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Lamy 2000 - understated but much appreciated


MYU

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What a great topic! Very informative read. Nice review, MYU; great discussion and reviews by others as well.

<sigh> I can already see that I'll be making a trip to the local office supply b&m Monday. When I was there

last Monday looking at FPs I noticed they had Lamys -- Safaris or Al-Stars at least. Didn't know anything about

'em. After lurking this board for a week I am much more informed. This thread has shown me that I

NEED a Lamy. ;) Now I must go read the Safari thread...

thanks all

-jon

Edited by escribo

I may not have been much help, but I DID bump your thread up to the top.

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Well, the day has finally come. I had the nib of my Lamy 2000 reground to a different size. It is now a 0.6mm cursive italic nib. I had contemplated buying an EF nib for around the same cost of the nib service and have the benefit of two different nibs to interchange (OM, EF), but the OM nib would not get much use at all. It would be more of a resale advantage, as they are less common. And I've got a few EF nibbed pens anyway. So, I'm glad I made the choice to have the nib altered. I have one other 0.6mm nibbed pen--a Rotring 700. The two nibs have slightly different characteristics. Although the Lamy nib is a cursive italic, there is a touch of crispness to it that the 700 does not have.

 

It's kind of silly... I've been so taken by the minimalist design of the 2000, enough to write this review in early 2007, but I really did not put it to use much because the OM nib was wetter than I liked. Finally, I'm happy to say that the nib is definitely to my liking. This pen will now be in my daily rotation. :)

 

I know... where are the images? ;) I'll get them up eventually, probably by the end of the year.

Edited by MYU

[MYU's Pen Review Corner] | "The Common Ground" -- Jeffrey Small

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I'm still following your series. :blush:

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a234/sinthavalai/lamy2000.jpg

My fountain pens:

Parker Duofold, Sonnet,Premier

Pelikan Souverän M1000, M800, M805, M600, M400 White tortoise

Sheaffer Legacy Heritage, Valor,

Lamy 2000, Vista, Safari, Joy ,Studio

Montblanc Meisterstück 149, Pilot 78G

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Just received today my Lamy 2K from member Steph. Apart from commenting on the remarkable 4 days to receive it from the date of sale - US to UK! I have to say I love it! Such a stylish pen. This was represented as a medium and it lays down a nice wet line. It's not to heavy for me as I like bigger nibs anyway. I've no trouble with the 'ears' and the cap seems to post quite OK. I can see this becoming a daily user!

http://www.aysedasi.co.uk

 

 

 

 

She turned me into a newt.......

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I bought Lamy 2000 a year ago from PenGallery at such a bargaining price (under USD 90) and had it broken four months after. Oh, when I got it out of the box, it was such a beautiful, and yet very simply designed pen. Two months after, I began noticing that the material of its EF nib was not strong enough to hold and finally, one end of its nib bent a degree and skipped often. However, I kept on using it instead of having it fixed at LamyUSA and finally... my boy rubbed it on the wall. When my wife screamed, it was too late. Those stains on the wall.... they were just like those signs you can imagine when a dying victim was trying to leave final messages on a brick wall in the street. I kept the corpse of my Lamy2000 for another seven months, for the repair cost was high and I was not sure if it would be worthwhile to have it resurrected. My former mentor gave me a MB 146 as my graduation gift. It was a good one (needless to say) and a very high profile one too. So, instead of going back to ball-pens, I decided to buy another fountain pen with a low profile and still a cool design and importantly, affordable price. My Lamy was, in that aspect, a perfect choice to me and I really liked it until its nib showed problems. As someone in FPN pointed out, for some reason, I thought my pen had a defect. He was saying that Lamy2000s sold in Asian area have less strong nibs than those in Europe and America. However, I did not get a chance to prove it. Maybe I was just in a bad luck to choose a weak one (actually not my choice of that specific pen. I just chose where to buy one). In last seven months, I bought a Pilot Bamboo, a MYU 701, Quattro and finally, Sailor demonstrator. Oh, fountain pen can be a perfect gift to many people, I recognized. Since my wife did not like me collecting fountain pens, I gave away Sailor and Quattro as gifts (MYU701? My wife got it. Oh, I give you my word. I don't think that it is something deserving current pricing in e-bay. Quattro? Its nib is just superb and I got a real good deal).

MB 146 served me correctly. Still I feel that it is a very high profile pen in USA, especially when I am the only one still using a fountain pen in everywhere I go. So, I decided to have Lamy resurrected. It took USD 72 and two weeks to get it back from LamyUSA and I realized that the nib is now incredibly smooth without any skipping. I just vaguely remember that it was not like this when I got it first from PenGallery. I will keep my eyes on it to see if it has any issues. Hope it does not trouble me any more and my 146 and Bamboo can get a good rest for a while.

I am just glad that it came back to my daily life, that I can simply put only one pen in my pocket and that I don't have to make my pants pocket full with a pen case with Bamboo and MB 146).

 

-- Jaehong

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I just got my 2000 EF from PenGallery and so far it has been the best nib I've ever used. I hope what happened to Jaehong doesn't happen to me. Fingers crossed!

Wanted List: Pelikan M800 F; GvFC Pernambuco F

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Geretics, I'm sorry to hear you had trouble with your Lamy 2000 initially. From what you describe, I wonder if you were exerting undue pressure on the nib. I've known several people who have owned these pens for many years with no sign of the trouble you experienced.

 

It was $72USD to repair it? IMHO, I'd say you were overcharged. It sounds to me like all you needed was a replacement nib unit, which is user replaceable. The nib unit can be had for around $50. Something to keep in mind in case your son ever gets a hold of your L2K and destroys the nib again.

 

But in the end, irrespective of cost you now have a well functioning Lamy 2000. Enjoy it--they are great pens. :thumbup:

Edited by MYU

[MYU's Pen Review Corner] | "The Common Ground" -- Jeffrey Small

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Geretics, I'm sorry to hear you had trouble with your Lamy 2000 initially. From what you describe, I wonder if you were exerting undue pressure on the nib. I've known several people who have owned these pens for many years with no sign of the trouble you experienced.

 

It was $72USD to repair it? IMHO, I'd say you were overcharged. It sounds to me like all you needed was a replacement nib unit, which is user replaceable. The nib unit can be had for around $50. Something to keep in mind in case your son ever gets a hold of your L2K and destroys the nib again.

 

But in the end, irrespective of cost you now have a well functioning Lamy 2000. Enjoy it--they are great pens. :thumbup:

 

 

 

Gary,

 

Like you said, repair itself costed $50. That 72$ included shipping too!

 

Jaehong

Edited by geretics
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Two months after, I began noticing that the material of its EF nib was not strong enough to hold and finally, one end of its nib bent a degree and skipped often.

-- Jaehong

 

After reading your story, I have to agree with MYU: I think you were using way too much pressure while writing with your 2000. Under no circumstances should a metal nib tine ever bend, no matter how "weak" it might seem. Writing with a fountain pen requires very little to no pressure. The strength of the nib shouldn't be an issue.

Edited by blak000

An empty can usually makes the loudest noise.

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Can anybody either confirm or deny the assertion that Lamy 2000 pen's destined for the Asian market have weaker quality nibs than those destined for the European and U.S. markets? This is the first I have ever heard of this, and I was quite surprised to hear there was a thread on this, especially after purchasing my Lamy 2000 from Malysia just a few weeks ago.

 

A link to a thread or some additional information would be appreciated. Thanks.

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An outstanding review. I also appreciate the historical references of the pen and the company. I'm happy to say that my 2000 got me through 3 years of 5 AM and 25+ written pages a day. The only reason I don't have it in my pocket every day now, is to give other pens a chance.

 

As for the durability of the nib, I have to agree, I haven't often pushed hard enough on a pen to dysfigure the nib. I hope I don't have to.

 

Thanks again for the great review.

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The nib unit can be had for around $50. Something to keep in mind in case your son ever gets a hold of your L2K and destroys the nib again.

 

Does anyone have a source for replacement nibs - direct from Lamy? - or somewhere else? Just out of interest.

 

http://www.aysedasi.co.uk

 

 

 

 

She turned me into a newt.......

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Jaehong - I hadn't thought about that; you must have been someplace remote for that kind of shipping charge (Lamy USA charges $7.50 for return shipping). Anyway, good to hear your pen is working well now.

 

DirtyDog - Lamy manufactures pens in Germany and they have a rather extensive plant for their operations. I have not heard of them outsourcing pen manufacturing anywhere else. This isn't to say that they would never outsource part making. But given their volume of sales on the venerable 2000 line, I seriously doubt that they'd made separate tooling for cheaper quality nibs. So, I think you can be confident that the pen you bought in Malaysia has a genuine original quality Lamy nib.

 

Aysedasi - The last time I spoke with Lamy USA servicing, I was told that the replacement nib part is $50. It isn't listed as a separate part that can be purchased on their website, so you have to contact them directly. In Europe, I imagine it will be about the same pricing AND you'll have a greater selection (the obliques are not offered in the USA).

 

Hawki - Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it. And it's always nice to hear about someone who has put their Lamy 2000 through the paces with great results. Was it a college degree you were working on?

 

Regards,

~Gary

Edited by MYU

[MYU's Pen Review Corner] | "The Common Ground" -- Jeffrey Small

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Jaehong - I hadn't thought about that; you must have been someplace remote for that kind of shipping charge (Lamy USA charges $7.50 for return shipping). Anyway, good to hear your pen is working well now.

 

DirtyDog - Lamy manufactures pens in Germany and they have a rather extensive plant for their operations. I have not heard of them outsourcing pen manufacturing anywhere else. This isn't to say that they would never outsource part making. But given their volume of sales on the venerable 2000 line, I seriously doubt that they'd made separate tooling for cheaper quality nibs. So, I think you can be confident that the pen you bought in Malaysia has a genuine original quality Lamy nib.

 

Aysedasi - The last time I spoke with Lamy USA servicing, I was told that the replacement nib part is $50. It isn't listed as a separate part that can be purchased on their website, so you have to contact them directly. In Europe, I imagine it will be about the same pricing AND you'll have a greater selection (the obliques are not offered in the USA).

 

Hawki - Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it. And it's always nice to hear about someone who has put their Lamy 2000 through the paces with great results. Was it a college degree you were working on?

 

Regards,

~Gary

 

 

Thanks for the response MYU. I am glad you were able to clear up the Lamy 2000 Asian nib quality issue for me.

 

I was kind of thinking along the same lines you were in regards to re-tooling the plant just to make a cheaper quality nib and that being quite expensive. It doesn't seem that it would be economically efficient to re-tool for lower quality nibs instead of just producing 1 quality nib for all Lamy 2000's. Certainly, producing 1 nibs is better from an economies of scale standpoint.

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Hi, Dirty Dog,

 

Just a link to the thread that you asked. There was a small debate about Lamy 2K's nib recently and you can see a mention about a possibility that Lamy's quality control may have been, temporarily, slipped.

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...mp;#entry646565

Please, everyone, don't get me wrong. Lamy 2K was the first of my FP collections purchased on my own pennies and I was deeply motivated by Gary's fine review. Every pen can not be perfect and even far higher profile pens may have some defective siblings. Either its nib had a problem or it was my fault to press it hard, since my boy destroyed it, it does not matter to me at all. Well, of course, you may not be able to think of a MB's tine bent. Anyway, communication with LamyUSA during the repair was very nice and I am happy with my resurrected 2K. :blush:

 

Jaehong

Edited by geretics
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The main culprits to the nib not performing properly are tine misalignment, mishaped tines, and manufacturing residue. I've seen plenty of situations where someone complained about ink flow and after a good flushing with solvents, the flow became normal. Tine misalignment also happens, but is easily rectified. In some cases, mishaped tines were discovered. My L2K came with a medium nib that was unevenly cut. Thus the flow would be different depending upon direction of nib movement, and a little scratchy. LamyUSA service accepted it as defective and swapped the nib for me.

 

From what I've learned about tooling, over time things loosen up and/or get misaligned. This introduces a higher defect factor during the manufacturing process. If the quality assurance team is performing well, they would be reporting a higher incident of rejected product, which would cue Lamy that the machining needs servicing/adjustments. However, if they aren't performing well (or just not enough people), then a higher rate of product return would occur. Any company that monitors product quality assurance would begin to notice this and suspect that there is a slippage in their quality control process.

 

I wrote an e-mail to Lamy about quality control and never heard back. But it may be that they've already taken notice and have instituted better quality controls. The trouble is, the existing inventory that is out there... who knows what the turnover is like. It may be that a pen manufactured 5 years ago is still on a shelf, waiting to be sold. So it could be a while before increased quality controls are noticed. Meanwhile, the VERY good thing is that Lamy is attentive to product defects and will make your pen right. The unfortunate thing for people living in countries very distant from a Lamy service center is the cost in shipping. :(

Edited by MYU

[MYU's Pen Review Corner] | "The Common Ground" -- Jeffrey Small

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One note about the nib units- they are still $50 from LamyUSA, $57.50 shipped. Which is the same they will charge you to swap nibs, if you've a used non-defective nib you want swapped on a whim- which is to say, you may as well just order the nib unit and do the swap yourself, because you get to keep the new nib and the old nib, and have two sizes. Just FYI!

 

Aaron

WTB: Lamy 27 w/ OB/OBB nibs; Pelikan 100 B nib

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One note about the nib units- they are still $50 from LamyUSA, $57.50 shipped. Which is the same they will charge you to swap nibs, if you've a used non-defective nib you want swapped on a whim- which is to say, you may as well just order the nib unit and do the swap yourself, because you get to keep the new nib and the old nib, and have two sizes. Just FYI!

 

Aaron

I'm pretty sure that if the pen is still new, you can get the nib swapped just for the shipping cost. Of course, subject to Lamy inspection to determine if the nib has been used. But otherwise, yes--on a used Lamy 2000 definitely get the extra nib unit rather than swapping; good call, Aaron!

 

~Gary

[MYU's Pen Review Corner] | "The Common Ground" -- Jeffrey Small

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Hi, Dirty Dog,

 

Just a link to the thread that you asked. There was a small debate about Lamy 2K's nib recently and you can see a mention about a possibility that Lamy's quality control may have been, temporarily, slipped.

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...mp;#entry646565

Please, everyone, don't get me wrong. Lamy 2K was the first of my FP collections purchased on my own pennies and I was deeply motivated by Gary's fine review. Every pen can not be perfect and even far higher profile pens may have some defective siblings. Either its nib had a problem or it was my fault to press it hard, since my boy destroyed it, it does not matter to me at all. Well, of course, you may not be able to think of a MB's tine bent. Anyway, communication with LamyUSA during the repair was very nice and I am happy with my resurrected 2K. :blush:

 

Jaehong

 

 

Thanks for the link discussing Lamy's quality control issues Geretrics. It seems that people from countries outside the U.S. and Europe have more problems, or at least this has been the experience of some according to the thread. If this is statistically true, it could be that people from those "other" countries are the ones who tend to post more complaints, due to the higher shipping cost of sending the 2000 back to Lamy for service from those countries. Those living in the U.S. and Western Europe may live closer to a service center and have greater ease of obtaining repairs, hence the lesser number of complaints. Certainly, this is a possibility given the greater number of complaints coming from people living in "other" countries.

 

Also, I just thought I would mention that I recently purchased my Lamy 2000 from Lamy Pen Shop in Malysia and I am quite happy with the quality of the writing and fast shipping. This has just been my experience and is not intended to be a general statement as to Lamy's quality control for pens shipped to countries besides Western Europe and the U.S.

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