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Lamy 2000 Review (After 1 Year)...


Stacksanddroppers

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This is my first review. I am fiction writer (you can find some of my work here) who writes his 1st and 2nd drafts longhand. For the past year the Lamy 2000 has been my pen! I scribble with it about 3-4 hours everyday. It is a reliable pen and a smooth pen, definitely deserving of some props, so here goes.

 

Appearance: 9/10 Like so much about this pen, when it comes to looks, you'll either love it or hate it. The word 'minimalistic' comes up in just about every review encountered: it's black, it's sleek, it's modern.

 

Construction and Quality: 10/10 Though I've had it for a year now I can't say much about this pen's durability as I've never dropped it; and I treat it with care. that said, the materials have a light-weight but strong feel to them (the brushed finish is a nice touch and really cuts down on perspiration) and, from what I understand, the nib is gold.

 

Nib and Performance: 9.8/10 overall a very smooth writer. mine is a medium and lays down a line true to its size. I use a fairly wet ink and the flow couldn't be better. It can be stiff at times, very stiff for a gold nib, but this could be a function of the hooded nib which is otherwise a great feature and, like the pens--very few--other features is both functional and neat looking. It writes fine on fine paper (I use Rhodia), it's a whole other story on cheap paper--very scratchy and temperamental--so buy the good stuff.

 

Filling system: 7-8/10 large ink capacity; I can write all day and still have plenty of ink. I need to give it a couple good twists before the piston moves--this makes for slow filling and difficult cleaning. other than that, I can't complain. No leaks!

 

Feel (and a word on the 'ears'): 5-10/10 this is completely personal. I have yet to find a more comfortable pen; typically writer's cramp is the bane of my existence but I hardly ever get them with my Lamy. The pen's cigar shape comes to a pretty narrow end above the nib but it has plenty of heft if you grip it higher. Other reviews have mentioned the 'ears' (the little metal bits that secure the cap): they don't bother me but they might bother you so my advice is to try this one out .

 

Cost: 7/10 I think I paid $160 for this one, I was happy to do so to get such a great writing instrument. In my experience, the 2000 outperforms pens (not naming names) that retail for much more. But $160 ain't cheap; if you're a student or a poet or out of work, I'd go with a Safari (not a bad pen at all)

 

 

Conclusion: the Lamy 2000 doesn't shine the brightest, it is seriously lacking in gold, it isn't jewell encrusted, and from a distance it doesn't even look like a fountain pen. but it lays down a neat line you can count on, it holds a short story's worth of ink, it's understated, and it's functional. it's a tool, not a decoration

 

I hope this is helpful,

--Charlie

 

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Many thanks for this review. I have a medium 2000 and like it very much. I rate the nib as being superb and I cannot understand why Lamy doesn't utilise it in other models, such as in a resurrected 27 or Ratio.

 

I use my 2000 posted which naturally forces my grip up, beyond the ‘ears’ that as you pointed out, annoy so many people.

 

A 2000 filled with Lamy’s own wonderful bottled blue/black ink and you’re set, and I would go far as to suggest that such a combination is right up there with the best.

 

Once again many thanks for your authoritative review—although I’m not one that needs any convincing!!!

:thumbup:

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Not that you need any convincing, but the way I see it, the 2000 is a real pen; I think of it as the parker 51 of our generation. It isn't made to evoke nostalgia or maintain a noble tradition, it's made for right now!

--Charlie

 

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Another positive review of this classic pen.

 

I guess they'll have to change the name to the Lamy 2001 now! roflmho.gif

 

Seriously though, seeing all these positive review it seems as if they'll last through a lifetime of use if you take care of it. It makes me want to buy it even more....

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Another positive review of this classic pen.

 

I guess they'll have to change the name to the Lamy 2001 now! roflmho.gif

 

Seriously though, seeing all these positive review it seems as if they'll last through a lifetime of use if you take care of it. It makes me want to buy it even more....

 

 

Buy it! honestly, I wish I could be original and have something bad to say about it.

--Charlie

 

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I've been vicillating between purchasing this pen or giving it a miss. Reading the reviews, everyone has been praising its nib and being the owner of several Safaris, Al Stars and Vistas, anything even slightly better than what those can offer in terms of smoothness, will certainly be an excellent nib IMO. Yes, the design is showcased in a museum (MOMA), still it is a steep price point for me especially compared to some other pens i could get at that price from other makers. Still, if i get a fat, chunky year end bonus this year, i'd seriously consider it to replace my workhorse pen. Maybe...

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Nib and Performance: 9.8/10?

 

I'm lucky if I can come up with a precision of 4 stars out of 5.

 

When I was the instructor in charge of Senior Biology Seminar one semester, the other faculty would evaluate the student performance using a 100-point scale. The intervals were usually in 5-point increments (a 70, an 85, a 65, etc.). One of the faculty would consistently give me evaluations of their presentations with 1/1000 point precision (a 73.682, or a 92.963). I never had the heart to tell her that I had to ignore her precision.

Jeffery

In the Irish Channel of

New Orleans, LA

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Not that you need any convincing, but the way I see it, the 2000 is a real pen; I think of it as the parker 51 of our generation. It isn't made to evoke nostalgia or maintain a noble tradition, it's made for right now!

 

Very well said!

 

 

Cheers,

 

Inked

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Another positive review of this classic pen.

 

I guess they'll have to change the name to the Lamy 2001 now! roflmho.gif

 

Seriously though, seeing all these positive review it seems as if they'll last through a lifetime of use if you take care of it. It makes me want to buy it even more....

 

 

Buy it! honestly, I wish I could be original and have something bad to say about it.

 

 

Yep, visited pen city and got one. Great pen from the moment I touched it!

 

 

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Congratulations!

 

The Lamy 2000 is indeed a wonderful pen. Ergonomic, classic design, convenient snap on and off cap (which has been improved with the new version, as the rings on the lid that the barrel clips onto are better) and one of the best pistons in the business. Durable and all at an affordable price.

 

Bad things?

The clips are a love / hate thing - a little like the vanishing point clip. I didn't mind them one bit and I got used to them pretty easily. My bold nib probably needed a better regrind as I felt it was almost like a 'baby bottom' with a few skipping and flow issues, no matter what ink I used.

 

I had an EF for many years that was perfect ... other than a few dings from being kept in the pocket with my keys.

 

Sadly... the bold nibbed Lamy was accidentally thrown away by a member of staff who didn't realise what it was whilst draining out in a cup. The EF had an encounter with slime in the bottle, was cleaned and reground (by a professional) but came back too sharp with almost no tipping left for a cursive italic and was given away on the FPN 'pay it forward'. After such a run of luck, I haven't purchased another.

 

But it remains as one of my first serious fountain pens and one I used to use with much love.

In Rotation: MB 146 (EF), Noodler's Ahab bumblebee, Edison Pearl (F), Sailor ProGear (N-MF)

In storage: MB 149 (18k EF), TWSBI 540 (B), ST Dupont Olympio XL (EF), MB Dumas (B stub), Waterman Preface (ST), Edison Pearl (0.5mm CI), Noodler's Ahab clear, Pilot VP (M), Danitrio Densho (F), Aurora Optima (F), Lamy 2000 (F), Visconti Homo Sapiens (stub)

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Great review, I've had mine for 2 weeks now and I love it. I even bought the matching pencil for it after a week!

 

Mine is modified by PB2 and since I got it, I haven't wanted to use anything else. Last night I actually flushed out all my other pens, including a couple that cost a lot more than the Lamy 2000 and don't feel any urge to use them. I don't treat mine too nicely though, it rides around in my pocket with my keys, unprotected. I look forward to getting a few scratches on it, it seems like a pen that will look better once it's worn in.

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This is a well written review. Thank you.

 

I got a 2000 about a year ago to see what all the fuss was about. That first 2000 had a M nib, and I was pleasantly surprized at what a good pen it was. I went ahead and got a second example with a B nib, and found I liked it even more than the first. I now use the M nib for specific writing tasks, and the B nib for general writing. I cannot think of anything negative to say about the pens. I am rather ambivalent about the feel of the makrelon (sp?) material, but that is my own eccentricity and reflects on me, not the pens.

 

tanalasta wrote:

 

"Sadly... the bold nibbed Lamy was accidentally thrown away by a member of staff who didn't realise what it was whilst draining out in a cup. ..."

 

Methinks 'twould be justification for homicide! Man, I hate it when that happens! :( :bawl: :mad:

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I have owned two 2000 fountain pens since around 1970. I have always liked the understated, minimalist, clean design, but because the XF nibs wrote like heavy fines, I rarely used them. About ten years ago, I had the nibs reground by a known nib meister. While the nibs came back very fine, they wrote like scratchy nails. They were unusable, so I put them away thinking that was the end of using them. Recently I sent them to Michael Masuyama of Mike-It-Work, along with a few other pens that I wanted finer. Mike did an absolutely, with no reservations, excellent smoothing job. These pens are, for now among my favorite writers. A further note on Mike: I strongly recommend him for anyone who wants a true XF nib that is exquisitely smooth.

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My favourite pens are my Parker 51 Vacumatics and my Lamy 2000 EF. They have a similar heft, feel and look. The one advantage my L2K has over the P51s is the incredibly expressive EF nib. Nominally Extra Fine, but ever-so-gently flexible, so that I get very nice line variation and shading that I can't get from the Parker 'nails'. It is also very easy to disassemble* the section without tools or melting shellac so that it can be cleaned after it has been found down the back of the couch after 3 months...

 

 

 

 

*Don't forget to put the ring with the 'ears' back in its slot properly before screwing the barrel back on.

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I liked my EF and I'm still using it but I purchased a B earlier this year. I didn't like the fat horizontal lines and I finally ground the nib and it is much nicer now because of the pronounced line variation.

 

I think I might just bite the bullet and pick up a M L2000 eventually. Don't know if I will attempt a nib grind for that one.

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  • 5 weeks later...

I have been using Lamy 2000 for over 10 years. Along the years i have bought another and a .7 pencil to boot. The nibs are just a tad broad for the sizes then again, the pen holds its own character from great looks, well balanced and a consistent ink flow without skipping a beat while being ever so refinely smoother over the lower costing AL star. The matte body on the 2000 that i have gotten so used to over the years makes it impossible for me to use glossy pens at maximum comfort. I have both F and EF both growing a tad broader with use. I only wish they had made a true to size nib. In a less than perfect world and a tremendous return from the asking price, in short Lamy 2000 is as iconic as rolex submariner at the price of a pair of converse shoes. I am glad to have moved on from rotring 600(insanely heavy) and have never looked back since. I will buy it again if i have to.

IG: araybanfan

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