Lamy 2000 F vs. M nib

[mitchjg]

Hi:

 

Last week, I obtained to Lamy 2000 pens, one F and one M. I orginally sought an F, thinking it would behave like an M (see here Lamy 2k F nib writes like an F! )

 

I loaded them both up with ink and having written a couple of pages with each. I find them not terribly far apart, but the F is definitely more fine than the M. They are both more flexy than I anticipated and make interesting shading and line width variation depending on the pressure - need to get used to that.

 

They are both very smooth, but the M is very, very smooth. On the other hand, I find it a little easier to "control my handwriting" with the F. 90% of my writing is notes in meetings.

 

Here is a quick "F vs. M" page with content courtesy of CNN news.

 

I would appreciate your reccomendation as to which is best for me. Thanks.

 

[John Cullen]

Thanks for the comparison. The 2000 continues to intrigue me, as the reports on it vary so greatly.

 

I bought an XF used and it was decent but more a fine with a very small sweet spot on which you had to hold the pen or it would lose flow. I reduced the price, supplied full disclosure and sold it.

 

I recently bought one in fine and it writes a nice full fine. Then I bought another fine to use as a graduation gift and I tried it out. Again, nice smooth fine.

 

I am thinking of getting a medium but worry it will be a paintbrush!! So I guess they do make mediums that are, well, medium. If I had a pen shop nearby I would go try one out, but such is not the case.

 

Anyway, thanks, j

[mitchjg]

Thanks for the comparison. The 2000 continues to intrigue me, as the reports on it vary so greatly.

 

I bought an XF used and it was decent but more a fine with a very small sweet spot on which you had to hold the pen or it would lose flow. I reduced the price, supplied full disclosure and sold it.

 

I recently bought one in fine and it writes a nice full fine. Then I bought another fine to use as a graduation gift and I tried it out. Again, nice smooth fine.

 

I am thinking of getting a medium but worry it will be a paintbrush!! So I guess they do make mediums that are, well, medium. If I had a pen shop nearby I would go try one out, but such is not the case.

 

Anyway, thanks, j

 

John:

 

Do you get the same "flex" and line variation with your F? I am leaning towards using the F, not M because the variation makes my already sloppy handwriting appear a bit sloppier.

 

- Mitch

[dizzypen]

Your writing looks a little better using the F nib, but what is the writing experience like? Is the F nib scratchy or otherwise unpleasant?

[mitchjg]

Your writing looks a little better using the F nib, but what is the writing experience like? Is the F nib scratchy or otherwise unpleasant?

I find the pen very pleasant with the F very smooth, not at all scratchy. Then, when I switch to the M, it is incredibly smooth. Weirdly, although both are smooth, they do not slide across the paper like ice, there is a slight amount of "drag" or "dullness". Very subjective, hard to describe. Both great, one is a keeper. I think it i very (F)/incredibly (M) smooth vs. some (F) / more (M) variation.

[John Cullen]

Hi Mitch

 

I notice more variation in flow than difference in line size.

 

Right now I have pelikan blue black in my pen and the upstrokes are clearly lighter and thinner than the downstrokes. I tend to hold my pens at a high angle, and so pens are often a bit dry for me on the upstroke.

 

The only other place I see slight line variation is on the bottom of a loopy letter Y or J.

 

So generally I would not describe mine as producing line variation.

 

I do know what you mean though by the tipping being smooth but having some feel to it. It is really odd how some pen makers' pens have a very specific feel/character to them. Jeepers, how different can modern tipping material really be.

 

I would not want to say I could identify a pen in a blindfold test just by the feel but I bet I would be right more than I would be wrong. Certainly I would not mistake the Lamy for a Carene.

 

I am glad you are enjoying your pens. I think a well tuned Lamy is a nice pen. Since the Fine nib is on the full side of fine and you like the way it makes your handwriting look, I can see why that might be the winner.

 

JC

Edited May 18, 2009 by John Cullen

[mitchjg]

Hi Mitch

 

I notice more variation in flow than difference in line size.

 

Right now I have pelikan blue black in my pen and the upstrokes are clearly lighter and thinner than the downstrokes. I tend to hold my pens at a high angle, and so pens are often a bit dry for me on the upstroke.

 

The only other place I see slight line variation is on the bottom of a loopy letter Y or J.

 

So generally I would not describe mine as producing line variation.

 

I do know what you mean though by the tipping being smooth but having some feel to it. It is really odd how some pen makers' pens have a very specific feel/character to them. Jeepers, how different can modern tipping material really be.

 

I would not want to say I could identify a pen in a blindfold test just by the feel but I bet I would be right more than I would be wrong. Certainly I would not mistake the Lamy for a Carene.

 

I am glad you are enjoying your pens. I think a well tuned Lamy is a nice pen. Since the Fine nib is on the full side of fine and you like the way it makes your handwriting look, I can see why that might be the winner.

 

JC

 

John:

 

Thanks for clarifying my thinking and my description. Yes, I think the larger source of variation I am seeing is from varying flow. It does seem to come from varying pressure, at least for much or the most part. Is that "normal" with a Lamy 2000? It surprised me.

 

- Mitch

 

[yachtsilverswan]

Hey Mitch -

 

To my eye, the two nibs seem to lay down lines of very similar width. The "Medium" nib does not fill in your e and a characters, and the "Fine" nib does not look too delicate to be masculine.

 

So I would keep and use the nib that is smoother - the Medium.

 

Wider nibs are often smoother than finer nibs. It's one of the reasons some of us prefer Broad nibs. Science students often favor XF and XXF nibs to resolve those formulae, superscripts, and subscripts. Those XF and XXF and XXXF nibs can be very scratchy. Nibmeister Richard Binder has re-discovered (actually re-re-discovered) a technique re-discovered by Sheaffer to make very fine nibs very smooth - the Waverley Nib.

 

Use the nib that's smoother. Use the Medium.

[WendyNC]

As someone who likes fine nibs with a bit of tooth or feedback and who also likes some line with variation, my vote would be for the F. But that's me, not you.

 

Question: Can the nibs on the 2000 be switched? If so, you might try that experiment.

[Kelly G]

First - you'll have to be the judge of what you like and what works best for your writing style.

 

I currently have two 2K's - and three nibs; EF, F, and M. The 2K in my pocket has the EF nib and I think it writes more like a F, but that absolutely depends on the pressure I put on the nib. The 2K, in my experience has a semi-flex nib that responds to even light pressure. The ink, of course, makes a difference as well as the paper.

 

FWIW: the nibs aren't too difficult to change out - so there is no reason to keep two pen bodies unless (like me) you just want to.

 

I would also agree that the EF nib has a definite sweet spot that takes some getting used to - the angle of attack and the rotation of the pen makes all the difference in how the pen performs.

 

Good luck with your decision - or maybe you ought to keep one pen and two nibs?

[mitchjg]

First - you'll have to be the judge of what you like and what works best for your writing style.

 

I currently have two 2K's - and three nibs; EF, F, and M. The 2K in my pocket has the EF nib and I think it writes more like a F, but that absolutely depends on the pressure I put on the nib. The 2K, in my experience has a semi-flex nib that responds to even light pressure. The ink, of course, makes a difference as well as the paper.

 

FWIW: the nibs aren't too difficult to change out - so there is no reason to keep two pen bodies unless (like me) you just want to.

 

I would also agree that the EF nib has a definite sweet spot that takes some getting used to - the angle of attack and the rotation of the pen makes all the difference in how the pen performs.

 

Good luck with your decision - or maybe you ought to keep one pen and two nibs?

 

The biggest thing keeping me from keeping the M is the the variation in flow, resulting from the variation in pressure, is a little too much for me and I think a bit annoying. I am curious as to whether or not I would get a more uniform result with a different ink but do not know what would be right. Any suggestions?

[John Cullen]

If you have some pelikan blue black, try that out. I find it really does very slightly lessen the line thickness with some pens.

 

The ultimate ink for this is probably Lamy blue black. It is safe to use as long as you rinse out the pen every few fills with water and don't fill the pen and then let it dry out forever.

 

j