So, I did a bunch of research and settled on getting a Lamy Safari Fine.

It just arrived today and the writing experience has been a bit...underwhelming maybe? I wasn't expecting angels to start singing when pen touched paper (I mean, maybe a little bit), but I was expecting it to feel smoother. That's what I was excited for and what people online seemed to rave about. The "buttery" feeling of a fountain pen. TBH, the gel pen that I have has a much smoother feel than the safari.

I'm guessing the nib that I chose was too fine? I actually also have a Pilot Explorer en route, also with a fine nib. I should get it in a day or 2.

Could I/should I just get replacement nibs in a thicker gauge? Is the kind of "scratchy" feeling I'm describing typical for the F nibs? It's not bad, per se, but I was looking forward to a gliding feeling, not a grippy one.

Any insights welcome! Thanks!