Lamy 2000 Review!

[777]

Obviously, someone needed to review this pen, because we have such a shortage of reviews on it. Right?

 

Alright, but seriously, I thought I'd just share my thoughts on the pen with you all. As usual, this is just copied over from my blog, which I'll encourage you to go check out if you haven't yet. Lots of great reviews and more.

 

PS - Excuse any formatting errors you may find. Copying over from the blog can kinda' mess things up a bit...

 

 

**********************************************************

 

Time for another pen review!

 

Up for review today is the highly acclaimed Lamy 2000.

 

As with all my reviews, I try to be subjective, and honest. Even though this is on my top 5 pens list, I still have some issues with it that we'll hit on this article.

 

 

Overview:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6ek7d1b80R4/Ts5HoO50brI/AAAAAAAAARU/Jo0hZPwu3W4/s400/rating.png

 

The Lamy 2000 scores 89%!

 

 

The good:

 

• Really cool, award winning design
• Intelligent functionality
• Excellent ink capacity
• Extremely durable - a true survivor

The bad:

 

• Cap "nubs" can be very annoying to some users
• The design is either "you hate it or you love it"
• Piston can tend to be a bit stiff
• Prices have gone up recently

The Lamy 2000 is a pen that has been, and will continue to be at the top of my collection. Though recently pared down to only two pens, the Lamy 2000 remained in my fountain pen collection. Being a very picky FP user, that is saying something!

 

I highly recommend this pen to anyone who is looking for a solid/reliable pen to take with them everywhere. This is one that you can clip into your pants pocket, and not worry about it. It takes a beating, and it doesn't even show. The matte finish texture seems practically invincible, and it looks great too.

 

If you're in the market for a new pen, I see no reason that you should hesitate to purchase the Lamy 2000!

 

 

Read on for the full review:

 

 

 

Design:

 

I'm a real sucker for matte finished pens, particularly those with more texture. In this regard, I can't say enough good things about the Lamy 2000. It's a beautiful pen to look at, and it feels great in hand while writing. The Lamy 2000 focuses on the smaller, and finer details of design. Each individual part making a difference in overall pen.

 

Subtle details, such as that small stainless-steel circle on the piston knob, are what make the Lamy 2000 such a beautiful pen.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-39x1k1KUHSU/Tsxj8qDa3BI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/wVi6krF5Tp4/s400/DSC00357.JPG

 

 

The rough, almost industrial looking squared clip really "goes" with the design.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--rRJPiHstyU/TsxkI3qiZHI/AAAAAAAAAQU/x4VPSyCetD4/s400/DSC00358.JPG

 

Upon uncapping the pen, another surprise design element hits us: That gorgeous brushed-stainless grip section.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mOQl2S8l1nM/TsxkT2N9DTI/AAAAAAAAAQY/jThMtCPKNgc/s400/DSC00359.JPG

 

 

The Lamy 2000 sports a semi-hooded nib, that features a curved, almost "space-ship" looking design.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GiaI6e7hEMY/TsxkfxNleyI/AAAAAAAAAQk/6zwOgJfNdwI/s400/DSC00360.JPG

 

 

The Lamy 2000 design leaves no room for "it's okay". You love it, or you hate it. That's almost always how it is. This reviewer personally loves it.

I think the design clearly shows attention to detail, and it's just plain cool! The matte texture of the pen is more brushed, as opposed to a satin matte, such as seen on the VP black matte. The overall combination of just black and silver, no other colors, is truly stunning. This one pen that will definitely turn some heads when uncapped. I would never call this pen flashy, but striking would be a suiting word.

 

 

I'm giving the Lamy 2000 a 23/25% in design!

 

 

 

Size/weight:

As usual, this category is more or less subjective to the user. I will however touch on the obvious points that should be noted.

 

The Lamy 2000 has a thick, and thin grip section. This all depends on where you wish to grip the pen. Grip it higher up, and it's thicker (my preference), grip it closer to the nib, and it's a good deal thinner.

 

 

Weight is fabulous. At least when we're speaking of the Lamy 2000 it is.

 

This pen looks like it might weigh as much as a brick, but I assure you, it doesn't. The Lamy 2000 is remarkably light for it's size and looks. It is however, heavy enough to feel expensive, and keep me satisfied. I believe the Lamy 2000's weight will satisfy an extremely broad spectrum of users.

The actual size of the pen is about mid range to "getting larger". Capped, it's a tad shorter than a Pelikan M800. I find the length of the pen to be very comfortable for me, but I am not very picky in this aspect. I would say that this pen will work just fine for anyone with small-medium, to large hands. If you've got truly small hands, you might want to try it first, though I doubt you will dislike it.

 

For me, the Lamy 2000 get's a 23-25% in size/weight.

 

 

 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KjsWI63_yTI/Tsxlk9kiEfI/AAAAAAAAAQ8/r5uRC9DVEGQ/s400/DSC00366.JPG

 

Functionality:

The Lamy 2000 is a true workhorse, and that means that not only can it take a beating, but it also performs flawlessly, quickly, and efficiently. The Lamy 2000 was engineered for success! If you work a hazardous job, you're a student with a tight schedule, you're rough on stuff, or you just don't take care f your pens - The Lamy 2000 will make it though any abuse you can throw at it. Of course within reason, but this is one seriously tough pen.

 

 

I read reports of someone dropping this pen onto concrete from their roof. It survived with one light scuff, to the highly polished decorative surface on the top of the cap. This guy also testing the pen in freezing weather, allowing it to sit with ink in it overnight in some snow! Once again, the pen lived to tell about it, and suffered no ill effects.

 

The amazing part about that Lamy 2000, is that even though it's built like a tank, it doesn't sacrifice any conveniences to achieve this! It functions beautifully, like a well oiled machine.

 

 

My favorite little features would be:

• Spring loaded clip. I love it! The clip is a true spring loaded clip, and it feels very sturdy.
• Hooded nib. Like most hooded nibs, it almost never dries out. Very nice when you need to set the pen down uncapped for a few seconds (or minutes).
• Click-on cap. The cap slips on much like a Parker 51, but it produces an extremely satisfying click sound when capped. Feels very secure to me.
• Cap posts very nicely. Slips on deep, and won't fall off.

A nicely posted cap!

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pdRBL1r6n1c/TsxlBqsyR3I/AAAAAAAAAQw/p4pNmJaZSDQ/s400/DSC00363.JPG

 

There are plenty of other convenient features that this pen has to offer. Lamy really spared no details when designing this pen. There's one thing of note that you may not like about the Lamy 2000's enginerring. To give the cap that delightful clicking noise/feedback, there are these two little "nubs" that protrude from the side of the pen, right where you grip it. I was bothered by them just slightly at first, but now I'm used to, and it's not a problem. For some users however, this might be a deal breaker. If you think it might be, I urge you to try the pen out in person before purchasing it.

 

 

You can clearly see the "nubs" in this photo. I find them perfectly acceptable, but you may wish to try this pen before buying if you're picky about this type of thing.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-KjnXwLs-www/Tsxk5OJ4chI/AAAAAAAAAQs/4LwFwv8eZ-s/s400/DSC00362.JPG

 

 

Filling system: A winner for me. Like all my favorite pens, the Lamy 2000 is a piston filler. My favorite filling system. Piston fillers combine the massive capacity of an eyedropper, but without the annoying problems that those can produce. A piston filler allows you to keep on going and going. Whether you're at school, or at work, the Lamy 2000 won't run out on the job. This pen usually lasts me multiple weeks on a single fill.

 

The piston knob is integrated seamlessly (most literally) into the pen body. Because of the matte/brushed texture, from more than a foot away, you can't even see the seam where the knob and pen body separate.

 

 

 

Can you spot where the piston knob separates from the pen body?

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dwlD9svG2OM/TsxlZ4KuHAI/AAAAAAAAAQ4/YuSb501Q0Mc/s400/DSC00365.JPG

 

 

Something that could be a minor quibble with the filling system, but I choose to live with, is the fact that you fill the pen through a tiny hole in the feed. This hole in the feed is up about midway, and is clearly visible. The problem with this, is that when you fill the pen, it can sometimes take a minute or two for the ink to reach the nib from this hole in the feed. Not a major problem, but one that could bother some people.

 

I have but one complaint for the Lamy 2000's piston mechanism. It is not as smooth as some other pistons such as those produced by Pelikan. I find it to be just slightly on the stiff side. It is very slight however, and some may actually like this. It does prevent you from accidentally turning the knob, which has happened to me on my Pelikan M800. The M800 was so smooth that the knob turned without any resistance...

 

 

 

You can just barely see the ink window, right above one of the steel "nubs" for clicking the cap on. Being filled with ink, only half of the window is visible.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3GVwqlVLTjY/TsxlMVG22UI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/a0wB_8pRJJs/s400/DSC00364.JPG

 

 

Overall I can give a 21/25% in functionality!

 

 

 

 

The nib:

 

How can I say it without sounding so "of course"? Probably not possible...

 

The Lamy 2000 nib is one of the best nibs I've ever used that has not been tuned by a nibmiester. Is it probably the second or third best nib I've ever owned. I really like this nib. I mean really.

 

 

 

One of my favorite nibs of all time.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qEzvbToMRZw/Tsxkt0LQbjI/AAAAAAAAAQo/d-KW-jlveTI/s400/DSC00361.JPG

 

 

 

Obviously I did purchase a B nib, that being my favorite size (for most of my pens, but not all).

 

Smooth of course. Just delightfully smooth, but also - stubbish! Yes, the Lamy 2000 reminds me of those wonderful vintage Pelikan and MontBlanc nibs. It has that slight stub-like quality to it. Though not a lot, it does in fact produce line variation.

 

It also has a hint of pleasant spring to it. Just enough to really push it from excellent, to excellent+.

 

Flow has always been consistent, reliable, and not to dry. It's about 7/10 on wetness, which is my preference.

 

 

Writing sample, with my Lamy 2000's B nib. Ink is Noodlers Navajo Turquoise, in case you were wondering.

I've got a review of that coming soon.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hPIJ6coPfWk/TsxjxdBSUvI/AAAAAAAAAQM/-EMmV-2eDX4/s400/DSC00356.JPG

 

 

I would rate this nib very highly, as one of the best I've used. Definitely a 22/25% on the nib!

 

 

 

 

The bottom line:

 

I love this pen, and I can't help but recommend it highly to all of my fellow FP users. If you've never tried one before, I urge you to do so! It's worth the asking price of around $140.00+. It can be purchased brand new from quite a few retailers, but my favorite remains Goulet Pen Company.

 

I bought mine used, in near mint condition for only $90.00. If you don't mind buying used, go check out Fountain Pen Network's classifieds section. There are plenty of deals to be found there, just like mine.

 

As usual, I hope you enjoyed the review! Please let me know what you think of the format, now that it's been actually used. Good or bad? Love it? Hate it?

 

Any and all suggestions are more than welcome! I need your comments and opinions to keep the blog running.

 

 

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h6gs8MDA_0k/Tspdi11uiRI/AAAAAAAAAN0/UT1jczNzWgA/s1600/RSS+Icon+small.jpg

 

Lastly, don't forget to subscribe to the blog for more detailed reviews like this!

 

 

Regards,

Tyler Dahl

 

 

[jandrese]

Nice review of a classic, thanks for sharing.

[Spector]

great review, I have been eying one myself. pity the prices have gone up though

[owenj]

Nice review format! & great pictures

The 2000 was my first FP & I love it. Definitely agree on the piston being stiff though; I thought I was going to break it the first time I filled.

[spiv]

I have the newer design, where the tiny filling hole is stainless... I don't find the piston stiff. I have to agree with you on all other points, it's a love it or hate it pen. I just ordered my second.

[tanalasta]

Lovely review of a classic.

 

I went onto Goulet to order a Lamy 2000 ... then realised that the TWSBI was out of stock ... but will place an order soon! I miss my Lamy 2000 ever since it was accidentally destroyed.

 

Good to hear your B nib is writing beautifully. Mine was troubled by skipping and inconsistent flow, despite several flushes/cleans and trials of different ink which I put down to a baby bottom (after having a look at it under a loupe). The stubbish characteristic of the B nib is also lovely.

 

Many thanks for a very well written review! The Lamy 2000 has always been amongst the benchmark for a fountain pen <$150

[reprieve]

I have two Lamy 2000s: one with an extra-fine nib and one with a broad nib. The broad nib gets the most use, almost always with an iron gall ink. I especially like the broad nib's inherent stubbishness. I've had the 2000s for a number of years now, and I've not had any problems yet. They are great workhorses!

[bluebend]

Nicely detailed review with the pros and cons but it's doing nothing for my self-control...Must wait to buy the 2000.

[Scylax]

I want to thank you for this fantastically detailed review! It was instrumental in my deciding to purchase a Lamy 2000, and so far, two days after it arrived, I have to say I think it deserves every praise you can throw at it. I totally agree with you about the attention to detail, and every facet you picked up on in your review I have just fallen in love with. I have inked it with Diamine's Ancient Copper ink, and it's a gorgeous combination in my eyes. The nib is a revelation to me as well - it's so smooth and good-tempered! Usually I find I have to be really careful to hold a pen at a specific, usually awkward, angle for it to write well, but this has never skipped once on me in the pages I have written so far. I'd write my own review singing the praises of this pen, except that yours says all that needs saying, I think. So thank you!

 

(P.S. Just to confirm your point about the piston filler being invisible from a distance, my mum filled the pen for me (my hands shake too much to be near a new bottle of ink), and for some minutes she was totally convinced there was no way to fill this pen at all!)

[Malcy]

Thanks for your nice review, a real classic.

 

I recently had Lamy Germany change my 2K nib from BB to OM which they did completely free of charge despite the pen being long out of warranty. You can't ask for better service, a great way to retain customers.It came back a bit dry but a little tweak to make it wetter and it is a joy to use.

[a m a r g o]

Once more: Long live Lamy 2000!

 

 

p.s. Awesome review by the way...

Edited December 13, 2011 by coppilcus

[beluga]

Even though the merits of the Lamy 2000 have been debated many times, I still enjoy reading a good Lamy 2000 review and I found your review a joy to read.

 

The 23/25% rating was a bit confusing, as it first suggested to me only a quarter or less of the maximum available points, but in the end I got it and took it as 23/25 (23 out of 25 points).

 

 

The Lamy 2000 is a design from the 60s and appreciating this helps explain a few quirks of this pen.

The hooded design may be fairly uncommon in current designs but was a very popular style element then and my guess is that partially hiding the nib was meant to convey a sense of elegance and sophistication.

 

My small family of five Lamy 2000s also require more care when travelling by air than other pens.

It is not risky to take them along for a plane trip and I never had a serious spill with any of them, but it pays to heed the usual suggestions (filled and keep them upright with the nib up) to avoid the occasional stain on fingers. I guess that travel by air was not a priority on the design sheet when the pen was created.

 

If you should notice a few drops around the nib and grip section and want to clean any residual ink that may have accumulated inside the cap, be careful. Rolling a piece of tissue and twirling it inside the cap can bend tiny metal leaf springs that hold the cap into place on the pen.

These springs extend down the inside of the cap like fingers and twirling a compacted tissue can permanently misalign these springs.

 

It happened to me once and after using my usual technique I had to have the cap replaced (free of charge thanks to the ever excellent Lamy service) since the small fingers were permanently bent.

 

Otherwise; a great pen, a great design and I take the Lamy 2000 as the pen that established Lamy's reputation for innovation and created the Lamy tradition of asking outside designers to create elegant, contemporary and functional designs for them.

Edited December 16, 2011 by beluga

[spiv]

 

If you should notice a few drops around the nib and grip section and want to clean any residual ink that may have accumulated inside the cap, be careful. Rolling a piece of tissue and twirling it inside the cap can bend tiny metal leaf springs that hold the cap into place on the pen.

These springs extend down the inside of the cap like fingers and twirling a compacted tissue can permanently misalign these springs.

 

 

Thank you for the warning...

[Mastromaximo]

Il 19/12/2011 alle 19:42, spiv ha dichiarato:

 

Grazie per l'avvertimento...

 

Il 9/9/2012 alle 13:03, hari317 ha dichiarato:

Sto usando questa penna da alcune settimane. Ho trovato la penna molto sobria, infatti sembra molto ordinaria e non attirerà nessuna attenzione. Alcune foto:

 

photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/Lamy2000M/DSC_0156_902x600.jpg

 

photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/Lamy2000M/DSC_0158_902x600.jpg

 

Segni di fresatura circolari sulla parte superiore del cappuccio:

photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/Lamy2000M/DSC_0162_902x600.jpg

 

Un taglio dall'immagine originale:

 

photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/Lamy2000M/DSC_0162.jpg

 

Logo LAMY inciso a laser sul retro del cappuccio, direttamente sul lato opposto della clip.

photobucket.com/albums/nn307/hari-b/Lamy2000M/DSC_0163.jpg

 

Saluti!

Hari

 

Il 16/12/2011 alle 09:47, beluga ha detto:

Anche se i meriti del Lamy 2000 sono stati dibattuti molte volte, mi piace comunque leggere una buona recensione di Lamy 2000 e ho trovato la tua recensione una gioia da leggere.

 

La valutazione del 23/25% era un po' confusa, poiché all'inizio mi suggeriva solo un quarto o meno dei punti massimi disponibili, ma alla fine l'ho presa e l'ho presa come 23/25 (23 punti su 25 ).

 

 

La Lamy 2000 è un design degli anni '60 e apprezzarlo aiuta a spiegare alcune stranezze di questa penna.

Il design del cappuccio può essere abbastanza raro nei modelli, ma all'epoca era un attuali di stile popolare e la mia ipotesi è che l'elemento che contiene il pennino lo scopo di trasmettere un senso di eleganza e raffinatezza.

 

Anche la mia piccola famiglia di cinque Lamy 2000 richiede più cura quando viaggia in aereo rispetto ad altre penne.

Non è rischioso portarli con sé per un viaggio in aereo e non ho mai avuto una grave caduta con nessuno di loro, ma vale la pena prestare attenzione ai soliti suggerimenti (riempirli e tenerli in posizione verticale con il pennino in alto) per evitare la macchia occasionale sulle dita . Immagino che viaggiare in aereo non fosse una priorità sul foglio di progettazione quando è stata creata la penna.

 

Se dovessi notare alcune gocce intorno al pennino e sezione dell'impugnatura e desideri pulire l'inchiostro residuo che potrebbe essere accumulato all'interno del cappuccio, fai attenzione. Arrotolare un cappuccio di tessuto e farlo ruotare all'interno del può piegare minuscole molle a balestra di metallo che tiene il cappuccio in posizione sulla penna.

Queste molle si estendono lungo l'interno del cappuccio come dita e ruotare un tessuto compatto può disallineare permanentemente queste molle.

 

A me è successo una volta e dopo aver utilizzato la mia solita tecnica ho dovuto far il cappuccio (gratuitamente sostituiscono grazie al sempre servizio eccellente Lamy) poiché i mignoli permanentemente piegati.

 

Altrimenti; una grande penna, un grande design e prendo la Lamy 2000 come la penna che ha stabilito la reputazione di Lamy per l'innovazione e ha creato la tradizione Lamy di chiedere ai designer esterni di creare per loro design contemporanei eleganti e funzionali.