Lamy 2000 vs. Waterman Carene

[OTDoc]

Carene. I had bad experiences with the last 2000's sweet spot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

+1

[Ladynib302]

Have both pens; Carene's in F and M nib sizes; Lamy 2000 with a F nib; really like all 3 pens; however, for the tasks you cite, I'd prefer the Lamy; the nib is very easy to control for tasks like "marking"; I have not had bleed through problems; the pen is comfortable for long periods of writing and not slippery in my hand; it's workhorse grey color does not reflect light & is comfortable to gaze upon during protracted writing periods; great fill system; cap on/off is really easy and quick when attention has to quickly move to something else and then back again. Largely, it's a personal preference; my Lamy came to me via Ron Zorn & it's nib is just perfect; I don't regret the purchase of any of these pens.

[mirabilis]

+ 1 for the Lamy 2000, if you are looking for huge ink capacity and a light writer in your hand for long haul writing. Basically it is the average workhorse, and the nib is decently smooth. Grip-wise, the "ears" of the Lamy 2000 do take some getting used to, but I have used the Lamy without the ears before, and it didn't leaked before (I lost the ring).

 

I have small hands and my wrists used to ache terribly if I wrote too long. I find that the Waterman Carenes are too heavy for extended periods of writing, and after a while the grip gets slippery from the oils. Also, because I am quite rough on my pens; the lacquer has flaked off in some areas for my purple carene (which has seen the most use among the rest and is the same finish as the pen you are considering). In comparison, my only Lamy 2000 still remains relatively new to look at. The Carene is a dry writer, but I think you can experiment with the inks you use with your Lamy 2000 to achieve that effect. Admittedly, the Carene is a well balanced pen, and I do love the design.

 

The nibs for both pens are in my experience, a hit and miss. The Lamy EFs do, eventually after prolonged use, write like Sailor Ms. I don't like to write with my Carenes much, as sometimes the nibs skip on copy paper, but the Lamys are wet enough so they glide (I have a few Safaris).

 

To put things into further perspective, I switched to Sailor Sapporo Slims, because they are the right fit for my hands. If those Sailors are too light and small, the Carene might be a better choice over the Lamy in terms of balance. Hope the above is coherent, and that it helps.

[RMehta248]

The Lamy 2000. just got a BB that I had reground to a Stub and ordered another which I am having reground to a Broad Cursive Italic....You can't go wrong. Pengallery in Malaysia has a fabulous deal on Lamy 2000s at the moment (US $ 89). No affilation etc...just customer in love with the 2K. Workhorse and fun! Rajesh

 

Rajesh

 

Did you have to pay import tax / duty to the UK? (Assuming that you purchased your previous L2K from Pengallery)

 

51ISH

 

I can't reply for Rajesh, but I certainly didn't. May just have been lucky though and the $5 'stationery' declaration may have helped.....

 

And for me, the nib on my 2000 is in a different league to the one I had on my Carene. The only Waterman nib that gets close (IMO) is their stub.

 

51ISH, No, I did not pay any duty....for the same reason that Aysedasi has stated....pengallery and actually all the sellers from Asia are quite good that way...but Pngaller send by DHL or Fedex which adds USD 15 to the cost, so I usually add a few together. What I have on the way includes the Peli M 200 (215?) Blue demo at USD 80, in case anyone is interested. Cheers, Rajesh

[Emma]

Thank you all SO MUCH - all your responses are exactly what I needed - I'll compile a little summary later for future readers as these posts are so thorough and helpful.

 

I see that the Lamy is coming out on top for efficiency and the piston-fill; but the Carene is edging up in terms of the nib quality and weight (although I was interested to hear that the Carene's finish can wear with a lot of use). And thanks too for the pengallery tip - I've had some very bad experiences shipping from the US, but if pengallery do DHL that might encourage me to go outside the UK.

 

Emma

[ImolaS3]

Carene - wouldn't hesitate for a moment (amber one for me)

[Namo]

They are very different pens.

 

The 2K is light,piston filler, the Carene is rather heavy and is c/c. Both inbs are excellent IMO. I have found the 2K to be a bit more felxible than the very rigid nib of the Carene.

 

Personnaly, I've kept the 2K, but not the Carene. Althought it is an excellent pen, I didn't use it very much.

[51ISH]

Pen Seller from France on fleabay, aka J.M. Lewertowski cuts some of the best prices on the planet. No import duty to the UK from France. Just a thought...

 

+1

 

Emma

 

From what I have seen Ghostplane is spot on with this recommendation - I know the postage is high.....but the overall cost is still very good.

 

Incidentally if you are not too concerned about the colour ....then from what I was told ( when I posted a similar question! ) the 'matt finish' stands up rather better to 'abuse' than the laquer finishes.

[goodguy]

Both good pens but I'd go with the Lamy 2000.

[Bo Bo Olson]

I don't know the Carene.

 

I have a blue Townsend, that is a heavy solid pen.

The cap clips on with a click when posting.

 

The Persona by Lamy is also very heavy, it's cap "clicks" on too when posted. I have it in black Titanium, with a 18 K nib. It comes with 14 K also....check around. It might be had at a price near a new 2000.

 

The retractable clip really clamps a shirt pocket. Weak point, it is possible with out a clip sitting out there that it could roll off a desk. Mine lacks the tiny bump that is supposed to stop that. I have had no problem with that. (yet)

Edited May 3, 2010 by Bo Bo Olson

[davisgt]

The Carene. Definitely the Carene. Without hesitation or question.

 

Todd

[ailleurs]

Having just purchased a Lamy 2000 BB at the Chicago pen show, I'd have to say the Lamy. This thing wrote beautifully from the start, and it is a tank. Klutz that I am, I've dropped it twice already without it showing the slightest damage. I wrote a good 40 pages the first day I had it, and even sitting uncapped for 10-15 minutes at a time, it started right up without the slightest hesitation. It's easy to fill and holds a ton of ink. The 40 journal pages I wrote didn't run the thing dry (pages are roughly 6"X8").

 

I really appreciate the size and lightness of it. No hand fatigue, no cramping.

 

That being said, I also really, really want a Carene.

[Emma]

I'm so torn! I obviously need both...

 

Just to complicate things, a friend at work today mentioned the Parker 100 as another alternative. I was leaning towards the Carene because I fear the Lamy EF nib will run too thick for me (I want a smooth Western F, that is, a bit finer than a Pelikan F and nearer to a Japanese M). But the majority are definitely up for the Lamy here I think...

 

Good to see votes for both from very trusted FPN-ers, though! I guess I can't go wrong with either.

 

Emma

[HelzBelz]

I only have the Lamy 2000 (I'm not a fan of heavy pens, and modern Watermans, being laquer over brass, are too heavy for me), and I find it good and reliable. My EF is a wet writer, and probably wouldn't be brilliant on sub-par paper, though. As a couple of others have said, Lamy 2000s aren't very heavy. In this case I'd go with the Carene.

 

Edit: I don't have a Parker 100, but they're not wonderfully well-rated here. My L2K EF is just a hair finer than my Pelikan F, if that helps you at all.

Edited May 3, 2010 by HelzBelz

[Lloyd]

My preferences are a reliable

1. non-leaky

2. heavy-ish, plain pen,

3. fine nib (EF or F)...

 

1. Many 2000 owners have reported leaks that required repairs at the midsection.

2. The 2000 is ultralight.

3. The (standard unmodified) 2000 nibs run very wet and wide.

 

Based solely on these reasons, I'd vote for the Carene even though I haven't tried one (I favor very light pens).

[stez]

Where did you get a BB nib for an L2k?

I want to replace my M nib with a BB.

I think it may help me draw better, the L2k feels too large for my hand and I think the larger nib will have a larger sweet spot giving me more flexibility in how I hold the pen.

stez

Edited May 3, 2010 by stez

[Silvermink]

Just to complicate things, a friend at work today mentioned the Parker 100 as another alternative. I was leaning towards the Carene because I fear the Lamy EF nib will run too thick for me (I want a smooth Western F, that is, a bit finer than a Pelikan F and nearer to a Japanese M). But the majority are definitely up for the Lamy here I think...

 

My Lamy 2000 EF is significantly finer than my Pelikan M640 F (and this is with a fairly dry ink in the Pelikan and a fairly wet ink in the Lamy, too):

 

http://www.gdmitchell.com/pens/m640f-vs-l2kef.jpg

[Emma]

Continued thanks for all these great responses. I read the Parker 100 reviews and see they're not enthusiastic, so am back to the Lamy vs Carene.

 

I really do appreciate the replies here - especially on the nib front. The written comparison of the Lamy EF and Pelikan F is fabulous and really helpful - thanks Silvermink!

[Ghost Plane]

:roflmho: :roflmho: :roflmho:

[Breck]

Where did you get a BB nib for an L2k?

I want to replace my M nib with a BB.

I think it may help me draw better, the L2k feels too large for my hand and I think the larger nib will have a larger sweet spot giving me more flexibility in how I hold the pen.

stez

 

You can send it in to Filofax for a nib replacement to whatever size you want. Just pay $7.50 shipping. I just sent one of my EF's in for a swap to an OB nib.

 

Link to Lamy US/Filofax's warranty and repair info.