Saturday, February 15, 2014

Lamy 2000 Steel fountain pen


If you're a pen collector too, you probably understand the feeling: it was my birthday a few months ago, so I had some spare money to buy something nice for myself, and what's a better way of spending money than on a nice pen? 

So the price wasn't a big issue (It wasn't unlimited, but I could go well into the 200+ dollar range), but which pen should I choose? The answer was quite easy, as I just noticed a Lamy 2000 steel at a fair price in a shop nearby! Of course I had to have this pen at some point, the Lamy 2000 is a design classic, so the decision wasn't too difficult after all, I guess.
Where should I start? This pen is just mindblowingly cool! It's sleek, it's heavy, and it's made by Lamy, so what's not to like about it? 

The design of the Lamy 2000 dates back from the '60's (That's when the Makrolon version was released!) I's quite hard to understand how a pen can exist for over fifty years, and still be one of the more modern design pens! You could say that this pen definitely passed the test of time! 
The 2000's design is very simple, with a sleek, tapered design and a no-nonsense clip. The pen is made out of brushed steel. The matte body and cap contrast nicely with the mirror-finish clip and the polished top and bottom of the pen. Also notice the small decorative 'gap' above the clip, I love how it gives that subtle extra detail to the overall sleek design of the pen!
The bottom of the pen is polished and has a small matte steel 'disc' in the middle.
And even though the design will probably last forever, I think the pen itself will last even longer! The All-steel build of the Lamy 2000 steel seems virtually indestructible. And it feels like a tank as well! It's definitely a heavy pen, at around 55 grams for the whole pen, and 35 grams uncapped! I prefer writing with it uncapped, as it's a very decent size when uncapped (14cm / 5.5 Inches), and it's definitely better balanced without the heavy cap posted. Also in regards to writing fatigue, it's much more pleasant to use it unposted.
The pen has an integrated piston mechanism to fill it up from an ink bottle. The Piston mechanism operates smoothly, and it has quite a decent ink capacity. Another cool thing about this pen is that the blind cap from the piston mechanism is almost unnoticeable if you just look at the pen. The seam where the body and blind cap meet is very discreet, which makes this pen look even sleeker! A little downside about the use of steel instead of the traditional Macrolon: there is no ink window on the steel version (which actually makes it look even sleeker, but you can't check the ink level in the pen).
Piston filler knob
Though the design also has some flaws that are a bit dissapointing to see on a pen of this price category. First of all, the brushed finish is quite prone to scratches and scuffs, and the shiny clip isn't any better, mine has some very annoying scuffs along the length of the clip. This is something you'll have to live with, as it's completely normal that it gets scratched and scuffed when used. I'm probably a bit too picky when it comes to keeping my pens in pristine condition. It's just a bit sad that mine already had these scuffs right out of the box!
I also had an annoying issue with my particular pen that made the piston knob very loose, so it would unscrew while I was writing. Luckily, Lamy did a great job fixing the piston knob issue. So it's not a huge deal after all, especially because Lamy's customer service was very quick and friendly!
All things considered, these small issues didn't change my mind, it's a great pen! Designwise, that is, but how does it write?

The Lamy 2000 (both macrolon and steel version) are equipped with a solid 14k gold, semi-hooded nib with a platinum coating. And it performs quite like I expected really. Buttery smooth, but still with a subtle hint of feedback, just the way I like it. It has a beautiful, wet flow that makes skipping almost impossible, although it does happen very occasionally (I did notice that it gets noticeably less frequent after a while, probably just the nib that neads some breaking in). To me, Lamy nibs are something special, they are very reliable, wet writers, and they are just fun to use. However, please do notice that they tend to write about one size broader than your average European nib.
To conclude this review, I can honestly say that this is one of the prettiest and best writing fountain pens I currently own. The Lamy 2000 truly is a design icon, and it's not hard to understand why. The only real downside about the steel version, is the serious premium you'll pay for the steel. The Macrolon is somewhere around 150USDollars, whereas this one is twice as expensive! 300-330 hard-earned USDollars (200-270 Euros) will get you one of these.

12 comments:

  1. Thanks! A good friend from school made it for me (and I drew the pens in the background)

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  2. Good review but the price chokes me unless I can find it used, like my other more expensive pens (over $100.)

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    1. Yeah, it's quite a serious pricetag! I was lucky enough to find one at a serious discount, otherwise I wouldn't have bought it right away. Maybe you'd like the macrolon version better, it's essentially the same great pen, though it's a much better deal at only half the price of this one!

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    2. I have looked at the Macrolon version and I find it quite appealing. I'll put it up there close to an orange Delta. I,m a sucker for the visual appeal. Thanks for your time. brother Shirl

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  3. Fantastic pens collection i am so wonder after visit your collection. A big thanks for sharing with us !!

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    1. You're welcome! I really enjoy sharing my love for pens, and I'm glad you like it!

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  4. Really awesome pens collection.I just enjoy viewing all the pens.These pens are best fountain pens.

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  5. bravo on your photos and review! very well done indeed.

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  6. I have the regular edition, it's very functional and doesn't attract much attention when I pull it out at university, if any at all. It's a good pen to keep the pen thieves away, hahahaha :D

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    1. My dad also has the regular version. It's totally different though, this one screams for attention :)

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