Lamy 2000 Sweet Spot

[Boston Brian]

I know that it has been said before, and will be said again, however the sweet spot on a Lamy 2000 is so small and so awkward. The Lamy 2000 is a classy pen, in style and design, and of course with German engineering it is hard to beat, I bought a Lamy 2000 with an OBB and I spend a lot of time adjusting the pen in my hand to find that sweet spot before I can write with the pen properly. Sigh!

[Driften]

I've had the L2K in F, M, and B and never had an issue with a sweet spot. Currently I only have the M. If you otherwise like the pen maybe have the nib reground to fix the problem. I have found oblique nibs can take some getting used to in having to hold at the right rotation and angle. If you have a pro regrind it they can use pictures of how you hold the pen to match it to you.

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

I have an EF, and it's quite bad.

 

Wetter inks help.

 

Dry inks are a nightmare.

 

I tried R&K Scabiosa in mine last week... that lasted about 10-15 minutes before frustration got the better of me. (I did not waste the ink, I used a small pipette to put it into a Twsbi ECO with a 1.1mm stub, it's much happier there)

[Glenn-SC]

I have a M, and "The Hunt for the Sweet Spot" is what keeps me from really liking the 2000.

 

I don't find that the Safari nibs behave the same.

 

Sigh.

Edited April 15, 2020 by Glenn-SC

[Aditlojs]

EF nib here and I haven't had a sweet spot issue.

 

Just to provide an additional data point.

[siddr90]

EF nib, left handed overwriter -> definitely there is a sweet spot but haven't had an issue using the pen.

[PAKMAN]

OB nibs on any pen tend to give me a little trouble finding the sweet spot.

[Carrau]

I have it in Fine, mostly writing with Monteverde Sapphire as an EDC, and no sweet spot issues. I like the Oblique nibs when I can get them on their sweet spot but it takes a little more effort.

[carlos.q]

I have had Lamy 2000 pens with F, M and B nibs with no sweet spot issues. However it must be said that the nib has a square cut tip that is similar to many vintage nibs and quite different from the blobby nib tips that most modern pens have.

[tim77]

Part of the problem is that the 2000 has so few visual cues to show if you're holding it right-side up. When I measure the sweet spot is no worse than other pens. The F is certainly less finicky than the B, but that's not unique to the Lamy.

[MuddyWaters]

I have had Lamy 2000 pens with F, M and B nibs with no sweet spot issues. However it must be said that the nib has a square cut tip that is similar to many vintage nibs and quite different from the blobby nib tips that most modern pens have.

This is the root of the "issue." I personally like the character of the nib, and try to use a lubricating ink to help me when my angle is not perfect.

Edited April 16, 2020 by MuddyWaters

[AidenMark]

Part of the problem is that the 2000 has so few visual cues to show if you're holding it right-side up. When I measure the sweet spot is no worse than other pens. The F is certainly less finicky than the B, but that's not unique to the Lamy.

 

This is true. One trick is to write capped and position the cap so that the clip makes the nib angle evident.

[SashK]

Yeah I haven't found much of an issue myself, I find that crisp italics as far more difficult to get right. But pens are so personal anyway, so some just don't work for one person or another and that's just how it is. Thankfully, there are plenty to try. The one that clicks is out there for all of us.

[TrentinWA]

Part of the problem is that the 2000 has so few visual cues to show if you're holding it right-side up. When I measure the sweet spot is no worse than other pens. The F is certainly less finicky than the B, but that's not unique to the Lamy.

 

 

This. All fountain pens have sweet spots—the L2K’s design just makes it easy to roll the pen in your fingers so that you’re writing on a tine, instead of on the tip.

[mochan]

I have the Makloron L2K and stainless steel one in EF. The stainless steel does not have a sweet spot but the Makloron one does. The stainless is a joy to write with while I want to throw the Makloron out the window sometimes.

 

However, I managed to reduce the sweet spot by making the nib wetter. I adjusted the nib. It is tiny and slightly different than the regular Lamy nib but the same idea.

 

It is a super tedious process to adjust the nib on a L2K so I haven't managed to eliminate the problem. But, i have reduced it greatly that I managed to write out a full fill of ink from the pen.

 

Other option is to ask a nibmesister.

 

My point is that sweet spot is quality control issues from Lamy. Almost every Lamy pen that I get I need to adjust the nib.

[TimeoDanaos]

With my Lamy 2000 in M I did not expect a problem with a "sweet spot" and was right in my assesment: The nib obviously doesn't want the user to roll the pen, but that is not a problem when using a correct grip which is quite easy on the L2K because of the studs on the clutch ring.

An unexpected issue was that the nib was ground at such at angle that it was uncomfortable for me to write with it at a standard ~30 degrees from the page but rather had to hold it like a ballpoint at 45 degrees or higher. I solved that by grinding it to a more natural shape, but had to gather courage for a little while - after all it had cost me 150 € or so.

[Inkysloth]

 

 

My point is that sweet spot is quality control issues from Lamy. Almost every Lamy pen that I get I need to adjust the nib.

Out of three Lamy 2000s, 20-ish Safaris, 6 Al-Stars, one Nexx, two ABCs, and four Studios (two steel nib, two gold) Ive had three scratchy / finicky nibs, all on steel Z50s.

 

Am I unbelievably lucky? Or am I not particularly sensitive to nib foibles? Or is it something else?

Edited April 18, 2020 by Inkysloth

[pajaro]

I have an ef. It seems perfect.

[jchch1950]

Out of three Lamy 2000s, 20-ish Safaris, 6 Al-Stars, one Nexx, two ABCs, and four Studios (two steel nib, two gold) Ive had three scratchy / finicky nibs, all on steel Z50s.

 

Am I unbelievably lucky? Or am I not particularly sensitive to nib foibles? Or is it something else?

36 pens and 3 scratchy that is almost 10%.I don't think you are unbelievably lucky, maybe 10% is too much . In muy own case the percentage is much lower,maybe two in fifty pens with nothing terrible in those nibs.

Edited April 20, 2020 by jchch1950

[miel]

jchch1950 the Z50s are not the nibs of the Lamy 2000. You can not compare them.

 

I have here 6 Lamy 2K ... 5 Makrolon - 1 Steel.
I have 9 different nibs (vintage and modern, from F to OBB and one special grind by fpnibs.com) and no problem on any of them.
I think the L2K is a pen fits to you or not. It fits to me and makes me happy. But I know from pen meetings that other people do have problems with my pens.

 

Perhaps the pen is not for everybody ;-)

Edited April 20, 2020 by miel