Lamy 2000 Bad Out Of The Box

[xuan87]

My Lamy 2000 EF was bad out of the box too, but i had it tuned by a nibmeister at a pen show and now it's writing great.

[beluga]

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.

 

 

Well; I'd take that with a grain of salt...

 

We know that some ink-pen combinations don't work well and pen users may encounter problems ranging from unsatisfactory ink flow to outright mechanical failure.

 

While I always considered Montblanc's refusal to honour their warranty if non-Montblanc inks had been used silly, I can understand that a manufacturer like Lamy feels in a dilemma when a user - who used Baystate Blue for example - sends in a pen with a partially dissolved ink feed.

 

Who is to blame here: the ink manufacturer or the pen manufacturer?

The easiest way to avoid this endless and largely futile debate is for the pen manufacturer to state that their pens are designed with their inks and that is how they work best.

 

If someone wishes to use other inks they are certainly free to do so, but should only expect limited support when the problem can be traced to a unsuitable ink-pen combination.

 

Having said that; I have always received excellent support and service from Lamy even if they were fully aware that I was not using Lamy inks.

But I also stayed away from inks that are know to be the problematic, or "high-maintenace" as Richard Binder puts it, and used instead (Waterman, Pelikan and and now Herbin) inks that have a well established reputation as "safe" inks.

 

 

 

B.

Edited May 18, 2011 by beluga

[piembi]

Some pen/ink combinations are working better than others and some pens are more picky than others.

 

I think you did the right thing changing the ink and give it another try.

 

Because of this I use one of my blue standard inks if I receive a pen:

• Pelikan Blueblack = dry
  
• Lamy Blue = dryish
  
• Rohrer & Klingner Royal Blue or Visconti Blue = medium flow
  
• Waterma Florida Blue or J. Herbin Blue = wet

 

Vintage German pens will get a dry ink test, others will be filled with some Lamy of Rohrer & Klinger to get a general idea. If the ink flow is poor, I switch to the wet stuff (Waterman and J. Herbin). Only if none of the above inks works properly with the pen I start looking at the pen itself.

[JustLeft]

Some pen/ink combinations are working better than others and some pens are more picky than others.

 

I think you did the right thing changing the ink and give it another try.

 

Because of this I use one of my blue standard inks if I receive a pen:

• Pelikan Blueblack = dry
  
• Lamy Blue = dryish
  
• Rohrer & Klingner Royal Blue or Visconti Blue = medium flow
  
• Waterma Florida Blue or J. Herbin Blue = wet

 

Vintage German pens will get a dry ink test, others will be filled with some Lamy of Rohrer & Klinger to get a general idea. If the ink flow is poor, I switch to the wet stuff (Waterman and J. Herbin). Only if none of the above inks works properly with the pen I start looking at the pen itself.

Thanks for the information. I will do some experimentation. My Lamy 2000 has been working fine with Noodlers purple ink. Haven't had it run dry since the change. As I have mentioned in earlier posts, some of the Noodler's ink does not work in a Rotring pen that I own. Just got some Lamy Black ink, but I am not going to use it for a bit because the Noodler's purple is working so well. I may need to pick up some Waterman Florida Blue or the J. Herbin Blue based on your note and see how that works.

[redisburning]

9 out of 10 times the person youre talking with in warranty doesnt know what they are talking about. If you want a demonstration of this principal, call your ISP and try, really try, to get them to say anything that's not a canned answer. Actually, ask specifically what Lamy puts in the ink that makes it work with their pen that other inks dont have, and insist they tell you the name of the checmical (hint: there isnt one).

 

I also dont think it very likely you are having this discussion with a person who may potentially be working on your pen. I think that sucks, but I guess with Lamy's volume that's just going to be the way it is.

 

If their ink really improves your pen's performance significantly I would be SHOCKED. I've tried that line (though not at the prompting of the company).

 

Yes, some inks do not play nice with certain pens, but if you have an ink that works with everything else but cant save your pen you have a real problem.

Edited May 19, 2011 by redisburning

[JustLeft]

Well I returned my Lamy 2000 to Lamy for repairs. They replaced the Nib and the converter in the pen. The scratchiness with the nib is gone, but it still has a dry write. To say I am disappointed is an understatement. I have a number of fountain pens and this by far is the driest pen I own. Even the free Noodlers' pen that came with the bottle of Dragon Napalm writes much better than this 2000. I also bought Lamy ink, per their recommendation (which I thought was BS) and it made no difference. The ink just doesn't flow right from this pen.

 

I regret sending this in for repair, I should have returned the pen and gotten a refund.

[JR Paepke]

I owned a Lamy Logo and I had problems with Noodler's ink. I've also read of another person with a Lamy who had problems with Noodlers ink. Just fyi.

 

I personally love Noodler's Heart of Darkness, so I'm not ripping on them, just saying it's possible it may be less compatible with Lamy pens.

[JustLeft]

Lamy's inks didn't work well with this pen either. My last ditch effort is to try Waterman Florida Blue in the pen.

 

I owned a Lamy Logo and I had problems with Noodler's ink. I've also read of another person with a Lamy who had problems with Noodlers ink. Just fyi.

 

I personally love Noodler's Heart of Darkness, so I'm not ripping on them, just saying it's possible it may be less compatible with Lamy pens.

[wpb]

I suggest you get a few ink samples from Goulet pens (no affiliation). It takes some trail and error to find the right ink with the right pen. Don't give up. My Lamy 2000 is my favorite pen by far.

 

Bill

[watch_art]

You wanna try to adjust the nib? It's not too difficult. You could widen the slit and make it write as wet as you'd like.

[F for Fountain]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this or not, but you might want to wash out the nib with a glass of warm water and detergent (like dishwashing machine detergent).

 

If that doesn't work, then yeah, something is probably wrong with the pen.

Edited September 2, 2011 by F for Fountain

[JustinJ]

Try different brands of ink in the pen. You can pick up samples from Goulet Pens or other users on FPN. I have a couple of pens that work better with certain inks. Some inks are more lubricated than others. I am not brand bashing but have found some of the Noodler inks do not work as well in my pens. I found the same thing with a couple of the Sailor inks. You really have to try different inks in each pen to see what you like. This is where the sample come in handy. At a $1.25 a sample, you can try a lot of inks.

 

I had an XF Lamy 2000 that wrote excellent, so I do not think you can make a general statement on all Lamy 2000 xf pens. I have sent several Lamy Pens to Filofax in the U.S. and had great service. You could always send the pen back to Bob and ask him to test it with the ink that you want to use in the pen. The pen needs to be setup the way that you like it.

 

I really like Lamy pens and think they are a great value. I can pick up some of my Safari pens after a month of non use and they start and write great.

[Bo Bo Olson]

You need a 10-15 X loupe nothing less, not a 20X.

Not a magnifying glass they are only 4-5X and not enough.

I find 10 to be a tad too little, another said 20 X was too much.

 

Buy a real good one...pay the freight, a good one has better glass and better coating. It is a once in a life time buy, you can also look at hallmarks on gold and silver; stamps and coins.

 

You need an rubber ear syringe. It makes cleaning cartridge pens easy and quick. Again a once or twice in a life time buy....one can expect to need a new one every 20-25 years I'd guess.

[opitzs]

I would think about sending it back again, I have 5 Lamy 2K and all were out of the box smooth, wet writers.

[JustLeft]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this or not, but you might want to wash out the nib with a glass of warm water and detergent (like dishwashing machine detergent).

 

If that doesn't work, then yeah, something is probably wrong with the pen.

 

Did that before I sent the pen back.

 

Try different brands of ink in the pen. You can pick up samples from Goulet Pens or other users on FPN. I have a couple of pens that work better with certain inks. Some inks are more lubricated than others. I am not brand bashing but have found some of the Noodler inks do not work as well in my pens. I found the same thing with a couple of the Sailor inks. You really have to try different inks in each pen to see what you like. This is where the sample come in handy. At a $1.25 a sample, you can try a lot of inks.

 

I had an XF Lamy 2000 that wrote excellent, so I do not think you can make a general statement on all Lamy 2000 xf pens. I have sent several Lamy Pens to Filofax in the U.S. and had great service. You could always send the pen back to Bob and ask him to test it with the ink that you want to use in the pen. The pen needs to be setup the way that you like it.

 

I really like Lamy pens and think they are a great value. I can pick up some of my Safari pens after a month of non use and they start and write great.

 

I also have other Lamy pens - 2 Lamy Safaris and 1 Lamy All Star. No issues with either of them. They work well with any ink. Since I already sent the pen in for repairs, and the nib and converter were replaced, I see no value in returning the pen. I have a coworker who has a 2000 and his writes perfectly with every ink he has put in it. I tried his before deciding to purchase the pen. This disappointment was that mine writes much drier than his. He has tried mine also an agrees that mine does not compare.

 

My comments are specific to the pen that I have. Hence the thread title - Lamy 2000 Bad Out of the box, rather than All Lamy 2000's are bad. I have about 20 fountain pens. They range in cost from free to $300. This pen writes drier than any other of the ones I own.

 

If the waterman ink doesn't do the trick, the next thing I will try is adjusting the tines.

Edited September 3, 2011 by JustLeft

[Pen2009]

I think it is urban legent that any particular pen only works for the specific brand of inks, even though certain brands of inks may contain more potential clogging properties than others.

 

However, it is understandable that some pen manufacturers try to limit their warranty liability by the specific types / brands of inks. I think they don't test their pens with other barnds' inks, if they have their own ink brands. But, voiding a warranty for the pen because of use of different fountain ink brands is like a car manufacturer is voiding your car's warranty simply because you used a different oil brand (while keeping the type and viscosity as recommended by the manual).

 

When I need to send my pends for warranty repairs for some reasons, I will flatly indicate I am using their inks even if I am not. I doubt they are going to spend time and energy to analyze the inks used in the pen as long as you flush the pen clean. But for my MB pens, I only use MB inks though.

 

All of my Lamys write flawlessly with some of the inks I filled with. My inks are Ms, Aurora, Waterman, Iroshizuku, Private Reserve (Midnight Blue), Noodler (only three 3 colors: Old Manhattan, Polar Black, Otterman Azure).

[watch_art]

I think some car warranties ARE voided if you use the wrong anti freeze.

[JustLeft]

All of my Lamys write flawlessly with some of the inks I filled with. My inks are Ms, Aurora, Waterman, Iroshizuku, Private Reserve (Midnight Blue), Noodler (only three 3 colors: Old Manhattan, Polar Black, Otterman Azure).

 

Same can be said for all the other Lamy's that I own.

[watch_art]

I love my Lamy Studio - so much that I sold my L2K. Should have bought another studio in black this time, but had to buy groceries!

 

Oh well, at least extra nibs are uber cheap and easy to swap. Currently filled with some kind of Iro blue ku jaku something ink. Fantastic.

[KarloT]

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this or not, but you might want to wash out the nib with a glass of warm water and detergent (like dishwashing machine detergent).

 

If that doesn't work, then yeah, something is probably wrong with the pen.

 

I'd follow this flushing routine and check the tines under a loupe. The L2K can take a while to start but I find that it starts easier if you work the piston a couple of times while the nib is submerged in the ink bottle, before drawing your fill.

 

I've found the L2Ks to write wet, although I've only owned 1 and handled 5 others. Mine was a Broad, but the others were Mediums and Fines. Mine took to the drier or wetter inks with equal aplomb but the wide nib may explain that partly.

 

If all else fails, the Lamy USA service center is an option. A 3rd party repair specialist or nibmeister may also be considered but that's more money and a couple (or several) weeks' waiting time.