The Lamy 27

[piembi]

  MYU said:

You're welcome. I have never tried to take apart a Lamy 2000 nib, but based on the design I can see how it should come apart the same way. This is good to know for cleaning purposes.

 

I saw a burgundy Lamy 27 eBay auction close on April 06th by a German seller, but it was stated as having an F nib. No mention of it being scratchy. Did you get yours from Martini Auctions? The nib size is almost always stamped on the piston screw or blind cap. In some rare cases I've seen examples with no stamping; they've all been USA market pens ("made in germany" is stamped on the barrel).

 

I've not yet come across a Lamy 27 nib that I'd consider scratchy. I don't know if that is due to the inherent section and feed design doing a great job of protecting the nib, if people are generally careful with these pens, or if I've just gotten lucky. I did have one that had a small hint of tooth in one direction and smoothing it on a paper bag did the trick.

 

The seller was none of the known pen sellers.

The nib had indeed a problem. It was slightly bent and the tipping was not perfect.

First I thought of sending the pen in for repair but I could not get myself spending so much money on this pen. I disassembled and cleaned the pen and forgot about it for a while.

 

Then I read about some sucessful nib grinding and gave it a try. First with my Arkansas stone and then with a very smooth pebble I use instead of a brown paper. Now the nib is buttersmooth and writes a broad wet line. Was my favourite writer of the week

[HesNot]

Well sadly my Lamy 27 is being returned. The "near mint" description neglected to say that the metal clutch ring was missing ... There was no picture of the pen uncapped so I didn't see it until it arrived. I don't think the seller was devious, just didn't know much about the pen.

 

So it's off to find another one... something like hen's teeth, at least metal capped ones that are in decent shape.

[MYU]

  HesNot said:

Well sadly my Lamy 27 is being returned. The "near mint" description neglected to say that the metal clutch ring was missing ... There was no picture of the pen uncapped so I didn't see it until it arrived. I don't think the seller was devious, just didn't know much about the pen.

 

So it's off to find another one... something like hen's teeth, at least metal capped ones that are in decent shape.

Bummer. Not good on the part of that seller. But if they didn't know much about pens, I guess it is understandable. For me, it looks rather odd seeing the channel left behind by the missing clutch ring and certainly the cap doesn't hold fast without it.

 

Not to worry, though. There are plenty more of those 27's in the wild. Most have their clutch rings intact. It's not as bad a problem as with the Montblanc Meisterstucks from the late 60's early 70's (models such as 12, 14, 22, 24, 72, 74...). I've seen plenty of those for sale without the clutch ring. Talk about hen's teeth--extra clutch rings are nearly IMPOSSIBLE to find. And that's a tough spot to be in with pens that often sell over $100.

 

[PenFisher]

Thanks for an well done review. As a Parker 51 and Aurora 88 fan, this pen has a lot of appeal to me ... now I just need to find one

[RevAaron]

Just keep your eyes peeled- they show up in the for sale forum here often enough. I've sold 4 of my spares over the last month, and seen another 3 sold by other folks in the last month or two. The prices you see here are a lot better than the prices you usually see on eBay, which often get to be a bit high, or have high BIN prices. Happy hunting- they're worth it. I turn for my 27 and 88 more than my 51 and 2000.

 

[MYU]

Thank you, Pen Fisher. Aaron is right--they do appear from time to time. In fact, I have a few duplicates I may be selling in the coming weeks, so keep your eye on the FPN marketplace.

[PenFisher]

Just found one today and it's on the way ... looking forward to it. Thanks

 

  MYU said:

Thank you, Pen Fisher. Aaron is right--they do appear from time to time. In fact, I have a few duplicates I may be selling in the coming weeks, so keep your eye on the FPN marketplace.

 

[mstone]

  MYU said:

Nib and feed from a Lamy 27m (basically the same design on the Lamy 27n, though slightly larger)

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t154/MYU701/pens/Lamy/27/Lamy27_nib-feed.jpg

Hmm. I wonder if this inspired the design of the gold nib available on some studio models?

[sam235813]

wow. thanks. as a parker lover, i like the lamy better...

[MYU]

  mstone said:

Hmm. I wonder if this inspired the design of the gold nib available on some studio models?

Funny, I never noticed that before. But you're right--that outer line that wraps around the slit and hole of the nib looks very much like the Studio nib. Good catch.

 

  sam235813 said:

wow. thanks. as a parker lover, i like the lamy better...

I have to admit, since discovering the Lamy 27, my Parker 51's are seldom used. In fact, I think I may have to let go of a few.

 

Edited March 26, 2009 by MYU

[oracle202]

Fantastic Review of a pen I have not heard much of... now you make me want to go and buy one just for the heck. :bonk:

[HenryLouis]

Great! I'd love to find one of these at a reasonable price!

[MYU]

You can find them in the Lamy section of "that auction site" more and more these days. I keep saying I'll be selling off some of my 27 collection, but I just keep delaying it (or trading pens!). I think this weekend I'll finally get around to making some decisions. I love these pens!

 

Btw, I made an interesting discovery. Apparently there was a Lamy 27n transitional pen to the Lamy 27 30/31/32 series (squared off ends). In the Lamy 27 30/31/32, the nib assembly is virtually identical to the Lamy 2000 save for the platinum coating. As seen in previous photos, the nib is crimped onto the feed as one complete unit; a smart idea, something I would have thought Lamy to do in the earlier models. Well, apparently they did do this...

 

I've happened upon a couple of these. It's the torpedo shaped 27n but with the nib crimped onto the feed. The only thing is, the feed shape did not change. It is still flairs out somewhat. This presents a problem for the 2000... thus the nib unit is not compatible. Oh well. But it's curious to know of this transitional feed unit. I'll try taking some photos later.

[piembi]

I am curious about the pics ....

[HesNot]

Well I finally found another one - this time with the clutch ring intact! Looks to be in decent condition - 27n burgundy color - lustralloy cap with gold cap band and clip, medium nib (but it sure looks line a fine line - we'll see how it writes - may end up getting this reground depending on how much I like the pen). This one also has on the cap band engraved with "double L" - not sure if that is stock or some sort of custom ingraving but it appears nonintrusive.

 

I paid more than 20 euros for it unfortunately but still a good bit less than the last one I bought.

 

I'll try to post pictures when it arrives...

 

MYU - any knowledge of what the "double L" means, if anything?

[RevAaron]

I'd guess that it's a personal engraving. I've never seen a Lamy 27 (or related- 99, etc) with an engraved cap-band.

 

/me got another 27 recently as well- lovely teal 27n

 

 

[pen2paper]

so If one were to find a 27 'in the wild' what would be the price range?

[HesNot]

In the wild prices, in my experience, vary widely but generally in the $60-$100 range.

 

I received my 27n today. I can see the appeal fo the 27m as the 27n is just a hair slimmer than a "51", but still works well for me.

 

I know there is some first day colored glasses involved, and the fact that this particular pen appears to be brand new and never inked (crystal clear piston and ink window, not a mark on it that I can see) but MYU is right. The 27 is a really underrated pen and should have been more successful than it it was.

 

I opened up the package and after lubricating the piston a bit with silicone (it was a tad bit stiff, but like I said it appears to have never been used) I filled it up with Waterman Florida Blue which is my standard "test" ink. From a design standpoint it does share much with the "51" in terms of the shape and feel of the pen. The lustralloy cap with gold accents is nicely done and not too much bling (much like a "51" flighter). The body is a dark burgundy and the cap jewel is also dark burgundy. The nib is supposed to be a medium but unlike the L2K which runs wide this medium sure writes more like a western fine (which is OK with me actually). And it is very smooth, nice flow - around a 6.5 or so on the wetness scale (i.e. not a gusher but no skips), and a bit of spring but not really flex - I'd say it feels more "soft" than flexible, which again is fine and well suited to how I write. It holds a rather large amount of ink.

 

The metal slip cap was a point of concern for me initially as it looks like it has a Parker 21 style clutch mechanism which I'm not terribly fond of. But low and behold the inside of the cap has 5 clutch fingers and the clutch on the pen does not just slide in for a pressure fit but the clutch ring engages what feels like a detente in the cap for a satisfying "snap" like feel. It has somewhat the best components of a slip cap and a snap cap. Quite nice and solid feeling. One of my big points with a pen is the cap mechanism - how it fits and how solidly it stays in place. To complicate matters - I much prefer a slip or snap cap to a screw cap so the design matters quite a bit. I like the "51" and 75 mechanisms quite a bit, my Pilot Murex and the L2K close with a satisfying snap, and even the pressure fit only Aurora 88P works quite nicely and is secure. The 27n is up there with the best of them and perhaps might be the best of the bunch, having as I said a bit of the snap and slip cap feel to it.

 

I can definitely see buying another if I can find one - the metal cap pens seem in my experience to constitute maybe 1/3 to 1/4 of the pens I run across on the various auction sites - but perhaps that is just a bad run of luck on my part. If you don't mind a screw cap I see no reason not to pick up a plastic cap model, actually, as the nib and overall build quality will hold true regardless.

Edited June 29, 2009 by HesNot

[Aysedasi]

  MYU said:

As the model progressed in its later years, the streamline shape was squared off a bit. The black dome jewel was replaced with a black disk with a white inset circle and a black "L" prominently in the center. On some models a '32', '30' or '30n' was added after '27'. I haven't been able to confirm what that designation means, but I suspect 30=plastic cap, 31=steel cap, and 32=gold cap.

 

 

I've just acquired (through FPN) a 27n (squared off end) which has 'Lamy 27' on the barrel and '30 OM' on the piston knob......

[amateriat]

Better late than never, I suppose, but a big, heartfelt thanks for this piece on the Lamy 27.

 

I came across a fairly clean, Bold-nib Lamy 99 for a quite-reasonable price, and I've loved the thing ever since. If this indeed is the "cheaper" version of the 27, I suppose one can wonder what the 27 is like, although it appears the cost-cutting took place with the cap and trim, not the stuff that makes a difference to a writer. My 99 takes its place alongside my 2000 and Persona (and a 1st-gen parker Sonnet somewhat worn 'round the edges) as an interesting pen to own, but more importantly, a hell of a great writer. (And, my description of the 99 as a "German '51" wasn't all that far-out after all!)

 

 

- Barrett