Bad Experiences With A Lamy 2000?

[Exchletzia]

Last year I became interested in the Lamy 2000. My uncle and best friend both purchased one and have let me take them for a test drive. My uncle purchased the EF with a Makrolon body and it kept skipping. No matter how many times we cleaned the pen, re-inked it, or took it to a pen mechanic, it would not write smoothly at all. We contacted Lamy and they refused to replace the pen. My best friend purchased the F nib and she had similar problems. I really like my Lamy Safari and have had no problems with it whatsoever. I would now like to purchase a higher quality pen like the Lamy 2000. Many of the reviews I have seen are positive, but I am having second thoughts about purchasing one. With a $160 price tag, I just can't afford to pay that much for a pen that isn't going to write reliably.

 

What are your guys' experiences with the 2000? Have you had similar issues or does it write well for you? Is there a specific dealer I can purchase from that will work with me if the pen does not write properly?

[Bill Broome]

Mine came with a scratchy nib. . Goulet Pen Company agreed to replace it. I like it just fine now, though I have a number of pens I like better.

 

I think the trick is to buy it from someone who will honor a replacement. The quality of the nibs seems uneven. You may get a good one. If not, send it back within the exchange.period. But don't send it out to anyone else.

[stephanos]

My experience with the 2000 has been pretty good. I have two - old, with broad nib (wonderful) and new, with EF nib (should have bought a Fine, as the EF sweet spot is too small for me) - and the nibs on both are pretty good.

 

If you are going to buy it new, then I'd strongly recommend buying it from a reputable dealer. Your profile says you're based in Germany, so you should be able to buy one of these pens from a stationer in pretty much any town, and there are of course online options also. Not only will they want to look after you if you have problems, they would be obliged to do so under consumer protection rules. You really shouldn't hve to go straight to Lamy to sort out your problems.

 

One alternative to a Lamy 2000 might be to get a gold nib for the Safari you already have. That would give you a somewhat different writing experience whilst retaining a form you like.

Another alternative - if you're feeling adventurous and not in a rush - might be to look for an old German brand such as Pelikan or Lamy at a flea-market near you, or even an antique shop. You can sometimes find something at a very affordable price, and the older models often work brilliantly once you flush them a few times.

[WateryFlow]

Last year I became interested in the Lamy 2000. My uncle and best friend both purchased one and have let me take them for a test drive. My uncle purchased the EF with a Makrolon body and it kept skipping. No matter how many times we cleaned the pen, re-inked it, or took it to a pen mechanic, it would not write smoothly at all. We contacted Lamy and they refused to replace the pen. My best friend purchased the F nib and she had similar problems. I really like my Lamy Safari and have had no problems with it whatsoever. I would now like to purchase a higher quality pen like the Lamy 2000. Many of the reviews I have seen are positive, but I am having second thoughts about purchasing one. With a $160 price tag, I just can't afford to pay that much for a pen that isn't going to write reliably.

 

What are your guys' experiences with the 2000? Have you had similar issues or does it write well for you? Is there a specific dealer I can purchase from that will work with me if the pen does not write properly?

When you say "higher quality", what do you want it to do, or what do you expect from it, that you can't with a cheaper pen such as the safari?

 

Unfortunately, in the fountain pen world more expensive doesn't mean better . That's not how it works

Edited January 24, 2015 by WateryFlow

[ink-syringe]

I have had a couple. Mine have have been entirely reliable, robust and trouble free. I don't baby it either. My current 2k is a great writer.

[SujiCorp12345]

My Lamy 2000 has been perfectly smooth and without skips from the first time I used it.

[Uncial]

This is one pen that I hated....until I actually picked one up and saw it in the flesh. It was then I realised it was textured and had a very zen appeal to it. I use it regularly and it's fine. It's a medium nib. What I will say though is that I tried the fine and the medium in the brick and mortar store and I genuinely couldn't see or feel any difference whatsoever.

[benay148]

My experience has been okay with the l2k. My fine was a wet writer that was actually pretty smooth right from the box. The issue was that even though there wasn't anything I could pinpoint as wrong with it, it still wrote worse than any of my cheap pens. It just dragged across the paper, no effortless writing for sure. Anyways I brought it to Richard Binder and had him custom grind a cursive italic. It is now my favorite pen and my go to daily writer.

[Tojusi]

I bought an EF Lamy2000 from a B&M store in Vienna, Austria in November. I flushed it with water, let it dry, inked it up. Wrote perfectly, no skipping, no tooth. Very smooth.

[dneal]

They can be troublesome, especially if you get out of the 'sweet spot'.

 

You have a German flag by your name. Most shops will let you test the specific pen before you buy. Of course if you buy from the internet to save money then testing isn't possible.

 

If you are close to Wiesbaden, I will tune your pen for you if it needs it.

[Wolverine1]

I have owned 4 Lamy 2000 FPs. Not a single problem with any of them. I wonder if user error is the reason why the OP and his relatives seem to have problems with the pen.

[Freddy]

Last year I became interested in the Lamy 2000. My uncle and best friend both purchased one and have let me take them for a test drive. My uncle purchased the EF with a Makrolon body and it kept skipping. No matter how many times we cleaned the pen, re-inked it, or took it to a pen mechanic, it would not write smoothly at all. We contacted Lamy and they refused to replace the pen. My best friend purchased the F nib and she had similar problems. I really like my Lamy Safari and have had no problems with it whatsoever. I would now like to purchase a higher quality pen like the Lamy 2000. Many of the reviews I have seen are positive, but I am having second thoughts about purchasing one. With a $160 price tag, I just can't afford to pay that much for a pen that isn't going to write reliably.

 

What are your guys' experiences with the 2000? Have you had similar issues or does it write well for you? Is there a specific dealer I can purchase from that will work with me if the pen does not write properly?

 

Shayla..after you allowed the Pen Mechanic to work on your pen...

Perhaps your warranty was voided by the folks at Lamy USA....

http://www.lamyusa.com/warrantyinfo.php

 

Note:The Lamy Warranty Does Not Cover Damage Caused By Misuse,Abuse, Unauthorized Service .....

 

Are you going to graduate soon{question}and my experience with said pens has been exemplary....

 

Fred

Ta Paidia Tou Piraia

 

Redactin' Praytell, Who is the ' Pen Mechanic' that worked on the pen.....Again....How's school comin' along........................................

Monday, January 26, 2015.....cookin'...waitin' on..Nor'easter..

Edited January 26, 2015 by Freddy

[Exchletzia]

Yes, Lamy would not replace his 2k, but they would not replace my friends either, when she did not take hers to anyone. She contacted them immediately and the would not replace it.

[Exchletzia]

I have owned 4 Lamy 2000 FPs. Not a single problem with any of them. I wonder if user error is the reason why the OP and his relatives seem to have problems with the pen.

I used the pen right out of the box and it wasn't working properly. This has happened in two separate occasions with pens purchased from two sepaprate dealers months apart from each other.

[Exchletzia]

When you say "higher quality", what do you want it to do, or what do you expect from it, that you can't with a cheaper pen such as the safari?

 

Unfortunately, in the fountain pen world more expensive doesn't mean better . That's not how it works

Put simply, I prefer metal pens. My safari writes good, but it's too light. I tried the Pilot Metropolitan for a cheaper metal pen, but I disliked it. I am looking for a pen that suits what I want.

[Exchletzia]

Mine came with a scratchy nib. . Goulet Pen Company agreed to replace it. I like it just fine now, though I have a number of pens I like better.

 

I think the trick is to buy it from someone who will honor a replacement. The quality of the nibs seems uneven. You may get a good one. If not, send it back within the exchange.period. But don't send it out to anyone else.

I purchased my Lamy Safari from Goulet Pens, but have had little experience with their customer service, as I have not had any problems with any of my orders. As for sending the pen off, it did not belong to me. I could not make that decision. The Goulet Pen Company sounds like the way to go though.

[Exchletzia]

My experience with the 2000 has been pretty good. I have two - old, with broad nib (wonderful) and new, with EF nib (should have bought a Fine, as the EF sweet spot is too small for me) - and the nibs on both are pretty good.

 

If you are going to buy it new, then I'd strongly recommend buying it from a reputable dealer. Your profile says you're based in Germany, so you should be able to buy one of these pens from a stationer in pretty much any town, and there are of course online options also. Not only will they want to look after you if you have problems, they would be obliged to do so under consumer protection rules. You really shouldn't hve to go straight to Lamy to sort out your problems.

 

One alternative to a Lamy 2000 might be to get a gold nib for the Safari you already have. That would give you a somewhat different writing experience whilst retaining a form you like.

Another alternative - if you're feeling adventurous and not in a rush - might be to look for an old German brand such as Pelikan or Lamy at a flea-market near you, or even an antique shop. You can sometimes find something at a very affordable price, and the older models often work brilliantly once you flush them a few times.

I'm going to have to look into that. The Safari I have is very reliable so a gold nib might be a good option.

[Fozziebear]

I recently got an L2K with an EF nib. I'd heard all the hype about how this was a smoooooth writer. It's okay, if I hold it "just so", write on high quality paper and use a high-end ink (Take-sume). But if I use it with X-feather on cheap paper, then it's definitely NOT a smooth writer - even when I'm hitting the sweet spot. I've had the pen for almost 2 months and keep hoping that writing with it will become natural and easy, but that's not happening.

 

I'd love to use this as my daily writer. It's a beautifully designed pen and is relatively comfortable to hold and seems to be well-balanced. But smooth? No. Not consistently. Even when in the sweet spot.

 

Does anyone know if Lamy will still do nib-swaps (for free) if I send it to them explaining what my issue is? I'm thinking I might be happier with a fine nib rather than the EF.

 

Also ... from what I've heard, it's easier for a nibmeister to do their magic with a fine nib than an extra-fine. Is this a fair assumption?

 

Otherwise, I think I might look into selling the darn thing if I can't get the hang of it after another couple of months.

 

Cheers.

[Freddy]

I recently got an L2K with an EF nib. I'd heard all the hype about how this was a smoooooth writer. It's okay, if I hold it "just so", write on high quality paper and use a high-end ink (Take-sume). But if I use it with X-feather on cheap paper, then it's definitely NOT a smooth writer - even when I'm hitting the sweet spot. I've had the pen for almost 2 months and keep hoping that writing with it will become natural and easy, but that's not happening.

 

I'd love to use this as my daily writer. It's a beautifully designed pen and is relatively comfortable to hold and seems to be well-balanced. But smooth? No. Not consistently. Even when in the sweet spot.

 

Does anyone know if Lamy will still do nib-swaps (for free) if I send it to them explaining what my issue is? I'm thinking I might be happier with a fine nib rather than the EF.

Perhaps..give 'em a call and ask..............................................................

http://www.lamyusa.com/contactus.php

Lamy Home page..........................................................................................

http://www.lamyusa.com/index.php

 

Also ... from what I've heard, it's easier for a nibmeister to do their magic with a fine nib than an extra-fine. Is this a fair assumption?

 

Otherwise, I think I might look into selling the darn thing if I can't get the hang of it after another couple of months.

 

Cheers.

Fred

Edited January 26, 2015 by Freddy

[dneal]

Also ... from what I've heard, it's easier for a nibmeister to do their magic with a fine nib than an extra-fine. Is this a fair assumption?

 

Depends on what that "magic" is. Tuning a nib to write well is the same task regardless of size. Grinding to a cursive italic would be easier with a wider nib.