Yet Another Lamy 2000 Review

[Behike54]

Be nice, this is my first review and I'm new.

 

 

 

 

LAMY 2000 REVIEW

Body: makrolon

Nib: broad

Ink: J. Herbin “Perle Noir”

Paper: Rhodia Dot pad # 16

Vendor: Pen Chalet (for all items)

 

This fountain pen has been written about for a long time and at length, by much more experienced people than myself. That said, I think those who are relatively new to FPs and a certain pen may offer a perspective that is beneficial or informative to other newbies or people who have not owned or wrote with this pen. That said, I feel like I am late to the party.

 

APPEARANCE: I would imagine that this pen either speaks to people or it doesn’t. I don’t think it is polarizing, if you will, as much as people either “get it” when it comes to the whole purity of form following function, or they don’t. I can only speak for myself and the aesthetics of this pen are right smack in my wheelhouse. I think the design is simple, sleek, and drop dead beautiful.

5/5

 

 

BUILD QUALITY: I have looked, felt, and tested every centimeter of this pen and I am impressed. The body is perfect and uniform in color. The transition between barrel and piston-knob is practically invisible to see and feel. I am astonished by the fact that I LITERALLY have to hold it under a bright light and angle perfectly in order to even see the transition. The same goes for the transition of barrel to grip section, only more so, as in totally and completely seamless by touch. The clip springs with just the right amount of feedback and flexibility. The cap snaps securely and is removed easily, with just the right amount of effort. Even the “grip clips” or extensions, or whatever you want to call them, are not that big a deal unless you are your grip is high and heavy. I wrote with my fingers on them so I could say I did and wanted to know what it felt like. To me it felt like no big whoop. YMMV.

5/5

 

 

SIZE & WEIGHT: It is hard to grade a pen on these qualities given that we are all different and these qualities are inextricably linked to the size of our hands, fingers, grip, etc., so on, ad infinitum. For me, it felt perfect. The material and purchase I was able to achieve was ideal, the pen seemed neither light nor heavy, and perfectly balanced. As a rule, I don’t post. I just don’t. I think pens don’t look as good and usually, and this is just my opinion, become back heavy. I posted this pen so I could write about what it felt like and I HONESTLY plum forgot. Now, it does post deeply and securely, all without much pressure, so that is atypical, in and of itself, IMHO. The pivotal moment for me was when I had pen in hand I no longer wanted to just ogle and or study it, I wanted and NEEDED to ink it up and start writing! I am new to this game and that was a first for me. Full disclosure, I am a modern minimalist at heart, so do with that information what you will.
5/5 ß-- for ME, YMMV

 

 

PERFORMANCE: Threw caution to the wind, didn’t flush with water or anything else, just filled and put nib to paper. I was rewarded with a nice wet line and consistent flow of ink. I have read about this pen having a small or smaller “sweet spot,” and that was certainly the case for me. The nib, due to being semi-hooded and small to begin with, exacerbates this quality. If you have a tendency to roll your pen, I can see how this might be frustrating for some. Again, a number of variables to consider if you will decide to make this pen worth the trouble and keep it, or a nightmare of annoyance and dump it. I don’t roll my pen and adjusted rather quickly.

4/5

 

 

 

FILLING SYSTEM: Who doesn’t love a lot of ink and being easy to fill, right? I can’t speak about capacity, ease of filling completely, or how difficult and time consuming it is or isn’t. I filled it using only one attempt and the pressure was neither light nor difficult, and gave me the same kind of feedback that when closing a well-designed door. It feels solid and secure, but surprises you by how easy it is to maneuver. The pen is not huge and I am sure the capacity is neither monumental, nor puny. Again, I always seem to come back to a balance of proportion and good design in all things.

4/5

 

BOTTOM LINE: Okay, lets not beat around the bush here. With an MSRP of $200 and street price of $160, I got mine for $135 on a Cyber-Monday sale from Pen Chalet. At any of the aforementioned prices, this pen is a steal. It is an iconic piece of art that functions superbly. The quick and easy removal of its cap, size and weight, coupled with higher than average ink capacity and what appears to be all but unbreakable (nib aside, of course), I totally get why people use this as their day-to-day, go-to workhorse. I obviously don’t have to worry about paying $200 for this pen, but if I was in a shop and could try it in a variety of nibs and was new and know what I know now, I would pay it and be quite happy. As a matter of fact, this might be the pen you buy multiples of with varying nib sizes for different tasks if you like the design. This pen has stood the test of time and Lamy should be congratulated for not fixing something that isn’t broken, but only addressing ways of making it better. People can say what they want about QC all day long, but in the grand schemata, I have noticed that the people who are most vocal about these kind of issues take these matters personally instead of bad luck or that the world isn’t a perfect place. There, I said it.

 

4.5/5

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 5, 2014 by Behike54

[Kevan]

It's a wonderful pen and a wonderful value. I love mine. I'm just not in love with the nib size. After a lot of hemming and hawing, I went with the Fine, expecting a wider line more like a Medium. What I got was a true fine, and a very wet one at that. But after 2 weeks of use, I want a Medium nib. I'm just afraid of sending it back in case I tempt fate and end up with my new nib being a lemon.

 

That said, I just love writing with it. I can easily write for extended periods. The build quality is flawless. I love that you can open it up for easy cleaning. I did flush mine before its first filling, and I'm glad I did because there were traces of Lamy Blue in there from the factory.

 

Bottom line, for a gold nib, a piston filler system, with time-tested design and materials, this is an absolute bargain at the price. I never was into Lamy pens, but this has sold me on the brand. No, it's not going to yell "I'm a fountain pen!" and attract attention, but it's going to do its job well and age with you.

[Behike54]

No, it's not going to yell "I'm a fountain pen!" and attract attention, but it's going to do its job well and age with you.

 

Agreed on all counts, but I think if you know what you are looking at or have an eye, it's knee-buckling beautiful. Again, like you said, without a need to show off and being comfortable with what it is, it's a gorgeous pen.

 

I know what you mean about switching nibs, I love the flow and how smooth it is, but I am considering having someone grind it to a stub.

 

Btw, if someone reading this had a good experience with a nibmeister working on their L2K, don't hesitate to give me a shout. (as long as the turn around time isn't 6 months.

[Exlaminis]

Congratulations on your first review. I don't believe you mentioned the ink window, so if I may, could I request your opinion on its usefulness?

[proton007]

Be nice, this is my first review and I'm new.

 

 

First review and you use the wrong smiley!

Tsk..tsk.

[Behike54]

 

First review and you use the wrong smiley!

Tsk..tsk.

 

[Behike54]

Congratulations on your first review. I don't believe you mentioned the ink window, so if I may, could I request your opinion on its usefulness?

 

DAMMIT!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I read your post, got the pen out of the box, because, well, you know, that's where it stays the first week.

 

Since it is filled with black ink and doesn't seem MORE or less translucent, I will be in a better position to answer that in the future or with a different colored ink.

 

THAT SAID, the reviews I can remember reading noted that is was a good thing, but too little too late, like a gas light that comes on when you only have 5 miles worth of gas left in your car. Does that make sense?

 

I KNEW I was going to flub this up.

[The Pantaloon Duck]

That's a splendid review of a splendid pen. FWIW, I agree with everything you have said. I was going to write a review of the 2000 myself, but I don't think I'll bother now

[Koyote]

 

Agreed on all counts, but I think if you know what you are looking at or have an eye, it's knee-buckling beautiful. Again, like you said, without a need to show off and being comfortable with what it is, it's a gorgeous pen.

 

I know what you mean about switching nibs, I love the flow and how smooth it is, but I am considering having someone grind it to a stub.

 

Btw, if someone reading this had a good experience with a nibmeister working on their L2K, don't hesitate to give me a shout. (as long as the turn around time isn't 6 months.

 

If you like the way it writes, I suggest that you leave it alone. Why take a chance on ending up with something that doesn't work so well?

 

Besides, from the look of your writing sample, that nib is already stubbish. Not enough line variation to be called a true stub, but you got a good one.

[takkun]

Agreement all around. It's my favorite pen. Most of my pens are very slim, since I like that aesthetic more than the much larger cigar-shaped pens, but this one fits the design bill while being comfortable in my huge gecko hands.

 

The ink windows really only serve to tell you 'nope, your pen isn't having a hard start, its actually empty'. But can at least give you some idea what color is in it. If you have a strong light.

 

I'd also agree with the nib. it's soft but not flexy, and somewhat oval shaped but not enough to call it a stub. I bought mine in person and got to test it out, so I ended up with a M, far bigger than the XFs I'd been using up until that point.

 

As for the quality control issue, I think what gets people riled up about this pen is that Lamy's standard nibs are so consistent (especially for the price), and the 2000s just a little less so, enough that it gets frustrating when it's not JUST quite right.

 

And a caveat: this is a pen with a beautiful finish that you'll agonize after the first scratch. Mine's got a good amount of pocket wear and is polishing out where I hold it. All evens out in the end.

[redisburning]

People can say what they want about QC all day long, but in the grand schemata, I have noticed that the people who are most vocal about these kind of issues take these matters personally instead of bad luck or that the world isn’t a perfect place. There, I said it.

 

You mean like that Lamy has no excuse to have the number of issues they have when other pen makers seem to make their pens like it's not 1964 anymore?

[Koyote]

People can say what they want about QC all day long, but in the grand schemata, I have noticed that the people who are most vocal about these kind of issues take these matters personally instead of bad luck or that the world isn’t a perfect place. There, I said it.

 

Yeah. I don't quite get this remark, either. A pen either works or it doesn't, regardless of how I interpret things. I've purchased two new Lamy 2000s and neither wrote properly. I'm happy for those whose 2000s do work well, and I envy them as it is a nice design. I would love to use one each day, but I'm done looking for one that writes consistently.

 

By the way, my Safari and Vista are both wonderful writers.

[Behike54]

I have noticed in more than one brand forum a consistency in some people constantly chiming in about their woe is me tale regarding a pen that is less than perfect. We all have biases, including myself; if you think you don't them, you aren't looking hard enough. Statistically speaking, given the sheer number of certain pens, you are going to hear about them more often and it is going to appear worse than it is. Toss into the mix that one person's feedback is another person's "scratch," this type of stuff can go on forever.

 

From a $2 Pilot to Hakase, I have yet to read a pen without criticism or complaint, nor would I expect to.

 

I think some people make it their mission to let other people know they got a lemon.

 

The 3 best pens I have purchased have all been superb. L2K, Pilot Falcon, and TWSBI 580 AL.

 

I wouldn't wish a lemon on anybody, but it's a fact of life, it happens. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

People act like it was a purposeful action due to some sort of personal vendetta against them.

[tanalasta]

Remains one of the most reliable, durable and functional pens I have ever owned. Constantly remains in my rotation ... and every time I lose one, I replace it. Piston filler, holds a capacious and useful amount of ink and writes beautifully.

 

I have also had a few 'lemons' ... broad nibbed Lamy 2000 that had a 'baby bottom' and would constantly skip and be hard starting. But never a problem with the 'Fine' nibs. One of the best daily writers and straight near (if not at the very) top of my under $120 pens to own.

[thiagojp]

I got a M nib, and it wrote terribly out of the box. Too dry AND a baby's bottom. After a lot of tweaking now it writes great. The build quality is great, and the piston is very smooth. So I would recommend it if you can buy it from someone who checks and adjuat your nibs.

[redisburning]

I have noticed in more than one brand forum a consistency in some people constantly chiming in about their woe is me tale regarding a pen that is less than perfect. We all have biases, including myself; if you think you don't them, you aren't looking hard enough. Statistically speaking, given the sheer number of certain pens, you are going to hear about them more often and it is going to appear worse than it is. Toss into the mix that one person's feedback is another person's "scratch," this type of stuff can go on forever.

 

that is one way to frame it.

 

another way is that many perceive Lamy to have a higher than usual occurrence of such issues. add to that that it's pretty unlikely that people looking at Lamy 2000s and people looking at Pilot VPs, 74s, Sailor 1911s, and other entry level gold nibbed pens are fundamentally different in their likelihood to complain about a problem. people with bad experiences ARE far more likely to complain. at the same time, if that's true of all brands, then so what?

 

as you identified there certainly is an issue of people complaining with limited context or experience. pen reviews by a given individual, and subsequently their acquisition of pens, tends to follow an upward trajectory where every pen is a bit pricier than the last and so every review says the pen in question is the best thing since sliced bread. frankly, you took a dig at a brand you don't have ownership experience with in your review, didn't you?

 

ultimately, and maybe sadly, in order to break an established line of thought you need to provide a good deal of evidence. for me, your sample size of one does not do much to dismiss what I consider to be legitimate, if overstated, pattern of QC complaints against Lamy.

 

that being said I think the 2000 is a great pen and they rarely have issues that an application of fingers and/or surfactants can't fix.

Edited December 7, 2014 by redisburning

[Abner C. Kemp]

I find myself using this pen and wondering why I have any need for other pens. If course, my addiction can offer plenty of reasons but I really can't say anything negative about the Lamy 2000. Mine is an EF nib and it is incredibly smooth -- smoother than my Pelikan M1000 fine nib. The ink flow is perfect and the pen just feels sturdy. My only caution to owners is to be VERY careful when unscrewing the section. The ring that has the little feet that click the cap on is easily lost and it is very difficult to find a replacement.

[J85909266]

Mine was a little dry out of the box, which was causing some skipping on up strokes. I looked up how to adjust the nib for a bit more wetness, and now the pen is perfect. The nib is soft, springy and heads and shoulders smoother than any of my other pens. It even has enough spring for some attractive line variation.

[gwyneddd]

I find myself using this pen and wondering why I have any need for other pens. If course, my addiction can offer plenty of reasons but I really can't say anything negative about the Lamy 2000. Mine is an EF nib and it is incredibly smooth -- smoother than my Pelikan M1000 fine nib. The ink flow is perfect and the pen just feels sturdy. My only caution to owners is to be VERY careful when unscrewing the section. The ring that has the little feet that click the cap on is easily lost and it is very difficult to find a replacement.

 

I'm a new owner of a Lamy 2000. The machining is so fine, it's impossible to see the cap where you twist for the filling. The writing is even smoother than the Lamy Al-Stars I own. I question also whether one needs any other kind of pen. This pen is beautiful. I got the fine nib. The brushed steel (anodized) makes a good surface to grip for writing.

[benjitzu]

Thanks for the review!

 

I LOVE the Lamy 2000, so much so that I have several of them in all different sizes (EF, F, M, and M stub). Besides my Safari, the 2000 is the one of the few pens in my collection I have absolutely zero hesitation taking with me anywhere I go. It's bombproof; it looks cool; it writes perfectly (to me), and I love the feel of it. It has been, and will always be, in rotation. All around AWESOME pen!