Recommendation: Lamy 2000 Or Pilot Vanishing Point In Matte Black?

[hari317]

If the old version of VPs were still being made, I'd say get one of them. Though, yes, they can still be found. The new style of VPs are good pens but, for me, aren't as comfortable to write with and don't look nearly as good. Pilot put a mustache on their Mona Lisa.

 

NOS faceted VPs are available on ebay.

 

Congratulations OP, fine choice!

[Francis_Rex]

As I had a little bonus a few weeks ago I decided to treat myself to another pen. I had read so much about the Lamy 2000 that I decided to take the plunge.

I bought it from Webster’s Pens via Amazon where the pricing was cheaper than on their own website: (£122vs £149) which I find odd but …

The pen arrived on Friday. I had gone for a fine nib. I inked it with Kon-Peki by Pilot Iroshizuku.

It is a nicely weighted pen although heavier than I expected. The stainless steel job must be quite a handful. At the moment I have not found the sweet spot where it balances well to write.

It wrote straight out of the box but it is not as wet as I expected. I have other cheaper Lamys: a Joy, a Safari and a Studio and they all write quite wet.

My EDC is a Pilot VP with a fine nib and this is what I guess I benchmark my new acquisitions against and at the moment the VP edges over the Lamy. Why?

The VP writes wetter, I like the feedback and the noise it makes as it writes. The Lamy does make a noise but it is not so distinct. As noted above the Lamy I have found the Lamy sits less naturally in my hand. When posted it is longer than the VP and I know a lot of people say the clip gets in the way when they write with the VP, I actually find that quite useful , whereas on the 200O I have not decided where to position my thumb and index figure, on the markalon or on the brushed aluminium.

The nib does open on both pens and produces some line variation; I find the Pilot has slightly more flex.

The Lamy has the advantage of a huge ink reservoir and I have to find the right ink for it. The VP meanwhile is a pain to fill and that is why I use cartridges and the ink in the IC-100 definitely suit the pen.

So it is early days with the 200 and I will no doubt have many happy hours with it but in a straight shoot-out between the two, at the moment, my money would be on

 

[Francis_Rex]

..the VP.

 

However I have just flushed my Lamy and changed the ink to the Blue Black Diamine have made for Cult Pens, as a result the Lamy is a different pen with an ink that is wetter than the Pilot Iroshizuku and I am getting to understand the hype around the 2000.