Bauhaus Beauty: the Lamy 2000
The Lamy 2000 was my first foray into more expensive fountain pens. I was hesitant, mostly because of the price. At the time, it was hard for me to justify spending over $100 for a pen. I now see that there is value at all different price levels, and it’s completely dependent on the purchaser. That’s a big topic that might be better left to another article.
That said, I heard so many great things about the Lamy 2000 that I decided to give it a try. I’m glad I did, as I now have two of them; one in a medium nib and the other in fine. The fine, which I’m reviewing here, gets heavy use in my rotation.
This Lamy 2000 is made of makrolon, a brushed polycarbonate, which keeps the pen fairly lightweight, and has some texture to it. You can also get it in stainless steel, which is heavier and more expensive. I like the makrolon. It’s a unique material and feels nice in the hand. The overall look is sleek and classic, though perhaps not as classic as the cigar-shaped Pilot Metropolitan. Its design is more considered, is in the Bauhaus tradition, and comes from the collaboration between Lamy and former Braun designer Gerd Muller.
The design of the nib stands out right away. It’s a gold, rhodium-plated hooded nib. While this gives its signature look, it also means that the nib isn't as bouncy as other gold nibs. There’s a small frosted ink window. It can be difficult to see which color ink you have in the pen unless holding it up to a light, but it’s functional enough to warn me when I’m running out of ink.
The grip section is stainless steel, which can be problematic for some writers since it can be a bit slippery. The sleek curve down to the nib, while looking graceful, doesn’t help in that regard. I don’t have an issue with this since I tend to grip pens high. I’m usually up by the metal wings that clip into the cap. That said, if you tend to grip a pen down towards the nib, that’s one thing to watch out for.
Another thing to watch out for is the “sweet spot”. All fountain pens have one and some are big while others are small. As you write with the pen, if you roll it, this could interrupt the capillary action, which just means that the pen won’t write. I’ve found this to be an issue more with the fine nib than the medium, but it’s not common enough to be an annoyance.
The pen is a piston filler, which I like, because it’s easy to fill and has a larger ink capacity.
Here is a quick writing sample. It’s in our Pocket Journal (Ruled Refill). The ink is Lamy Azurite, which I find to be on the dry side. As far as how it writes, here is the nib score. I test all pens using Iroshizuku Shin Kai, to keep it consistent. If you’d like to learn more about how I developed this nib score, click here.
Flex: 3
Flow: 4
Feedback: 2
As a quick comparison to another Lamy, I rate the Lamy Safari as follows:
Flex: 2
Flow: 2
Feedback: 6
I love the look of the Lamy 2000. It’s minimalist and professional-looking. The simple curves and lack of logos or flourishes are somehow calming. It’s also an extremely smooth writer. There are some sweet spot issues, but no pen is perfect. I like it so much, in fact, that I’d rank it as one of my current top 5 favorite pens. But that’s a discussion for another time.
What are your thoughts? It seems like people either love it or hate it. I can completely understand both camps, though I fall into the former. If you have experience with the Lamy 2000, let me know in the comments below. If you’ve never used the Lamy 2000 and have questions, feel free to ask those as well. I’ll answer anything that I can.
