Got a doubt on LAMY 2000

[VIVEK_A_STYLOPHILE]

Hello...

 

Would like to know how strong the Makrolon body of the lamy 2000 pens?

 

Will it withstand a fall (both capped and not inked) from somewhere around 2 feet... at desk height generally????

 

I am enquiring this as I am using this pen for the first time and the MAKROLON material is different from my other pens which are resins usually...

Also would like to be aware of it before using it....

 

Thanks in advance for your valuable comments....

 

Cheers!!!!!

[silverlifter]

Makrolon is a polycarbonate, so it is considered a strong, durable material.

 

Having said that, there is no guarantee that if it is dropped from a height, that it will not land in some particular way that results in some form of damage to the pen. FWIW, I would expect that, all things being equal, makrolon offers a higher chance of survival than most acrylics.

[arcfide]

Most pens that I know of are made using PMMA or something like it. When I did research comparing the Makrolon vs. Plexiglass/Acrylics, one or two resources suggest that Makrolon is more impact resistant than the PMMA resin acrylics and the like, but the Acrylics are more scratch resistant. That seems to be true with regards to the reports I've read on the L2K and such, where it appears that the surface wear on an L2K can be relatively more over time (they develop something like a patina) but pens with PMMA/Precious Resin are sometimes found to crack easily when dropped at weak points. 

 

YMMV.

[VIVEK_A_STYLOPHILE]

It's so nice of you to put in your valuable comments... would like to know one more thing where I saw in one of the videos of the making of the lamy 2000, the Makrolon covers a plastic barrel actually, which is the ink reservoir (regret if i am wrong)... does the Makrolon outside layer protect this barrel in case of an impact on a tiled floor?

 

Thank you....

[Karmachanic]

Go to your favourite handy internet search engine, and type "Makrolon" in the search bar, and you will find a richness of information/data about this polycarbonate. Then, having attained this new knowledge, do your very best not to drop your 2000 on hard surfaces. If you are going to drop it on hard surfaces, be sure to do so with the pen capped. Falling uncapped pens have a nasty habit of landing on their nibs. This is would be your main worry; if you're given to worrying that is. 🤪

 

My suggestion is to just use the pen and don't worry. Everything that has a beginning has an end.

 

[migla9]

According to this comment, there are many grades of Makrolon.  My understanding is that the Lamy 2k uses a stronger fiberglass reinforced version, unlike the inexpensive Kaco Edge described there. Kaco has since upgraded their design after many complaints about cracking. I've never heard of this with a Lamy 2k.

 

 

[Al-fresco]

I have broken a few pens in my time 😪 including several Safaris and Al-Stars but I’m happy to report that my 2K is still in immaculate condition. I attribute this longevity to its superior construction, finer tolerances and better design.  (Also because I don’t chew the end, keep it in a pocket with my car keys or use it in the garage.)

[Aysedasi]

1 hour ago, Karmachanic said:

 

 

My suggestion is to just use the pen and don't worry. Everything that has a beginning has an end.

 

 

Exactly this...... 

[VIVEK_A_STYLOPHILE]

Absolutely 😀

[maclink]

I agree to just using it.  It’s a very popular EDC option and for good reason.  Fountain pens, in general, are not such a good option if you plan to drop your pen on a daily basis.  Even if the nib and body are OK, interesting ink spills can occur that can be distracting if you’re not prepared.  

In the exceptional situation, the L2K should hold up, and if it doesn’t, well... 

[ZeroDukE]

This is my Montblanc 224, the material used is Makrolon too.  It is from the 70s...  and today looks nice.  Makrolon seems to be a very long lasting material indeed!.

[VIVEK_A_STYLOPHILE]

That's a gem you have there, Zeroduke.... even montblanc 146 is in my cards in the future but it is pulling me back because of its expensiveness... but I really do wish to own one in the near future when I have the budget ready for it.... and, know what? I have already begun saving.....😀

 

Cheers!!!!!

[VIVEK_A_STYLOPHILE]

Hello Maclink..... I totally agree with you.... I do take real good care of my valuable pens and baby them so much.... just had a doubt since it is a new material in my collection and wanted to know how does it fare when compared to the general materials used for fountain pens.....

 

Cheers!!!!!

[austollie]

Polycarbonate (i.e. Makrolon) is super tough, while still being nice to the touch.  From a material selection perspective, I think that Makrolon is perfect for fountain pens.  That's one of the reasons that the Lamy 2000 is so popular.

 

However, in my experience polycarbonate deteriorates with age faster than other plastics used in pens, such as ABS.  I have that issues with some 1970s Pelikanos, where the clear polycarbonate insert in the ABS nib section is prone to cracking.  I think that you'll have the best part of half a century, before you need to worry about that (by which time I will be six feet under).

 

 

[VIVEK_A_STYLOPHILE]

Hello austollie.... 

 

Totally agree with you and that is another info about the decoration stuff... thank you very much...

 

And regarding this statement - 

 

(by which time I will be six feet under).

 

I firmly believe that, there is no guarantee that I would live today to see the next day, everyday, so I enjoy every bit of each day like there is no tomorrow...😀

'NOT SURE I HAVE PHRASED IT CORRECTLY' 

 

Apologies.... if it isn't.....

 

But when it comes to my collectibles, especially my pens, I baby them too much.... don't know, may be some sort of an OCD....😀

 

CHEERS!!!!

Edited March 7, 2021 by VIVEK_A_STYLOPHILE

[piblondin]

I've dropped mine on concrete multiple times without any issues. 

[VIVEK_A_STYLOPHILE]

Quote

 

😬😬😬

[arcfide]

On 3/6/2021 at 8:38 PM, VIVEK_A_STYLOPHILE said:

But when it comes to my collectibles, especially my pens, I baby them too much....

 

Sometimes babying something to take care of it and watch it continue in pristine condition while in your possession is a part of the enjoyment of life, not a disregard to its shortness. I can certainly think of a worse way to live your life, limited though it is, than to be taking care of and preserving precious things, though in the long run those things are not something we take with us. 

[silverlifter]

45 minutes ago, arcfide said:

I can certainly think of a worse way to live your life, limited though it is, than to be taking care of and preserving precious things, though in the long run those things are not something we take with us. 

 

I look after my pens not because I want to possess pristine or perfect things, but I would like to think that the people that own the pens after I am long gone will continue to enjoy them, just as I now enjoy pens made in the 1930s.

[VIVEK_A_STYLOPHILE]

5 hours ago, arcfide said:

 

Sometimes babying something to take care of it and watch it continue in pristine condition while in your possession is a part of the enjoyment of life, not a disregard to its shortness. I can certainly think of a worse way to live your life, limited though it is, than to be taking care of and preserving precious things, though in the long run those things are not something we take with us. 

I totally agree with you, and I should be looking at and living my life as you said when it comes to handling the impermanent possessions.....

 

Thank you...

 

Cheers!!!!