The Lamy 2000 With Cap Posted

For quite some time I’ve been holding off on trying the incredibly popular Lamy 2000 fountain pen in hopes that I could find the limited edition version that is all stainless steel.  In my pursuit of that pen, I happened to read a great write-up on Brassing Adds Character on some of the additional details regarding the standard version of the Lamy 2000.  After leaving a comment there regarding my search for the special edition version, I struck up a conversation with Ryan Roossinck from The Pear Tree Pen Company and owner of the blog.  He generously gave me some advice on where I could look to try and find the all stainless steel version of the Lamy 2000, but even more generously offered to send me over the standard version to try out since I had never used one before.

The Lamy 2000 Box

There probably isn’t anything that can be said about this pen that has not been said before.  The classic design was introduced almost 45 years ago, and has changed very little visually since then, and there are many glowing reviews out there, so this wont be a typical fountain pen review for me because I’d rather not rehash the stuff you have probably already read about it.  I’ll share my take on this pen with you and point out some of my favorite things about it as well as mention some of the minor issues that some other people have pointed out about it.

Lamy 2000 in the Box

Lamy makes a great little box for their pens that is mostly like a corrugated cardboard that folds over itself, relying on a hole in the top that securely latches onto and around the metal protruding Lamy logo on the top of the box.  Inside the box, the Lamy 2000 sits nestled between the folds of an accordion-like structure that both protects the pen from jostling around, and also displays it quite nicely.

Lamy 2000 Piston Filler – Can you see the knob?

One of the first things that I noticed about the Lamy 2000 that really impressed me was actually more to do with what I COULDN’T see rather than what I could see.  The picture above may look kind of boring, but what I am showing you there is the fact that you can’t even see the seam where the knob of the piston filler meets with the body of the rest of the pen.  In reality, the seam IS there on the pen, it is about an inch from the top there, and if you click on the picture above to enlarge it, you can ALMOST see it if you stare really close.  To me this is just one indication of the quality and precision engineering that goes into the Lamy 2000.  As for actually using the piston fill mechanism, it works flawlessly, and the pen seems to hold a ton of ink, so you won’t exactly have the chance to test it out that much anyway.

Lamy 2000 from the Front

Another thing that I really like regarding the visual appearance of the Lamy 2000 is how it looks from the angle shown above.  This head on view of the pen with the hooded nib has a fighter jet-like appearance to me making it look pretty cool and stealthy.

Lamy 2000 Nib from Front

Another quick look at the 14K gold nib which is mostly hidden under the brushed steel of the section.  And below is a look at the nib from behind where you can also see the hole through which the ink flows when you suck it up through the piston filler.

Lamy 2000 Nib from Behind

When I first took a close look at the nib on this fountain pen, I was excited to see how narrow the tip of the nib looked because although I love how my other two Lamy fountain pens write, I always wished they were a bit finer in size, even though they are extra fine nibs.  Upon closer inspection and comparison though, side by side they looked to be the same width, I think the nib just appears to be smaller because it is hooded giving the impression of being smaller all around.  Also, writing with it quickly showed me that the nibs produced the same width line.  Clearly not an issue though since I still like my other two Lamy Studio fountain pens.

Lamy 2000 Logo Branding

In the past there have been a few pens that I thought were fairly nice, but visually they were ruined by overly aggressive branding.  Conversely, I LOVE the way that Lamy does  their branding on this pen, with the only place that you will find the Lamy name is stamped into the metal clip in tiny print on the side, not even the front.  I’ve always thought that if you want to design a nice looking product, this is the way to go, and if the product is truly great looking or otherwise appealing, people will go out of their way to see who makes it and what it is.  Also, as it relates to the clip, I love that it is spring-loaded so I have something to fiddle with while on a boring phone call, or waiting for someone to say something worth writing down.

Lamy 2000 Ears and Ink Window

A common complaint that I’ve heard and read about the Lamy 2000 is that the little metal ears that are just below the ink window are bothersome when you write with the pen.  This was one of my concerns before trying the pen out because I know that I can be quite fidgety, and if something isn’t “just right” in terms of how I’m holding it, it will drive me nuts.  When it came to the little metal ears on the section (which you can hardly see in the picture above) they didn’t bother me in the least, and in fact I’ve spent more time typing this sentence than I’ve spent noticing the ears.  My verdict on the ears being annoying…I just don’t see it at all myself.  Someone who holds the pen much higher or someone who has larger hands than I do might have a different experience, but for me and my average size hands and low grip on the section, the ears are not a problem.

Lamy 2000 w/EF Nib Writing Sample Done on Letter Size Levenger Circa Paper

Finally, and obviously most importantly, I did actually write with the pen after taking all of these photos.  Writing with the Lamy 2000 EF fountain pen was an absolute pleasure, to me the nib appears to write more smoothly than that of the Lamy Studio, although as I mentioned, the size of the EF nibs on each pen seem to be equivalent.  I really like the feel, weight, and balance of the pen when the cap is posted while I am writing with it too.  Personally my first choice is always for a pen cap that snaps on and off, and is not threaded because I like the quick and easy motion to remove or replace the cap, and I like the reaffirming “click” that you hear to know the cap is on there.  I was curiously pleased though with the Lamy 2000 cap because instead of that sharp “snap” that the Lamy Studio gives you when posting or capping the pen, the 2000 offers a much more subtle and quiet confirmation that you have secured the cap to the body.  I think this understated sound and feel that the capping and posting action makes goes well with the rest of the very subtle design of the pen.

The Lamy 2000 EF Fountain Pen Capped

Now that I’ve had the chance to use the Lamy 2000, I can’t believe that I went so long without it.  This is easily an everyday pen that has not only been a pleasure to write with, but it is clearly very durable and well designed.  I’ve got no worries that the daily wear and light abuse that it might take between my bag and desk will be no match for this solidly constructed pen.  I can’t think Ryan from Pear Tree Pens enough for sending this pen my way to try it out, and if you are looking for one for yourself,  head on over to Pear Tree to pick one up.

©2017, Brian Greene. All rights reserved.