Lamy 2000 vs. Sailor 1911

March 1, 2006

Hi all,

First of all, thank you for all of your postings and reviews. Your writing has been a tremendous help as I become more and more involved in the world of fountain pens.

I am an 8th grade teacher, looking for a good everyday "workhorse" pen. I purchased a Pelikan GO pen a few weeks ago to see if a fountain pen was for me. Needless to say, I am hooked. So, it is time for pen number 2. This would be an everyday, use it at home to grade papers pen.

I have the opportunity to purchase either a Lamy 2000 or a Sailor 1911M for approximately the same price. They seem to be radically different in their design, but from what I have read, both will provide years of pleasurable writing.

So . . . . what advice could you give me? Does it come down to something subjective, such as prefering the looks of one over the other. For those who have used both, any comparison would be greatly appreciated.

Sean

March 1, 2006

Hey Sean,

Both the 2000 and 1911m are great pens for sure, but you're right, they are quite different pens.

Do you like the size of your Pelikan GO? The Lamy is going to approximate that size much better than the smaller 1911m. It's a rather big, but very light, agile pen.

The next thing is piston fill vs cartridge converter. Again, do you like the way the GO fills? Most people in these parts (myself included) prefer the piston filler to the c/c . It holds more ink, it completely internal and integrated (appealing for one reason or another), and gives you a way to check the ink level without opening the pen. The Lamy piston is a very good mechanism too.

But then there are nibs . In my opinion, this is where the Sailor leaps ahead. Sailor nibs are famous for being super smooth. I've never written with a smoother nib...ever. My opinion on the Lamy nib will differ from most people here....I don't like it. I find it smooth right in the middle of the sweet spot, but if you aren't concentrated on getting the nib perfectly straight on the paper, it gets scratchy really quick. Maybe I just had a bad nib on my 2000, but it was too much trouble for me even though I loved absolutely everything else about the 2000. It was a superb pen until I started writing with it .

For me, the perfect compromise would be another Pelikan - m200, m215 or m400. You get the piston fill with a great nib. But if you're set on the Lamy or Sailor, my long, drawn out opinion comes down to the Sailor. I no longer have my blue 1911m, but I enjoyed it and miss it more than my Lamy 2000.

Best of luck!

March 1, 2006

Get the Sailor, you will love the nibs!

March 1, 2006

Ryan's advice is spot on, Sean. I will add the following on the Sailor and its c/c fillers.

As converters go, Sailor has the best, imo. It doesn't seem to suffer the "ink clinging to the sides of the converter" syndrome that afflicts so many. It has a nice big hole in the converter that mates with the feed nipple. Unlike many of its brethren that severely reduce the feed end of the converter before it mates with the feed nipple. That, plus the plastic used seems not to have the surface tension problems that result in the ink cling.

So, the Sailor is a good way to avail yourself to their excellent nibs and get good reliable converter performance, albeit without the ink capacity of the piston feed.

Lastly, you might want to handle the Lamy 2000 first. It does have a bulbous feel to it due to its physical shape. The 1911M would likely feel more like your GO in the gripping area which is where the action starts.

March 1, 2006

Well, Ill throw in my 2 cents and TIFWIW.

The Lamy 2000 and the Sailor 1911 Series to include M, PG and Standard is really apples and oranges.

These are completely 2 different styles of pens IMHO

The Lamy 2000 has a hooded nib or Partially hooded while the Sailors have the nibs fully exposed

The Lamy 2000 has a piston filler that holds a good amount of ink over the C/C of the Sailor

The nib style is very different, even with sailor, the nib is 1 grader finer than stated. For example a Medium is closer to a fine. The Lamy 2000 on the other hand is pretty much right on. Both have smooth nibs while I find that My Lamy 2000 is more smooth than my Sailors.

The cap on the 2000 is a pull cap while the Sailor is threaded.

The Lamy 2000 is longer than the Sailor 1911 Series

Lamy 2000 is heavier than the Sailor unless you get a Stainless Steel Sailor.

Both pens have solid reputations and made extremely well

I dont think you can go wrong with either one, Hell, I own both and then some!!!

I was never really keen on the Lamy 2000 design and the pull cap but Kurt was selling his as a great price with a broad nib. SO I couldnt pass it up. I have been extremely happy with it ever since. It writes as smooth as a nib could ever write!!

I own a Sailor Magellan and a Sailor Professional Gear. The PG is slightly smaller than the 1911m. Nice pen with a medium nib that has acceptable amount of feedback without being scratchy.

I am curious to see which one you choose, either or, you will be making a great decision. If you like writing with stubs then consider the Sailor Music nib, I have the 21kt gold music nib on my megellan and it is super smooth and super wet!!!

TNS