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Lamy 2000 Vs. Pelikan M200


Martolod

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I happen to own #4 nibs from Pelikan, modern, vintage, gold and steel. I in fact prefer the steel M200 nib to the modern gold from M400 and, in any case, the difference is nimble. Can you please expand on why do you consider a gold M400 nib to be "almost comparable" but the steel one being better to be "absolute and total (bleep)"?

 

Well, your opinion that steel is better, the difference between M200 and M400 nibs is "nimble," eh? Gold to gold is comparable. The M200 steel nib is an entirely different ball game from either gold. The comparison is of two nibs that behave differently. So, is it a preference test? Bye.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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A Lamkan 2 with a titanium nib would put this to rest.

Add lightness and simplicate.

 

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I must be missing something. I couldn't find the L2K nibs on their site. They do have gold Z55 nibs but these do not fit the L2K.

 

Have a look here: Lamy 2000 Nibs

 

Telegram Co (aka Milligram, previously Notemaker) is Lamy's AD in Australia

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  • 5 months later...

For what it's worth... I have 9 vintage Pelikans currently (and even an M205 and an M805!)- 3 140's, 2 400's (tortoise), 2 400nn's (green), a 500nn (tortoise), and a 520nn. Those bodies have nibs ranging from a Steno to a lovely OBBB. Vintage Pelikans have a delightful and very reliable design, their vintage nibs are stellar (and interchangeable!), and they look damn good. DAMN good. I am a lowly supervisor but I am a key lead the last two years on a major project we have been going through, and if I have to attend a meeting with people 3 tiers higher than myself, I bring the 500nn or, god forbid, the 520nn.

 

The 500nn tortoise gets looked at with admiration and bashful awe. The 520nn if I bring it gets glowered/lusted over, invariably by people in a higher pay grade than I am in. If I actually have to take notes at one of these meetings with the gods, I tend to put one of the boring F nibs into the pens; they work flawlessly and are good for notes. Other people at work who visit my desk periodically have gotten to know the weird nibs like the steno or the OBBB because those are the nibs I play with on my notepad or use for my own notes/personal use (because they're fun), and they usually get mounted in pens I'm not terrified to use like the 140's and regular 400/400nn's. The CN nib Rick Propas sold me also gets used a bit and writes flexily, matches my M205, and is generally fun to use. The M805 tends to sit in my pen case.

 

But I also often have to go to hard meetings where I need to take a ton of notes. For those I bring my Lamy 2000. It uncaps without unscrewing, I don't worry about its hooded nib drying out or failing me, it writes perfectly, it is super well balanced. It works and works perfectly. Every time.

 

I love collecting Pelikans, and I definitely do use them for personal enjoyment. Having seasoned into this hobby (addiction?), I now also enjoy old Wahls, Conway Stewarts, Omas', Parkers, and even count a Pilot 823, Sailor Pro Gear, and Platinum President in my collection.

 

But my Lamy 2000 is either on a pad at my desk or clipped to my shirt every single day I work. If you need a pen to work with and write a lot with, you will absolutely not go wrong with one. It is truly a tool that excels at what it was designed for... if you ever have to write, a lot... it is worth its weight in gold.

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Except for the people who can't seem to center the Lamy 2000 nib. I don't quite know what to make of that beyond that no pen is for everyone. I guess.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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...or those people who have trouble with the shape/design of the pen otherwise (like me).

I am also a huge fan of vintage Pelikans but if I had to choose a pen for mobile work/meetings I would go with a Parker 51 with some nice stubby nib. More forgiving for those situations when you do not have an optimal writing situation (stiff nibs excel in that) and do not want to think about the uncapping/capping of the pen. 51s stay wet and ready to write without a cap for a long time so I do not often even bother with capping them when in a meeting etc.

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...or those people who have trouble with the shape/design of the pen otherwise (like me).

 

I am also a huge fan of vintage Pelikans but if I had to choose a pen for mobile work/meetings I would go with a Parker 51 with some nice stubby nib. More forgiving for those situations when you do not have an optimal writing situation (stiff nibs excel in that) and do not want to think about the uncapping/capping of the pen. 51s stay wet and ready to write without a cap for a long time so I do not often even bother with capping them when in a meeting etc.

 

My Parker 51 was both dry and scratchy when I bought it, and no amount of fiddling or ink I put into it could solve that, so it sat disused for some time. I did finally send it off to Greg Minuskin for a retip and in the process he must have adjusted something, because now it is noticeably wetter than it had been. But it did require work to get there. But then, another Parker 51 I picked up and gifted to a friend of mine wrote very smoothly and was much wetter than the one I picked up, so who knows.

 

In the long term and for a "user", I lean towards the L2K a bit more mainly because I can service it incredibly easily and, lacking the sac the P51 has, I don't have to worry about what inks I put into it. The finish is quite tough too if I drop it or bang it against a desk accidentally or something. But it is a bit wider and heavier than a P51 and might be less comfortable to write with for some people. FWIW I have found long writing sessions quite comfortable with both.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Well, your opinion that steel is better, the difference between M200 and M400 nibs is "nimble," eh?

No, not that steel is better as a general matter, but that I find that specifically the steel nib from an M200 is slightly better than the gold nib from an M400 (a touch more springy).

 

Please, pay attention to keyword "slightly".

 

Gold to gold is comparable. The M200 steel nib is an entirely different ball game from either gold. The comparison is of two nibs that behave differently. So, is it a preference test? Bye.

That's exactly my point. Of course my preference for the M200 nib over the M400 one is a matter of tastes, but what I don't get is the "entirely different ball game" part: difference is so minimal I find hard to believe they could be consistently taken apart on a blind test, and certainly, the difference between a 400 from the fifties and whatever MXXX, no matter gold or steel, is orders of magnitude greater in comparation, hence my question.

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I agree entirely Jmnav

I use M200s preferably, I have quite a number of them, although I also have a Lamy 2000.

I love the springy steel nibs of the M200.

I use the F or EF for notes, the M for general writing, the B when I am making schemes and need bolder text.

I like the steel M200 nibs slightly more than my M400 modern gold nibs

(there is no match vs the M400/M250 vintage gold nibs though!)

the M200 is a smallish pen, but that's the advantage, it's great for travelling.

I have a few second hand M200s that were bought on purpose cheap, in order not to worry if they get battered around

and they do, and so far have never failed on me

 

the M400 is a slightly more refined pen, with the translucent celluloid body, but nothing beats the ink window in the M200...

 

despite I own many other much more expensive pens and no doubt their cost is justified by several other qualities

I always turn to the M200 when I need to just grab a pen and go

The L2000 is a nice pen too, but I don't reach for it with the same confidence

Edited by sansenri
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No, not that steel is better as a general matter, but that I find that specifically the steel nib from an M200 is slightly better than the gold nib from an M400 (a touch more springy).

 

Please, pay attention to keyword "slightly".

 

That's exactly my point. Of course my preference for the M200 nib over the M400 one is a matter of tastes, but what I don't get is the "entirely different ball game" part: difference is so minimal I find hard to believe they could be consistently taken apart on a blind test, and certainly, the difference between a 400 from the fifties and whatever MXXX, no matter gold or steel, is orders of magnitude greater in comparation, hence my question.

 

If you say that the steel nib is better (slightly, a bit or whatever you say, than the gold nib, because the steel nib is springy, it should be obvious that this makes sense only if you value the quality of springiness. It is subjective.

 

Your second comment I don't get. You say you prefer the steel M200 nib. Fine, a lot of people do. The steel nibs and the gold nibs seem to me to be different. I don't know whether your statement is going on to conclude they are alike or different, or interchangeable, after you have concluded you like the M200 better. Well, it's subjective, so it doesn't really matter. I suspect your attention wandered.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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If you say that the steel nib is better (slightly, a bit or whatever you say, than the gold nib, because the steel nib is springy, it should be obvious that this makes sense only if you value the quality of springiness. It is subjective.

 

Your second comment I don't get. You say you prefer the steel M200 nib. Fine, a lot of people do. The steel nibs and the gold nibs seem to me to be different. I don't know whether your statement is going on to conclude they are alike or different, or interchangeable, after you have concluded you like the M200 better. Well, it's subjective, so it doesn't really matter. I suspect your attention wandered.

 

You said:

"Well, your opinion that steel is better, the difference between M200 and M400 nibs is "nimble," eh? Gold to gold is comparable. The M200 steel nib is an entirely different ball game from either gold."

 

No, it isn't: the M200 steel nib is very similar to the gold nib from an M400.

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I have to support jmnav's opinion in this,

I have found almost no other pen that has a steel nib that in terms of comfort in writing is close to its gold nib version.

My opinion is obviously partial (I have not tried all the pens in the world...) and subjective,

but yes, the steel nibs of the Pelikan M200 are springy, and I have only one other steel nib that compares (and is actually better) and that is a steel nib in a vintage Osmia. Possibly some CN (steel) Pelikan nibs from the 100N may be similar, but I don't own a CN nibbed 100N.

 

in my experience M200 nibs are almost always similar to each other in springiness (I own approx 10 M200s...), meaning that the steel nib in my M200s, whether pre 1997 (pen with derby cap), or modern, have a very similar if not identical feel.

Even steel nibs on my Pelikan 120s behave very similarly, and the 120 date back in the 50s-60s.

 

Viceversa the feel of Pelikan gold nibs from vintage to modern can differ greatly! (ask Bo Bo here...)

 

let me clarify however

the M200 nib is essentially springy, does not flex, but feels somewhat soft (but not mushy in my opinion)

the m250 and M400 from vintage pens is flexy (semi-flex as Bo Bo calls it), it flexes slightly and springs back fast

the M400 modern nibs are usually stiff!

 

so if you compare a modern M400 nib with an M200 nib, if you appreciate springiness, you might like the M200 better!

 

some people hate the M200 nibs, as they don't like the springiness (as opposed to true flex usually, or even as opposed to a stiff nib)...and that might be you

but then variety is the spice of life

 

PS oh, and yes, the assumption is that springiness is better because writing is more comfortable, in my subjective case

Edited by sansenri
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really touch choice, but I'd go for a 2k if you put a gun to my head. Partly comes down to me really regretting getting an M200 demonstrator (really cool idea but holy amazeballs is it prone to staining, I can't use half of my inks in it)

 

Now, if pelikan sold the 200 in the green stripe celluloid? You might have to just shoot me.

Edited by Honeybadgers

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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Hello, I posted this in the Pelikan board but thought the Lamy board would have something to add. Lately I've been looking at Pelikan pens a lot and the M215 and M200, but I'm hesitant because I've got a lot of German nibs, andI already have a German nib piston filler in the Lamy 2000 and TWSBI Eco. I should also mention I haven't had issue no.1 with either pen, and never seen the "sweet spot" problem. Is there anyone who owns both pens and finds it worthwhile? Is the nib a different enough writing experience to buy it?

The best thing with Pelikan M200 is the nibs are interchangable, i mean you can just unscrew the nib and put another nib on it. Whereas Lamy 2k nibs are very rare to find in case it's nib get damaged.

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I just sold my 2000 and bought a 205 demonstrator. I find the springy nib more interesting and the comfort better with the Pelikan. I've had a few of both over the years, and feel like I've settled on the 205 as the regular pen for me. Also, I like how the 205 is pretty similar in feel to my vintage EF semi-flex gold nibbed Pelikan 140, which never leaves my desk. The 205 is nowhere near as flexy, but there's some personality there, even with my light touch. I see the 205 as the more sturdy, modern version of the 140.

 

I think with the 2000, I admire it's individual features -- the old-school footed nib, the Bauhaus looks, how robust the material is, and the great snap-cap -- more than the whole. I did add a CP1 as a quick jotting, snap cap pen to compliment the 205, so I still have a Gerd Muller pen in the cup.

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M205 yellow demonstrator with EF. Almost as transparent as the poses.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

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I have a M120 (the modern 120 reproduction). There were a lot of opinions on here that it was a little pricey, but I have to say it's blown me away. It is beautifully made and a joy to write with. Nonetheless, it offers different qualities than a Lamy, and I still sneakily borrow my wife's 2K from time to time. Overall, though, I'm very happy with the M120 and view it as more modern than the Lamy in some ways . . .

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Desert Island: ship has sunk. I only rescued one pen. No idea when I'll get Wifi back to order another one.

 

I'd have to say M205. For personal reasons, partly: my first love was an M100 in the 80s which travelled everywhere with me. I also think it's a fun pen - more fun than the 2000. I'm currently using the M205 demo and it feels like a Mazda Miata, small, sporty, close to the page. Absolutely uncomplicated and the steel nib, while not luxe, is as good as everybody says it is - springy, versatile, game.

 

While I love and admire the 2000, and have a few, there's just not much fun in them - they're pretty serious pens.

"If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless manner, you have learned how to live."

– Lin Yu-T'ang

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