My Biggest Problem With The Lamy 2000 Fountain Pen
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- PART 1 of my deep dive into the Lamy 2000
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Part 2
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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
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 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 have problem with Lamy 2k too!
I don't have it.
I've noticed that with all Lamy's. Their EF is more like Mediums.
They do write a bit wider, but this one was an outlier. My other XF Lamy nibs were at most 1 size up. I did a grind on it the other day and recorded it so vid will be up soon.
Not enough tipping youre gonna run into gold bc only half of the tipping is made of tipping alloy . it looks silverish bc its plated they make it that way to avoind tip breaking off
I can see the line where the transition from tipping to nib is (2nd bump). I think there's just enough material to leave just a tad of tipping but be able to get line variation. It will be slight, but will be a XF CI. I did an architect to my XF Dialog 3 nib. It's slight, but just enough to notice
Lamy‘s acceptable variance in mean writing width is so great that “wide” extra fines are comparable to “small” mediums, unfortunately.
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.
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
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
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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 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
CAN U COMPLETELY DISASSEMBLE THE VISCONTI? SADLY, THERE'S NO VIDEO IN YT ABOUT THAT...
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
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.
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.
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.
Bunch of recreational users in the comments smh. The fact Lamy cant make an ef gold nib is the only reason i don't own one!
They no doubt can, but its seems like they just want to do their own size and thats that. I just dont get it 🙄
Agree with u 100%! This is why I won’t buy Lamy. Their EF Isn’t fine enough for me
Been like this forever with Lamy. Their nibs have been hit or miss since I’ve been buying them (At least 20 years).
If they ever do update this pen, there only one name they should give it - 2001.
Yes, use it as a MEDIUM when you need another medium. Ha ha .... Personally, I do not like hooded nib pens.
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.
For those who have trouble with the “sweet spot” on the Lamy 2000: Try the Oblique nib in M, B or BB.
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.
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.
My medium is writing lie a broad, so have requested for a replacement of the nib to a fine
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
My Lamy 2000 EF from around 2010 is one of my best writers - and it is a real western EF. Nib finishing has gone downhill in recent years. I got a Lamy 2000 around 2019 that had a poor-quality medium nib (baby’s bottom + uneven shape to the tip). This is quite shocking compared to their previous standards.
I ended up grinding that nib to a cursive italic: ua-cam.com/video/yVJ2HlZakf4/v-deo.html
I then another nib to an architect: ua-cam.com/video/ZD0Rq3alaR4/v-deo.html
I love the pen now!
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.
I bought one recently in M thinking it'd be like the nib in my Studio LX. Nah, it's basically a broad in comparison. It's so strange.
I found out after the fact the nibs on the L2K is different than their normal line up. I ground it to a cursive italic and I LOVE the pen now!
ua-cam.com/video/yVJ2HlZakf4/v-deo.html
@@Doodlebud I just ended up doing an amazon return and getting an EF as that seems to be closer to the medium I was looking for on other Lamy pens.
My medium Lamy 2000 writes as if it were double broad :-(
I'm the opposite, for me the fatter the nib, the better, so I got the BB nib and the sweet spot was absolutely horrendous. I had it reground to a stub and now it's a fantastic writer, wet and gloriously smooth.
Lamy and their famous fedium "EF" nibs, mine is the same way.
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!
i thought about getting one. now i will not
Mine is an outlier. Its a great pen. I ground my nib to how I want it but that is not what is normally required
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.
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?
Well DB, I think you should give it a grind yourself 🤗👍. I can say from experience, that you will do a great job, and you’ll save a few Canadian “Oh Canada 🍁 “ dollars 🤗.
Aaaa, What’s the worst that can happen, eh? You screw it up, you can get a brand new nib, and then have someone else grind it if a new nib doesn’t fit your needs/wants/requirements for a fine or extra fine 😉. Go for it, you’ll do excellent I’m sure.👍👍👍👍😎😎😎😎🍁🍁🍁🍁
I'm thinking along the same line. I've been playing with the pen to see which grind suits it best and I'm leaning towards my DIY grind. I'll try to make up my mind soon LOL. Like you said I can always get another EF nib for it down the line. Good to hear from you 😀
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
look Lamy and pelikan are great pens but I think it's a German thing and they don't understand subtlety or XF points. I don't know how Montblanc does it. That being said I love the pens for never skipping or drying out. It looks great w/ italic. The lamy 200 stainless steel is my favorite...
I also think my pen is just a bit of an outlier. Lamy & Pelikan do run a bit more wide, but this one is crazy. I ground the nib and did a video which will hopefully be up this weekend. Now it writes perfectly to suit my needs. So now it has great build quality, performance and reliability, with a line width to suits it better for me.
So. Send the darn thing out, have the point re-ground, and be content. I can’t get too excited about it because I hate this pen. Why anyone who owns a Montblanc 149, a pen of grace and majesty, would prefer to write with something that looks like a stick he picked up off the ground escapes me. Tastes vary I suppose. Write and enjoy and thanks for all the great posts!
No need to send it out when I can DIY. Here's the process and result:
ua-cam.com/video/yVJ2HlZakf4/v-deo.html
That is...disturbing for a guy considering spending $200+ on a pen, guess I will have to designate this pen a "hands on" purchase, that's not great, but I suppose a day at the stationary store coming home with an acceptably ground 2k and a bottle or two of ink I've been looking at isn't exactly a bad day at the office as the saying goes...
Stopping in at a store would probably be a safer bet. Its such an amazing pen (for me anyways) but the variance between this EF and others is very large. I knew going in they wrote wider but not this much. I've heard many others who's XF or F is on point which is great! But if you want to be sure you're getting what you want, going to a store is the absolute best way. Plus its a bunch of fun to pick out inks and paper etc!
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.
Why didn’t you just send it back? It was probably mis-marked in packaging - manufacturing error and if no one returns the product, it will continue to be manufactured incorrectly.
It is an EF nib, on the box & stamped on the nib. This is the wide range of nib width variability that happens with this pen. This is why I did this video
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
Couldn’t they push the snap cap ring further backward so it doesn’t interfere with where you grip?
They should also make it as light as possible and push the cog to the point where most people commonly hold it
If you push the snap ring further back the cap has to be longer as well. If its pushed back much further the aesthetics start to look funny
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.
My biggest problem is the bloody singing of the M nib on my 2000 steel version, it's like the Maria Callas of my collection
I actually don't mind a little squeak, but sounds like yours is on another level
Maybe leave it as is and use it? You’ll have one pen that produces man sized script.
Kidding, send it off and make like you want. I have too many pens that don’t suit my needs that i need to have fixed.
I have a few others that are in line to get something done to them so I use them more often. Its a shame when you have a great pen that doesn't get used
So an Ef is like a pilot medium, that's something I'm familiar with. I like that, i was pondering between this or the fine
It's tricky to say for sure. I think mine was a bit outside of the boundaries than normal.
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!
That's interesting. If I saw that line and I had to guess the nib size I'd guess M, not F, and definitely not EF
Here's what the nib is like now:
ua-cam.com/video/yVJ2HlZakf4/v-deo.html
Is there a fountain pen brand that is reliable when comes to these issues according to your experience?
The Lamy 2000 has a unique grind that is different from its other nibs. I didnt know this going in to the purchase so it surprised me. I dont have this issue with any the pens or nibs so much. I did do a video comparing an bunch of nibs point sizes and brands as a referrence:
ua-cam.com/video/maT6qNJSvVs/v-deo.html
With the use of charts that show "X is Y mm wide, so it's a 'Western' medium, or a 'Japanese' broad," or something similar, there's gotten to be a lot of confusion. "My Wingelschlitz Wizzletee was sold as a fine, but this chart shows it's not that, but a Japanese broad." Pen manufacturers vary. In the past, Parker, for example, was consistently broader than other American pens, just so they could say that they were different from Sheaffer.
However, inconsistent nibs from the same company? Shouldn't happen. Lamy is notorious for this issue.
The issue with the differing widths today is exacerbated by the lack of the brick and mortar stores. Was a time you could choose the best one for your writing, from several available brands, and actually get to test them yourself. Online sales, even if you watch 100 reviews on the exact same pen, just are not the same.
My grandfather preferred Sheaffer. I have a friend that used Sheaffer and Parker indiscriminately. FDR liked. Waterman's. JFK used everything from a Montblanc 149, to Esterbrook and started the Presidential pen thing with the Parker 45. Einstein loved his Pelikan 100N. Churchill liked the Red Dwarf (🎶I want to lie, shipwrecked and comatose, drinking fresh mango juice.🎶 Not remotely related to the TV show. 😁) stylograph.
Basically because they got to actually handle the pen and write with it, before purchase.
I get there's inconsistencies between brands. Part of the draw for certain brands. Inconsistent sizes from the same company? Shouldn't happen. I have a 1930s Parker Parkette, bottom of the brand, through my 51, and even the 45 (and I have one of those from the end of their production run around 2008.) All fine, and with the same ink, basically the same line width. Try to get that from some brands today...
Shame on Lamy. They need to stop focusing on chasing the next colour, a focus on the QC of their nibs. (Rob from Fountain Pen Journey from the UK has quite a number of Safari pens, and has repeatedly said that 20% he's gotten have been drek writers. Generally a better sample selection than most reviews, so I'm inclined to believe him on this.)
Praise has been given to the manufacturers that constantly tweak and try to improve their pens. What really have certain brands done similarly? (Really, it's not just a Lamy thing.)
Like several Canadian pen people have said recently, the culprits need held accountable. Dipping in blue ink and mechanically making a mark isn't doing it? Do it right, then. And as a consumer, stop buying those things that have issues, until it's demonstrated that they fixed the problem. We're just as guilty, by just accepting the quality of a dime store pen from one that costs a hundred dollars or more...
Yup, agreed. That's why I have huge respect for Ben Walsh at Gravitas. He checks & tunes & polishes if needed, EVERY nib before he sends it out. If a "ONE-MAN-SHOW" can do this, surely major manufacturers can too. But until they do, the same issues will persists. The inspection process can even be automated with currently technology. Hell, I used to make systems that would profile and measure these exact type of things. Instant PASS/FAIL with a data logged for each item. And if you know your stuff, can even use it to guide machines to use it tune/re-grind then reinspect again. For a big player like this, it drives me crazy. And being a German company, I don't know how this is let slide by.
@@Doodlebud Was a point in fountain pen history that "Made in Germany" could mean "hot garbage." A lot of the mass produced ones even today seem to focus on quantity over quality. And just because it's a high priced pen doesn't really mean much. (There's been plenty of horrible even gold nibbed pens in the past. Just more consistent line width in the past.😁)
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
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.
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.
You want fine? Try writing with the nib inverted. This will give e you a very fine line and now you have the best of both.
Already tried my friend. Not ground to be very useable on the backside (at least on my nib).
Try to change ink. to dryer brand, lower flow. My EF is fine.
I have tried many different inks, dry ones as well. It seems the grind on mine is just fairly wide. Since the video I ground the nib and its great now
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.
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.
If they just rotated the ears on this 90 degrees it'd suddenly not bother anyone. Don't get why is like that
The tab would also stick out the bottom of the pen. I do a standard tripod grip where the pen rests on my middle finger and having the tab poke into it for me at least would be way worse
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
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
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 agree wholeheartedly!!!!
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
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@@Doodlebud Very nice.
What drives me nuts about the L2K is that I don't have one!
Classic rant. Some things are just annoying!
It's all good now. I did the grind to the nib & my anger has subsidized
I've always bought Twsbi eco's, 580's, and noodles flex pems. I JUST got a Lamy Al Star and I like the grip but the flow of the pen is terrible compared to twsbi's. I bought a broad nib as I normally do and it's so thin and the ink comes out thin
Sounds like the tine gap on your nib might be too tight
@@Doodlebud thank you, I'll look that up and try to find a solution. I like a wet flow, like I really like flex pens and used to only get those. I study the Founding Fathers and they're writing all the time, so I wanted to learn how to write like they did so that's how I got into fountain pens. Then I tried stub nibs and really liked those especially on twisbi pens and recently I have been buying broad nibs, which i also really like. I buy from Goulet pens who are constantly raving about lammy pens so I figured I would give it a try. Like I said in my original post I like the grip a lot and like German products because I'm interested in Germany and speak German. The best way to explain the problem is It' writes like a normal pilot pen you buy at the store right before it runs out of ink
Hello! Quick question - how do you know what nib suits your writing style? I’m swithering between the Pilot 823 and this Lamy 2K…
That's a tricky one. I try to think about how I will use the pen and then use that to help in nib size selection. But the best way to find out is to try lots of different nibs & you'll find out. For me, my favourites are cursive italics
@@Doodlebud thanks mate. The Lamy 2K (m) will be with me soon!
Swithering. A great Scottish word😊
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
Hello. I have a Ensso fountain pen that came with a BOCK nib. For all kinds of reasons it doesn’t work right. It feel like I have to press to get it to ink, it’s a medium but feels like a fine, and it is completely unsatisfying in many ways. I contacted the company and they sent me out a second nib. I find it a smidge better but it’s the same. I find I have not written with it since I’ve purchased it over a year ago. I don’t feel confident enough to grind these with my simple set of grinding pads for some reason. I don’t have any stones to work with either to even start to learn on cheaper nibs. Plus these nibs are very hard to work with I find. I’ve tried to open the tines but the metal is just too hard. For me anyway. I just can’t grip them enough to make a difference. I was really considering sending them out for work. I know there are nib meisters around the world. But some of them are so popular that you may not get a pen back for over a year. I was wondering if you have any info on a good meister that isn’t quite so backed up in their work? Also do you take on nib work from people like myself? I was also wondering what stone you use to grind your nibs? I would like to get into grinding my own nibs. And I would like the right tools to do so. I also have a Louie that is a 20x and I find it incredibly hard to actually see the nib tip even when just trying to see its shape. Am I just blind or are their another magnification system to use when grinding your own nibs to see what the hell your doing without guessing? Lol. I know there are head gear types. I just don’t know which ones are any good and which are crap. There doesn’t seem to be much quality control for the couple I’ve seen. I look forward to hearing back from you soon. Cheers
Pretty much all nibmeisters are busy, so will be a waiting game. As far as doing work for others, its not something I'm doing right now. I'm so swamped with everything else going on doing nibs would be more than I could handle. As far as tools, I use just a basic loop for checking my work but also have a USB microscope to help check things closer if I can't see what I need with my loop (cheap $8 loop). For most nibs, alignment of the tines and widening the tine gap are the most common things. I'm going to be doing a new grind video soon and will show all the tools I use and others for people who are interested.
@@Doodlebud Thank you so much for getting back to me. I appreciate all the information you have given. I guess I have most of the tools already but I just can’t see enough out of my loops. Maybe I just need a bigger magnification for my eyes. And a stone to get going. And then after that just comes down to brass balls. Lol. I have done a couple of pens but I don’t ever feel the outcome is great. Again,I’ve used the little abrasive pads not an actual stone. I look forward to your video and thanks very much for your reply. Cheers
My extra fine on lamy 2000 is realy fine, more fine than my pelikan m800 fine! I can provide writings if you Like?
I ended up grinding the nib. Works perfect now.
@@Doodlebud today I’ll grind my Leonardo with flex nib which is more than medium. I bought it fine but it’s wide enough to get cursive italic.
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!
I loved my Lamy 2000. Then…it fell 2 feet and the nib is ruined. I’ve looked for people to repair it and can’t find a nib meister.
There are a bunch of nib meisters in the US. Another options might be just to order another nib unit
@@Doodlebud lamy doesn’t sell nib units. Per Lamy, two years ago. I will have to check again since you say that is an option for me. A year ago, everyone I contacted told me to buy a new one.
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.
Once I had a Studio with a gold nib, the fine nib wrote like a broad nib. My guess is this problem happens more often with the lamy gold nibs.
I love the Lamy 2000. Mine is an oblique double broad though. Writes like a firehose and is most definitely super broad.
While I love the design and the feel of the Lamy 2000, the inconsistent nib grinds are a dealbreaker for me, especially as a Pilot owner. I bought a 2000 in Fine, and it had too many hard starts; exchanged it, and this second one writes broad than my Al Star’s medium nib. It’s a real shame that the 2000 is so inconsistent, because I absolutely love the pen. I’ll stick to my Custom Heritage 92 fine medium instead.
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!
You can buy certain other really cheap (non fountain) pens of various sorts that say 0.7mm on the pen. That's what you get. Why not, Lamy? I have pens used by draftsmen that say 0.5mm or 0.7mm or ..... - that's what you get. I have an ancient Parker Jotter in stainless steel with a refill that says 0.8mm Fine. It has been suggested that 0.8mm is the ink rolling ball size - it certainly is fine to extra fine. Why the world of writing instruments of various kinds is unable to come to terms with the size of the line they make is a mystery. Sure, there may be some variation with different inks. But it has occurred to me that if the industry wants to survive against the excellent quality available in cheap gel pens, then it's time to get serious about telling customers what they're buying. I've just bought an L2K Medium on the assumption that it was probably going to be as broad as an inexpensive TWSBI 580. It wasn't but it's close enough to it that I don't mind. I'll buy no more pens that I can't try first. S/H pens? So it seems.
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.
Your Lamy 2000 needs a deep clean.
Its always inked and ready to go!
The nib complaints are part of what is holding me back from a L2k - for $250 CAD++ I would not expect to need to grind or send for tuning - not acceptable at that price point!
The nib wrote great (smooth, wet, etc), but just not close to an EF like I expected. But I gave it a grind to the XF cursive italic and love it now!
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Yep. My EF lamy 2000 produces a thicker line than my Platinum 3776 M. Thicker by a full size I'd say. Section is annoying. The only way I could get enjoyment of this pen is if I post it. But even then, the cap clip has to be aligned perfectly or the pen wants to roll on the side.
I Recently got one and was APPALLED.
While capping the pen you feel this horrible scratchy grit creeping all the way until it clicks in place. I was shocked at all the people praising the "satisfying click when recapping it".
Sure, if you enjoy that lovely "grinding your teeth with sand in your mouth" feeling, then yes, it's 'satisfying'.
And it was not my specific pen only. I went online and searched for this issue and found a bunch of threads with people saying "oh, yeah. That's normal on a new Lamy 2000. Just keep using it and it will lessen as the pen wears along the years".
Nope. Not something you should expect on a supposedly "well designed" pen at this price range.
Then the fact that I got it in a Fine Nib, and the thing writes HUGE. I am WELL familiar with the differences between Japanese and European nibs. This is not it. I've owned everything from Parkers, Sailors, Pilots, Platinums, TWSBIs, Muji, Watermans, Pelikan, in Mediums, Fines and Broads.
Man, no other pen I've ever seen gushes ink uncontrollably more than this Lamy in "Fine". It's not just thick, it was uncontrollably thick. Like trying to write with an eyedropper. Made no difference to try to use a drier ink.
I REALLY wanted to like this pen. My love for industrial design and architecture was so tickled by the aesthetics and the feel of the pen in my hand. It really does feel nice and comfortable to me. But I just can't deal with the horrible grit in the cap and the terrible thick, feathery nib performance. The thing went back the very next day after I opened it.
I'll stick with Pelikan M800 if I want a thicker, wetter nib that I can actually write with.
keep in mind the 2000 is an old design from the 60s. how Lamy's pens handle ink has changed over time, so this pen is unusually watery compared to more modern models. i really do wish they provide a modernized option, though.
Thanks! I’m a fan of Lamy but their unreliable nibs are infuriating. My 2000 m writes like an f - very disappointing! It’s a great pen otherwise, and it looks like it’s dressed in a tuxedo :)
Maybe the sale of Lamy to Mitsubishi will bring some standardization to their nib production. Mitsubishi makes world class pencils, and I find their 2b is always a 2b.
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 🤣🤓
Lamy's infamously known where the knockoff version has better nib QC than the actual real thing
All these people complaining about Lamy's "lack of standards" have zero clue about how Lamy makes their nibs. There is no standard for what makes an EF, EF in comparison to the same models F, M and B is still an EF. I find these complaints baseless.
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.
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