Lamy 2000 F or EF? lamypenshop.com?

[Bismuth]

Hello members of FPN,

As the title suggests I'm getting a lamy 2k in the very near future and I have no idea, should I get a F or EF nib? I thought I was set on the F as the supposed scratchiness of the EF was not good for me but after reading the forums a bit a saw the majority of L2K owners had EF nibs (from what I saw anyways) which doesn't make this easier, for me anyways XD (The gods of FP or punishing me, for what? I dunno!!). The pen is going to be used with noodler's lex gray primarily, with noodler's black and some blue on the side on cheap refill paper, 1 side only so bleeding isn't a big deal and will be for note taking and general purpose use mostly for school. My writing isn't the best (actually it's horrible) so if that matters...

 

Unrelated to the first question but from reading FPN I have noticed some people say you could get a finer line if need be by rotating the nib 180 degrees with no damage to the pen/nib, I was wondering if could i do that with the L2K say for those occasional times I need a really fine line?

 

P.S. Anyone have any experiences with lamypenshop.com? they have the L2K for $102 + $8 shipping to anywhere from Malaysia which is the best deal I've found and a easy to use site too!

 

Thanks for listening to my problems, any help is very much appreciated! Hope I can get this uhh.. resolved? soon.

[J English Smith]

Bismuth:

 

I had to exchange an F nib for the XF with Lamy USA/Filofax, as the F was still quite broad - more like a medium to bold. I think you should try the XF first. If you want a fine line, the only way to get it at all with the L2K is to go to XF. Mine is not scratchy at all and flows very well. For a truly fine line, nib tweaking is required. You can improve the situation by trying different inks, but the L2K nibs are what they are...flowy and wide.

 

Check the prices on the Oscar Braun Pens website (Pam is the contact there). They were I think selling the L2K for slightly less than you mentioned, and they are US based. I have not ordered from them, but I hear great things about them/their service orientation. (I got my L2K from eBay and then had it serviced via Lamy/Filofax to replace an o-ring and change the nib.)

[savarez]

Pam at Oscar Braun has the L2K for $99.88 and she's not in Malaysia, and is a wonderful seller to deal with.

http://onebeagle.net/oscarbraun/

 

The L2K is a very good pen.

 

But there are a couple of things you should know:

 

The nibs run wide. Very, very wide. An L2K EF will write more like a F-M. A F will write more like an M-B. You get the idea. That's why most people who get L2Ks get EF. If you're looking for a *true* EF, this isn't the pen for you.

 

The caps have a funny locking mechanism. There are two little metal clips that poke out from the section that the lip of the cap "catches" to lock it in place. I can feel these little metal clips when I write, and they bother me. They also occasionally cause problems, and the cap starts to fail to lock. There is some discussion about it in this thread:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...?showtopic=9749

 

If the nib size and capping mechanism do not bother you, the L2K is a very good, reliable, solid pen, and holds a ton of ink.

 

 

[Bismuth]

Thank you both for the info, appreciate it and helps a lot in my decision if all goes well I'm planning to purchase tomorrow

 

Based on what J English Smith wrote I think I'll go with the EF, the idea of a line between M and B doesn't exactly sound usable for everyday purposes so EF it is unless someone comes here and complains about overwhelming scratchiness (please do, i really don't want to return this thing, my parents aren't exactly pleased at me for spending $150 on a ugly plastic pen ). Just to be clear, the ideal line width for me would be a line that is legible on cheap notebook refill paper with my smallish crappy handwriting (if such a feat is possible). By the way could someone define scratchiness for me, throughout this forum and the internet I have encountered various definitions of the word and is becoming confusing.

 

Savarez, I am aware of the drawbacks in buying an L2K though thanks for the reminder, from what I've read: Ink Windows is too small, Too wide nibs, Scratchy EF, and the "Ears" on the body, if there are any others...

 

Regarding retailers, I have read much praise for Pam and think I might give it a try, it is true it is $3 cheaper than the store I mentioned but the shipping... Could anyone give an estimate for the shipping from there to Toronto, Ontario, Canada? (I'll call if no one helps here but it's late and...) Amazingly lamypenshop.com ships from Malaysia to anywhere for $8 which was the deciding factor for me thus far.

 

Thanks again, a great community here!

[Breck]

I use an L2K EF daily with Noodler's inks almost exclusively, and frequently on cheap copy paper, and as long as I write quickly I rarely have problems with bleed-through or feathering. I've used Lamy blue-black ink as well, and it's super-dry in my pen and thus even less prone to typical cheap-paper problems.

 

My EF nib is very smooth. It took a bit of break-in time (a month or so) to get as smooth as it is now, but straight out of the box it was far from scratchy, just had a bit of feedback.

 

My handwriting also tends to be small and I've not had any problem adjusting to the bigger-than-a-true-EF line width. It's still pretty fine after all. You're in for a great pen.

[Djehuty]

I've just tested (and decided to buy) a Lamy 2000 with EF nib. The nib was definitely not scratchy at all. It's very smooth, a very pleasant writing experience, and the little metal nubs for the cap don't bother me in the slightest. The line width is narrower than my Pelikan F nib, but wider than my Namiki F nib; given that Pelikan runs wide and Namiki runs narrow, the Lamy EF is probably about what a "true" F should be.

 

I don't think you'll be disappointed with the pen, but if you have any doubt, I'd suggest purchasing it from a store with a liberal return policy.

 

[Inkquest]

Well there is scratchy, and then there is SCRATCHY.. I like a good bit of feedback on EF nibs as they hold a line better on paper with my caffeine induced shaky hand syndrome. Butter smooth EF nibs really show every flaw in my writing whereas a nib with a bit of tooth fools the audience into thinking my writing is actually legible.

 

Anyway, if the nib doesn't feel right to you just have it tweaked. It can be polished or flow adjusted, even ground down smaller if you prefer. The main focus for a workhorse pen is to find one that is extremely comfortable in your hand for extended periods.. from there, you can tweak the writing qualities to suit your needs.

[Bismuth]

Based on the comments here I think I'll go with the 2k EF probably from lamypenshop ($110 shipped is a very good price afaik). Thanks for all the help!

 

P.S. Could anyone comment on the line width if the nib is rotated 180 degrees, I'm assuming this won't damage the pen in any way?

 

Now to find a shop that sells ink...

[savarez]

I've never had a pen write right with an inverted nib, save for ones that have been tuned to do so by a nibmeister (i.e. Binder's Italifine nibs). If you get one that works inverted, flows well, and gives a good xxf line, consider yourself very, very lucky. But don't count on it. Most nibs just aren't spec'ed, manufactured, tipped, adjusted, and tested for inverted writing.

 

 

[DKbRS]

Just this evening, I picked up my new Lamy 2000 with an F nib. I am very pleased with this pen. It is beautifully made and finished such that, for example, it's almost impossible to see the line where the end-cap (for the piston filling mechanism) rotates. I like the way the cap clicks on with both a tactile and an audible click due to the presence of the small clips on the section, and I quite like to feel them when writing (so far). I've tested it with 2 inks - Noodlers Kiowa Pecan and Omas Sepia; it seems to write finer with the NI than with the Omas. And in answer to the question about rotating the nib, this pen doesn't write when rotated like that.

[Bismuth]

Well that makes it clear , guess there's nothing else to bother you guys with, Lamy XF it is!

 

DKFP,

If you bought the pen with a F nib, how wide is the line? like could it be written with on cheap notebook refill paper single spaced and relatively small while remaining clear and legible or is that a bit of a stretch? Thanks.

[DKbRS]

If you bought the pen with a F nib, how wide is the line? like could it be written with on cheap notebook refill paper single spaced and relatively small while remaining clear and legible or is that a bit of a stretch? Thanks.

 

That's a hard one to answer. It's not as fine as the F nib on my Omas, so maybe it is on the wider side of fine. I can write quite small with it. I think the ink makes a big difference; with the Noodlers, it seems to write finer and doesn't have the feathering that I get with the Omas ink.

[Bismuth]

Reassuring to know Noodler's is okay, could you say if you can write comfortably on cheap notebook refill paper single spaced, with normal pressure? that would be great thanks.

[mstone]

P.S. Could anyone comment on the line width if the nib is rotated 180 degrees, I'm assuming this won't damage the pen in any way?

It's good that way for very small printing, the line is probably half the width on my pen. You don't want to use it that way for extended writing or fast cursive (and probably can't--it doesn't flow as well). The line is also more consistent upside down (as long as flow issues don't catch up), since there is no spring in the nib in that orientation.

[DKbRS]

Reassuring to know Noodler's is okay, could you say if you can write comfortably on cheap notebook refill paper single spaced, with normal pressure? that would be great thanks.

 

I've been using the Lamy with F nib and Omas ink today at work. I would say that it does write more towards the M side than I would have expected, especially with some paper types. Maybe the XF is the way to go for you. Hope it works out.

[lucentstreak]

I just got myself a Lamy 2k two days ago and was faced with the similar dilemma. However, the pen shop assistant was kind enough to let me try both of them and I was pretty much satisfied with the XF.

 

Even though it's XF, the lamy 2k is still running slightly on the wider side in comparison to my safari F nib.

 

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3167/2722946120_bcc8f022af.jpg

 

and it also has a strange tendency to be a lot "wetter" than other nibs whether on Campus or moleskine cahiers.

 

No complaints about scratchiness on my side, it writes like a dream!

Edited August 2, 2008 by lucentstreak

[Bismuth]

Thanks for the writing sample, that is very helpful. Based on the width of that line defiantly the XF then

 

Thanks you all for your help, my first FP will be tha L2K XF.

[Neill78]

I just wanted to say that I bought an EF Lamy 2000 from Lamypenshop (as well as several Safaris and extra nibs) when they had them on sale in the spring for $93. They are very nice to deal with. I have paid no duties the three times I bought from them. It's often more expensive to ship from the USA!

 

My EF is buttery smooth but has a small sweet spot. I find it to be slightly finer than Safari EF nibs, and slightly finer than my Pelikan F nibs. From what I've heard, however, there is a lot of variation in nibs.

 

Neill

[bbqncigars]

The 2000 EF I have is very comparable to my Al-Star EF nibs in terms of line. This is with the same ink on fairly cheap notebook paper, btw. The 2000 has a bit smoother nib, so I suspect I am doubly lucky.

 

Wayne

[Bismuth]

Neil, thank you for your comments on Lamy Pen Shop, it is a relief that they are good and not a scam. About duties well I can't really expect anything special though I am obviously hoping that it I will not have to pay duty (I calculated about 7% for FPs but 5% because it's from Malaysia, if I'm wrong...). So it works to be $102 + $8 shipping + 18% tax/duty + $5 (customs clearance fee? something like that).

 

BTW the $8 shipping is better than any I've seen, most shipping from US to Canada is something like $25 and Malaysia to Canada is a much further distance.