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Lamy 2000 Makrolon Review- Masterpiece since 2016 but it too has some flaws you must know before buying!!


punjabi

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Lamy 2000 is probably the only pen which has maintained it’s popularity since it’s launch in 1966.It’s an iconic design & is nearly a perfect pen with just some minor flaws for a normal user with normal requirements. It is & it has always been a popular choice for people looking for good quality, durable and a starter gold nib pen. This particular model of Lamy has never got out fashion & still is a very popular due to it’s simple design & easy availability everywhere.

Pros-

  • Timeless Design
  • Nice Piston With Great Ink Capacity Pen
  • Reliability
  • Easy Availability
  • Durability
  • Great Pricing (You can still find it around $99 on sales)
  • Comes with a legacy
  • True Workhorse which is good for long writing sessions
  • Post-able
  • Well Balanced
  • Snap on cap
  • Nice 14k gold nib which is usually wet out of the box (but it may require basic tuning in some cases)
  • Nib Units are available separately with some retailers

 

Cons-

  • Poor Quality Control
  • Some very small parts can easily lost while cleaning or disassembling
  • Cap nubs could be annoying for few guys
  • Only 1 black color.
  • Poor Packaging
  • Retail prices are just too much & still Lamy is constantly increasing them
  • Some people don’t like hooded nibs

 

Specifications-

  • Capped Length: 5.5 in.(139.7mm)
  • Posted Length: 6.188 in.(157.2mm)
  • Length of Body: 4.9 in.(124.5mm)
  • Length of Cap: 2.6 in.(66.0mm)
  • Diameter of Body: 0.5 in.(12.7mm)
  • Diameter of Cap: 0.6 in.(15.2mm)
  • Weight: 0.8 oz.(22.68g)
  • Body Material: Makrolon
  • Section Material: Metal
  • Nib Material: Gold
  • Fill Mechanism: Piston
  • Cartridge Type: Bottled Ink
  • Ink Capacity: 1.35ml
  • Cap Type: Snap On(Magnetic)
  • Postable: Yes
  • Demonstrator: No
  • Clip Style: Spring Lever

 

Lamy 2000 Makrolon no doubt is a classic fountain pen & is most common pen that most enthusiasts have or will like to get. It’s could recommend it to someone who is looking a simple looking fountain pen with a good nib which you can take anywhere you want & is reliable writer. Makrolon itself feels quite pleasant in hand – slightly textured. The matte finish of pen looks simple but is quite unique. I don’t recall other pen apart from Kaco Edge which has such feel & texture (which is called a Lamy 2000 clone by some people but I feel they are different designs).

https://inkpenlover.wordpress....ince-1966-too-have-some-flaws/

Nib- The hooded medium nib is made from 14K gold ,it has a some amount of springiness but don’t expect any wonders. The flow is vey good and starts immediately after some days too. The nib is extremely smooth with just a little bit of feedback. You will like the nib for sure , but yeah Lamy is inconsistent with nibs , And their is sweet spot issue in some cases too.

 

Performance- It is a piston filler with an ink capacity of approximately of 1.35 ml. It is a nice filling mechanism overall & work flawlessly. The pen has ink window too; although it is not that great. But yeah it is helpful. This is a great workhorse pen & you won’t have any troubles. It’s a slip cap, so a slight pull is all that is needed to uncap the pen and get writing.  Removing the cap really reveals what all the fuss is about.  There are no steps between elements or weird changes of angle, just a simple and continuous curve from where the nib emerges from the section to the end of the barrel.The body is round with blunt, flat ends & is comfortable to hold .

There is a short brushed metal section which leads the eye down to a small, partially hooded 14K rhodium-plated gold nib.  The only departure from curved lines comes with the underside of the section, which angles up more sharply towards the underside of the feed. Breather hole is hidden so it prevents pen from drying out .Some may not like this short brushed metal section.

 

Overall- This is a great starter gold nib pen, its a simple design but its elegant . Nib is nice & flow is very good. It is a durable pen ,it will last you for years. It’s a nice pen if you get it for between $100-150 but keep the flaws in mind before buying. 

 

It’s not worth the current MRP. You can get Safari with gold nib too,I enjoy writing with it more- it's personal preference ! 

 

Full review link - https://inkpenlover.wordpress.com/2021/04/28/lamy-2000-makrolon-review-masterpiece-since-1966-too-have-some-flaws/[InkPenLover](https://inkpenlover.wordpress.com/2021/04/28/lamy-2000-makrolon-review-masterpiece-since-1966-too-have-some-flaws/)

lamy-2000-makrolon-20_1500x.jpg

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59 minutes ago, punjabi said:

Poor Quality Control

 

I really don't see any evidence for this claim.

 

The one common complaint is about the purported "sweet spot" on the nibs. However, I am of the view that this is almost always attributable to new users unfamiliar with a) hooded nibs, and b) the admittedly stubbish grinds on the L2K.

 

I have had five pass through my hands (including a 2000 LE and a Stainless) and every nib was perfectly usable. The fit and finish on the rest of the pens is exemplary. If only more pen makers produced to that level of quality.

Vintage. Cursive italic. Iron gall.

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I obtained two of the Lamy Macrolon 2000, each with an oblique-medium nib, and have been using one for about two weeks.  I like the pen.  I paid $99 for each during a "Hop Drop" of Endless Pens.  I agree that the pen writes readily and reliably.  I like the simplicity of the design.  I also like the weight -- quite light in the hand.  I haven't experienced any quality control issues, but I also have not emptied the pen or tried to clean it.  So far, so good.  

 

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Not sure I agree with all the cons either - the packaging for my Lamy 2000 was pretty good (maybe your supplier chose not to use the recommended Lamy case?).  Nor have I had any QC issues.

 

I do agree, though, that the nubs could irritate some users, and you have to take great care not to lose them when disassembling.  And yes, it would be great if they were to expand the range of colours.  They've proven they can do it (there are a couple of special editions out there), it's just a question of whether they see it as a good marketing strategy moving forward.

 

I've had my Lamy for about 5 years now (I think), and really love using it - so obviously for me, the pros outweigh the cons!

 

 

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Thanks for the review.

 

6 hours ago, punjabi said:

Cons-

  • Poor Quality Control

 

Not that I've seen — or read about in anecdotes — in the fit and finish of this pen model.

 

6 hours ago, punjabi said:
  • Some very small parts can easily lost while cleaning or disassembling

 

The only small part that can trip up newcomers to this pen, who nevertheless try to fully disassemble the pen for cleaning (instead of just flushing the ink reservoir until water comes out clear, as recommended), is that metal ¢-shaped ring, which isn't nearly as small and fiddly as O-rings found in so many other pens when fully disassembled, or agitators inside converters or metal collars around the top of their clear tubes; and, hell, I've even dropped a gold nib down the drain when it was removed detached from the feed and gripping section. (That's when I learnt to buy a mesh strainer, and limit myself to which hand basin to use when cleaning fountain pens.) Let's face it: if the user fully disassembles a fountain pen (in a manner that can nevertheless be reversed), there are bound to be small parts.

 

7 hours ago, punjabi said:
  • Only 1 black color.

 

How many different shades of black would you prefer? ;)

 

Lamy doesn't call the body material on the Lamy 2000 Bauhaus limited edition Makrolon, but I contend it is the same type of material in composition, finish and feel as Makrolon, only in a different colour. (I have this pen model in both materials.)

 

7 hours ago, punjabi said:
  • Retail prices are just too much

 

Specifically for a (new, modern) gold-nibbed pen made in Germany? Or just for a gold-nibbed pen, because you're comparing it against the MSRP of, say, a Japanese-made, gold-nibbed, Platinum-branded pen such as the PNB-13000 (i.e. one of the ‘basic’ editions of the Platinum #3776 Century with gold trim)?

 

7 hours ago, punjabi said:

You will like the nib for sure ,

 

Actually, no, I don't; the Lamy 2000's EF nib is the one I dislike most out of the various models of Lamy gold EF nibs I own and have tested.

 

As always, volunteer efforts in doing the pen or ink review, and the willingness to share the results and your opinions with the hobbyist community, are much appreciated; but I personally don't see that as a reason to try to agree with a reviewer's narrative and framing as much as possible, even when they jar or just don't ring true.

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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Thanks for the review, but I'm not sure I agree with all of the cons either:

 

I've had several, and the only one that had issues out of the box to speak of(which to me are where QC issues are most likely to show up) was one with inconsistent/dry flow. It needed a good flush with soapy water, something that is a good idea with any new pen but I'm not always great about actually doing.

 

Pre-2010 models had what I consider a design flaw that led to sections not infrequently cracking, but Lamy would fix it as many times as was needed. The newer ones have a redesigned section that shouldn't do this.

 

The only "small part" to lose is the little C clip that forms the cap nubs, but fundamentally before TWSBI started throwing a wrench in every box rarely did end users find it necessary to regularly take apart their pens. That made both the slightly fiddly(the first time you do it) cap ear installation and the section cracking a non-issue, especially since the latter tends to happen if snugged up a bit too tight.

 

The last 2000 I bought came in a long and slender yellow and white Lamy box. All my others have been in the tri-fold type box that Lamy has been using for their better pens for several years now. The latter isn't a fancy clamshell presentation case like you'd get with a lot of premium pens, but it's a lot nicer than the box that a lot of other pens at the same price point include.

 

When I bought my first 2000 in 2012, retail price then was about $130(I think I paid $115 for my first-it was older stock with the old design section). At $200, I would ask how many other gold nib piston fillers are out there? How many gold nibs period? You can get a Pilot CH92 for around the same price as a 2000(or at least street prices) but I'm struggling to come up with any others. The CH92 is a great pen in its own right, but a very different pen from the 2000. Leaving aside the different shapes and aesthetics, I find the CH92 nib a nail and the 2000 nib pleasantly springy-neither attribute is good or bad but rather a preference, but they are different. $200 from Pelikan gets you their low end M200 steel nib piston filler, which is no slouch either but is not as nice of a product, IMO, as the 2000.

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4 hours ago, A Smug Dill said:

How many different shades of black would you prefer? ;)

 

How can you say such a thing!?

 

Comparison of four blacks

Which of nine blacks from Noodlers should I get?

Let's discuss fourteen of the 'traditional' black inks

What makes one black ink better than another?

 

I feel like we are all happily embodying this principle of connoisseurship.

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Hasn't the Parker 51 maintained its populartity since the late '30's. For that matter, the lowly Safari appears to be pretty popular. 

"Respect science, respect nature, respect all people (s),"

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  • Poor Quality Control
  • Some very small parts can easily lost while cleaning or disassembling
  • Cap nubs could be annoying for few guys
  • Only 1 black color.
  • Poor Packaging
  • Retail prices are just too much & still Lamy is constantly increasing them
  • Some people don’t like hooded nibs

 

Kinda disagree with almost all of these points, and you flat out missed the one actual common complaint people have about them, the "sweet spot"

 

The clutch ring "cap nubs" does need to be carefully set aside, but replacements are readily available for ten bucks. There are no other "small parts" unless you're separating the nib from the feed, but that's not a common procedure when cleaning or lubricating

 

The quality control is pretty famously superb. No idea where you got that argument. Any consumer product will have occasional QC failures. Some are far more egregious than others *cough*visconti*cough*

 

The cap nubs are very unobtrusive by comparison to many other pens with large steps or sharp threads. I'd argue the number of people bothered by the clutch ring is less than would be bothered by almost any other design.

 

Agree about the color. There's no reason they couldn't offer it in a rainbow, and when they DID release a different color, felt the need to make it super limited and WAY overpriced.

 

Packaging is all relative, but it's a clean, simple, well made box that's very much in-line with its competition. You can find them in "gift box" sets with a large, lovely box and bottle of ink. I got one that way, one in the standard box (which looks and works fine for a pen in its price range)

 

 

I don't know what you're talking about regarding price. at all. The pen can REGULARLY be found for $100-130. For a gold nib, that's in the very, very lowest bracket of "new pen with a 14k nib" and you also get the superb fit/finish that puts visconti to shame and makes pelikan/montblanc look twice, a piston filler, a huge nib size variety from EF to oblique double broad, and a well known reliable service/warranty coverage. For what you get, it's punching in the $400-1000 price range.

 

And if you "just don't like hooded nibs" that's kind of... not really a con with the pen. It's a specific design choice by lamy and a specific personal preference by the user.

 

The rest of your view was perfectly great and I'd like to see more reviews by you. I just felt like I had to nitpick that one specific part as being truly weird.

 

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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Thanks for the review.

I believe the price of the L2000 is quite in line with its value. If forced to, I could easily get rid of my other pens and survive quite nicely with it. It is of high quality (I see no QC issues), it’s gold hooded nib performs quite admirably and the piston filler pulls n ink without effort. It’s a great pen!

Current lineup:

Pilot Custom 743

Montblanc 146 LeGrande

Lamy 2000

Platinum 3776 Jade

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1 hour ago, Honeybadgers said:

The rest of your view was perfectly great and I'd like to see more reviews by you. I just felt like I had to nitpick that one specific part as being truly weird.

 

 

@punjabi Can I highlight this last comment from @Honeybadgers? It was a good review, and even the bits (some of us) disagreed with made for good discussion of different views.  Would love to see what other pens you have experience with, that you'd like to review!

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49 minutes ago, Jamerelbe said:

It was a good review, and even the bits (some of us) disagreed with made for good discussion of different views. 

 

I'll second this comment.  We can only say "I agree" so many times, so it's the little disagreements that drive the discussion, in any forum.

 

I will say that, while the cons seem to be common complaints (and therefore not because of a picky reviewer), I have had absolutely nothing to complain about with my 2000 in the two weeks or so I've had it.  I wonder how much of the sweet spot/quality control complaints is due to the EF nib.  I bought a fine that writes about as wide as the picture in the external review, and it is very smooth no matter how I write (within reason, of course), but my 14k EF Studio does have a sweet spot, just like the 2000 is said to.  Has anyone else had that experience lately?

 

Finally, I will say that aesthetics are a matter of taste and can't really be considered "cons".  If it ain't for you, just say so, but that doesn't make it a bad, or even less good, pen.

"Nothing is new under the sun!  Even the thing of which we say, “See, this is new!” has already existed in the ages that preceded us." Ecclesiastes
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4 hours ago, Honeybadgers said:

...‹snip›... when they DID release a different color, felt the need to make it super limited and WAY overpriced.

 

Packaging is all relative, but it's a clean, simple, well made box  ...‹snip›...

...‹snip›... For what you get, it's punching in the $400-1000 price range.

 

Now you're contradicting yourself in your criticism and argument. If I recall correctly, the Lamy 2000 blue Bauhaus limited edition was offered for <US$500 in the North America, where some retailers (and, to my mild surprise, Goulet Pens was not the only one) thought the regional market demand was so extreme, they would make interested customers enter a lottery for the opportunity just to buy one at local MSRP, never mind what is apparently customary in fountain pen retail in the US — to offer a 20% discount on the MSRP across entire brands. Fontoplumo listed the product for €385 inc VAT, and sold some units of it fair and square for €318.18 ex VAT — equivalent to US$352 on the day, from my records — to overseas customers (which I'm most confident included some Americans and Australians) who got in on a first come, first served basis, without preferential treatment or discount (which is not customarily offered anyway) once notification of stock arrival went out.

 

The MSRP published on Lamy's website was €350 (thus US$387 by the exchange rate, at the time of product release), for an individually numbered limited edition fountain pen ”presented in a sophisticated gift box including notebook – an exclusive set for connoisseurs and only available in this anniversary year. The cover and all of the notebook’s pages as well as the folder in the rear cover are made of high-quality Gmund paper from the Bauhaus collection. The pages are white and have a grammage of 120 g/m2.” Not just packaged in “a clean, simple, well made box” like for the garden-variety Lamy 2000 Makrolon, either.

 

So, anyway you cut it, the product's price was either at the lower end of, or even well under, your assessment of the pen's worth as a writing instrument alone, even before taking into account the pen being in a colour to satisfy those who don't just want on in black, being a limited edition in high demand, and the more elaborate box and inclusions themselves would add value (and add to the price) of the retail package.

 

It makes no sense to argue that it was “WAY overpriced”, especially if the MSRP simply rubbed you the wrong way, and/or led you to miss out on forgo owning a pen you'd like to have if only you had a say on the terms of the retail offer. I don't think Lamy misjudged market demand and customer sentiment, either; unlike the Black Amber limited edition which was still being offered new at discounted prices here and there years later to try to clear stock, the Bauhaus limited edition sold out quickly.

 

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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On 5/4/2021 at 1:51 PM, punjabi said:

 

  • Cap nubs could be annoying for few guys

 

On 5/4/2021 at 8:43 PM, Jamerelbe said:

I do agree, though, that the nubs could irritate some users, and you have to take great care not to lose them when disassembling.

 

But only for guys, so that's ok.

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Fountain pens, like other finely tuned instruments, can show variations in production/performance. This is, at least, my experience. 
I am extremely fortunate to have a Lamy 2000 that performs exactly as I expect and, therefore, it a prime member of my collection. Nothing but good things to say about it. 

Current lineup:

Pilot Custom 743

Montblanc 146 LeGrande

Lamy 2000

Platinum 3776 Jade

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  • 2 months later...

If you are buying the pen in India, then the pricing is awful and it is a similar case with all the pen brands AFAIK.

 

The 'cons' are a non issue, as most are subjective. The packaging is simple and adequate.

The only QC issue is the nib 'sweet spot', and even that is subjective IMO.

 

I find the Makrolon rather light and enjoy the heft of the SS variant.

 

The L2K is a great pen and I frequently recommend it. IMO, it ought to be a part of every collection.

 

Lamy CS is slow but stellar, usually 6 week turnaround.

Whenever I have had to use it, there was no charge/questions asked, just sent the package with a note outlining the issue and the return address.

Engineer :

Someone who does precision guesswork based on unreliable data provided by those of questionable knowledge.

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On 5/4/2021 at 9:51 PM, punjabi said:

Cons-

  • Poor Quality Control
  • Some very small parts can easily lost while cleaning or disassembling
  • Cap nubs could be annoying for few guys
  • Only 1 black color.
  • Poor Packaging
  • Retail prices are just too much & still Lamy is constantly increasing them
  • Some people don’t like hooded nibs

 

1. I have two of them from different sources: they both perform the same. It goes against the grain to imagine that a German company with such a reputation has poor quality control.

2. True, but irrelevant. If you want to take the pen apart it is your problem if you lose bits.

3. My fingers come nowhere near them in use, and they are not that big!

4. It's made of very classy materials and a nice dignified colour.

5. Packaging is quite adequate. The one I bought new came in a plastic bag in a strong box, protected by foam rubber. This slid into a card cover, with tissue paper over it. What more do you want? I wouldnt buy a pen for its box, and would only complain if the contents of the box were damaged in transit.

6. As far as I can see the only significant increases in price are for the special editions. There are substantial discounts to be had from the list pirce.

7. I am sure you are right; but, for me, this and the Parker 51/61 and 45 hooded designs have always been my favourite style of pen.

 

Obviously, YMDV! :)

 

David

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