I remember reading around awhile ago about Lamy pens, and some people mentioned some problems. I think it was about some quality issues with their nibs. I was just wondering if this is true or if I just have faulty memory. Just out of sheer curiosity, so thanks to those who answer.

The only quality issue with Lamy nibs is that they are great for the price you pay. Seriously, for 27.50 a pop for the Safari you cant go wrong. Even $150 for a 2000 is a great bargain. I recommend Lamy to anyone as a starting fountain pen.

I think a lot of the quality issues seemed to lie with their 2000's (especially their XF's). I can attest to this... I've gotten 2 bad nibs out of 3 for the 2000: bad XF, which I swapped out for a bad F (they both had severely misaligned tines)... the third one was fine. Still, when you're paying $100 for a pen, you'd think they'd pay attention to details like that. There's also been issues with the 2000's leaking from the nib section... my pen happened to leak from the piston section (it's gotten ink all inside my pen holder a few times), but that's a much rarer occurrence.

Most people don't seem to have much complaints about the Safari's...

Yes, mainly with the 2000s as of recently. I'm one of the guys you've heard complaints from. I've had 5 unsatisfactory EF nibs and 2 F's; I currently have one F that is pretty good (smooth and wet, very broad) and another one that I've sent off to be customized. Don't know if you'll have the same experience, but for me, it was tough getting a good 2000.

I have only had one issue with ink leaking out of all those 2000s

Safaris are great. I have found them to be too dry for me, though. Some thoughts on them:

The EF nib is very scratchy right from the start but becomes very smooth and maybe even wet over a few weeks.

I very much like the triangular grip as it prevents my thumb from sliding up the pen, something that happens with small circular pens like the Pelikan M200.

The F nib is my preferred width right now and is quite fine (finer than Pel F) (equivalent to Pilot 78G M). However, it only writes smoothly at low angles and becomes quite unpleasantly toothy at anything above 45 degrees.

The converter design is superb- it locks into place and doesn't move, unlike those of some other manufacturers*ahemwatermanahem*. Beside that, it also holds a large amount.

It is rather dry, say 4/10.

I have four Lamy Safari (actually one is a Vista) pens, and I have yet to be disappointed with their quality. The only criticism I have is that the three panel ergonomic grip was not designed with overwriters (like me) in mind. Due to the mechanics of the hand, the pen naturally rotates to the right or left (depending on whether you are right or left-handed) as you curve your hand into the overwriting position. The Lamy Safari grip makes it impossible to comfortably rotate the pen back to the correct position while still keeping your fingers on the flat panels. The pen itself, however, is solid and reliable in my experience. I also like the feedback from the nib.

The only problem I have is not having enough. Like Prime said, "for 27.50 a pop for the Safari you cant go wrong." I have never used nor owned a LAMY 2000 so based on blak000's comments, I would think about those.

Check out my rant on Lame Lamy's QC process

I'd never buy another 2000

My Al Star is fantastic (essentially same pen as Safari, just in aluminum), I recommend them and frequently buy them as gifts for family members.

My 2000 EF is a pleasure to write with, I guess I was really lucky. I own 3 Safari, a Lamy ABC and a really nice CP1.
So far I only had problems with my Accent. There is a leak somewhere and I can't seem to find the source.
Anyway, all my Lamy are great pen and I'm seriously considering trying to find a Lamy 27.

I would strongly encourage you to get a Safari

Samovar

Lamy is great! My 2000 had some issues, but it was off of eBay and was missing the o-ring. Lamy USA service made it right.

One of my Vistas has developed a small crack where the barrel meets the section. I think the Vista plastic is a little less durable than the regular Safaris.

Lately, Lamy USA service is really fast too. About 5-6 working days turnaround.

I have a Lamy Vista and liked it so much I bought a Studio. They're both great pens that I use all the time with no problems.

Safaris, Vista, Joys & Al-Stars... lots of colors!

Very sturdy & price is right!

My Lamy 2000 EF is superb! Never had a single problem with it. It is the one pen that I know will always perform flawlessly, everytime, no matter what paper I put down.
It never leaks, does not stick, writes beautifully, holds a ton of ink, is strong, understated, light and just the right size.
For under a hundred dollars I do not think you will find a better pen with all of these features.

So saying, others have had problems with theirs. Try before you buy, or get it from someone you trust.

My AL Star has been my 'work horse job site' pen. A pen that I don't hesitate to use on a construction site. It always writes a nice fine wet line with minimum attention on my part. On the very rare occasions it has a hard time starting, a quick wipe of the nib with a moist tissue fixes the problem (it's always loaded w/Legal Lapis, FWIW). A truly great writing instrument for the money.



Wayne

L2K with M nib is one of my best fountain pens, in spite of leaking problems.

The Safari is a fantastic pen. My only beef is that I've yet to get 2 Lamy EF nibs (the standard nib, I won't even go into my 2000 EF horror story) that come close to writing the same (whether it's wetness or line width).

Frustrating, but not so much that a Safari or Studio isn't in my regular rotation.

Same pen I have and by golly it's due to go back in rotation soon. As I am the only FP lover in the family, all pens bought are for me

My safari is leaky and stains my fingers. I think it has to do with a faulty seal. Anyhow I am spending 3/4 of the price I paid to change the section or for shipping charges.

Five Lamys here (2000, Studio, Safari, Al Star, Joy), and not a single defect found so far.The only disappointment is due to my mistake: I didn't know what a MK nib was and (for the sake of curiosity) I purchased the Al Star with that. too bad .

Luckily I can swap it with the 1.1 italic of the Joy. And thus enJoy my Al Star!

My "Thank you" goes to Mr. Lamy for designing and producing the most affordable range of quality fountain pens ever.

Pardon my ignorance, but what *is* an MK nib?

It's a rounded medium. The tip is more ball-shaped, and is designed with younger writers in mind.

Edited to add: MK = Mittlere Kugelfeder, by the way.

I have purchased, exchanged and got repaired 6 Lamy 2000's last year as all of them had leaks in the area where the nib meets the plastic section. The nibs were very good, only the leak issue. The repairs in the US were not done correctly and finally, out of frustration, I contacted Lamy Germany and sent them a detailed letter with photos of the leak problem. Barbara was the lady there who asked me to send the pen(s) back to them for inspection and repair. She told me that she has never heard of Lamy 2000's leaking. I asked her to check my pens and also to read the complaints in this network. Anyway, to cut a long story short, the pens came back perfect. There are some major QC issues with the 2000's. I would never buy any more 2000's. I have other Lamy pens like the Safari, Alstar, Logo, St, Studio etc... and they all perform flawlessly. Its the 2000's that have issues.

Safari and Accent here.

Absolutely love them both! Obviously, being twice the price, the Accent's a little sturdier and the nib's a little smoother, but almost anyone can attest to the durability and the writing quality of the Safari.

On top of it, I love Lamy's styling with their pens. People say it fits me well!

It's just a shame that the 2000, a beautiful pen with a bit of history, has had some shaky QC issues. I'd love to own one, but...I'll hold off for now...

I have two Lamy Safaris - to me it is a great pen for the value!

I carry it all the time - it writes great for what it is a reasonably priced pen to carry everywhere and I won't want to shoot myself if it is lost or broken. It has proven to be pretty durable and writes excellent for a lower priced pen.

I have three Lamy FPs (2000, Studio and Al-Star)...the only complaint I have is that the Al-Star is a dry writer that can be a hard starter, especially with saturated inks like Noodlers. The 2000 and the Studio are flawless...had both going on Aurora black recently and they were like buttah.... I recently got a 2000 0.5mm mechancial pencil, so the 2000 set is my daily carry-around gear for school.

Just got a 2000 and it is great so far. Of course, that's the point with poor QC - some are great, some not so . . .