Bad Experiences With A Lamy 2000?

[Fozziebear]

@dneal and @Freddy:

 

Thanks much! That helps (for both questions).

 

Cheers.

[New_Falcon]

When you get a good Lamy 2000 they are a great pen that don't get between you and your writing and you just get on with it. However, I haven't been happy with the quality control or the warranty service.

 

Still when you do get a good 2000, they are great.

[TwilightFury]

Now that I was guided on how to ink it, I have zero issues with my Broad Nib Lamy 2000. It's as smooth as butter.

[benbot517]

Ask around on the forum. Someone might be willing to do a nib swap with you.

Edited January 27, 2015 by benbot517

[Algester]

generally this is what happens to a lapse in Lamy's QC but worry not I also went through the hussle and bustle first check the tines I would as I have originally presumed that the tines come in tight VERY VERY VERY tight giving almost 0 flow but if your not confident in tuning skills ask a nib mechanic not sure if the proper term holds true and do a tune for wetter flow which would mean opening the tines a little bit if you still want to use the pen at this state I suggest use an ink with high lubrication I was suggested to use Sailor Kiwa-Guro it worked it's also black so it's a very "safe" color to use when in doubt.

I talk from experience BTW

[takkun]

I bought one several years ago at a B&M shop. My first was on the scratchy side, but they were happy to swap it out. Not a luxury one has with most online retailers.

 

The second one, that I currently own, has a very narrow sweet spot. Additionally, as I posted in another thread, felt a bit 'waxy' or 'sticky' until I took a buff stick to it. It's now my dream pen.

 

I wouldn't give up on it, but send it to someone to be tweaked. It's nothing short of frustrating that a $100+ pen, especially one from a company that prides itself on precision and hand-finishing, has a spotty QC record with this particular model. It's a known issue around here, but if you really like the pen, and especially if you get a good deal, another $20 to have it finished up is worth it. Everything else about the pen--the filling system, the finish, the design, is spotless.

[RNHC]

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.

 

What do you mean by "user error?" I know Lamy 2000 is a piston-filler but how hard is it to use a fountain pen?

 

FWIW, mine had a scratchy fine nib that took a bit of tweaking to get it to write acceptably. It's still not butter smooth. I agree with other posters on Lamy's spotty QC. In all honesty, I abandoned my plan to get the Lamy 2000 stainless steel because of it. I was annoyed that $100+ pen like Lamy 2000 needed to be worked on. I imagine I'd be even more annoyed and ticked off if $250+ pen like Lamy 2000M needed work as well.

[Crewel]

I don't think this has been addressed, but have you tried to thoroughly disassemble and clean the pen?

 

I also have a Lamy 2K (good ol' Makralon model) that was not the best writer out of the box back in 2010. For me, the pen did not live up to the hype. HOWEVER, after watching a couple of videos that showed how one could disassemble the pen, I gave it another go. Besides the usual greasing the piston and threads, the most important was to clean the nib and feed. I ran both through an ultrasonic and rinsed with a bath of water and dish soap. If you do not have an ultrasonic cleaner, take a soft toothbrush to the nib and feed. After assembly and drying, I inked it up with Iroshizuku Tsuki-yo, and it was a totally different experience from what I remembered. The nib was smooth on the paper, and the wetness was around the level that I like.

 

From this and other experiences, a good way to judge whether your pen needs work from factory or nibmeisters is to clean the pen thoroughly. There may be some residual oils or other substances that is hampering ink flow through the feed. If that does not seem to be the culprit, I would explore using different inks. Some inks are more viscous than others, e.g. some Noodler's inks (I still love these inks). I'm not saying that the ink is clogging but that they may be too viscous to maintain a steady ink flow. Try some lubricious inks like Water Florida Blue or Noodler's Blue Eel.

 

Also try different papers. Rhodia and Clairefontaine papers have such a glassy coating that they can give you a good indicator of whether you have a baby bottom. Baby bottom nibs will be the usual culprit for skipping. That can be easily taken care of using the finest side of a nail polisher. If you are still experiencing hard starts or similar, then I suggest you look at the nib itself to see whether the tines are aligned and they have a gap that extends all the way through the tip. If the tip is too close, i.e. you can't see a gap (however small) between the tips when seen against a light source, then you have hampered ink flow (dryness) at the nib. There are forum topics and videos that show how you can take care of that.

 

If none of these work, then you may have to seek remedy elsewhere.

 

For me, anecdotal evidence suggests that some pens require a "break-in" period.

Edited February 7, 2015 by Crewel

[Freddy]

 

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..

 

Shayla..Exchletzia..and or Vescha....When you come back....Let me know how ya doin'....

School..who is the Pen Mechanic.................A fascinatin' read, ain't it............................................

 

Fred

Sometimes a street is just a street..sometimes a gene is just a gene

and sometimes history gives you a break

~ Dorothy Gallagher

Edited February 7, 2015 by Freddy

[jasonchickerson]

I received my pen in late 2013. It was a terribly scratchy EF. I did not contact Lamy about it (couldn't bear to part with my new pen; it was my first).

 

I ordered a pen care kit from Goulet and smoothed the nib myself. Now I have a slightly stubby EF/F nib that writes upside down 3XF-4XF. I love it, though sometimes I wish it were just a bit wetter.

 

I'm surprised by the responses in this thread. My understanding was that Lamy stands behind this pen, though better service might be obtained by contacting Lamy Germany.

[ac12]

My experience with a F nib L2000 was similar to others. That nib has a small sweet spot.

The problem that I have with the L2000, and other hooded (Parker 51) and semi-hooded pens, is that the nib being hidden reduces the visual clue of the nibs location. This is important to keep the nib even on the paper, and not rotating the pen to the side of the nib where you will loose ink flow. I do not have this problem with open nib pens where I can clearly see the nib.

 

What I am saying is, the problem may not be the pen, but you rotating the pen off the sweet spot of the nib.

 

Your other option in the sub-$150 range would be a Pelikan M200/205. But if you go XF, I understand the XF nibs have a bad reputation of being IFY.

[Fozziebear]

A lot of good points have been raised, here. I'm going to keep using the pen. Hopefully, it'll "break in" at some point and all of this will be moot. After reading some more posts to this thread and writing more with my L2K (different inks, different papers), here's where I am with all of this:

 

1. It seems to be well behaved with Take-sumi, so that's the ink it shall have. Oddly enough, my Preppy - Fine nib (with X-feather) seems smoother than my L2K (with Take-sumi). Sigh. That said, I really do like the feel of the pen and don't dislike writing with it.

 

2. Ask someone else, more experienced, to write with it. If they think it's working as it should, then it just might be me. As I don't know anyone near me into fountain pens, this step may take some time.

 

3. Take it apart, give it a thorough cleaning and try again. I cleaned it out pretty thoroughly when I got it (December), but only one other time since then.

 

4. If all else fails, send it to a nibmeister once I really understand what my issues are with it and what, precisely, I want the pen to be able to do. It doesn't make much sense to send it to be modified if I'm not absolutely sure what I want - especially because it's an EF nib.

 

5. If possible, take it to a pen show and have a proper nibmeister work on it there (instant feedback, no pun intended).

 

6. I don't think it's "broken". And, if a nibmeister can help make it a smoother writer with a slightly larger sweet spot, then I'll have a really nice writer that is a joy to hold and use.

 

Thanks for some excellent suggestions. I hope the OP also gained something from this thread.

 

Cheers.

[amk]

I have only had one problem with my first Lamy 2000, although admittedly it was a very, very bad problem.

 

It made me want more...

 

Though I don't have an EF nib. I can readily believe they are problematic. Most of mine are wider nibs, for which in my mind the pen is ideally suited.

[ac12]

Realize that XF nibs are inherently scratchy. And the sharper the tip the worse it is.

This is simply due to the small tip, which follows the surface texture of the paper, much more so than a wider M or M nib.

So paper selection is VERY important. I have papers that I will NOT use with a XF or F nib pen. The scratchy feel coming up the pen is too irritating to deal with. However, my M nib and wider nibs work OK on that paper.

You want paper with a HARD SMOOTH surface.

[Behike54]

Got mine 3 months ago and the only time it's not been in my bag was when PB worked on it.

 

It was wet, and butter smooth in the sweet spot, which was not so small, given it was a "B" nib.

 

My next one will be a "M" and when I am in europe, I see an OB in my future!

 

Good luck!

[Rroberrt]

Hi,

My L2K has a mind of it’s own when it comes to rotation, it insists on rotating off the sweet spot - turning the nib towards it’s left side. I don’t think it’s me - never had this problem with two dozen other pens, several hooded (‘51’s).   - and I love my two Safaris. Some Washi tape helps hold the barrel in position, but still have to grip too tight for comfort.    I am thinking of taking it apart, but would not know what to look for?

[gyasko]

It can only be you.  The pen is incapable of moving on its own. 

 

The 51 and the Safaris you use have a rounded tipping so even if you rotate those pens, you’re less likely to notice.   If you try a Montblanc B nib or similar, you’re likely to run into the same problem you’re having with the L2K.

[Rroberrt]

thank you, but the pen feels as if it is weighted to rotate to the said position. I’ll persevere.

[OCArt]

I hold the L2K so that one finger rests on one of the metal "ears."  This gives me a tactile reference.

 

 

[A Smug Dill]

1 hour ago, Rroberrt said:

but the pen feels as if it is weighted to rotate to the said position.

 

Not that the cap and clip weighs so much, but are you writing with the cap posted on the barrel? If so, does changing the orientation of the clip/cap while posted help?