I own a Lamy 2000 med nib that I love to write with and I'm looking to add to my small but growing collection by purchasing a Falcon, Sailor ProGear or a Sailor Sapporo. I like the Lamy 2000 nib, great feel to it and the lightweight is material makes long writing sessions enjoyable. Unfortunately, the nearest pen store does not carry any Namiki or Sailor pens so I can't test drive!

I'm looking for input on how these pens compare to the Lamy 2000. How do the nibs compare? What about the width and weight? Should I go with a broad nib since the Lamy runs big and Japanese pens run small?

And finally, where online can I purchase one of these pens without paying a small fortune for shipping?

I just bought a Sapporo from peartreepens.com (disclaimer, as usual). It was reasonably priced for a new sapporo, so that was good. As for shipping, it was only around $7.40. Note that that is inluding the two bottles of ink and the ink sampler that were shipped along with the pen. I do not know if your shipping price will go down in you only get the pen.

Edit for haphazardly wording a sentence to say what it meant, without the unintended inplication.

First of all, please note that all pens are different and have different personalities. You will find that any of the Japanese pens feel very different than the Lamy 2000 you're using right now. I'm using a Lamy and a Japanese pen right now too, as you can see below, so I'm experiencing it right now.

I recommend that you go with a Falcon. It is the most different of the bunch. It has a semi-flexible nib that gives you a VERY different writing experience, but a great one. The Falcon is a bit lighter, I think, than the Lamy.

I recommend you get yours from Richard Binder. Not only does he have good prices, but he checks and adjusts your nib prior to mailing it and you are guaranteed to get a well-writing pen right out of the box. (Of course, with Namikis and other Japanese pens you should rarely have a problem anyway.) That's what I did and I'm glad I did so. He also doesn't charge an arm and a leg for shipping. I got mine very quickly - very efficient operation.

Also, discuss with Richard in your e-mail what your preferences for nib size are and he'll give you what you want. That's perhaps the most important benefit buying from him.

Good luck!

Erick

Hi Leo:

I have a Lamy Studio Paladium, 14K M Nib, and a Sailor Somiko B Nib, and I think the Lamy M is a little broader than the Sailor B. So if you like "Full" M nibs buy a Sailor in B. I asked the same question some weeks ago.

Julio

I did a quick Sailor line-width chart the other day; now added the Namiki Falcon F to the chart see if it helps. I don't have a Lamy 2000 so can't compare; I added a Safari M tho but not sure if that helps.

As mentioned already, the Namiki Falcon has a bit of flex to it; a pleasure to use, but its F may be too fine if you're used to Western M. Sailor or Namiki nibs seldom have problem out of the box I'm not sure if I'd want to spend extra to have it preped. But you may think different.

For good prices and great service, I have two words: Pam Braun: http://www.oscarbraunpens.com/ . I find the shipping charges reasonable and ultra fast.

Click to view attachment

Go for the ProGear. I have a medium and a broad. The broad will definitely more like a western medium, and probalbly abit finer than the 2000 medium. I also have a Sapporo, but it is much slimmer - amazing quality for the price, however.

ProGear Broad: Black/Rhodium

ProGear Medium: Ivory/Rhodium (classy!!)

Sapporo Medium: Black/Rhodium

Oh boy - all different advice! Isn't FPN great or what???

BTW, Bananafish - awesome scan!

Pam Braun is great too, I agree. But for somebody who wants it perfect out of the box, there's nobody like Richard Binder.

Erick

Out of the box performance is important to me. I should have mentioned that my very first FP purchase was a Cross Apogee. I tried it out in the store and fell in love with it. But the guy wanted retail price, so I went searching on the net. Found a good deal but the pen has never performed as well as the one I tried in the store. After some research on FPN, I saw that that Apogee had mixed reviews. I've been much more careful when buying online now and I pay close attention to reviews about nib performance. The Sailor nibs get great reviews, but the Falcon I thought was interesting because of the semi-flex nib. Would you consider the Lamy 2000 nib flexible? And how does that compare to the Japanese pens like Sailor Sapporo or Falcon?




I just checked ot his web site. Looks like the Falcon is on back order. :-( But I'll send him an email.

Wow, this is awesome! What is the ink you used for the broad nib? That's a great red!

Thanks, the colors are:

Zoom -- Sailor Black
Broad -- Noodler's Apache Sunset
Medium -- Waterman Red
Medium-Fine -- Waterman South Sea Blue
Fine -- Sailor Brown
Extra-Fine -- J. Herbin Vert Olive

Namiki Falcon -- Sailor Red Brown
Lamy Safari -- Waterman Brown


I like the Waterman Red a lot; it has no hint of orange or purple just simply a provocative, fighting red. Try a full page of it on someone you're bound to get feedback!
Sailor's nibs are not flexible just a bit springy like most 14kt nibs. The Namiki Falcon is flexier when compared to the Sailors'. Physically, it's longer than the PG and Sapporo but slimmer in diameter to both; weight about similar to the Sapporo. Hope you enjoy your new pen whichever you pick they're all reliable writers, and pleasurable to use.

P.S. Erick, thanks for your kind words.

This scan is AWESOME !!

I've linked it in this thread : http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...showtopic=58004 I'm sure it's gonna be helpful for many people here

Yes, great scan! Except, I thought I had just gotten over the feverish need for a Sapporo with an MF nib - now the urge is coming upon me again

Hi,

I have an Accent with a Fine nib and a (new) Sapporo with a H-F nib. I've had the Lamy since 2000 and recently acquired the Sapporo but I'm seeing both afresh since the Accent's been broken for a few years. I can't comment on the Falcon.

For me, the Lamy's nib is stiffer and broader than the Sapporo's. The Sapporo's a tiny bit too small unposted but still eminently usable and I can't use the Lamy posted.

I could write all day with the Lamy (and did when it was new), but the Sapporo makes me want to write all day. If size is an issue, go for the PG.

Dave.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I finally bought a full-size 1911 MF nib. I LOVE IT! A great writer that just skates over the page.