Lamy 2000, Studio, And Al-Star Comparison

June 3, 2009

I know, I know, the Lamy 2000, Lamy Studio, and Lamy Safari/Al-Star line have been reviewed ad nauseam. But that's not stopping me from doing one more! I often think that the pen review section is the most useful part of the forums for me, and some reviews in particular are especially illuminating. Iziem's comparison of the Safari, Al-Star, and Studio is one of those, and it inspired me to do this appreciation of the Al-Star, Studio, and 2000. I hesitate to compare them, per se, since each pen fills a different role in the Lamy Product line. Rather, I'll describe each pen and list some pros and cons.

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The perspective doesn't show it, but these three pens are the same length capped.

General Thoughts

The Safari and Lamy 2000, and to a lesser extent the Studio, are often recommended as starter fountain pens, and with good reason. Safari is a great value for an affordable and dependable pen. Studio takes the nib and feed mechanism of Safari and dresses it up in a refined body; the sleek curves of Studio contrast with the boxy lines of Safari. Lamy 2000 is, hands down, one of the best values in pendom. For less than $100 USD used, and a little more new, Lamy 2000 delivers a smooth piston-fill pen that has a generous ink capacity, smooth nib, and durable body. It is the embodiment of Lamy's design philosophy, "form follows function." Although Lamy has more pens in its line, I feel that these three are the "flagship" models.

Appearance and Aesthetics

Lamy pens are modern. No two ways about it. Lamy has a track record for inviting renowned designers to design their pens; Lamy 2000, Studio, and Safari are all award-winning designs. I get annoyed when elements of book or DVD spines in a series don't line up, so it makes me smile that these three pens are the same length capped (full measurements below). I know this isn't an important consideration for most people, but it is a detail that helps me appreciate Lamy and their emphasis on design.

Lamy 2000 and Al-Star spooning. Notice their caps are the same length.

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Uncapped, Lamy 2000 and Studio strive for a conical or torpedo shape. I think Lamy 2000 is more balanced and elegant on account of its semi-hooded nib; Studio's body juts out slightly from the section, and the nib is more pronounced.

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Caps and Clips: The caps and clips are flourishes on the pens.

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Al-Star/Safari/Vista clips are reminiscent of paper clips. In a year's use, the clip on my Al-Star has loosened considerably and has a lot of play. It still clips, just not as well. My biggest frustration is that the pen simply does not want to stay capped. It stays on (or should) by friction fitting to the trim ring between the section and body; mine must have been abused because it hardly stays capped in my pocket. To my mind, this is the least satisfying cap and clip of the trio.

Lamy 2000's clip, on the other hand, feels the most solid. It is the shortest of the three and has a hard time clipping securely in blue-jeans. It has no trouble clipping to thinner materials. Unlike Safari, Lamy 2000's clip is still quite tight. It is spring loaded and stays secure. The cap attaches by fastening to two small nibs that extended from a clutch ring between the body and section. There is an audible and satisfying click noise when the cap is set or removed.

My mind isn't made up yet on the Studio cap and clip. Continuing the torpedo motif, the clip is shaped like a propeller. From the top it looks like a Levenger triangular clip. From the side, it curves to resemble a prop blade or canoe paddle. It doesn't feel as robust as the Lamy 2000 clip. The cap attaches firmly to the body, but there is a slight amount of play. Still, it stays capped in my pocket and attaches to a shirt collar, so it has a leg up on Al-Star/Safari/Vista.

Grip sections: Arguably the worst part of these pen designs, unfortunately. Each have pros and cons.

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My Studio has a slick metal section that is both heavy and hard to hold on to--not a good combination. I've read reports that the other option with a rubber grip wears out quickly. Still, I've been happily using Studio for meeting and project notes, grocery lists, and other brief writing tasks.

Safari/Al-Star/Vista have a triangular grip section. It isn't a problem for me, but many complain that it doesn't suit their writing style.

Lamy 2000 also has a slick metal section. Choke up on the nib and your fingers may slide; hold the pen too far up and the clutch ring nubs may be a bother. I tend to grip the area where the section meets the body and neither of these factors seem to affect me. Of the trio, I can most comfortably hold Lamy 2000 for long writing sessions.

Durability

Over the long haul, my Al-Star has not held up to my abuses. The clip has some play and the coating is coming off where it meets the cap (see above). There are dings and scratches and scrapes all over the cap and body. This has part to do with my abuse--throw it in a pocket, drop it in my bag, and so on--but partly to do with the soft aluminum. I had a Vista that ran off and it too showed scratches fairly easily. If I were to get another pen of this model, I'd choose the textured Safaris. On the other hand, less abusive pen owners have been quite happy with their Al-Stars over the years. Your mileage varies.

I've owned Studio the least amount of time, so I can't really speak to its robustness. I've been carrying it around for a week and it hasn't picked up a mark yet. Color me impressed. Usually the first thing I (accidently) do to a pristine pen is mar it. The blue coating has a rubbery feel to it. The metal section is slick and picks up fingerprints easily.

Lamy 2000 is famously made of Makrolon fiberglass resin. The first day I had this pen I accidently dropped it out of a moving car's window (don't ask), and when I went back to retrieve it the only damage was a small ding taken out of the very end of the pen. Amazing! I've heard tell that I can probably sand this out, but I think it adds a little bit of character. I can confidently throw Lamy 2000 in my pocket without worry. The black body tends to warm up quickly and it gets downright hot when I use it out of doors in direct sunlight. This causes some inky issues.

I generally don't post my pens, but Studio has a pretty cool posting mechanism. The butt end of the body is metal and has a small lip at the edge. This docks in a hold in the inside of the cap. I like this a lot more than the standard friction fit. There is some play because the cap is wider than the pen body, as seen below.

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3 2000 Studio uncapped by Lamy 2000 , on Flickr

Weights and Dimensions

Take these measurements with a grain of salt--they're not scientific. Similarly, I don't have an accurate small scale. Studio feels heaviest and 2000 feels lightest.

Lamy 2000: Capped 5 7/16" or 139mm; Uncapped 4 7/8" or 124mm; Posted 6" or 152mm

Lamy Studio: Capped 5 1/2" or 140mm; Uncapped 5 1/16 or 130mm; Posted 6 1/8" or 156mm

Lamy Al-Star: Capped 5 1/2" or 140mm; Uncapped 5 1/8" or 131mm; Posted 6 11/16" or 170mm

Nibs

Others have hashed and rehashed the Lamy nib pros and cons, so I'll skimp on this section. Safari/Al-Star/Vista take inexpensive stainless steel nibs in a range of EF-B and italics. They are easily swapped out; I can take mine off by pulling on them or slipping them off with a strip of tape. They are firm, but I like that in a nib. I've owned two EF nibs and both are scratchy. One I just need to break in a little further; the other was snakebit. I prefer fine, which have ranged from true fine to extra-fine.

Studio takes the same interchangeable nibs, but certain models come in gold. Mine does not, so I can't comment.

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Lamy Safari Nibs by Lamy 2000, on Flickr

Lamy 2000 nibs are a source of frustration. Many people have trouble with variable nib width. The pen I bought was labeled as Fine on the package and the slip cover the pen shipped in. When I opened it up, however, the nib was marked M. It wrote just the same width as my wife's medium Safari. I wonder if some of the exaggerated line width debate is brought on by mislabeled nibs. In addition to the width issue, my Lamy 2000 came with a relatively small "sweet spot." For example, it had issues drawing circles and certain angles worked better than others. I shipped mine to Dillon Ang for a regrind and smoothing, and it performs fabulously.

Filling system

Al-Star and Studio take proprietary Lamy T10 cartridges or slightly different converters. I've been using the "wrong" converter in my Al-Star for a year without any problems. I generally fill from a bottle with the converter. Doing so gets ink in the feed faster than carts. I've never had an issue with skipping or flow troubles.

Lamy 2000 is a piston filler, and what a piston it is! I was surprised that the blind cap screwed smoother than my prized Pelikan. Lamy must have addressed piston issues; mine is a recent purchase and the piston just GLIDES. There's a dance you have to go through to use the ink window properly, but it's no biggie since the piston holds SO MUCH INK. My biggest complaint about Lamy 2000 is that it warms up and occasionally burps ink out of the breather hole. This pools in the cap and gets all over the section. Some inks are better than others in this regard--PR seems to stay down better than Pelikan, for example.

Cost and Value

Safari and Lamy 2000 have a great cost:value ratio as far as c/c and piston pens go. You're paying for the looks, and in some cases nibs, on a Studio. The pens are widely available from online vendors and eBay. I bought my Al-Star MSRP from a brick and mortar store (which has since closed, sadface). I bought the Lamy 2000 for cheap on eBay, but the cost of regrinding the nib took it up to the street price for new pens. I purchased Studio from SwisherPens, taking advantage of their Memorial Day sale (happy customer, nothing more).

Conclusion

There's a reason that Lamy Safari/Al-Star/Vista are recommended to new fountain pen enthusiasts: they are fun, reliable, and fairly inexpensive as far as fountain pens go. I use mine primarily as a grading and correcting pen with Skrip Red ink; it makes the task bearable. Studio is a step up in terms of looks, and it is a solid, robust pen. I've been using it in meetings and to write short lists--tasks at which it excels. Lamy 2000 is one of the best values for piston fill pens. There's a reason so many people recommended it to me when I asked about reliable, quality, but fairly cheap pens. I wish I hadn't waited a year to get one. I've been happily using it to write during marathon drafting sessions, and it holds up like a champ. I think the length and weight are just about perfect; my other favorite pen is a Pelikan M605 which is nearly the same size.

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L to R - Al-Star, Studio, Pelikan M605, Lamy 2000, Pilot G-2 Pro

Thanks for reading along, and thanks Iziem for the inspiration!

Edited July 25, 2012 by watch_art

June 3, 2009

We don't get a lot of comparison reviews, so they're always welcome. Thanks for contributing this focus on Lamy pens, bphollin.

I've heard a lot of people complain about the AL-Star finish and your testimony supports it. It's a shame Lamy didn't make the surface more scratch resistant. Anyway, it looks like the Lamy 2000 is the winner in the end. I'm glad to hear yours survived almost certain destruction (being dropped out of a moving car window!). I think the light weight helps with that, as a metal pen will have more momentum and thus exert more force upon impact.

June 3, 2009

another great review! you have detailed specifics that I've been considering as I hunt for the perfect daily writer.

Thanks!

June 3, 2009

You're welcome, Gary and p2p. It was my pleasure. I was going to post this in the Lamy forum, but we know how that one goes

I'll add a few more lingering thoughts on balance: Al-Star, despite its size, is still relatively lightweight. I don't mind writing with it posted or not, but my preference is not. Studio is a heavy pen, or heavier than I like, anyway. Once I post it is just too uncomfortable and the balance doesn't feel quite right. Lamy 2000 is the lightest of the lot, or it feels that way to me. I could write with it posted if I needed to, but again, I don't usually post. The cap does stay posted for me; apparently it hasn't always been the case for others.

If I had to pick just one, I would go with Lamy 2000 in a heartbeat. Fortunately for me I have all three and don't need to choose. Despite it's warts (clutch nubs on the grip, initial nib issues, occasionally ink burps) it is the prize catch.

Edited June 3, 2009 by bphollin

June 3, 2009

Thanks for the comparison review.

I'd had a Studio kinda far down on my list for some time, but if it's the same steel nibs as in the Safari for the blue one -- forget it. I loathed the Safari I had. The gold nibs I've already covered elsewhere, so I guess the quest for the monotone gold nib goes on the "when I have time" list.

The 2000 is a miss for me on several points, but it does seem the best designed of them.

June 9, 2009

Just to add for people trying to choose between all these...

The Lamy Studio I had with a gold nib came with a Fine nib that was very very smooth but had a slight feel for the paper. I know those two sound at odds, but the nib wold glide on the paper and yet give a sense of being in contact with the paper. Part of this may be that the flow was perhaps a shade on the light side. The fine nib produced a full Fine line but with any pressure expanded to a mediumish line because they nib was definitely springy rather than totally firm.

Some people have reported the 2000 nib as springy, but none of the ones I have tried were springy. They really required some pressure to widen the line whereas the Studio gold nib I had was springy enough that it would give and take a little even with light pressure.

I like your photo of the 2000 and the Studio sections. It really shows how large the Studio section is!! If you hold your pen a ways back/up the section, the Studio may seem quite large to you in comparison to many other pens.

The air conditioning has been off in the building where I work for the last week or so and the air is stiffling hot and probably bacteria laden from lack of circulation. Windows can NOT be opened in this building. After sitting around for three hours, the 2000 I had with me really put out more ink than normal. This pen really responds to temperature. The modern duofold I had with me seemed not to be influenced by temp.

Or maybe the temp and bad air was causing me to have hallucinations? I feel sorry for the office people who have had to sit there from 9-5 each day in what I think are less than healthy conditions. I can come and go as I please.

nice comparison review. thanks, j

A well functioning and adjusted 2000 is a very very nice pen, IMO.

June 9, 2009

Great photos. I agree with the EF nib. Mine is so talkative, it's banished in sit in a very dark place.

Edited June 9, 2009 by PacificCoastPen

June 11, 2009

Great review. I love lamys but havent owned them for too long (I own seven now ). A friend of mine told me recently that he had a safari that had the "cross" screw at the top of the cap made of brass instead of the plastic on the new ones. Can anyone who has owned lamys long enough to have seen both say if lamy has skimped on quality in recent years.

June 12, 2009

Hey

Thanks for the Lamy p0rn I have a bunch of safari's, 2 al-stars and the other half has a vista. The 2000 does nothing for me, I dont like the hooded nib. A studio would be nice but I keep falling for multi-coloured safaris. I have a Pink 09 LE on order and my Orange LE 1.1 italic is my 'precious'.

I like the heavierness (such a word?) of the al compared to the safari but variety is the spice, I just keep swapping them around. Except when precious talks to me... What's that? Write with you? Yes my precious....

Les (who likes safari's - could you tell)