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REVIEW: Lamy 2000 Fountain Pen

Here's a review of my new Lamy 2000 Fountain Pen. I'm using the basic FPN Review format just for simplicity. Ratings are scored from 1 to 10, with 10 being perfection. Comments, questions, or catcalls welcomed!

LAMY 2000, Medium Nib

$Lamy 2000.jpg
(Stock photo, but identical to mine)

First Impressions - Rating 8

A stark, industrial look...matte black with brushed stainless steel, a simple shape with no frills. I first held one in my hands at the 2013 DC Fountain Pen Supershow. I was very surprised how good it felt in my hand. The Makrolon body material (a fiberglass-reinforced Nylon) provides an excellent grip without being rough...a very comfortable pen. The two steel “bumps” on the grip section that the cap clips to are unnoticeable since I tend to hold the pen slightly below them. My general impression was of very high quality design and construction. The fit and finish is exceptional...the vendor had to show me where the piston filler knob began and the pen body ended! The overall look is functional without being flashy.

Appearance - Rating 8

Simple and elegant. It’s not a pen that most people will notice. There is zero “bling” on this pen.

Design/Size/Weight - Rating 9

The Lamy 2000 is a Piston-Filler pen with a hooded 14K Gold Nib. The shape is a tapered cigar. Capped, it measures 5.5”, uncapped is 4.85”, and posted is 6”. The thickest part of the barrel is 0.5” and tapers to about 0.4” on the grip section. The snap-on cap posts securely and does not adversely affect the balance of the pen. The brushed stainless steel clip is spring-loaded and grips well. The overall weight is approximately 25 grams.

Nib - Rating 10

The hooded medium nib is made from 14K gold and although not a flex nib, has a fair amount of springiness and lays down some line variation when additional pressure is applied. The flow is excellent and starts immediately after sitting for a day or two. The nib is extremely smooth with just a little bit of feedback. Not butter-smooth, but to me is the perfect combination of glide while still being able to feel the texture of the paper. I wish every pen I owned had a nib this good.

Filling System - Rating 9

The pen is a piston filler with an ink capacity of approx. 1.0 milliliter. The top inch of the pen body is a blind cap/piston knob. Turning the knob counter-clockwise expels air from the piston; turning it clockwise sucks in the ink and tightens the knob back to its almost-invisible position on the body. The piston is tight but smooth.

Cost & Value - Rating 9

At approximately $130, it’s not the cheapest pen in the world, but obviously one that will last for decades with minimal care. The writing experience is excellent, the piston filling mechanism holds a good amount of ink, and the overall quality, fit, and finish is impeccable.

Conclusion - Total Rating 8.83

If this came in colors in addition to black, I’d be happy to have several of these, maybe with different nib styles. Right now, this is my all-time favorite pen and it brings a smile to my face every time I pick it up...which is often!
 
I am a huge L2000 fan, but I will disagree on a few points if only to start some discussion.

I would swap the scores for the piston filler and appearance and give appearance and more point for 10. Why, it is a perfect example of the Bauhaus School of form follows function and is a permanent display piece at the Museum of Modern Art. I'd drop a point on the filling system only because all that I've touched and the three I've owned needed some lube and elbow grease to operate smoothly.

I agree that the nibs have the perfect amount of spring and are super smooth, almost like glass or I'd say to drop one more point here. Why you ask, because I am three for three needing to adjust the nib from the factory and two others I played with at a pen store had alignment issues too. The fix was simple with just a loop and some very light pressure to align the tines.

Those are my only observations on the pen, it is my absolute favorite and I use my L2000 fine point more than any other, even my Pelikans. I think I use it every day from school work to personal writing it is the one pen I always come back to.
 
Nice review. Do you have any writing samples from the pen? I'd love to see how the Lamy M nib looks. Also, how do you find the weight? The only Lamy I've played with is the Safari and it was WAY too light for me. Comparison between the two?

Cheers,

M.
 
I've read that Lamy 2000 nibs tend to run wide. Any truth to that? I've wanted one for a long time but never could decide between fine and medium nibs.

-Andy
 
I've read that Lamy 2000 nibs tend to run wide. Any truth to that? I've wanted one for a long time but never could decide between fine and medium nibs.

I love my Lamy pens, but IMHO, even the "EF" nibs that I use on my pens at work are comparable to a typical gel/rollerball.... nothing at all like even a "fine" ballpoint. I can get a fine line out of them with a very light and quick stroke, but for the most part, they are comparable to a medium ballpoint.
Assuming that the 2000 uses the same nib design, but in gold, then the same caution would apply.
 
Yes, Lamy nibs run a bit wide, compared to many other brands. I once had a Lamy Accent with a B nib, and it was like a paint brush. The F nib on my 2000 would qualify as an M from e.g. Parker.
 
I agree that the Lamy nibs run on the wide side. The medium I have is comparable to a broad on most pens. I have not tried any other Lamys, so I can't say if this is true across their product line. I must have gotten lucky with this one as there is no alignment issues whatsoever, right out of the box.

I will add a writing sample to the review in the next day or two. I'm in the middle of a big home renovation project right now (hardwood floor installation) and I'm not even sure if I can find my camera! :confused1
 
Great review, thanks Larry. I am also a fan of Lamy and the 2000 in particular- I have a few pens, a rollerball and a couple of ballpoints. I would also love to see the pen released in timber as the ballpoints are..... that would be a hit.
 
How hard did you have to press and how fast did you have to move to get that nib to railroad? I've had Lamy nibs fade when going too fast, but never railroaded.
 
How hard did you have to press and how fast did you have to move to get that nib to railroad? I've had Lamy nibs fade when going too fast, but never railroaded.
Probably harder than I should have. Much harder than I would use for any normal type of writing. I doubt I'd try pushing it like that again since it's really not a flex nib.
 
Probably harder than I should have. Much harder than I would use for any normal type of writing. I doubt I'd try pushing it like that again since it's really not a flex nib.

I ended up bending one of my Benton Clay nibs pressing too hard when I was trying to get the ink to flow on some paper that was not very receptive to FP ink.
 
Lamy 2000's in different colours would be against the Bauhaus tradition, I would say. Black is perfectly fine for me.

The Lamy CP1 is a pen in the same Bauhaus tradition, but for a lower price point (and a cartridge / converter filler).
 
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