Stainless Steel Lamy 2000: How Tight The Cap Should Be? + Marks And Dents Question.

[Lilla-My]

Hi,

 

So, recently, my brand-new stainless steel Lamy 2000 arrived… uncapped.

According to the store, the cap came off during transport; hard to believe, in my opinion. I rather think that the pen was checked but not closed properly afterwards.

 

 

I don’t know if it’s because the cap was totally loose in this big box or not, but I noticed some marks and even dents on the pen body. Are these kinds of things to be expected on a brand-new metal fountain pen?

Personally, I find it hard to believe the loose cap has nothing to do with these; still, if they’re in the range of normal, I’m willing to accept it. But, furthermore, I have no way to know if the nib was hit or not – I noticed nothing worrying when writing, but it’s hard to compare a BB nib.

 

 

Moreover, I noticed that the cap is not fixed as tightly as it is on my Makrolon Lamy 2000.

The base of the cap is a bit loose on the horizontal axis, as if it wasn’t the same diameter; I can feel it just holding the pen in my hand.

Also, I switched the cap between the stainless steel and Makrolon version: the Makrolon cap is always tight, while the steel cap is a bit loose on both models.

Is the steel cap usually a bit looser compared the Makrolon one? Or is my cap a bit too loose, maybe even loose enough to believe the cap actually came off during transport?

 

Thanks for your help.

[silverlifter]

Send it back. The cap should fit securely, and make a satisfying snap when it locks onto the ears.

 

And yes, the cap rolling around in the box would cause those dings. A replacement is in order.

[jchch1950]

A new pen should not show dents or caps that not fixe properly. Sen it for a exchange .

[carola]

The cap on my Lamy 2000 stainless steel fits tightly and doesn´t come loose.

 

I would ask for a replacement if a brand new pen looked like that and the cap won´t fit.

[Lilla-My]

Thank you all for your answers.

 

I have to say, I’m not saying it doesn’t fix properly and secure enough, that’s the problem, it’s not so obvious. I’ll add that the ink doesn’t seem to dry, so it seems correctly sealed when closed.

When closing, there is a snap; it’s not the same noise as with the Makrolon, but I guess it’s normal since it’s not the same material.

Moreover, the force needed to remove the cap is more or less the same as with the Makrolon.

I tried to show how the cap moves on what I call the horizontal axis, Makrolon first, then the metal one … it’s not so obvious on the videos, but the metal one moves more easily.

 

https://imgur.com/5kjJM6o

https://imgur.com/wk4P5K7

 

Also, I noticed that on the vertical axis (up-down), the steel cap moves by a few millimetres, while the Makrolon cap doesn’t seem to move. But again, I need to apply more or less the same force to remove both caps.

 

The cap issue is maybe more a feeling issue than an objective one; however seeing the pen totally uncapped when unboxing it certainly didn’t help.

 

Regarding the cosmetic issue, the store said to me that small scratches are evident in almost all metal pens and that it’s near impossible to receive one without any marks at all. But I hadn’t taken any photos yet.

 

I’m trying not to be a nitpicker, but it’s quite difficult sometimes…

[Calabria]

I have found that the closure mechanism that is designed for a macrolon cap doesnt work quite the same with the added weight of stainless steel.

 

FYI all recent Lamy pens Ive received came in a plastic sleeve to prevent that kind of thing from happening.

[Namloop]

The stopping mechanism seems different. Strange enough, the stainless-steel cap has a plastic stop, and the makrolon has a metal one. The "tines" klick in the green part and are stopped by the metal yellow arrow. Makrolon cap works much better on the stainless steel body. The plastic mechanism in the stainless steel cap is not sturdy enough to hold the heavy pen. Looks like a design failure to me.

[DonkeyStonky]

In your picture of the inside of the steel cap, you can see the metal ring that the tabs on the pen body click into. There is plastic inside the cap so it doesn’t scratch the body when posted, but it still has the metal ring for the capping mechanism.

[nibndip]

I have the same issue. Brand new, the cap and clip have too much play. As I remove the pen from a leather holder, the cap comes the pen and I need to fish it out. A bit annoying. I would say it is a failure to design of the stainless steel version (which is otherwise an improvement on the plastic one I have - sorry, fibreglass infused polycarbonate).

[Glenn-SC]

I have both the macron 

On 10/15/2020 at 8:12 PM, Calabria said:

I have found that the closure mechanism that is designed for a macrolon cap doesnt work quite the same with the added weight of stainless steel.

I have both a Macrolon and a Stainless Steel versions of the 2000, and the SS version cap holds tighter (i.e., takes more force to remove) than the cap in the macrolon cap.  The SS cap is even tighter on the macrolon barrel than the macrolon cap is on the SS barrel.