Lamy 2000 question

[BillTheEditor]

While I was enjoying my time fishing, I ordered a Lamy 2000 from a dealer. It arrived today, and I now have questions and worries.

 

When I was looking over the new pen, there seemed to be quite a bit of Lamy blue ink loaded in it. More than I'd expect for just testing the pen at the factory, but not necessarily a full load (could see blue in the ink window). Is this normal? or did I get a recycled pen? (Vendor rep says Lamy tests all pens before shipping.)

 

OK, so I tried loading the pen. The piston seemed very stiff as I unscrewed it -- lots of resistance. Wasn't worried, I'd heard the new ones were that way. The instructions are those unhelpful diagrams and don't say how many turns you are supposed to take on the cap -- I was expecting a hard stop. However, after about five full turns, the "blind cap" came off the pen. No "snap" or breaking noise, it just came off.

 

Looking down the barrel, I could see a couple of plastic parts, one of which slid out of the barrel. It looks like this part has internal threads that are supposed to engage screw threads on the other piece (the piston, I suppose). So I slipped the blind cap back onto the now loose bit (not a tight fit), and screwed it back down onto the piston. Cycled the pen a couple of times without going so far as to have the blind cap come off again. No significant amount of ink came out during the cycling (maybe one drop). Could see something moving past the ink window (piston?). Tried loading the pen again. The piston seems to be taking up ink, again I can't tell how much, but when I open it back again one turn as the directions seem to indicate, I don't get any ink droplets coming out the nib. I can see blue, centered in the ink window. The pen is writing, no leaks so far.

 

So -- Have I screwed up the pen? Should I return it to the vendor for replacement? Vendor rep -- not really knowledgeable about Lamy 2000, thought it was a converter pen -- says they will replace it, I just don't want to waste the vendor's time and mine (or needlessly annoy the vendor) if the pen is still ok. Answers only from actual Lamy 2000 owners, please -- I appreciate people being willing to help, but I'd like replies based on experience.

 

Yes, I worry too much. Going back to fishing again for a while, I'll check for replies later tonight.

[john.reiss]

Well Bill, since I just purchased a new Lamy 2000 about two weeks ago, it looks like I am qualified to answer your question(s).

 

The blind cap should not come off at all. Mine hits a point and then stops, although it takes a about five or six turns to get it there. It sounds like you have a faulty piston cap to me.

 

Mine it not come with any ink in it at all, but that it not saying that it wasn't tested before I got it. On that end, I really don't have an answer, just an observation: with both the issues that you have encountered with this pen, I would ask for a replacement. Especially since you just received it and bought it brand new.

 

Hope that helps.....

[Russ]

Hi, Bill. I always enjoy your posts.

 

I have a Lamy 2000 in XF. Pam Braun tested it before it shipped, but I found no ink in it when it arrived. She probably dip-tested. I suspect that anyone who tested your pen by loading it either (1) didn't know what they were doing and that they could have only dip-tested, or (2) sold you a pen someone else returned.

 

Regarding the blind cap. Mine has never come off. I don't think it should. I do remember, however, that I tightened it too tight with my fingers the first time I filled it and had to use a vinyl-covered spark plug plier to get it loose. And, like yours, the piston was stiff when it was new. Now, both the piston and the blind cap are firm but not too tight.

 

I'm surprised that when you cycled the pen no ink came out. Mine will either expel drops or hiss as air passes through the wet but nearly empty feed when I move the piston downward. Like a spitting sound. If you got no ink out through this exercise, I'm wondering whether the piston is really moving or not. Or if it's moving as far as it should.

 

When I fill the pen, I don't count how many turns the cap moves. I just expel three drops for good measure then move the piston back until the blind cap snugs up. This seems to create enough airspace in the feed so ink doesn't drip out into the cap when the pen is full.

 

I would send your pen back. Truly, it's too nice a pen for you to lose heart now. You'll enjoy it when it works as intended.

 

Best wishes, and let us know what happens.

 

BTW - - I would enjoy learning your opinion of the pen after this is all done. You have experience with many more pens than I. I'll admit that I'm partial to the 2000.

 

Russ

[J-san]

It seems the blind cap can be removed and the piston as well for cleaning/servicing:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...17&hl=lamy+2000

 

My 2000 had a bit of blue ink in it as well and took a bit of flushing to get it all out. There still is a tiny bit of ink left in the nib section that occasionally bleeds out on the beveled part around the filler hole where the metal meets the black plastic. Don't know why it does that, but the pen works prefectly fine, so no worries I guess.

 

The piston was also stiff on mine. Probably just a new pen thing. Sometimes I will fill my 2000 with a syringe by unscrewing the nib portion and leaving the piston all the way up. Saves me the step of cleaning off the nib after filling.

[johnr55]

My blind cap comes off on my 25+ year old example.

[BillTheEditor]

Thanks, folks. I also emailed the vendor directly. Reply says Lamy has been sloppy lately about not cleaning the 2000s after testing with ink. It also seems the vendor has some concerns about the blind cap coming off -- maybe it should not have happened as easily as it did. And the lack of drips/hiss is definitely a concern.

 

The bottom line is I'm sending the pen back for replacement at the vendor's insistence. The plan is to send me a new one that the vendor has personally checked out, and the vendor will send this one back to Lamy for repair or replacement.

 

Thanks again. I'm going to mail the pen tomorrow and head back to the fish.

 

BillTheEditor

[Chris_PA]

Good luck with that 2000 Bill. Interesting to hear your thoughts after you get a "normal" one. I've got the Studio in XF (w/ the gold nib) and the omnipresent Safari and enjoy both.

[goodyear]

QUOTE (Russ @ Feb 20 2007, 09:20 PM)

She probably dip-tested.  I suspect that anyone who tested your pen by loading it either (1) didn't know what they were doing and that they could have only dip-tested,

<tongue-in-cheek>

 

Will you tell Mr Binder, or will I?

 

</tongue-in-cheek>

 

QUOTE (richardspens.com)

Unless otherwise requested at the time of sale, I test each new pen at no extra charge before shipment. I fill the pen with Waterman Blue-Black ink and write with it on paper from the same fountain pen friendly pads we sell, adjusting as necessary to bring it up to my standards for smoothness and flow.

[EventHorizon]

QUOTE (BillTheEditor @ Feb 20 2007, 10:29 PM)

The bottom line is I'm sending the pen back for replacement at the vendor's insistence. The plan is to send me a new one that the vendor has personally checked out, and the vendor will send this one back to Lamy for repair or replacement.

Now THAT'S a good vendor

[MYU]

Sorry to hear of your trouble, Bill. But I'm very glad to see that your dealer is taking care of you. I do believe Lamy has had a bit of spotty quality control--you're not the first one to complain. However, it certainly sounds like it is happening less frequently than Pelikan.

 

Follow that thread about Lamy 2000 maintenance. If the piston wasn't adequately lubricated, that would explain what happen to yours. I'm guessing that once lubricated, it will work well for many years to come.

 

Bill Spohn noted a lubricant he uses for another purpose but may work well for pens. I'm thinking it could be a good candidate for Parker 51 hoods and Lamy 2000 pistons.

[sharkfin]

The Lamy 2000 definitely has some issues with quality control. The most common are:

1. It leaks just below the nib feed section.

2. The Piston is tight.

3. The brushed finish section has imperfections.

 

How do I know this? I have purchased/got repaired/returned/exchanged 6 Lamy 2000 pens in the last 3 months. I am a big fan of Lamy and their products and have 14 other Lamy pens, but the 2000 is a definite let down. To top it all, I do not like the way they write - too oily and soft.....Even the repair person at Lamy USA is aware of these problems, but told me that there is very little he can do. He helped me twice in tryin to fix the pen(s), but they still continue to have the above problems. I now have 2 pens, a Fine and a Medium that I am not to happy with both.

[MYU]

Ouch. *6* pens in the last *3* months? That's not in keeping with Lamy 2000 heritage. The pen has survived basically as-is since 1966. If it wasn't well loved, there's no way they could keep selling it for over 40 years. Unless Lamy has some monster inventory that is just slowly trickling away over the decades.

 

Did the nib section leakage appear while you were writing? I've never seen this happen on my pen. I did manage to let the pen slip in a drawer, ending up with the nib tilted downward. And when I uncapped the pen some weeks later, there was a small collection of ink at the nib--nothing beyond a quick wipe to get clean.

 

Well, I'm sorry to hear of that poor quality track record. I hope it's just a single pen lot that was bad. This is a great pen that has a timeless design. If Lamy can't afford better quality control, I just assume let them retire the pen on a good note!

[sharkfin]

Hi MYU,

 

The leak appears as a small bubble just below the nib feed (just below the breather/ink hole). The leak usually appears after writing with the pen for sometime. Like I said before, when I spoke to the repair person at Lamy USA (Bob Nurin), he told me that his own Lamy 2000 pens leak and he recommended that I use Lamy inks to minimize this leak problem. I am a very easy going person and very open minded am aware that we do get lemons once in a while. However with this specific pen it has been one disaster after another and I don't know if I will ever get a proper working 2000. I think I will call up Lamy Germany and talk to someone about this. This is simply not the norm with Lamy pens.

[mike1]

Bill, The really important questioned has not been asked yet so I will ask it. Where did you go and did you catch any?

[BillTheEditor]

QUOTE (mike1 @ Feb 21 2007, 07:58 PM)

Bill, The really important questioned has not been asked yet so I will ask it. Where did you go and did you catch any?

We have a small "lake" (large stock pond, to tell the truth -- maybe 5 acres tops) two blocks from the house. The state kindly stocks it with several varieties of fish, so it is a pleasant and convenient place to wet a line. The fish that weren't caught immediately after stocking are very smart, so one is not often troubled by the need to take a fish off the hook. The cormorants and the great blue herons get more fish than the people on the bank do. Passive fisherfolk vs. active birds: different strategies, different outcomes, but we all get what we came for.

 

We are also only about 3 miles from Lake Ray Hubbard and even a very bad fisherman will go home happy after a day there. With our weather the last couple of days, it would be a sin not to enjoy the opportunities.

 

I won't push my luck on Ash Wednesday, but you should see the ones that got away! And I am not done yet.

 

Truth to tell, I am very busy right now. We are publishing three books between now and the end of July, plus the normal race to publish our magazine every Monday. I was spending entirely too much time here, and getting way too upset by certain things that were going on. So now I come in a couple of times a day, read a few threads, stay away from the ones that I know will just annoy me and cause me to think thoughts that will scare the fish, and then I go back to work. Or back to fishing. Spending less time here means more time for other things. But I'm not giving it up entirely.

[scribbler]

Good to hear your problems have ended (hopefully) well, Bill! I find mine to be solid and tireless writers, with reservoirs like camel humps.

 

 

/Unintentional hijack/

 

QUOTE

The Lamy 2000 definitely has some issues with quality control. The most common are: 1. It leaks just below the nib feed section. 2. The Piston is tight. 3. The brushed finish section has imperfections.

 

 

Oh, my, sharkfin! Talk about trials and tribulations.

 

1. shouldn't

2. silicone lubricant seems to do the trick, if still tight after service (see below)

3. Do your pens look nothing like the stock photos of the pen?

 

I highly recommend sending any or both of your unsatisfactory pens to Lamy Germany (the address in your box/papers) with a note and the mailing fee--I have no doubt they will square your pens away.

[sharkfin]

I am not trying to disparage the Lamy brand. It is one of my favorite pen brands and I have 14 other Lamy pens and they all have excellent finish, fit and write extremely well. The only other minor problem I have had with a Lamy product is a Yellow Safari that sometimes skips when writing. It is just that I have had such bad luck with the 2000. Also, as I love this brand and the 2000 has failed to meet Lamy's own standards that has me disappointed

Edited February 25, 2007 by sharkfin

[MYU]

QUOTE

when I spoke to the repair person at Lamy USA (Bob Nurin), he told me that his own Lamy 2000 pens leak and he recommended that I use Lamy inks to minimize this leak problem.

I wonder if Bill is just trying to push Lamy ink. I have to admit I do use Lamy ink in my 2000, but I've also used Namiki ink as well and it's great too.

 

I think it's time to start another thread--about what ink you use in your Lamy 2000.

[BillTheEditor]

QUOTE (MYU @ Feb 25 2007, 09:36 AM)

QUOTE when I spoke to the repair person at Lamy USA (Bob Nurin), he told me that his own Lamy 2000 pens leak and he recommended that I use Lamy inks to minimize this leak problem. I wonder if Bill is just trying to push Lamy ink. What? I am not "pushing" anything. I just asked a question about a problem with my pen. Maybe you mean Bob Nurin?