Lamy 2K Blemish

[TheBark]

So just got myself a brand new Lamy 2000 for $100. I got it from a close friend. Never inked just dipped in ink once. There is this tiny blackspot that wont come off. I tried to feel it with my nail but it doesnt seem like its a dent or chip. Its three tiny dots that are black and wont come off now matter how much I try ti clean with a cloth.

 

Any suggestions?

[thx1138]

At some risk you could try a fine abrasive like cerium.

I would ignore a tiny spot like that especially if I only paid $100 for a new 2000.

[Karmachanic]

Hmmm. Send it to me? Or don't look at them.

[PAKMAN]

Agreed, I would ignore this little spot and enjoy the 2000! After it has been inked up several times there will be ink in several groves of the section that won't want to come out easily. If this bothers you that will be unbearable!

[pitonyak]

Honestly, that would not bother me at all (not that I am saying that it is a problem if it bothers you), BUT, I would be concerned that using anything abrasive might change the texture or create a shiny spot (or similar) and that would bother me.

 

Understand that I have a slight purple ring the same color as the ink in my 2000.

 

My advice is that if it bothers you, drop an email to Lamy, but I think that their answer will be to send it to them. If you do, be sure to let us know what they say.... Also, let us knonw what you do, I am curious.

[minddance]

If the pen is completely new, I wouldn't ask you to ignore and accept it, regardless of the price. What happened to quality control?

 

This pen shouldn't be circulated in the market at all.

 

Please contact Lamy and let us know what they say, so that potential Lamy buyers can know what kind of backing and aftersales they are entitled to - or not.

[Astronymus]

Maybe some macrolon got caught in the aluminium grooves.

[Karmachanic]

Please contact Lamy and let us know what they say, so that potential Lamy buyers can know what kind of backing and aftersales they are entitled to - or not.

 

The OP purchased the pen from a third party not from a Lamy dealer

[Calabria]

Maybe some macrolon got caught in the aluminium grooves.

That's what I think - in the polishing particles are exchanged between the different materials. I wouldn't worry. There's always something wrong with every pen if you go looking for it. Does it write well? If it does, you would lose that particular nib in an exchange.

[graystranger]

Maybe some macrolon got caught in the aluminium grooves.

 

The section on a Lamy 2000 is not aluminum, it is 400 series stainless steel. Mine shows no signs of wear after 5 years. The clip is also 400 series stainless too.

Edited July 19, 2018 by graystranger

[mana]

If it bothers you horribly you can use an abrasive pad (like a micro mesh of proper grit) to sort that out. Just keep the strokes aligned the way the current texture goes and go one way only. If you have no previous experience on this I recommend doing practice runs on a stainless steel spoon or a similar object to get a hang of it and get it right. The aim is not to polish but rather remove the spot and recreate the original texture (or get is as close as possible to it).

 

I have restored the surface treatment of a vintage (pre 1970) Lamy 2000 that way with pleasing results. Took me a while though getting the strokes right to take the geometry of the pen into account (the strokes are not straight/perpendicular but rather converge towards the point > use care and keep the part of the abrasive pad that is in contact with the pen as small/narrow as possible). Mandatory caveat: As a designer I am very much a tinkerer and a DIY kind of a guy so this is something that comes rather naturally for me.

 

So, give some thought on if you want to mess with that pen just for a small blemish like that. Since you got it relatively cheap you could always get a new one for a bit more and sell that one forward (just make sure the prospective buyer is aware of that minor blemish). You would at least get your money back as $100 + S&H is very, very much an ok price for a L2K even with those spots there.

[1nkulus]

The QC at Lamy isn't great but it is hardly a significant defect. OTOH, the blemish is on the side of the nib and unlikely to be noticed every time the pen is uncapped.

 

If your OCD levels are that high, then it is advisable to buy new from an AD for future purchases.

 

Agreed, I would ignore this little spot and enjoy the 2000! After it has been inked up several times there will be ink in several groves of the section that won't want to come out easily. If this bothers you that will be unbearable!

+1

[Astronymus]

 

The section on a Lamy 2000 is not aluminum, it is 400 series stainless steel. Mine shows no signs of wear after 5 years. The clip is also 400 series stainless too.

Steel, of course. My mistake. Had too many aluminium parts in my hands the last days.

[welch]

Use it. As mentioned above, you will get ink spots. As long as it writes well, enjoy the pen and put more tiny smudges around the nib and section.

 

Incidentally, I never liked the slippery steel grip. Painted the top side with nail polish, and it has become one of the pens I always have with me.

[Morphling27]

You mentioned a cloth - have you tried any of the safe cleaning solutions for fountain pens? It is steel and steel really doesn't turn black like that, especially in 3 tiny spots by each other. You also said you felt it and doesn't appear to be some type of dent or pitting.

 

Regarding the warranty - Lamy is pretty good at it, despite my other complaints about their business. I actually had the clutch ring replaced due to my dog knocking over my cleaning set up in the yard (had ink in it that was growing crazy fuzzy mold so I let it sit in the AZ sun - disinfects most anything). They didn't bat an eye about helping me and never asked about purchase/ownership. I bought the pen second hand on eBay, as I do many pens. The worst is you contact Lamy and they say no, not covered, or they say you weren't original owner for warranty (although many companies let warranties go with the item, not the owner so Lamy may take this approach). I've had similar experiences with other brands including Namiki and Visconti on pens I was the second (or later) owner.

 

Lastly, and I obviously am pretty whatever about ink I put in my pen with the whole fuzzy mold issue, what ink and/or poor cleaning job causes staining on steel? I've had my 2k for 1.5 years now roughly and it's almost always in daily use. The metal is as shiny as day 1 when I got it and I see nothing but silver coloring.