Agreed! No nib standard across companies is one thing, but no consistency within one company is super frustrating. That's exactly why I don't use my Lamy 2000, because my EF writes like a M.
Sorry to hear that, but crazy its not uncommon. If someone orders a 15mm wrench, they need a 15mm wrench! Not a 16mm or 17mm.... A 15MM WRENCH!!!!!!! I know these are just pens, but if other companies can control their nib widths, Lamy certainly can too
Yeah, I just got a Lamy 2000 fine nib, and it’s pretty darn close to a broad. It writes very smoothly, and the quality is excellent, but I was expecting an equivalent to a Japanese medium.
@tmwtpbrent14 Pelikan does, but I don't think it's as drastic. For example, I have a M205 and an M405, both have medium nibs. The M205 writes like how a Pelikan medium should while my M405 is a little bit broader, just enough it bothers me a bit. It writes more like a broad (not a Pelikan broad though, I have a steel one and that one is still a bit wider). All my other steel nibs are fine and consistent, and I only have that one gold nib, so I can't compare there, but it seems a bit less common with Lamy's, could be wrong, though.
I've already heard that there's a quality control problem at Lamy. My Lamy 2000 had a nib. I replaced it with a Fine Nib, and, maybe I got lucky, it's a real Fine Nib.
When you said the pen was EF my jaw droped and I could only think "In which planet?" And I agree with you. The normal M seems thiner than that "EF" It almost look like someone was drunk when labeled that an EF. As someone who only writes with EF nibs, I would be extreamly disapointed if I bought that pen. I would feel cheated.
In my experience, Pelikan has been the worst offender when it comes to nib width variance, but LAMY is a close second. Only the Japanese big three seem able to deliver the width you ordered 100% of the time.
As an extra fine nib lover this is my exact problem with the pen but, I honestly expected this. The best fine and extra fine nib makers are the Japanese. Nobody does fine like them and I find this issue in many different brands. My finest nib that I love is my UEF (Ultra Extra Fine) nib on my Platinum Century.
I purchased my L2K just this week (9/20/23). After watching so many vids on the nib variances I decided not to get it online. So off I went to the great people at Goldspot Pens where I was fortunate enough to be able to try out the pen. I first tried the fine nib. Nope, not for me-too fine. I then tried the pen I ended up buying-a medium nib. Your EF puts down just about the same line as my M! Incredible how much variance there can be within the same company. Anyway, really enjoying my new pen. It truly is a masterpiece.
I was seriously considering this pen until I watched your video on it. You make great videos. The EF being an actual medium is a definite deal breaker for me. I'm not a nib meister either. Really disappointing that Lamy TOTALLY missed the mark. Thank you for making the video!
If possible try the pen in a store. Its a really great pen, but the EF for just isn't what I was hoping for with respect to line width size. Wrote wonderfully, but too thick. Also mine I believe just happened to be outside the boundaries for what they try to keep an EF line width inside. If you try one in store or at a meet for yourself it might work for you
Just look at comparison images. The sizes are relative to each range. 2000s all run smoother and thicker than many other pens, even across brands, so even their finest is thicker than most others. But a L2K extra fine is still finer than a medium - that is consistent. That is all that's important so it's really not an issue at all
In a food packing operation I used to work at the machine guards were made of Makrolon as it is a material that does not shatter (like Perspex). All our guards were transparent so I wonder what a clear 2000 (where you could see the internal mechanism) would look like. However, I suspect the textured finish of the 2000 is to disguise any scratching and scarring that might occur.
Listening to your Tale of Woe, I was first tempted to suggest trading the 2000 for another Parker 51. But then I sat down with my own two units, and found to my surprise that both of my fine Lamy nibs do not write the same line width. One is almost an extra fine, and I have labored long and hard in the three months I have owned them to get them to perform consistently, and with minimal sweet spot problems. I had taken my off the ball as to the line of ink. The whole experience has made me love my 51s even more.
Appreciate your honest thoughts! I’ve had 2 Lamy 2k’s now, one XF and one Fine. Funny enough, the XF that I had wrote a lot smoother than my fine, while the fine felt very scratchy. I sent out the fine to be grounded to a nibmeister to a fine stub. It was a lot better than before, with better line variation, but subtle. Made me realize I enjoy the larger medium nib sizes for more variation.
How do you like the pen as a stub writer? Does it suit the pen? Its an odd question, but pens honestly do have a bit of "personality." Some pens seem to suit certain grinds over others.
@@Doodlebud would of loved a medium/broad Lamy 2k on a stub, just not on a fine. I would of gotten a bigger line difference with the bigger nib size. If I were to do a regrind again on the fine, maybe a cursive italic would suit the fine better, not a stub. I recently got the new Jinhao 80 to try the Lamy stub nibs on a Lamy 2k body, but the silver spring clip fell off just with minimal effort the first day that I got it. Jinhao 80 is a great cheap starter pen to try different nibs on, but will never feel the same as a real Lamy 2k. Totally different from the Moonman/Majohn A1 vs the pilot vanishing point comparisons, whereas at least the moonman A1 has a similar weight/feel as the real pilot vanishing.
Yeah the Jinhao 80 is just that, a low cost starter pen that "looks" like a different well made pen. The A1 and wingsung 699 look like their expensive counterparts, but also have a bunch of the great qualities about them. They should have just made the 80 a new unique design in that price point instead of a "close cousin" of the L2K. Its like wearing a muscle suit under a t-shirt to look all buff.
My L2000 is an EF. I sent it to Pendleton Brown years ago, to make what he calls 'butter-smooth' italic out of it. It is super fine, and has line variation consummate with that size.
I have the same issue with my Lamy 2000 EF, Doodlebud. I have a Montblanc 146 fine that writes big too. Both are on my list of pens to send to a nibmeister to adjust.
My three Lamy 2000s write the same and all have a fine nib. What I do find with the LAMY 2000 pens have greater variation in Line width with different inks than any of the other manufacturers I use: TWSBI, Pilot, and Visconti
What I'd love to see in Lamy 2000 line is color variety offered at the same price, like they do with the Safari and Al star. The second thing that I want is to see some engraving, flourishing done on the steel section in order to compensate the lack of a good looking nib, that's not really need it though, I like the overall aesthetic of the pen.
In the factory tour video they explained they don't do other colors due to the way the belt sand the pen after it is assembled to get the texture, and apparently this causes some issues with lighter colors, so black it is apparently.
@@Doodlebud I am sure it wouldn't be that hard to fix with another step. But it seems they feel that adding another step, which has associated cost, and possibly extra staff, wouldn't result in enough additional sales to recover that cost. I think they underestimate the completion collectors who needs every color, or at least their favorite. This works for the Safari, but even there the limited colors aren't all that adventurous. I mean this is a German company after all, and they to be a bit conservative. I think part of it only being available in the black and silver is that they do not want to mess with their iconic and signature product. Oh, well. No blinged out Lamy 2000 for us. I think nice deep purple with rose gold hardware would be lovely, but I am not holding my breath, when a dark blue limited edition once in 50 years is their definition of choice.
Yeah, this is why they need a NEW RELEASE! Parker fumbled the new P51, but Lamy could CRUSH IT with a new L2K rendition. Cool colours, fine the nib widths, update the slip cap to eliminate the dog ears. Refreshed look, new name, but same essence. Could be a killer!
Hey Doodlebud, thank you for another great video! When I first saw the Lamy 2000 I didn't really like the looks of the pen, preferring something more traditional. I watched your video of the complete take down and engineering of the Lamy 2000 and thought it was a remarkable yet over engineered pen. I've watched this current video a few times as well. I have to say you got me to change my mind and I finally bought one at a local pen show. All I can say is that I'm a convert due to you and your videos... What an amazing pen. It is engineered at a level of detail and refinement that few other products can match. Masterful work of art that you recognize once you understand and use it. Well done!
I've had a Lamy 2000 on my pen wish list for a while now and the only thing that has kept me from getting it is the impression that Lamy is playing a little fast and loose with their nib sizes. I thought it was mainly limited to their Safaris though. Glad I'm subscribed to your channel and that you always say it like it is. Unless I buy this in person in a brick and mortar shop so I can try it myself, I'll steer clear of this one, because I really want an EF that writes like an EF. I'd also want to test it because I tend to hold my pens quite close to the nib and with that section being so thin in the front, I fear it may not be very comfortable to hold. PS: Too bad I don't live in Canada anymore. I'd go stand by the side of the highway near your house to wait for you to chuck it out of your car. 😄
LOL, don't think I'll be throwing this pen out the window. I have a few from the Trash Pens list that are potential candidates. I've found my other Lamy nibs to be truer to size. They do run wider than other nibs, but I know what to expect. This one is just way outside of what I would expect. I'd be dreaming, but one day if they added XXF or XXXF or whatever they need to call it to give people a true XF nib point would be amazing!
Hi! nice show. Someone commented that some inks are lubricated, so, would you please explain some more? I would love to know which inks will help with the writing
My L2K in is a good fine line. I'd love a "Lamy 1999 Demonstrator". A slightly textured clear acrylic with all the same metal parts, but maybe a steel nib, just all the black changed for clear and since clear doesn't match well with brushed I think a light texture or maybe a frosted effect might be cool. I'd be all over that.
I absolutely agree; my Lamy 2000 extra fine was more like a pilot medium. The finest extra fine I have experienced has been the pilot E95S. Nevertheless I do like the pen but I prefer for my writing a true extra fine.
I love the little ears/grip locator pins. I have a medium oblique nib on mine. Personally I don’t think fine nibs are worth bothering with,let alone an extra fine. My best journal pen is a special grind Asian broad nib. ✌️
I like the little tabs as well, and really everything about the pen. Ended up grinding the nib to a CI EF and love it now! Its been an EDC for months now. ua-cam.com/video/yVJ2HlZakf4/v-deo.html
Agreed. I much prefer medium or broad. I started with a fine Metropolitan and recently picked up a medium Vista. Writing with needles isn't my thing. Almost didn't even bother with the Vista because I was under the impression fountain pens are scratchy.
@@derkaiser9881 Some of the reviewed pens are only available with fine or ef nibs. Ive been surprised to find that they aren't scratchy at all..That said I still much prefer an Oblique Broad, 1.5mm Stub,Architect or Broad. Lamy have released a Kanji calligraphy nib that has good feedback.
I love the plain old Lamy 2000 nib. It's broader than most other nibs;I like that very much. Hate it when it runs out of ink; then,it does have a few hard-starts etc. Ha! Nibgrinder would do a great job; but,you know you want to do the doodlebud cursive Italic. So,get busy doing what you love to do! The MB 149 success is all the motivation you need. No comprende when you start talking about changing this and that on the standard Lamy 2000. Just get a different pen if so much about it bugs you. Nothing you suggested about changing the L2K sounds like an improvement imho. Their nib sizes are what they are. Either you like them or you don't. Same with the section and locking tabs. No need to change what has worked for decades and is still working quite well! I pray Lamy doesn't start making pastel-colored,rainbow L2Ks. Not that there's anything wrong with those colors;just not on a L2K. Please share the response you get from Lamy if you make suggestions about changes to the L2K. Would love to hear that. Brief as it may be. Something like ,"Uh. No." Well,I gotta go;there's a pesky cloud I see that needs to be yelled at ! Love your interesting, informative videos. Look forward to many more!
Informative. Thank you. Unlike you I have trouble with the 'sweet spot. If Lamy decides to rework this pen, I would like to see some sort of inlay on the section much like the Parker 61 or Hero 565 to help me orient this pen.
I see what you mean with the orientation mark. Probably not the V shape on this pen, but a simple black line or dot would go with the design. That might help others as well
Thanks for this video!! I love my EF nibs. Almost all my pens are EF. However, when I purchased the Lamy 2K, I was disappointed! I changed to several inks, and the only one that at least made the pen write as an EF was Noodler's Apache Sunset. However, this is not waterproof ink, which is what I use for work. I am still looking for the perfect ink to write as an EF with this pen!
I have a medium nib Lamy 2000 and I agree with everything you say. Wonderful pen in every way, but it's way too thick a line for my writing. It's okay for some paper, but on some other paper it results in feathering and bleed through. A cursive italic would be great! Let's see you do it!
I so love everything about this pen, except for the MOST IMPORTANT THING! LOL I gotta make up my mind and get it done. Too good of a pen to be sitting unused!
Just got this pen and I love it. I hesitated on it for a LONG time because I love the F nib but wanted a thinner line and every review said don't bother, they write the same width, only the EF is more feedbacky. Absolutely not my experience at all. It writes EXACTLY the line quality I wanted (slightly thinner than the F) and it's really noticeable if I write two whole pages side by side. It is a touch more feedbacky, but still incredibly smooth (a sweet spot for me). The F was sometimes too glidey for me -- I would press down for the sensation of feedback and increase the line width even more. I still love both the F and EF, just now I know when to use each, and how. LAMY grinds the nibs comparable to each other per product, I think, (so the L2K will have progressive line widths as compared to itself and not other Lamy pens), but other companies do the same. Sailor and Pilot are no exception. I'm very happy with my L2K EF.
You are absolutely right, DB! I’ve experienced the same issue with nib width being all over the place, particularly with western companies. Pelikan has been very frustrating for me because they lack consistency even within the same nib width. I have 8 XF Pelikan pens, one is what I’d consider a true XF and the rest range from F to B! Same issue with Montblanc. My L2K is an XF and it appears to be much finer than what yours looks like. Absolutely drives me insane! I don’t have this problem with eastern or Asian nibs. Thanks for another compelling video.
I first bought a Lamy 2000 Fine and it writes like a Fine. Then I bought a Lamy 2000 Medium and it writes like a Medium! No problem at all. Could it be that a mistake was made made right at the factory? Still, if I were you I'd keep the pen as I really like the lines it lays anyway! 😊
I love, love my Lamy 2000 with Medium nib. BUT, I do wish I had a finer nib. It'd be really cool to see a video of your putting your signature grind to this one. The tabs are to retain the cap. Just a thought.
Did the video and hoping to have the editing done in time for the weekend. I'm aware of the tabs LOL. I did a 2-part super deep dive into the Lamy 2000 and spent a bunch of time talking about the retaining ring 👍
The 2000 is my grail pen, but I'm afraid of ordering one and not being sure what tip size I want. I have a TWSBI Diamond 580 that has a F nib, and a Pilot Prera with an M nib (just getting back into the hobby). I like the line laid down by finer nibs but I don't like how scratchy they are (I'm aware that a gold nib will feel much better than a steel nib, but still). I'm thinking that since the 2000's nib is known to run pretty broad, I'll stick with a fine for it when I do pull the trigger and buy it.
I completely agree with you on this, Lamy has way too much of variation in the nib sizes where the fine at times is finer than the extra fine. I have a Lamy 2000 with a fine and one in medium and they both write exactly the same and no one can differentiate looking at the writing which one is which.
Thanks. Bought my L2K used and hated the fact that it was a M nib and thought I'd buy an EF. Then I took it apart and found that, SUPRISE, it's an EF!! I love the fact it's such smooth writer but it's just not an EF nib. It's out of my rotation for the time being while I decide what to do with it. Keep up the fine video's.
I since have some other "paper work" pens, so this could be a great little custom grind writer. But.... could also still be my perfect paperwork pen! LOL
The nib is the biggest reason I sold my 2000. Love the design and feel of the pen but it just gushed ink. I would not be comfortable grinding the nib. It is the reason I have not bought another Lamy. I would send out the nib to get it adjusted. If it works maybe I would reconsider buying another. My Pelikan M800 also writes broad. I always thought it was the paper. I may try Rhodia. I had used it on Tomoe River paper and it just was writing like a broad.
My favorite italic nibs are the ones I've ground myself LOL. I get to tune it just the way to suit my writing style and intended use of the pen. For a recent off the shelf nibs, I really liked the stub that came on my Monterverde Ritma and my Gravitas Sentry. Fun nibs and great pens. I have videos on both if you look on my channel
great video !!!! it would be nice if they offered a new variant of this pen, I went to a store and tested this pen, I din't like it because of the thin angle it tappers down and for having to hold the pen in a specific angle to hit the "sweet spot". I got instead the Pilot vanishing point in fine, and vintage vanishing point broad (almost the same line with and the Lamy 2K). Love the vanishing point and how smooth they write, even the fine is smoother than other more expensive pen (cough "Montblanc, Esterbrook) that I have.
If it was me, given it’s such an expensive pen, I would send it off to the nibmeister who fixed your Visconti, possibly write with your favourite EF pen to indicate the nib width you want: good luck, keep us posted:)
If I decide to grind down I'll send it off. But if I do the cursive italic route, no big deal. I've dont it to many pens, and ones much more expensive. Did this to my Montblanc 149 and I absolutely love it.
I've been tempted by how smooth everyone says the nib is on the 2k, but the look just does absolutely nothing for me. Might save up for a dialog instead or a Sailor 1911.
That is a very fair criticism 🤣, my one peeve with my lamy 2000 is that I think I went medium and wish I went fine...I feel it's too broad, but I've gotten used to it and I do love my lamy 2000... after watching this I might go exf if I buy another lmfao
Hi Mr Doodlebud, I just bought a Lamy 2000 in Fine and I'm a bit worried now. It's on it's way across the pound from the UK to Au. I usually write really small but when I print or scribble I can write bigger. For long journaling sessions my fav nib is my Sailor M-F 14K it's perfect but when I print notes I use a wetter broader pen Chelsea
From the comments I'm seeing all I can say is Good Luck! I hope you get something thats close to what you're hoping for. But thats just it, you shouldn't have to HOPE. You should be able to know what you're getting in advance, and have a reasonably high degree of certainty that what you get is what you expect.
Maybe they could put the two clips on too and bottom of the grip area so that when you are holding it the clips don’t get in the way. That would be the simplest looking change. Idk if it is for inside to make that change. Maybe it’s very complicated on the inside. Idk. I don’t have this pen. I would like to see a larger version of this pen maybe even have the hooded nib be a little larger for esthetic purposes. Cheers
You hit the spot. This is why I'm not a fan of Lamy. And I have heard often that the Lamy 2000 is really bad for the nib size. i write only with extra fine nibs because I have a small handwriting plus I'm left-handed. I'm not a fan of the looks to start with (I find it boring) but it's the nib that kills any interest I could have in it.
It's really bad. I bought my Lamy 2000 used and it was an EF but wrote like a medium and I thought maybe the original user did something to it. Fast forward a year to me dropping the pen off the counter and completely ruining the pen. I got a replacement nib in EF and AGAIN it wrote like a medium. I like Japanese EF so using this pen drives me nuts. Save your money and skip this pen.
This captures my opinion of the pen perfectly. I have tiny handwriting and neglect this pen because I didn't expect the XF to be a Japanese medium. I also kept purchasing different sizes of Lamy steel nibs and they all write roughly the same size (a little finer than the 2000 "xf'). Related note, the difference between 14k Sailor M and 21K Sailor M is unexpectedly massive.
Oh man, that doesn't make it easier when there's such a big difference between 14K & 21K! I have an 18K Sailor my Cross Peerless I just got. Wonder how different that is from their 14k/21k equivalent
Love your comments and agree wholeheartedly. Nib writes too thick. I’d love to see you grind the nib. I’ve been toying with nib grinding myself and even have a dissecting microscope that would serve this purpose perfectly. As we both know, German nibs are always thicker than oriental nibs.
I don't mind that there is a difference between nib sizing (East VS West), it actually gives more options. But this EF is sooooooooo far out there when compared against any other German EF/F nibs in steel or gold. I have a nib tune & grind playlist that may help you out: ua-cam.com/play/PL6RAe6vPmtDin2cIizbra73IJCrZHLXs6.html
I have one that I love, but its nib doesn't have a nib width marked on it🙄 (I removed the nib from the pen after watching a couple of helpful videos by Goulet Pens and Anderson Pens). I bought it second-hand ages ago and I'm sure I wrote details about the transaction down somewhere, but the main thing is that I love the nib width and smoothness😀
I've come to the point that until manufacturers standardize the nib sizes, life is too short to let this stress you out and just learn to accept it and expect it. As it is, we have western nib sizes, Japanese nib sizes, European sizes and with the emerging Chinese makers, we just might get a different set of standards. Buy what you think will suit you based on reviews such as yourself, Chrisrap, Inquiring Minds, SB Brown, etc. And then if the expect to tweak/change the nib to your liking if it doesn't exactly suit your style. Personally, I can't stand fine or EF nibs as it feels like you're writing with a needle. Give me a wet medium, broad or stub so I can enjoy all the variety of inky goodness of bold colours, sheen, shading and shimmer. But that's the beauty of our hobby, there is something to suit everyone's tastes. Keep doing what you do DB.
@@red2432 Guilty! These days, only about 10% of writing is for the public. Everything else is for me (journal, drawings, hobby notes, puzzles, artwork, etc) so enjoying the most out of it.
I can’t understand why Lamy doesn’t change the orientation of the “nubs” that secure the cap from “East-West” (on the sides of the barrel) to “North-South” (on the top and bottom of the barrel). This would retain the utility of the nubs while eliminating the problem of feeling them when you grip the pen. I suggested this to them years ago, to no avail.
I find that uncomfortable. One of my Metropolitans has those lines of the injection molding on the section, one of them rested on the side of my middle finger and was really annoying. I had to rotate the nib so those lines were "East - West". They don't bother me there cause I hold them with the padded part of my fingers, I'm glad the 2000 has this orientation on those ears
Having used a variety of rollerball pens in various sizes (and now looking at refillable options from ink bottles to try and further reduce waste in my writing hobby), I'm honestly surprised fountain pens don't use the line width mm standard to other pens. There is still a small range in variation for say a 0.5mm, but certainly nothing to this extent. This would drive me nuts too.
I think the Lamy 2K is a timeless design that should remain the same for the most part. Two things I would like to see are more barrel colors without the exorbitant prices and an ink window that somehow functions better. Aesthetically, the current ink window design is perfect, but I really can't see if I have ink in there unless maybe, maybe, I hold it up to the light. And then only sometimes TBH. Does anyone else have this problem?
3:50 Agree. Only thing I would mention is that Lx uses (by default) I believe their z52, which is not their standard steel nib (which is z50), and this make is probably their finer lineup of nib makes. But, of course, I got your point, and makes absolutely sense. Thanks for this excellent video, as always, besides, Sir!!!!
As a previous poster mentioned... PaperMate Flair... THAT'S what it reminds me of. L2K Pocket Pen? Interesting idea! I do so enjoy your vids... From one tinkerer to an Engineer! Thanks for all you do!
A fan of the smooth cursive italic! And fully agree that LAMY's sizing is inconsistent (across everything, IMO). Love my LAMY 2K otherwise. I want mine half a size down maybe, but not sure it's worth getting ground or not. I'd get another to have a smooth cursive grind, but want to avoid having duplicate pens, lol.
Thank you for the video. I was considering getting this as an alternative to my Pilot Prera, to use as a pocket pen with a passport-sized notebook. Because of this I need a reasonably fine nib, and a Western medium simply won't do! It's too bad because the pen ticks every other boxes - I like the cap, the fact that there's no groove that could dig into my fingers, the reasonably large ink capacity, and the tough material which won't show scratches easily.
Interesting. I had the opposite problem in that the EF I had ordered was too fine for me. It was comparable to a japanese EF so potentially just what you would have wanted. :/
I think what you're saying is the two options are: 1) turn the pen into a journaling pen on your own with the nib grind skills you know, but not the original intended use 2) turn the pen into the form filling pen from someone else's nib grinding, and then pay to have it be the original design as intended I think this one could go either way, and either one can be content. To be fair, it's how much you want the pen to write. Personally, it would be fun to see how someone else (or you if you're brave) tackles getting a nib down to EF with the interesting Lamy 2k nib grind shape.
The challenge with "grinding down" is I need a whole new setup. I know how to approach it, but not sure if I'm willing to invest the money and time when I can get it done perfectly for $50. If I decided to take on grinding for other people and charge them a fee, then getting the new setup would make total sense. The CI grinds, obliques, even architect are fairly simple and can be done with my existing gear.
@@Doodlebud absolutely fair and understandable! I don't blame you for not wanting to do such a big money sink since you'd not be doing the grinds for others. I also don't have knowledge on grinding nibs so I don't know where to start. Regardless, thanks for filling the details in. Can't wait to see what you do! As an aside, if you know anyone that you could borrow the grinding tools to do the video... that would also be a fun and interesting collaboration! Not saying you have to, just an idea. 🙂
@@Doodlebud Just remember the gold nib with grind differently from your experiments in steel, so a more gingerly approach might be in order. Still the Lamy 2000 seems to have more meat in the point of the nib to play with.
You inspired me to take action! Dissatisfied with the heavy ink flow from my Waterman Expert II medium nib, I took it to the Japanese water stones to make a cursive italic with a very slight left obliqueness. Progression was 1k (which removed most of the material), 3k, 4k, 9k and then some polishing on a couple of exotic Japanese natural stones that go up to approximately 20k. Final step was fine polishing on horse hide, which I had left over from some straight razor strops that I made. I didn't remove the whole iridium tip, but tailored it to the shape I was looking for. I'm not sure I've done with it yet, but it's already better for my righty grip, which is twisted about 45 degrees counter-clockwise. It provides decent line variation without sacrificing ink flow or the durability of the tip. Thanks for the ideas!
Hey that's awesome buddy! I use my knife & razor sharpening supplies as well. One thing I find that does work well are micromesh pads. They're good as smoothing things out a little bit & making the corners a little more forgiving so as not to snag on the page. Yeah it's always tough to know when enough is enough. Grab yourself some cheap nibs and have at it to play around, or just use some cheap pens you don't use much anyways. It can be fun to turn a dud pen into an amazing writer!
@@Doodlebud You are a razor head too? Small world! I couldn't find any micromesh pads locally in Toronto, so I'll order some online. Oh, I see Lee Valley Tools has them!
Yup Lee Valley is the BEST! I did a video on how to sharpen a knife and it got almost no love LOL. But I sharpened with my kitchen knife at the end of the video I shaved with it! Check it out if you want: ua-cam.com/video/yHPQE2fjyB4/v-deo.html
Yup, they are a time saver. Stones are great for knives and do a great job for nibs, up to a point. That's where the pads do their magic. That last little bit to make it just perfect!
What drives me nuts is that I’ve never owned a Lamy pen that wrote well out of the box. I’ve owned at least 6 Lamy’s. I love their design aesthetic, but their nibs are wildly inconsistent.
I have several Lamy pens with EF nibs, but they are all steel and I do not have a Lamy 2000. I have Safaris, a Goulet Special Edition Vista Black, two CP1 pens (one black, one white!), and a Logo. All are EF nibs, and they are VERY inconsistent, and none of them are as fine as I think an extra-fine nib should be. I have swapped a couple of generic Chinese EF Lamy-style EF nibs (0.38 mm) into a couple of them and been happier, but none of them has been really, really satisfactory for me. If I were in your position, I'd probably send it off to a nibmeister and as long as I was sending it off, I'd probably have it ground to a needle point. Just my personal preference.
If you look at Lamy’s nib guide and their tolerances (+\- .06mm), a EF can be anywhere from .3mm to .42mm. There’s a bit of a gamble when buying. My 2k EF writes probably around a .33 and my steel Lamy M is closer to .6mm. I’ve had two Lamy Steel F nibs write notably different thicknesses. Both functional and smooth - I’ve never had a tine alignment issue or baby’s bottom on any of the 10+ nibs I’ve used. Isn’t the Majohn A1 labeled as an EF? Mine is and definitely writes an F line.
There will always be a range (hence their spec), but this one is way outside that spec. I'm all too familiar with holding manufactured items to within a given tolerance. I've designed and made the gauges, jigs, tests, inspections etc that should be part of the process to ensure the end product is within the given range. If this was an one-off occurrence, I'd consider it bad luck. But the volume of folks having the same issues makes me wonder are they checking their work to ensure its within their stated tolerances. For a German company with more than adequate ability & know how, I'm surprised by this issue. I've never had any issue with build quality, ink starvation, smoothness, tine gap or alignment. But nib width when it comes to ink on paper.... sigh 😣
@@Doodlebud You’re right and I should have acknowledged that - yours is clearly way outside of the stated spec. Apologies there, Doodlebud! I meant to highlight that, even in-spec, you can have nib sizes that write a full size larger or smaller. It’s frustrating for sure when your roll of the dice comes up poorly. I do love my Lamys, but I could do without the nib width lottery!
No apologies! Wasn't directed at you more at Lamy. They have specs & don't adhere to it. That always boils my blood! In my work inspection & ensuring things are within spec was make or break. No errors or faults allowed. Nothing should fail when it leaves the door. Everything had to be perfect & calibrated and I was the one who was in charge of the final blessing. So when I see things leave the door outside of spec, even though it's not something I made, I get pissed LOL. Becuase I wouldn't allow that to happen or be missed. NOTHING GETS MISSED! 🧐 Yeah, I'm a bit of a psychopath 🤣🤓
Smooth, yes ... too smooth for me. I like feedback right up to (but not including) scratchy. That plus the uncertain grip and (as you note here) the inability to get a fine enough nib width, caused me to give up and sell it on. Do the nib characteristics count as "engineering and build quality?" In any case, it seems like these are purposeful choices on Lamy's part, and I couldn't deal with them.
Hmm. How about trying to reduce the flow before thinking about a regrind? How about grinding in to a Japanese Fine or Extra-Fine and then putting a CI on it? I know: it's easy to suggest you do this or that to your nib since it is not my nib that would be going through a modification!
I've even used my driest inks and still runs way too wide for my intended purpose. Grinding down is much more involved and requires me to get a whole new grinding setup. So its either DIY CI, or off to Bacas
It might end up looking a LOT like a Pilot elite. But would be cool if they came out with some type of pocket pen. Think its a space they are missing out out. They did another release of the Dialog 3, so would be cool to get a new L2K inspired pen.
I should have seen this video before I purchased my Lamy 2000. I just received it yesterday, and I'm also disappointed with the size of the EF nib. It writes like a medium, and it doesn't suit my handwriting. I like EF nibs. I'm probably going to keep it or gift it to a friend if I can't get used to it. So sad.
I have the same situation with my Pilot Vanishing Point that seems to write much wider than the Medium nib in my Pilot Explorer. Similar situation because of the tiny, short gold nib.
I can't help thinking that if more people sent back pens that are plain wrong to the maker, maybe they would make them properly. I expect, and generally get better from Chinese makers on pens that cost a few quid.
The Majohn A1 seems the closest to an EF compared to the rest. All of these look thick for what they are suppose to be. Over video anyway. Maybe they look different in real life. But I completely see what you’re saying. It is thick. The thickest one of them all in comparison. I can’t wait to see what it looks like after you either send it off or do the work yourself. Cheers.
I understand the frustration with Lamy. They have the most inconsistent nibs I've seen. I'm an artist/illustrator. When I buy an EF, I want it to be Extra Fine. I don't care how it writes.
Yup, we're all adults. We know what we want and order a specific nib for the reason we choose. If I order a 15mm wrench, thats what I need. Not a 16mm wrench!
@@Doodlebud Even there there is some variance unfortunately, and only some brands are consistently on the 15mm spec, while others are close enough, but chew on your bolt heads under any extra torque.
I hear ya. "Usually" if you pay a bit more you get fairly accurate tools, hence the price. IN this case this is a solid brand that should have this dialed in no prob
I have the same issue, i was gifted the L2K in M, I ordered the nib in EF ... 😒 it's laughing at me for how much money went into something promising but failed in execution.
This is not the first time your video has cost me some real money. A couple of Gravitas, one Enso later, this video triggered an L2K order. So 189€ later (shipping included), I am looking forward to seeing my newest pen soon (EF) Thanks!
I had a Lamy extra fine nib & it was broader than my Faber Castell E-motion with a medium nib. I had a broad oblique Lamy 2k this pen didn’t do it for me at all & I sold it. Just not impassioned with Lamy generally. I personally wouldn’t spend too much time or money on this pen. If only because there are better pens to invest your time/money on. It’s just me, I know. I think your videos are great and I tend to like the pens you enthuse about. Just not Lamy. At the risk of being repetitive the one Lamy pen that I adore is the Studio with the 1.9 stub. This pen perversely ticks all the boxes. Different strokes for different folks, I guess. I can see why you like the pen though. Thank you for a great video. Catch up with you next time. D
Funny, the studio is one of theirs I have no interest in at all LOL. Good thing that there are so many options out there to appease all of us pen psychopaths!
A Lamy 2000 in medium nib was my first grail pen several years ago. I had a similar experience as the medium nib was like writing with a crayon. I also had a problem with the sweet spot. I never wrote with it as I just got frustrated after using it. I ended up gifting it to a friend. Now, 2 years later, I'm very tempted to get another Lamy in EF. I've watched a lot of L2K videos but I'm still on the fence. One tip that I found out with mine is that the ink makes a big difference in how it writes.
I do not have an L2k (I want one eventually for my first gold nib pen), but I had a similar experience with my Lamy Safaris. I'm still relatively new to nib sizes. I bought a Fine nib one in black, and enjoy writing with it. This was my first German nib, which I know are bigger than Japanese ones. I ordered another Safari with an EF nib and it writes almost exactly like the F I bought. Which is frustrating. I enjoy writing with both but c'mon! Be consistent in your own nib production
Crowd pleaser grind!! Would be a lovely Fine Cursive Italic. I like to be able to see what I write and really like shading inks so I can’t complain on a wider than expected nib.
I was playing with my MB149 which has my fine CI (aka crowd pleaser) and I just love it. I just wrote random stuff with it for like 20 mins loving every stroke. I should have another pen like that and the L2K could be the perfect candidate. I think you won one of the nibs I gave away. How's it going with it?
I can’t make a precise comparison between your video of the XF and my F but I think my F is way thinner. I ordered an F because I saw reviews saying it was wider than a Safari F. When it arrived it wasn’t, so I ordered a new 2K with an M nib, which is again very similar to a Safari M. Maybe the problem isn’t the width of the XF but the great variance that Lamy allows.
this is literally my biggst problem with lamy. i really really love the design, the haptics and everything about my lamy cp1, but it's EF nib is way to wide. ...now... I'm thinking about getting an M nib :D btw: Faber Castells F Nib on my Loom is very thin... but i dont like it's design as i like my cp1... it drives me crazy
This is a bit hilarious. I have a Lamy 2000 in fine and it writes big, a bit bigger than a Japanese medium. But looking at your swatches, it looks like you're using my fine nib. Not sure what's going on with Lamy's QC, but I'm glad I like my pen. In fact, I want 2 more: extra fine and medium. Also, your videos on the Lamy 2000 was the reason why I got myself the pen. I love this pen, it's my favorite.
Its too good of a pen to not get much action. I love it to bits, but with this width it doesnt suit my writing style be it cursive or printing. Need to figure out what I want to do and get it back in action. Every time I ink it up I just love it, but then I try to write with it and just shake my head LOL. Us pen folks are probably way too deep down the FP hole than we ever thought was possible!
I got my Lamy 2000 in broad, cause I wanted to leave my medium nib comfort zone. It really writes very broad. So it took me some time to sort out how I would want to use this and I ended up using it for less saturated inks that might want to show some shading like grey or a lighter red. But this really is the first pen I might go and get another version of in a fine since I love the pen but it's daily use is limited a bit in this super broad.
I might very well and will for sure record the process. In the meantime I have a whole playlist of nib tuning, adjusting, and grinding to check out in case I dont do this one myself. ua-cam.com/play/PL6RAe6vPmtDin2cIizbra73IJCrZHLXs6.html
re Opus and nib maker: Opus 88 uses both Jowo and Bock on different models, it's confusing and frustrating sometimes, because it is not always well documented and you don't know what othreading you will get if you don't research it. I saw in the earlier shot you had an Omar on the cutting board, and that is a Jowo.
Perfect pen yes it is broader than others but. All are so inconsistent. That is the hardest part about buying a pen choosing the nib size. I have also noticed that to some degree with all pens it also depends on ink, pressure, angle and paper as to the experience and line width. I try to keep inks that are good about feathering in my 2000. Minor complaints. By far my favorite edc so far.
Okay, you got me! 😆😆😆 I didn't guess anything even close, after all. Good fun video, though. Perhaps we should give the Richard Binder measures ISO status? 😀 At least Chinese pen manufacturers cite nib widths in mm, even though the results are bizarrely varied...
I got a Lamy 2000 in medium and I loved it so much that after a couple of months I got another one in fine. When I started to write with it I realized my mistake. The first one I got was not a medium at all, it was just in the same width range of all my other mediums and I had ended up with two fines. I had already promised someone a pen for their birthday so that took care of itself. But still. Additionally, I don’t like the weird shape of the extra fine nib. It is not really like an architect. It is more like a tiny rectangle in a way that I don’t really enjoy. I will definitely get it ground to more of an oval/circle when I can.
I have some of my Japanese fine nibs that are (for me at least) just perfect for a fine line. I need to find this pen's "personality" to see what grind suits it.🤔
I had the makrolon about 10 years ago that had an extra fine nib, and it wrote like an extra fine. Later on I picked up the stainless steel version with a medium, but I had it ground to a fine and I love it. Recently I picked up another makloron (sold my first one) with a fine nib and my luck has held up and it writes like a fine. You really should have it ground, othewise it will sit around not being used and that would be a shame.
For fine lines....I use a Rapidograph pen... .35 width ....only $25 and with their ink, a black line that is perfect. Even stacked up against my costly fountain pens, the German made Rapidograph still is amazing. Some work to clean on rare occasion..... but it's worth it. An ultrasonic cleaner helps.
I lost my bet to myself -- I thought it was going to be the sweet spot! The sweet spot on mine is workable but sometimes I have to "hunt" for it but I'd say my EF is a true European EF (so Japanese fine). Having said that, my Dialog 3 (EF) was more like yours (wrote medium) as did my Lamy Persona. I finally had the nib on my Persona ground down by Mike Masuyama. For you, given your demonstrated grinding skills, I'd say do you Doodlebud special on it!
Oh wow so you got a nice EF on the L2K but the EF on your Dialog 3 is way off. I got a EF on my Dialog 3 as well and love it. I ended up making it an EF Architect to have some fun. Just not cool to have no idea what you're getting when you order a specific nib point size!
Agree! When I compare the Lamy experience with, say, my Pilot pens it's like night and day! I always know what to expect from Pilot (and quite a few others).
Yep. I bought the medium 2k as I like the Safari medium nib. 🤦🏻♀️ Now I find myself hardly reaching for this wonderful pen. The medium (for me) writes beautifully, but it lays down such a large and thick line that I can’t use it in my smaller monthly planner boxes and it takes so much longer to dry. It comes out looking more like a double broad, which I normally would then reserve for sheen or shimmer inks, but I dare not as it’s not easy to access the feed like with the Safari or other brands and the piston fill makes it tedious to clean.
Doodlebud, you tease. The suspense was killing me! Great video, can't wait for your L2k custom grind video :) Edit: What is the pen with the white finial? Looks like the new Edison Comet took a cue from it!
LOL, had fun teasing and keeping people on edge! I think there will be a grind video coming up. Opus 88 Omar, as @D. Molina mentioned. Here's the review: ua-cam.com/video/hSYv6KCPDNY/v-deo.html
The only thing I need to fix is my grip, so I can reliably and quickly land on the sweet spot and stay on it as I write. But that’s on me. I need to pay attention when I pick it up. I do love thev style and history.
I have the same pen. It has Zoom like nib. If you hold it at a higher angle, you get a slimmer line. It's designed to give line variation, especially if you have a loopy style. As far as doing the reshaping, I wouldn't mess with that gold nib which Lamy has carefully engineered into a graduated chisel. Sent it to Bacas, get a fine architect. You'll love it.
Well if they intend to give people a Zoom nib, then they should call it one. I ground the EF on my Lamy Dialog 3 to an EF architect so already have that nib in the arsenal. Then have a Fine architect on another pen so don't want to double down on nib grinds.
@@Doodlebud Do you love those architect nibs? I adore my archi-broad and was thinking about a a-fine. I don't have your confidence with grinding a gold nib, though. Also, Germans are (were?) taught to write with fountain pens in grammar school while N Americans are taught with pencils. I wonder if they don't learn to hold the pen at a higher angle, which might explain why the XF writes finer if you hold it higher (zoom, for lack of a better word). Mine is definitely a MB in my normal angle of pen to page, but, after agreeing with your video, I experimented, and found it gives nice line variation if I write bigger and vary the angle. It's a German fine if I hold it more perpendicular. The shape of the nib is so specially designed to not be a ball but a chisel, I have to think Lamy engineers had a writing or aesthetic purpose for it. It looks very similar to the Sailor Zoom, just narrower. German engineering isn't an accident.
Agreed! No nib standard across companies is one thing, but no consistency within one company is super frustrating. That's exactly why I don't use my Lamy 2000, because my EF writes like a M.
Sorry to hear that, but crazy its not uncommon. If someone orders a 15mm wrench, they need a 15mm wrench! Not a 16mm or 17mm.... A 15MM WRENCH!!!!!!! I know these are just pens, but if other companies can control their nib widths, Lamy certainly can too
Yeah, I just got a Lamy 2000 fine nib, and it’s pretty darn close to a broad. It writes very smoothly, and the quality is excellent, but I was expecting an equivalent to a Japanese medium.
@@Doodlebud As I understand it, Pelikan has nib size variance also.
damn I wonder how their M would write. Probably like a paintbrush
@tmwtpbrent14 Pelikan does, but I don't think it's as drastic. For example, I have a M205 and an M405, both have medium nibs. The M205 writes like how a Pelikan medium should while my M405 is a little bit broader, just enough it bothers me a bit. It writes more like a broad (not a Pelikan broad though, I have a steel one and that one is still a bit wider). All my other steel nibs are fine and consistent, and I only have that one gold nib, so I can't compare there, but it seems a bit less common with Lamy's, could be wrong, though.
Lamy‘s acceptable variance in mean writing width is so great that “wide” extra fines are comparable to “small” mediums, unfortunately.
I've already heard that there's a quality control problem at Lamy. My Lamy 2000 had a nib. I replaced it with a Fine Nib, and, maybe I got lucky, it's a real Fine Nib.
When you said the pen was EF my jaw droped and I could only think "In which planet?" And I agree with you. The normal M seems thiner than that "EF" It almost look like someone was drunk when labeled that an EF.
As someone who only writes with EF nibs, I would be extreamly disapointed if I bought that pen. I would feel cheated.
In my experience, Pelikan has been the worst offender when it comes to nib width variance, but LAMY is a close second. Only the Japanese big three seem able to deliver the width you ordered 100% of the time.
What brands
@@connor4891 Platinum, Pilot and Sailor.
@@connor4891 Pilot, Sailor and Platinum
@@connor4891Pilot, platinum and sailor
@connor4891 I'm guessing they're referring to Sailor, Pilot and Platinum for the Japanese big three brands, but I could be wrong.
As an extra fine nib lover this is my exact problem with the pen but, I honestly expected this. The best fine and extra fine nib makers are the Japanese. Nobody does fine like them and I find this issue in many different brands. My finest nib that I love is my UEF (Ultra Extra Fine) nib on my Platinum Century.
I purchased my L2K just this week (9/20/23). After watching so many vids on the nib variances I decided not to get it online. So off I went to the great people at Goldspot Pens where I was fortunate enough to be able to try out the pen. I first tried the fine nib. Nope, not for me-too fine. I then tried the pen I ended up buying-a medium nib. Your EF puts down just about the same line as my M! Incredible how much variance there can be within the same company. Anyway, really enjoying my new pen. It truly is a masterpiece.
I was seriously considering this pen until I watched your video on it. You make great videos. The EF being an actual medium is a definite deal breaker for me. I'm not a nib meister either. Really disappointing that Lamy TOTALLY missed the mark. Thank you for making the video!
If possible try the pen in a store. Its a really great pen, but the EF for just isn't what I was hoping for with respect to line width size. Wrote wonderfully, but too thick. Also mine I believe just happened to be outside the boundaries for what they try to keep an EF line width inside. If you try one in store or at a meet for yourself it might work for you
Just look at comparison images. The sizes are relative to each range. 2000s all run smoother and thicker than many other pens, even across brands, so even their finest is thicker than most others. But a L2K extra fine is still finer than a medium - that is consistent. That is all that's important so it's really not an issue at all
In a food packing operation I used to work at the machine guards were made of Makrolon as it is a material that does not shatter (like Perspex). All our guards were transparent so I wonder what a clear 2000 (where you could see the internal mechanism) would look like. However, I suspect the textured finish of the 2000 is to disguise any scratching and scarring that might occur.
Its also there to match the metal nose cone and remove the seam lines in the piston filler knob
Listening to your Tale of Woe, I was first tempted to suggest trading the 2000 for another Parker 51. But then I sat down with my own two units, and found to my surprise that both of my fine Lamy nibs do not write the same line width. One is almost an extra fine, and I have labored long and hard in the three months I have owned them to get them to perform consistently, and with minimal sweet spot problems. I had taken my off the ball as to the line of ink. The whole experience has made me love my 51s even more.
Appreciate your honest thoughts! I’ve had 2 Lamy 2k’s now, one XF and one Fine. Funny enough, the XF that I had wrote a lot smoother than my fine, while the fine felt very scratchy. I sent out the fine to be grounded to a nibmeister to a fine stub. It was a lot better than before, with better line variation, but subtle. Made me realize I enjoy the larger medium nib sizes for more variation.
How do you like the pen as a stub writer? Does it suit the pen? Its an odd question, but pens honestly do have a bit of "personality." Some pens seem to suit certain grinds over others.
@@Doodlebud would of loved a medium/broad Lamy 2k on a stub, just not on a fine. I would of gotten a bigger line difference with the bigger nib size. If I were to do a regrind again on the fine, maybe a cursive italic would suit the fine better, not a stub.
I recently got the new Jinhao 80 to try the Lamy stub nibs on a Lamy 2k body, but the silver spring clip fell off just with minimal effort the first day that I got it. Jinhao 80 is a great cheap starter pen to try different nibs on, but will never feel the same as a real Lamy 2k. Totally different from the Moonman/Majohn A1 vs the pilot vanishing point comparisons, whereas at least the moonman A1 has a similar weight/feel as the real pilot vanishing.
Yeah the Jinhao 80 is just that, a low cost starter pen that "looks" like a different well made pen. The A1 and wingsung 699 look like their expensive counterparts, but also have a bunch of the great qualities about them. They should have just made the 80 a new unique design in that price point instead of a "close cousin" of the L2K. Its like wearing a muscle suit under a t-shirt to look all buff.
My L2000 is an EF. I sent it to Pendleton Brown years ago, to make what he calls 'butter-smooth' italic out of it. It is super fine, and has line variation consummate with that size.
I have the same issue with my Lamy 2000 EF, Doodlebud. I have a Montblanc 146 fine that writes big too.
Both are on my list of pens to send to a nibmeister to adjust.
My three Lamy 2000s write the same and all have a fine nib. What I do find with the LAMY 2000 pens have greater variation in Line width with different inks than any of the other manufacturers I use: TWSBI, Pilot, and Visconti
What I'd love to see in Lamy 2000 line is color variety offered at the same price, like they do with the Safari and Al star. The second thing that I want is to see some engraving, flourishing done on the steel section in order to compensate the lack of a good looking nib, that's not really need it though, I like the overall aesthetic of the pen.
Colours would be cool especially without charging crazy money or ideally the same price.
In the factory tour video they explained they don't do other colors due to the way the belt sand the pen after it is assembled to get the texture, and apparently this causes some issues with lighter colors, so black it is apparently.
Ahhhh makes sense
@@Doodlebud I am sure it wouldn't be that hard to fix with another step. But it seems they feel that adding another step, which has associated cost, and possibly extra staff, wouldn't result in enough additional sales to recover that cost. I think they underestimate the completion collectors who needs every color, or at least their favorite. This works for the Safari, but even there the limited colors aren't all that adventurous. I mean this is a German company after all, and they to be a bit conservative. I think part of it only being available in the black and silver is that they do not want to mess with their iconic and signature product. Oh, well. No blinged out Lamy 2000 for us. I think nice deep purple with rose gold hardware would be lovely, but I am not holding my breath, when a dark blue limited edition once in 50 years is their definition of choice.
Yeah, this is why they need a NEW RELEASE! Parker fumbled the new P51, but Lamy could CRUSH IT with a new L2K rendition. Cool colours, fine the nib widths, update the slip cap to eliminate the dog ears. Refreshed look, new name, but same essence. Could be a killer!
Man, I totally agree with you about the EF not being very fine. I do like it though. I also have the L2K in a M nib and it’s MUCH thicker.
Hey Doodlebud, thank you for another great video! When I first saw the Lamy 2000 I didn't really like the looks of the pen, preferring something more traditional. I watched your video of the complete take down and engineering of the Lamy 2000 and thought it was a remarkable yet over engineered pen. I've watched this current video a few times as well. I have to say you got me to change my mind and I finally bought one at a local pen show. All I can say is that I'm a convert due to you and your videos... What an amazing pen. It is engineered at a level of detail and refinement that few other products can match. Masterful work of art that you recognize once you understand and use it. Well done!
Lol, sounds like it took some deep thinking before you go it. But as always, getting one in person is always the best way 👍 Hope you enjoy it a bunch!
@@Doodlebud I do! Thank You
For those who have trouble with the “sweet spot” on the Lamy 2000: Try the Oblique nib in M, B or BB.
I've had a Lamy 2000 on my pen wish list for a while now and the only thing that has kept me from getting it is the impression that Lamy is playing a little fast and loose with their nib sizes. I thought it was mainly limited to their Safaris though. Glad I'm subscribed to your channel and that you always say it like it is. Unless I buy this in person in a brick and mortar shop so I can try it myself, I'll steer clear of this one, because I really want an EF that writes like an EF. I'd also want to test it because I tend to hold my pens quite close to the nib and with that section being so thin in the front, I fear it may not be very comfortable to hold.
PS: Too bad I don't live in Canada anymore. I'd go stand by the side of the highway near your house to wait for you to chuck it out of your car. 😄
LOL, don't think I'll be throwing this pen out the window. I have a few from the Trash Pens list that are potential candidates. I've found my other Lamy nibs to be truer to size. They do run wider than other nibs, but I know what to expect. This one is just way outside of what I would expect. I'd be dreaming, but one day if they added XXF or XXXF or whatever they need to call it to give people a true XF nib point would be amazing!
Hi! nice show. Someone commented that some inks are lubricated, so, would you please explain some more? I would love to know which inks will help with the writing
My L2K in is a good fine line.
I'd love a "Lamy 1999 Demonstrator". A slightly textured clear acrylic with all the same metal parts, but maybe a steel nib, just all the black changed for clear and since clear doesn't match well with brushed I think a light texture or maybe a frosted effect might be cool. I'd be all over that.
I absolutely agree; my Lamy 2000 extra fine was more like a pilot medium. The finest extra fine I have experienced has been the pilot E95S. Nevertheless I do like the pen but I prefer for my writing a true extra fine.
I love the little ears/grip locator pins. I have a medium oblique nib on mine. Personally I don’t think fine nibs are worth bothering with,let alone an extra fine.
My best journal pen is a special grind Asian broad nib. ✌️
I like the little tabs as well, and really everything about the pen. Ended up grinding the nib to a CI EF and love it now! Its been an EDC for months now.
ua-cam.com/video/yVJ2HlZakf4/v-deo.html
Agreed. I much prefer medium or broad. I started with a fine Metropolitan and recently picked up a medium Vista. Writing with needles isn't my thing. Almost didn't even bother with the Vista because I was under the impression fountain pens are scratchy.
@@derkaiser9881 Some of the reviewed pens are only available with fine or ef nibs. Ive been surprised to find that they aren't scratchy at all..That said I still much prefer an Oblique Broad, 1.5mm Stub,Architect or Broad. Lamy have released a Kanji calligraphy nib that has good feedback.
I love the plain old Lamy 2000 nib. It's broader than most other nibs;I like that very much.
Hate it when it runs out of ink; then,it does have a few hard-starts etc. Ha!
Nibgrinder would do a great job; but,you know you want to do the doodlebud cursive Italic.
So,get busy doing what you love to do! The MB 149 success is all the motivation you need.
No comprende when you start talking about changing this and that on the standard Lamy 2000. Just get a different pen if so much about it bugs you. Nothing you suggested about changing the L2K sounds like an improvement imho. Their nib sizes are what they are. Either you like them or you don't. Same with the section and locking tabs. No need to change what has worked for decades and is still working quite well!
I pray Lamy doesn't start making pastel-colored,rainbow L2Ks. Not that there's anything wrong with those colors;just not on a L2K.
Please share the response you get from Lamy if you make suggestions about changes to the L2K. Would love to hear that. Brief as it may be. Something like ,"Uh. No."
Well,I gotta go;there's a pesky cloud I see that needs to be yelled at !
Love your interesting, informative videos. Look forward to many more!
Informative. Thank you. Unlike you I have trouble with the 'sweet spot. If Lamy decides to rework this pen, I would like to see some sort of inlay on the section much like the Parker 61 or Hero 565 to help me orient this pen.
I see what you mean with the orientation mark. Probably not the V shape on this pen, but a simple black line or dot would go with the design. That might help others as well
Thanks for this video!! I love my EF nibs. Almost all my pens are EF. However, when I purchased the Lamy 2K, I was disappointed! I changed to several inks, and the only one that at least made the pen write as an EF was Noodler's Apache Sunset. However, this is not waterproof ink, which is what I use for work. I am still looking for the perfect ink to write as an EF with this pen!
Here's the end result after I ground the nib:
ua-cam.com/video/yVJ2HlZakf4/v-deo.html
Love it now!
I have a medium nib Lamy 2000 and I agree with everything you say. Wonderful pen in every way, but it's way too thick a line for my writing. It's okay for some paper, but on some other paper it results in feathering and bleed through. A cursive italic would be great! Let's see you do it!
I so love everything about this pen, except for the MOST IMPORTANT THING! LOL I gotta make up my mind and get it done. Too good of a pen to be sitting unused!
Just got this pen and I love it. I hesitated on it for a LONG time because I love the F nib but wanted a thinner line and every review said don't bother, they write the same width, only the EF is more feedbacky. Absolutely not my experience at all. It writes EXACTLY the line quality I wanted (slightly thinner than the F) and it's really noticeable if I write two whole pages side by side. It is a touch more feedbacky, but still incredibly smooth (a sweet spot for me). The F was sometimes too glidey for me -- I would press down for the sensation of feedback and increase the line width even more. I still love both the F and EF, just now I know when to use each, and how. LAMY grinds the nibs comparable to each other per product, I think, (so the L2K will have progressive line widths as compared to itself and not other Lamy pens), but other companies do the same. Sailor and Pilot are no exception. I'm very happy with my L2K EF.
Good to hear you got the EF nib you were hoping for. My other nibs were spot on for my other Lamy pens, just not on this one
You are absolutely right, DB! I’ve experienced the same issue with nib width being all over the place, particularly with western companies. Pelikan has been very frustrating for me because they lack consistency even within the same nib width. I have 8 XF Pelikan pens, one is what I’d consider a true XF and the rest range from F to B! Same issue with Montblanc. My L2K is an XF and it appears to be much finer than what yours looks like. Absolutely drives me insane! I don’t have this problem with eastern or Asian nibs. Thanks for another compelling video.
I first bought a Lamy 2000 Fine and it writes like a Fine. Then I bought a Lamy 2000 Medium and it writes like a Medium! No problem at all. Could it be that a mistake was made made right at the factory? Still, if I were you I'd keep the pen as I really like the lines it lays anyway! 😊
Too late :) Have a really nice EF cursive italic nib now. LOVE IT!
ua-cam.com/video/yVJ2HlZakf4/v-deo.html
I love, love my Lamy 2000 with Medium nib. BUT, I do wish I had a finer nib. It'd be really cool to see a video of your putting your signature grind to this one. The tabs are to retain the cap. Just a thought.
Did the video and hoping to have the editing done in time for the weekend. I'm aware of the tabs LOL. I did a 2-part super deep dive into the Lamy 2000 and spent a bunch of time talking about the retaining ring 👍
Same problem here. At first I thought I got the wrong nib, but examined it and sure 'nough, it's an EF. Other than that, love the pen!
The 2000 is my grail pen, but I'm afraid of ordering one and not being sure what tip size I want. I have a TWSBI Diamond 580 that has a F nib, and a Pilot Prera with an M nib (just getting back into the hobby). I like the line laid down by finer nibs but I don't like how scratchy they are (I'm aware that a gold nib will feel much better than a steel nib, but still). I'm thinking that since the 2000's nib is known to run pretty broad, I'll stick with a fine for it when I do pull the trigger and buy it.
I completely agree with you on this, Lamy has way too much of variation in the nib sizes where the fine at times is finer than the extra fine.
I have a Lamy 2000 with a fine and one in medium and they both write exactly the same and no one can differentiate looking at the writing which one is which.
Thanks. Bought my L2K used and hated the fact that it was a M nib and thought I'd buy an EF. Then I took it apart and found that, SUPRISE, it's an EF!! I love the fact it's such smooth writer but it's just not an EF nib. It's out of my rotation for the time being while I decide what to do with it. Keep up the fine video's.
I did end up grinding the nib, here's the results: ua-cam.com/video/yVJ2HlZakf4/v-deo.html
Mark made my L2K into a blade and it's awesome, albeit mine started as a BB. If you can get a specialty on an EF, I'd go that direction
I since have some other "paper work" pens, so this could be a great little custom grind writer. But.... could also still be my perfect paperwork pen! LOL
I’m thinking that your personal nib grind would be both enjoyable and educational. Your videos are very practical; thanks for making them.
The nib is the biggest reason I sold my 2000. Love the design and feel of the pen but it just gushed ink. I would not be comfortable grinding the nib. It is the reason I have not bought another Lamy.
I would send out the nib to get it adjusted. If it works maybe I would reconsider buying another.
My Pelikan M800 also writes broad. I always thought it was the paper. I may try Rhodia. I had used it on Tomoe River paper and it just was writing like a broad.
It would be a shame to rule out all other Lamys due to problems with 2k nibs. Since all the other Lamys share a DIFFERENT nib.
Good point, that drives me crazy as well. What is you favorite italic or stub pen and why? Cheers bro!
My favorite italic nibs are the ones I've ground myself LOL. I get to tune it just the way to suit my writing style and intended use of the pen. For a recent off the shelf nibs, I really liked the stub that came on my Monterverde Ritma and my Gravitas Sentry. Fun nibs and great pens. I have videos on both if you look on my channel
@@Doodlebud thanks ill check those out. Cheers!
great video !!!! it would be nice if they offered a new variant of this pen, I went to a store and tested this pen, I din't like it because of the thin angle it tappers down and for having to hold the pen in a specific angle to hit the "sweet spot". I got instead the Pilot vanishing point in fine, and vintage vanishing point broad (almost the same line with and the Lamy 2K). Love the vanishing point and how smooth they write, even the fine is smoother than other more expensive pen (cough "Montblanc, Esterbrook) that I have.
If it was me, given it’s such an expensive pen, I would send it off to the nibmeister who fixed your Visconti, possibly write with your favourite EF pen to indicate the nib width you want: good luck, keep us posted:)
If I decide to grind down I'll send it off. But if I do the cursive italic route, no big deal. I've dont it to many pens, and ones much more expensive. Did this to my Montblanc 149 and I absolutely love it.
I've been tempted by how smooth everyone says the nib is on the 2k, but the look just does absolutely nothing for me. Might save up for a dialog instead or a Sailor 1911.
That is a very fair criticism 🤣, my one peeve with my lamy 2000 is that I think I went medium and wish I went fine...I feel it's too broad, but I've gotten used to it and I do love my lamy 2000... after watching this I might go exf if I buy another lmfao
Hi Mr Doodlebud, I just bought a Lamy 2000 in Fine and I'm a bit worried now. It's on it's way across the pound from the UK to Au. I usually write really small but when I print or scribble I can write bigger. For long journaling sessions my fav nib is my Sailor M-F 14K it's perfect but when I print notes I use a wetter broader pen
Chelsea
From the comments I'm seeing all I can say is Good Luck! I hope you get something thats close to what you're hoping for. But thats just it, you shouldn't have to HOPE. You should be able to know what you're getting in advance, and have a reasonably high degree of certainty that what you get is what you expect.
Maybe they could put the two clips on too and bottom of the grip area so that when you are holding it the clips don’t get in the way. That would be the simplest looking change. Idk if it is for inside to make that change. Maybe it’s very complicated on the inside. Idk. I don’t have this pen. I would like to see a larger version of this pen maybe even have the hooded nib be a little larger for esthetic purposes. Cheers
You hit the spot. This is why I'm not a fan of Lamy. And I have heard often that the Lamy 2000 is really bad for the nib size. i write only with extra fine nibs because I have a small handwriting plus I'm left-handed. I'm not a fan of the looks to start with (I find it boring) but it's the nib that kills any interest I could have in it.
It's really bad. I bought my Lamy 2000 used and it was an EF but wrote like a medium and I thought maybe the original user did something to it. Fast forward a year to me dropping the pen off the counter and completely ruining the pen. I got a replacement nib in EF and AGAIN it wrote like a medium. I like Japanese EF so using this pen drives me nuts. Save your money and skip this pen.
This captures my opinion of the pen perfectly. I have tiny handwriting and neglect this pen because I didn't expect the XF to be a Japanese medium. I also kept purchasing different sizes of Lamy steel nibs and they all write roughly the same size (a little finer than the 2000 "xf').
Related note, the difference between 14k Sailor M and 21K Sailor M is unexpectedly massive.
Oh man, that doesn't make it easier when there's such a big difference between 14K & 21K! I have an 18K Sailor my Cross Peerless I just got. Wonder how different that is from their 14k/21k equivalent
Love your comments and agree wholeheartedly. Nib writes too thick. I’d love to see you grind the nib. I’ve been toying with nib grinding myself and even have a dissecting microscope that would serve this purpose perfectly. As we both know, German nibs are always thicker than oriental nibs.
I don't mind that there is a difference between nib sizing (East VS West), it actually gives more options. But this EF is sooooooooo far out there when compared against any other German EF/F nibs in steel or gold. I have a nib tune & grind playlist that may help you out:
ua-cam.com/play/PL6RAe6vPmtDin2cIizbra73IJCrZHLXs6.html
I have one that I love, but its nib doesn't have a nib width marked on it🙄 (I removed the nib from the pen after watching a couple of helpful videos by Goulet Pens and Anderson Pens). I bought it second-hand ages ago and I'm sure I wrote details about the transaction down somewhere, but the main thing is that I love the nib width and smoothness😀
I ended up griding mine to a XF cursive italic. Love it now 👍 Here's the video:
ua-cam.com/video/yVJ2HlZakf4/v-deo.html
I've come to the point that until manufacturers standardize the nib sizes, life is too short to let this stress you out and just learn to accept it and expect it. As it is, we have western nib sizes, Japanese nib sizes, European sizes and with the emerging Chinese makers, we just might get a different set of standards.
Buy what you think will suit you based on reviews such as yourself, Chrisrap, Inquiring Minds, SB Brown, etc. And then if the expect to tweak/change the nib to your liking if it doesn't exactly suit your style.
Personally, I can't stand fine or EF nibs as it feels like you're writing with a needle. Give me a wet medium, broad or stub so I can enjoy all the variety of inky goodness of bold colours, sheen, shading and shimmer.
But that's the beauty of our hobby, there is something to suit everyone's tastes.
Keep doing what you do DB.
Tell me you dont use your fountain pen for paper work, with out telling me you don't use your fountain pen for paper work.
LOL 😆 That was good!
@@red2432 Guilty! These days, only about 10% of writing is for the public. Everything else is for me (journal, drawings, hobby notes, puzzles, artwork, etc) so enjoying the most out of it.
I can’t understand why Lamy doesn’t change the orientation of the “nubs” that secure the cap from “East-West” (on the sides of the barrel) to “North-South” (on the top and bottom of the barrel). This would retain the utility of the nubs while eliminating the problem of feeling them when you grip the pen. I suggested this to them years ago, to no avail.
I find that uncomfortable. One of my Metropolitans has those lines of the injection molding on the section, one of them rested on the side of my middle finger and was really annoying. I had to rotate the nib so those lines were "East - West". They don't bother me there cause I hold them with the padded part of my fingers, I'm glad the 2000 has this orientation on those ears
I fear some folks grip the bottom of the section with their middle or ring finger.
Having used a variety of rollerball pens in various sizes (and now looking at refillable options from ink bottles to try and further reduce waste in my writing hobby), I'm honestly surprised fountain pens don't use the line width mm standard to other pens. There is still a small range in variation for say a 0.5mm, but certainly nothing to this extent. This would drive me nuts too.
Yeah, there a ton of variation in nib width sizing! Very frustrating
I think the Lamy 2K is a timeless design that should remain the same for the most part. Two things I would like to see are more barrel colors without the exorbitant prices and an ink window that somehow functions better. Aesthetically, the current ink window design is perfect, but I really can't see if I have ink in there unless maybe, maybe, I hold it up to the light. And then only sometimes TBH. Does anyone else have this problem?
3:50 Agree. Only thing I would mention is that Lx uses (by default) I believe their z52, which is not their standard steel nib (which is z50), and this make is probably their finer lineup of nib makes. But, of course, I got your point, and makes absolutely sense.
Thanks for this excellent video, as always, besides, Sir!!!!
As a previous poster mentioned...
PaperMate Flair... THAT'S what it reminds me of.
L2K Pocket Pen? Interesting idea!
I do so enjoy your vids...
From one tinkerer to an Engineer! Thanks for all you do!
A fan of the smooth cursive italic! And fully agree that LAMY's sizing is inconsistent (across everything, IMO). Love my LAMY 2K otherwise. I want mine half a size down maybe, but not sure it's worth getting ground or not. I'd get another to have a smooth cursive grind, but want to avoid having duplicate pens, lol.
I hear you on the duplicate pen thing. I want to try them all before I double up on any. I like the buffet approach
Thank you for the video. I was considering getting this as an alternative to my Pilot Prera, to use as a pocket pen with a passport-sized notebook. Because of this I need a reasonably fine nib, and a Western medium simply won't do! It's too bad because the pen ticks every other boxes - I like the cap, the fact that there's no groove that could dig into my fingers, the reasonably large ink capacity, and the tough material which won't show scratches easily.
Interesting. I had the opposite problem in that the EF I had ordered was too fine for me. It was comparable to a japanese EF so potentially just what you would have wanted. :/
Oh wow I've never heard anyone say that about their L2K EF nib before LOL
@@Doodlebud Never happened to me before or after tbh :D The fine nib I got afterwards was just perfect in my eyes. Typical german fine.
I think what you're saying is the two options are:
1) turn the pen into a journaling pen on your own with the nib grind skills you know, but not the original intended use
2) turn the pen into the form filling pen from someone else's nib grinding, and then pay to have it be the original design as intended
I think this one could go either way, and either one can be content. To be fair, it's how much you want the pen to write. Personally, it would be fun to see how someone else (or you if you're brave) tackles getting a nib down to EF with the interesting Lamy 2k nib grind shape.
I agree!
The challenge with "grinding down" is I need a whole new setup. I know how to approach it, but not sure if I'm willing to invest the money and time when I can get it done perfectly for $50. If I decided to take on grinding for other people and charge them a fee, then getting the new setup would make total sense. The CI grinds, obliques, even architect are fairly simple and can be done with my existing gear.
@@Doodlebud absolutely fair and understandable! I don't blame you for not wanting to do such a big money sink since you'd not be doing the grinds for others. I also don't have knowledge on grinding nibs so I don't know where to start. Regardless, thanks for filling the details in. Can't wait to see what you do!
As an aside, if you know anyone that you could borrow the grinding tools to do the video... that would also be a fun and interesting collaboration! Not saying you have to, just an idea. 🙂
Not a bad idea if I can find someone
@@Doodlebud Just remember the gold nib with grind differently from your experiments in steel, so a more gingerly approach might be in order. Still the Lamy 2000 seems to have more meat in the point of the nib to play with.
You inspired me to take action! Dissatisfied with the heavy ink flow from my Waterman Expert II medium nib, I took it to the Japanese water stones to make a cursive italic with a very slight left obliqueness. Progression was 1k (which removed most of the material), 3k, 4k, 9k and then some polishing on a couple of exotic Japanese natural stones that go up to approximately 20k. Final step was fine polishing on horse hide, which I had left over from some straight razor strops that I made. I didn't remove the whole iridium tip, but tailored it to the shape I was looking for. I'm not sure I've done with it yet, but it's already better for my righty grip, which is twisted about 45 degrees counter-clockwise. It provides decent line variation without sacrificing ink flow or the durability of the tip. Thanks for the ideas!
Hey that's awesome buddy! I use my knife & razor sharpening supplies as well. One thing I find that does work well are micromesh pads. They're good as smoothing things out a little bit & making the corners a little more forgiving so as not to snag on the page. Yeah it's always tough to know when enough is enough. Grab yourself some cheap nibs and have at it to play around, or just use some cheap pens you don't use much anyways. It can be fun to turn a dud pen into an amazing writer!
@@Doodlebud You are a razor head too? Small world! I couldn't find any micromesh pads locally in Toronto, so I'll order some online. Oh, I see Lee Valley Tools has them!
Yup Lee Valley is the BEST! I did a video on how to sharpen a knife and it got almost no love LOL. But I sharpened with my kitchen knife at the end of the video I shaved with it! Check it out if you want: ua-cam.com/video/yHPQE2fjyB4/v-deo.html
@@Doodlebud The micromesh pads arrived and it took minutes to prove their worth. You know you can stop fussing when the pen is as smooth as buttah!
Yup, they are a time saver. Stones are great for knives and do a great job for nibs, up to a point. That's where the pads do their magic. That last little bit to make it just perfect!
What drives me nuts is that I’ve never owned a Lamy pen that wrote well out of the box. I’ve owned at least 6 Lamy’s. I love their design aesthetic, but their nibs are wildly inconsistent.
I have several Lamy pens with EF nibs, but they are all steel and I do not have a Lamy 2000. I have Safaris, a Goulet Special Edition Vista Black, two CP1 pens (one black, one white!), and a Logo. All are EF nibs, and they are VERY inconsistent, and none of them are as fine as I think an extra-fine nib should be. I have swapped a couple of generic Chinese EF Lamy-style EF nibs (0.38 mm) into a couple of them and been happier, but none of them has been really, really satisfactory for me. If I were in your position, I'd probably send it off to a nibmeister and as long as I was sending it off, I'd probably have it ground to a needle point. Just my personal preference.
If you look at Lamy’s nib guide and their tolerances (+\- .06mm), a EF can be anywhere from .3mm to .42mm. There’s a bit of a gamble when buying. My 2k EF writes probably around a .33 and my steel Lamy M is closer to .6mm. I’ve had two Lamy Steel F nibs write notably different thicknesses. Both functional and smooth - I’ve never had a tine alignment issue or baby’s bottom on any of the 10+ nibs I’ve used.
Isn’t the Majohn A1 labeled as an EF? Mine is and definitely writes an F line.
There will always be a range (hence their spec), but this one is way outside that spec. I'm all too familiar with holding manufactured items to within a given tolerance. I've designed and made the gauges, jigs, tests, inspections etc that should be part of the process to ensure the end product is within the given range. If this was an one-off occurrence, I'd consider it bad luck. But the volume of folks having the same issues makes me wonder are they checking their work to ensure its within their stated tolerances. For a German company with more than adequate ability & know how, I'm surprised by this issue. I've never had any issue with build quality, ink starvation, smoothness, tine gap or alignment. But nib width when it comes to ink on paper.... sigh 😣
@@Doodlebud You’re right and I should have acknowledged that - yours is clearly way outside of the stated spec. Apologies there, Doodlebud! I meant to highlight that, even in-spec, you can have nib sizes that write a full size larger or smaller. It’s frustrating for sure when your roll of the dice comes up poorly.
I do love my Lamys, but I could do without the nib width lottery!
No apologies! Wasn't directed at you more at Lamy. They have specs & don't adhere to it. That always boils my blood! In my work inspection & ensuring things are within spec was make or break. No errors or faults allowed. Nothing should fail when it leaves the door. Everything had to be perfect & calibrated and I was the one who was in charge of the final blessing. So when I see things leave the door outside of spec, even though it's not something I made, I get pissed LOL. Becuase I wouldn't allow that to happen or be missed. NOTHING GETS MISSED! 🧐 Yeah, I'm a bit of a psychopath 🤣🤓
Smooth, yes ... too smooth for me. I like feedback right up to (but not including) scratchy. That plus the uncertain grip and (as you note here) the inability to get a fine enough nib width, caused me to give up and sell it on. Do the nib characteristics count as "engineering and build quality?" In any case, it seems like these are purposeful choices on Lamy's part, and I couldn't deal with them.
Hmm.
How about trying to reduce the flow before thinking about a regrind?
How about grinding in to a Japanese Fine or Extra-Fine and then putting a CI on it?
I know: it's easy to suggest you do this or that to your nib since it is not my nib that would be going through a modification!
I've even used my driest inks and still runs way too wide for my intended purpose. Grinding down is much more involved and requires me to get a whole new grinding setup. So its either DIY CI, or off to Bacas
I would reeaaaly dig a pocket2K. I dont own a 2000 at all yet but i would leap on a pocket size. 🔥
Love your content, DoodleMeister.
It might end up looking a LOT like a Pilot elite. But would be cool if they came out with some type of pocket pen. Think its a space they are missing out out. They did another release of the Dialog 3, so would be cool to get a new L2K inspired pen.
I should have seen this video before I purchased my Lamy 2000. I just received it yesterday, and I'm also disappointed with the size of the EF nib. It writes like a medium, and it doesn't suit my handwriting. I like EF nibs. I'm probably going to keep it or gift it to a friend if I can't get used to it. So sad.
This is how I fixed it. I can DIY but a Nibmiester can do an even better job
ua-cam.com/video/yVJ2HlZakf4/v-deo.html
I have the same situation with my Pilot Vanishing Point that seems to write much wider than the Medium nib in my Pilot Explorer. Similar situation because of the tiny, short gold nib.
I have a Lamy 2000 medium oblique ( I write with fines most the time ) but I love this grind on my Lamy 2000 :)
I love obliques as well. I dont like a M or B nib, but make it a CI or Oblique and it works well with my writing style
I can't help thinking that if more people sent back pens that are plain wrong to the maker, maybe they would make them properly. I expect, and generally get better from Chinese makers on pens that cost a few quid.
The Majohn A1 seems the closest to an EF compared to the rest. All of these look thick for what they are suppose to be. Over video anyway. Maybe they look different in real life. But I completely see what you’re saying. It is thick. The thickest one of them all in comparison. I can’t wait to see what it looks like after you either send it off or do the work yourself. Cheers.
I don’t know if I would risk grinding a gold nib with limited experience. The replacement cost in the case of damaging it would make me think twice.
I've done it many times, so not worried. Did my Montblanc 149 and couldn't be happier!
I understand the frustration with Lamy. They have the most inconsistent nibs I've seen.
I'm an artist/illustrator. When I buy an EF, I want it to be Extra Fine. I don't care how it writes.
Almost makes me yearn for the old Rapidograph days. Almost.
Yup, we're all adults. We know what we want and order a specific nib for the reason we choose. If I order a 15mm wrench, thats what I need. Not a 16mm wrench!
@@Doodlebud Exactamundo, as Homer would say.
@@Doodlebud Even there there is some variance unfortunately, and only some brands are consistently on the 15mm spec, while others are close enough, but chew on your bolt heads under any extra torque.
I hear ya. "Usually" if you pay a bit more you get fairly accurate tools, hence the price. IN this case this is a solid brand that should have this dialed in no prob
In researching these as a first gold nib pen, this exact topic is the one that gives me pause.
I have the same issue, i was gifted the L2K in M, I ordered the nib in EF ... 😒 it's laughing at me for how much money went into something promising but failed in execution.
This is not the first time your video has cost me some real money. A couple of Gravitas, one Enso later, this video triggered an L2K order. So 189€ later (shipping included), I am looking forward to seeing my newest pen soon (EF)
Thanks!
Lmaooo
You are very welcome! Damn... I need to get a cut of all this action somehow!
I had a Lamy extra fine nib & it was broader than my Faber Castell E-motion with a medium nib. I had a broad oblique Lamy 2k this pen didn’t do it for me at all & I sold it. Just not impassioned with Lamy generally. I personally wouldn’t spend too much time or money on this pen. If only because there are better pens to invest your time/money on. It’s just me, I know. I think your videos are great and I tend to like the pens you enthuse about. Just not Lamy. At the risk of being repetitive the one Lamy pen that I adore is the Studio with the 1.9 stub. This pen perversely ticks all the boxes. Different strokes for different folks, I guess. I can see why you like the pen though. Thank you for a great video. Catch up with you next time. D
Funny, the studio is one of theirs I have no interest in at all LOL. Good thing that there are so many options out there to appease all of us pen psychopaths!
A Lamy 2000 in medium nib was my first grail pen several years ago. I had a similar experience as the medium nib was like writing with a crayon. I also had a problem with the sweet spot. I never wrote with it as I just got frustrated after using it. I ended up gifting it to a friend. Now, 2 years later, I'm very tempted to get another Lamy in EF. I've watched a lot of L2K videos but I'm still on the fence. One tip that I found out with mine is that the ink makes a big difference in how it writes.
I do not have an L2k (I want one eventually for my first gold nib pen), but I had a similar experience with my Lamy Safaris. I'm still relatively new to nib sizes. I bought a Fine nib one in black, and enjoy writing with it. This was my first German nib, which I know are bigger than Japanese ones. I ordered another Safari with an EF nib and it writes almost exactly like the F I bought. Which is frustrating. I enjoy writing with both but c'mon! Be consistent in your own nib production
What drives me nuts about the L2K is that I don't have one!
Crowd pleaser grind!! Would be a lovely Fine Cursive Italic.
I like to be able to see what I write and really like shading inks so I can’t complain on a wider than expected nib.
I was playing with my MB149 which has my fine CI (aka crowd pleaser) and I just love it. I just wrote random stuff with it for like 20 mins loving every stroke. I should have another pen like that and the L2K could be the perfect candidate. I think you won one of the nibs I gave away. How's it going with it?
@@Doodlebud It’s fantastic! Has not once skipped, and it’s wet with whichever ink I throw at it. I love it, DB!
Good to hear 😁 I know what I like just don't know if it suits others as well
I can’t make a precise comparison between your video of the XF and my F but I think my F is way thinner. I ordered an F because I saw reviews saying it was wider than a Safari F. When it arrived it wasn’t, so I ordered a new 2K with an M nib, which is again very similar to a Safari M. Maybe the problem isn’t the width of the XF but the great variance that Lamy allows.
this is literally my biggst problem with lamy. i really really love the design, the haptics and everything about my lamy cp1, but it's EF nib is way to wide.
...now... I'm thinking about getting an M nib :D
btw: Faber Castells F Nib on my Loom is very thin... but i dont like it's design as i like my cp1... it drives me crazy
This is a bit hilarious. I have a Lamy 2000 in fine and it writes big, a bit bigger than a Japanese medium. But looking at your swatches, it looks like you're using my fine nib. Not sure what's going on with Lamy's QC, but I'm glad I like my pen. In fact, I want 2 more: extra fine and medium.
Also, your videos on the Lamy 2000 was the reason why I got myself the pen. I love this pen, it's my favorite.
Its too good of a pen to not get much action. I love it to bits, but with this width it doesnt suit my writing style be it cursive or printing. Need to figure out what I want to do and get it back in action. Every time I ink it up I just love it, but then I try to write with it and just shake my head LOL. Us pen folks are probably way too deep down the FP hole than we ever thought was possible!
The worst thing for me is that this very wet nib doesn't keep the richness of the ink... the line is broad and wet but very light at some parts
I got my Lamy 2000 in broad, cause I wanted to leave my medium nib comfort zone. It really writes very broad. So it took me some time to sort out how I would want to use this and I ended up using it for less saturated inks that might want to show some shading like grey or a lighter red. But this really is the first pen I might go and get another version of in a fine since I love the pen but it's daily use is limited a bit in this super broad.
I’d be glad to see a video where you detail the grind for this nib to learn how you do it, even if the video is super long
I might very well and will for sure record the process. In the meantime I have a whole playlist of nib tuning, adjusting, and grinding to check out in case I dont do this one myself.
ua-cam.com/play/PL6RAe6vPmtDin2cIizbra73IJCrZHLXs6.html
re Opus and nib maker: Opus 88 uses both Jowo and Bock on different models, it's confusing and frustrating sometimes, because it is not always well documented and you don't know what othreading you will get if you don't research it. I saw in the earlier shot you had an Omar on the cutting board, and that is a Jowo.
Thanks for the info
Perfect pen yes it is broader than others but. All are so inconsistent. That is the hardest part about buying a pen choosing the nib size. I have also noticed that to some degree with all pens it also depends on ink, pressure, angle and paper as to the experience and line width. I try to keep inks that are good about feathering in my 2000. Minor complaints. By far my favorite edc so far.
Okay, you got me! 😆😆😆 I didn't guess anything even close, after all. Good fun video, though.
Perhaps we should give the Richard Binder measures ISO status? 😀 At least Chinese pen manufacturers cite nib widths in mm, even though the results are bizarrely varied...
Unless manufacturers are willing to properly check and hold nibs to agreed upon standards, the problems will persist.
I got a Lamy 2000 in medium and I loved it so much that after a couple of months I got another one in fine. When I started to write with it I realized my mistake. The first one I got was not a medium at all, it was just in the same width range of all my other mediums and I had ended up with two fines. I had already promised someone a pen for their birthday so that took care of itself. But still.
Additionally, I don’t like the weird shape of the extra fine nib. It is not really like an architect. It is more like a tiny rectangle in a way that I don’t really enjoy. I will definitely get it ground to more of an oval/circle when I can.
I think you should send it off to get a needlepoint grind! The ultimate in extra fineness!
I have some of my Japanese fine nibs that are (for me at least) just perfect for a fine line. I need to find this pen's "personality" to see what grind suits it.🤔
I had the makrolon about 10 years ago that had an extra fine nib, and it wrote like an extra fine. Later on I picked up the stainless steel version with a medium, but I had it ground to a fine and I love it. Recently I picked up another makloron (sold my first one) with a fine nib and my luck has held up and it writes like a fine. You really should have it ground, othewise it will sit around not being used and that would be a shame.
I ground it to a XF cursive italic
ua-cam.com/video/yVJ2HlZakf4/v-deo.html
@@Doodlebud Very nice.
For fine lines....I use a Rapidograph pen... .35 width ....only $25 and with their ink, a black line that is perfect. Even stacked up against my costly fountain pens, the German made Rapidograph still is amazing. Some work to clean on rare occasion..... but it's worth it. An ultrasonic cleaner helps.
I lost my bet to myself -- I thought it was going to be the sweet spot! The sweet spot on mine is workable but sometimes I have to "hunt" for it but I'd say my EF is a true European EF (so Japanese fine). Having said that, my Dialog 3 (EF) was more like yours (wrote medium) as did my Lamy Persona. I finally had the nib on my Persona ground down by Mike Masuyama. For you, given your demonstrated grinding skills, I'd say do you Doodlebud special on it!
Oh wow so you got a nice EF on the L2K but the EF on your Dialog 3 is way off. I got a EF on my Dialog 3 as well and love it. I ended up making it an EF Architect to have some fun. Just not cool to have no idea what you're getting when you order a specific nib point size!
Agree! When I compare the Lamy experience with, say, my Pilot pens it's like night and day! I always know what to expect from Pilot (and quite a few others).
Yep. I bought the medium 2k as I like the Safari medium nib. 🤦🏻♀️ Now I find myself hardly reaching for this wonderful pen. The medium (for me) writes beautifully, but it lays down such a large and thick line that I can’t use it in my smaller monthly planner boxes and it takes so much longer to dry. It comes out looking more like a double broad, which I normally would then reserve for sheen or shimmer inks, but I dare not as it’s not easy to access the feed like with the Safari or other brands and the piston fill makes it tedious to clean.
Doodlebud, you tease. The suspense was killing me! Great video, can't wait for your L2k custom grind video :)
Edit: What is the pen with the white finial? Looks like the new Edison Comet took a cue from it!
I think it's an Oppus 88
LOL, had fun teasing and keeping people on edge! I think there will be a grind video coming up. Opus 88 Omar, as @D. Molina mentioned.
Here's the review: ua-cam.com/video/hSYv6KCPDNY/v-deo.html
The only thing I need to fix is my grip, so I can reliably and quickly land on the sweet spot and stay on it as I write. But that’s on me. I need to pay attention when I pick it up. I do love thev style and history.
I have the same pen. It has Zoom like nib. If you hold it at a higher angle, you get a slimmer line. It's designed to give line variation, especially if you have a loopy style.
As far as doing the reshaping, I wouldn't mess with that gold nib which Lamy has carefully engineered into a graduated chisel. Sent it to Bacas, get a fine architect. You'll love it.
Well if they intend to give people a Zoom nib, then they should call it one. I ground the EF on my Lamy Dialog 3 to an EF architect so already have that nib in the arsenal. Then have a Fine architect on another pen so don't want to double down on nib grinds.
@@Doodlebud Do you love those architect nibs? I adore my archi-broad and was thinking about a a-fine. I don't have your confidence with grinding a gold nib, though. Also, Germans are (were?) taught to write with fountain pens in grammar school while N Americans are taught with pencils. I wonder if they don't learn to hold the pen at a higher angle, which might explain why the XF writes finer if you hold it higher (zoom, for lack of a better word). Mine is definitely a MB in my normal angle of pen to page, but, after agreeing with your video, I experimented, and found it gives nice line variation if I write bigger and vary the angle. It's a German fine if I hold it more perpendicular. The shape of the nib is so specially designed to not be a ball but a chisel, I have to think Lamy engineers had a writing or aesthetic purpose for it. It looks very similar to the Sailor Zoom, just narrower. German engineering isn't an accident.
Send it out. I've heard the L2K nib is very difficult to grind down.
Too late, already done it
ua-cam.com/video/yVJ2HlZakf4/v-deo.html