Would you say that this off centre nib slit and tine length disparity is acceptable for a Lamy 200-?

[DrManhattan]

So I received this Lamy 2000 recently, and it's a weird pen. When it's freshly inked it is unfathomably smooth (but I think this may be due to the sheer saturation of the feed and not really the nib itself). After a while, (while the ink chamber is still mostly full) it sort of loses its buttery smoothness and just feels like any other old nib really, just somewhat smoother due to how wet it is. If you look at it under a loupe, while the tines are aligned, the slit between the tines is significantly off centre, and the tipping at the top of one tine is noticeably longer than the other. The contact surface itself seems fine other than the off centre slit though. My question is, would you consider this a dud? I wanted the smoothest pen one could get (and the Lamy 2000 is often a recommendation for such a pen), and while it is the smoothest in my small collection, it doesn't really seem to be all that good? I need to write with it at a high angle in order for it to feel very smooth. If I write with it at my natural angle, which is slightly lower but not super low, it honestly just feels like any standard steel nib.

Pics:

[arcfide]

I don't think so, but is there any chance that it is an oblique nib? OI think the nib designation is visible only by disassembling the pen on a Lamy 2000. 

 

I also find that the Lamy 2000 is extremely smooth, primarily with a more vertical orientation. Personally, I've found them to be very smooth, but to have a little more drag than some others, depending on the angle. Keep in mind, though, that many steel nibs can be exceptionally smooth, and gold itself doesn't directly contribute to smoothness as much as the grind on the tipping, though it may help soften any feedback. 

 

As to the specific question of whether it is a dud or not, I don't see anything glaringly wrong except that, as you say, it does look a little wonky. That can be the case for a few makers, and often it doesn't affect the writing quality at all, so it's hard to say whether there is something off here or not. Hopefully, someone else with more experience can chime in. You might also consider sending it in to get checked out. 

[DrManhattan]

It is a medium nib. I can't say for absolutely sure that it is not an oblique, but I purchased a medium and the barcode on the box and tag matched the medium online. It only looks slanted under the loupe. To the naked eye you wouldn't be able to tell one tine is longer than the other, so I don't think it is an oblique. Holding it more vertically and it is exceptionally smooth, but with a comfortable writing angle it just feels ok; it has a hint of feedback (given the bulky construction of the pen and the wetneess of it, I feel like noticeable feedback would suggest the nib is rather off) 

[arcfide]

Okay, if that's the case, then that matches my experience with my B and BB L2K's. I found that they were fine at a shallow angle, but if I wanted to get the hyper-smoothness feeling, then I needed to make sure I kept the nib in the "foot" of the grind, or the sweet spot, which for me meant holding the nib a little more vertically than some other nibs wanted. 

 

This isn't completely unheard of either. My Sailor has a sweet spot around its grind, also because of the footed nature, and it definitely has a specific spot where it has the smoothest feel. If you look at Pilot's literature on nibs, they have a general writing angle that they recommend for each of their grinds based on how they intend for the nib to be used, and my experience matches what they recommend.

[DrManhattan]

Do you have a link to Pilot's literature? I actually have an 823 on the way and I'd like to see what they recommend.

[A Smug Dill]

32 minutes ago, DrManhattan said:

Do you have a link to Pilot's literature?

 

https://www.pilot.co.jp/promotion/library/001/pentopList.php

  

On 1/30/2019 at 2:19 PM, A Smug Dill said:

Any nib type on this page (on the Pilot Japan web site) for which the guidance states, "持ち方：立てて持つ方" ("How to hold: hold upright"). Some of the nib types are available on different sized pens (e.g. Pilot Custom 74, Custom 742 and Custom 743).

 

 

[DrManhattan]

Thank you

[arcfide]

For an English version of that page, see here:

 

A wide selection of 15 types of nib to help you find the writing touch that best suits you. | Fountain pen CUSTOM〈CUSTOM series〉 | PILOT (pilot-custom.jp)

 

Something that was surprising to me reading this list was how many of the nibs were designed to be held more upright.