Lamy 2000 Bad Out Of The Box

[bluemagister]

Tell them that you want a new nib. You don't need to send the pen back, right? You just want a new nib. Insist on it. Ask to speak to a manager if they stall you.

[JustLeft]

I have gotten two replies from Lamy. They say their pens work with their ink, and that they have found issues with other ink.

 

Seriously? Man, my regard for Lamy just took another dive.

 

I've been using Private Reserve in mine which has had nib problems out of the box but no ink flow issues.

 

I made sure to flush thoroughly since I read that Lamy tested their pens with ink before shipment and could have dried up ink in the feed.

 

I copied the comments from Lamy, which follow. I have not altered them in any way. They are:

 

The 1st thing I would suggest is getting some LAMY ink. Our pens are designed to only work with our ink. If that doesn't work, you may want to return it to the retailer you purchased it from.

 

and from a follow up note in response to my reply that they were making excuses:

 

I apologize for the issue you are having, but telling you to use LAMY ink is not an excuse. We see pens in our repair shop all the time with this issue and they work perfectly fine when we put LAMY ink into them.. If you need any further assistance, please let me know.

 

So, I called BS but they weren't buying it. I will try their ink out of curiosity. It should be here by Wednesday. I will post back results.

Edited May 16, 2011 by JustLeft

[welch]

I have gotten two replies from Lamy. They say their pens work with their ink, and that they have found issues with other ink.

 

Seriously? Man, my regard for Lamy just took another dive.

 

I've been using Private Reserve in mine which has had nib problems out of the box but no ink flow issues.

 

I made sure to flush thoroughly since I read that Lamy tested their pens with ink before shipment and could have dried up ink in the feed.

 

I copied the comments from Lamy, which follow. I have not altered them in any way. They are:

 

The 1st thing I would suggest is getting some LAMY ink. Our pens are designed to only work with our ink. If that doesn't work, you may want to return it to the retailer you purchased it from.

 

and from a follow up note in response to my reply that they were making excuses:

 

I apologize for the issue you are having, but telling you to use LAMY ink is not an excuse. We see pens in our repair shop all the time with this issue and they work perfectly fine when we put LAMY ink into them.. If you need any further assistance, please let me know.

 

So, I called BS but they weren't buying it. I will try their ink out of curiosity. It should be here by Wednesday. I will post back results.

 

Where are you?

 

If you are in the US, don't bother to argue. Just send the pen back to Filofax/LamyUSA. The L2K works with any fountain pen ink...not just Lamy. As a "just try everything", I might fill it with Waterman Florida Blue or Blue-black (my test ink). If a pen won't write with Waterman Blue-black, then it won't write with anything. Some Private Reserve and Noodlers are "saturated" inks, but I have never seen a problem from either ink. Specialty inks, such as deep-freeze or bomb-proof inks might -- might, somehow -- cause trouble, but even that is rare. Surely, though, Waterman Blue-black will write or else your pen is flawed.

 

If so, send them a sample of the writing (and your "tisue test" is pretty reliable) and tell them to fix the pen.

 

LamyUSA is great about repairing their pens, but I don't know about other countries.

Edited May 16, 2011 by welch

[kauloltran]

they are only saying that so you will buy their ink exclusively. If you haven't tried flushing your pen with soap water, you should do so. Some of my very expensive pens that have been factory tested usually only write a few words fresh out of the box before their ink flow stops completely due to oil clog. Running the pen through cold water will help out a lot.

Edited May 16, 2011 by kauloltran

[jmj75]

Update: This did not resolve the issue. I had sent an email to Lamy and got a response that their pens work with Lamy ink only. Not the kind of reply that I was hoping for.

 

 

 

If you search around the web and FPN you'll find that several manufactures (like Pelikan, I think...) will not honor warrantee repair if their pens are filled with Noodler's (and in some cases, Private Reserve) inks.

 

I'm not looking to ignite a Nooder's Pro/Con debate. On FPN there are a few threads regarding a Noodler's ink that some felt damaged feeds in their Lamy Safari. Independent of what was at fault in those cases (the Lamy feed or the ink), I wonder if after receiving a few initial repair calls Lamy USA decided to nix servicing a pen where the customer happens to mention "...Noodler's....", i.e. giving the canned response "...our pens work with Lamy ink...". Again, just a thought....

 

That said, my Lamy 2000 had flow issues out of the box. However, it wrote smooth and wet after flushing it with very diluted soapy water and a final rinse. I've since used Noodler's and Private Reserve with no problems.

 

Sorry to hear about your ordeal. It's always a let down to invest in a new pen, only to find it has a problem when you receive it. I hope everything works out.

[welch]

they are only saying that so you will buy their ink exclusively. If you haven't tried flushing your pen with soap water, you should do so. Some of my very expensive pens that have been factory tested usually only write a few words fresh out of the box before their ink flow stops completely due to oil clog. Running the pen through cold water will help out a lot.

 

 

That seems most likely. Montblanc has a similar -- as silly -- rule.

 

There is no reason why PR or Noodlers or Diamine or Irishizuku or a million of=ther inks should foul a L2K. They are solid, depemdab;e pens...have worked well for forty uears.

 

You got the doppy response.

 

re toy in the US? LamyUS doesn't dodge their responsibility to fix their pens. Ulktimtaley, play theior game and send them sdamples of the most FP frien fly inks around: Waterman blue-blue black (Richard Binder calls it "shop ink", Ron Zormcarries it to show -- in a classy old mib-40s Quink art-deco bottle. Try a rinse with water or even Rapioeze (check internet for inexensive bottles). Even load with Lamy blue ink...whch isn't bad in initself. Hope it's L:amy USA right to Bob Nuriin. Show him the sames and inks. He's fix it.

 

I had a bad section / feed. After four evaluations by Bob, he just replaced the section. Now works perfectly.

 

If you are not in the US, there are other methods.

[MCWB]

I have gotten two replies from Lamy. They say their pens work with their ink, and that they have found issues with other ink. So I am going to give their ink a try, although I am of a skeptical nature. What ink are you using with yours?

I have used J Herbin Perle Noire, PR DC Supershow Blue, Diamine Violet and Diamine Imperial Purple. I strongly doubt switching to a Lamy ink will make a lick of difference.

Edited May 16, 2011 by MCWB

[JustLeft]

I have gotten two replies from Lamy. They say their pens work with their ink, and that they have found issues with other ink. So I am going to give their ink a try, although I am of a skeptical nature. What ink are you using with yours?

I have used J Herbin Perle Noire, PR DC Supershow Blue, Diamine Violet and Diamine Imperial Purple. I strongly doubt switching to a Lamy ink will make a lick of difference.

I share your and others skepticism that this will solve the issue. I will give them the benefit of the doubt and give it a go. I really don't want to return the pen as I prefer getting it working. I have a number of other Lamy pens, which I use a variety of inks in, and only one has had an issue. I am using the Noodler's bulletproof black. I have not used this ink before in any other pen, so I will eliminate that from being a possible cause. I wonder if the bulletproof nature of this ink is affectiing the pen... The 2000 writes as smooth as butter with this ink for up to 3 lines then runs dry. When it writes it is fantastic. For that reason I am willing to try anything to get this pen to work. It is worth waiting for!

 

I am in Ohio so I will send this out to LamyUSA if the Lamy ink doesn't work. I have some other Noodler's ink at the office which isn't bulletproof and works well in a Lamy All Star. Will give that a try while I wait for the Lamy ink.

[Koyote]

They are giving you BS. Send in the pen with a note explaining the problem, hell even tell them that you tried Lamy ink. Ask politely but firmly for satisfaction.

[Ytland]

I was in exactly the same situation as you when i bought mine. I thought i was getting an EF, and not only did it not write consistently, but when it did it put down a line bordering on M, which was ridiculously wide for my handwriting... So i sent it in to lamy GERMANY and they fixed it quick sharp. Im in australia and the turnaround time was still 3 weeks, and it came back good as new! I sent it in a second time due to broken barrel threads (it was the old version), and they sent me a new pen (the new stainless steel version) with a note saying "thank you kindly, but we do not accept money for return shipping" with the $25 green ones i included for return shipping sitting in the package!

 

cant beat service that good. send it to germany.

 

just my 2 cents.

[wpb]

 

I have gotten two replies from Lamy. They say their pens work with their ink, and that they have found issues with other ink. So I am going to give their ink a try, although I am of a skeptical nature. What ink are you using with yours?

 

And this is exactly why emailing/calling Lamy is a waste of time. Just send the pen to them. It will cost you shipping plus $7 return shipping (the last time I looked). Based on feedback here, their responsiveness to returns for repair is excellent.

 

Edited to add: for some reason when you call/email Lamy you get these really goofy answers. Last one I read here was that the nib was not part of the pen. Again, just send it in. They will take care of it.

 

Bill

Edited May 16, 2011 by wpb

[JustLeft]

I cleaned the pen getting rid of the Noodler's bulletproof black ink. I put some other Noodler's ink in the pen (not bulletproof) and the pen wrote better. Not perfect, but a definite improvement. Was able to use the pen the entire day, had it run light once, but then the flow returned to normal. The Noodler's bulletproof ink and this pen aren't a good combination.

 

I went to www.lamyusa.com and looked to purchase Lamy ink from them. Amazingly there were out of every color but one. Odd that if the pen only works with Lamy ink, and they are all out, what is a Lamy customer to do? While I was able to order some through another store I found that very few stores carry Lamy bottled ink. Those that do are often out of stock.

 

I'm not ready to send this pen to Lamy for repair. The difference once I removed the Noodler's bulletproof ink is noticeable. That ink doesn't play well with this pen.

[wpb]

The difference once I removed the Noodler's bulletproof ink is noticeable. That ink doesn't play well with this pen.

 

I think that is unlikely. I would be very disappointed to be restricted to only Lamy inks in my Lamy 2000. Half the fun of this hobby is using a bunch of different inks. And a properly tuned Lamy 2k can use almost any of them, including BPB.

 

I love my 2k. It was great right out of the box. But based on my research prior to buying the pen, I fully expected to send it to them if there was a problem...which happens with this pen.

 

I really think you would be better off sending it to Lamy. Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on your perspective, Lamy has a lot of experience repairing new Lamy 2000s sent to them from all over the world.

 

Again, it's a great pen and you will really enjoy it...once it's been adjusted by a Lamy professional repairer.

 

Bill

[jmj75]

The difference once I removed the Noodler's bulletproof ink is noticeable. That ink doesn't play well with this pen.

 

I think that is unlikely....

 

 

Not too unlikely. Some inks work better in some pens and poorly in others, depending on the flow properties of thin ink. I have had flow problems with bulletproof black in several of my pens, e.g. a Sailor Sapporo (EF nib). However, I do agree he should probably send it to Lamy. If you have the feeling somethings not right, then trust that instinct and send it in...if anything to ease your peace of mind.

 

The bulletproof inks are the ones that seem to need the most maintenance, according to multiple sources (e.g. frequent flushing).

 

I am very glad to see the OP is seeing improvement!

[deifiic]

For what it's worth, I use Noodler's bulletproof black ink in my Lamy 2000 all the time, and I have no flow problems. So, while using a non-bulletproof ink may make your pen's flow better, it's really just covering up the underlying problem with the pen.

 

If you are happy with the way your pen functions with your current ink, then by all means keep it and don't worry about it. But if you are not, I highly recommend sending it back to Lamy for a fix. With the pen, just include a brief description of the problem (i.e. ink flow is poor)-- no need to call or e-mail in advance.

[Eldan]

There must be some percentage where one can say, "this pen works great with x percent of the inks I own," or "this ink works great in y percent of the pens I own." And if x or y is less than a certain figure we can say there's a problem with the pen, the ink, or the owner. Paper is a whole other issue but we're talking about fountain pens and ink made specifically for fountain pens.

 

I think as a rule, x and y should be close to 100%. At least 90%. I love a great fountain pen like I love a great screwdriver or a sharp knife. It's a tool and there's no time for this finicky BS. You never hear people say "I love this screwdriver but it doesn't like my brass screws," or "It doesn't slice tomatoes but isn't it a gorgeous knife?" If the pen or the ink isn't in the top decile of x or y I don't want it. Fortunately for me that leaves plenty of room for the Lamy 2000 and Bulletproof Black.

 

Sometimes when you first fill a pen the feed is saturated and everything looks great, like your problems went away. Then a couple days later the problems return. Just sayin...

[JustLeft]

There must be some percentage where one can say, "this pen works great with x percent of the inks I own," or "this ink works great in y percent of the pens I own." And if x or y is less than a certain figure we can say there's a problem with the pen, the ink, or the owner. Paper is a whole other issue but we're talking about fountain pens and ink made specifically for fountain pens.

 

I think as a rule, x and y should be close to 100%. At least 90%. I love a great fountain pen like I love a great screwdriver or a sharp knife. It's a tool and there's no time for this finicky BS. You never hear people say "I love this screwdriver but it doesn't like my brass screws," or "It doesn't slice tomatoes but isn't it a gorgeous knife?" If the pen or the ink isn't in the top decile of x or y I don't want it. Fortunately for me that leaves plenty of room for the Lamy 2000 and Bulletproof Black.

 

Sometimes when you first fill a pen the feed is saturated and everything looks great, like your problems went away. Then a couple days later the problems return. Just sayin...

I agree with what you are saying. I don't want to dismiss ink as a possible issue. I have a Rotring which was also have issues running dry on a different Noodler's ink. In this case I was running the Red/Black, which I disliked anyway. So I cleaned that one at the same time and put in a different Noodler's ink and the pen works great. As a side note I had cleaned and reloaded this pen with the red/black a number of times and the issue continued. This was also an EF. Maybe these pens are finicky, but switching up the ink seems to help.

 

Lamy 2000 continues to work great since I made the ink switch. The saga continues.

[tanalasta]

If your Lamy is giving you trouble... take it back to the place you purchased from. Sometimes they will let you swap it for another on the spot (then they can deal with a return to Lamy) and you can preferably test the pen there. If not, in my experience - Lamy are quite responsive to warranty repairs and nib swaps. I certainly would not grind or self-twiddle with a pen under warranty with micromesh as it will likely void your warranty. Baby bottom or maladjusted nib/feed (hard to fix yourself) and dirty nib/manufacturing oils (easy to fix) are really the two main possibilities.

 

My Lamy broad which is more like a stub skips on coated papers occasionally and I suspect a slight baby bottom but writes beautifully on textured, cotton paper (e.g. Cranes, Original Crown Mill). Never had any trouble with an EF nib and miss that pen still.

Edited May 17, 2011 by tanalasta

[JustLeft]

If your Lamy is giving you trouble... take it back to the place you purchased from. Sometimes they will let you swap it for another on the spot (then they can deal with a return to Lamy) and you can preferably test the pen there. If not, in my experience - Lamy are quite responsive to warranty repairs and nib swaps. I certainly would not grind or self-twiddle with a pen under warranty with micromesh as it will likely void your warranty. Baby bottom or maladjusted nib/feed (hard to fix yourself) and dirty nib/manufacturing oils (easy to fix) are really the two main possibilities.

 

My Lamy broad which is more like a stub skips on coated papers occasionally and I suspect a slight baby bottom but writes beautifully on textured, cotton paper (e.g. Cranes, Original Crown Mill). Never had any trouble with an EF nib and miss that pen still.

 

No issues today with the Lamy 2000. Used it without incident. Going to give it a couple more days before deciding whether or not to send it back. Purchased it through Amazon, so I would likely return it and get another.

 

I've cleaned this pen enough that a dirty nib or manufacturing oils are long gone! I'm not going to do anything which could invalidate the warranty.

[sentraser165]

LOL the only reason they tell you to use Lamy ink is so they can sell some to you. They know the ink type is not going to make a difference, but they figure if you're going to send into them anyway, they might as well get you to buy something of theirs first. Not very nice, Lamy.