Earlier this year I added a new fountain pen to my collection. It is a pen that is regarded as an icon in the fountain pen world. What have I purchased? It’s the Lamy 2000 fountain pen.
Before I tell you about the pen and my writing experience with it, let’s take a look at the company that made it.
Lamy Origins
Lamy was founded in 1930 in Heidelberg, Germany. It is still the only production site in the world for Lamy pens so that they can guarantee to produce consistently high quality pens bearing the ‘Made in Germany’ stamp.
Lamy is represented in 80 countries with over 15,600 sales outlets and 200 mono-brand stores.
Since 2024 the company has been part of the Japanese stationery company Mitsubishi Pencil Company, founded 1887, and for reference is not connected to Mitsubishi Cars.
The Lamy Design Philosophy
The pen that I wish to review today, the Lamy 2000, was first produced in 1966. Dr Manifred Lamy in this year founded a design language that is still a characteristic of Lamy’s products today. The philosophy behind the design concept is that their pens should be beautiful, functional, durable and if possible available to all. Lamy also put in place guard rails for its design process. There should be no ornaments or fashionable embellishments. The primary focus is to design and manufacture a product that has a long physical and to Lamy, more importantly, visual durability. A good pen that looks tatty well before its end is not going to be used.
The Lamy 2000 was designed by Gerd A. Muller b.1932.
Lamy 2000 Fountain Pen Review
Looking closely at my Lamy 2000 fountain pen I can observe these qualities clearly. The pen is beautifully proportioned and so well made that you can’t see the join at the top of the pen where the piston filler twists open. The barrel and cap are made from fibreglass in a matt black finish which has a smooth feel but with plenty of grip for writing.
The clip on the cap is sprung which is great when keeping in a pocket as it has just the right amount of flex. It is also finished well with no sharp edges and so it won’t pull threads, as I often find with Parker’s arrowhead clips. The cap fits with a reassuring click as it goes over the small protruding springs on the barrel.
At the business end of the pen it is brushed stainless steel which in my fingers is non-slip and makes it comfortable to hold the pen for a long time without any issues. The nib is 14 carat gold and coated in platinum. I purchased my Lamy 2000 with a fine nib, but they are available with a full range of nib sizes - M, OM, F, OB, BB, B, OBB, EF. More about the writing experience to follow.
The pen is piston filled and there is an opaque window to show when the ink level is getting low. This window is almost imperceptible when the pen is filled with a darker ink and is just covered
when the cap is on. There will still be plenty of writing time even when the ink level drops below the window. The pen is piston-filled which makes filling easy. The top of the pen is unscrewed and placed into the ink before turning the knob back into place. The vacuum created sucks up the ink to refill the pen. When the pen already contains ink, don’t unscrew the end until the pen is over an ink bottle, or container, to catch the ink that will come out when the knob is unscrewed. The Lamy 2000 will hold 1.4ml of ink and that will could be enough for thousands of words, depending on the nib size. Finer nibs lay down less ink on the paper than broad nibs. This is quite a lot of ink when we compare the pen to the average ink cartridge which holds 0.7ml (short cartridge) and 1.2ml (long cartridge).
I use my Lamy 2000 every day, and purchased it from Cult Pens during the second-week of July this year, and I have only just refilled it for the third time. That’s a lot of writing!
The pen weighs in at 26g and is 140mm long when capped, 123mm uncapped and for those who like to write with the cap posted it is 151mm. I write with my Lamy 2000 un-posted, out of habit, but I have tested it with the cap attached and it is well balanced and still light for a good writing experience. The pen is 13mm at its widest points.
How does the Lamy 2000 write?
I love writing with the Lamy 2000. It’s smooth and responsive and lays down just the right amount of ink. I am using Parker Quink, a well-known tried and trusted ink for fountain pens which is quick-drying, and washable in case you get it on your clothes. Of course, there are many ink options to choose from, including those made by Lamy.
I do tend to write small and the fine nib is just right for my style. I have written with it on paper that with a larger nib might cause feathering or bleed through. The many owners of Lamy 2000 fountain pens over the years since 1966 can concur that the pen will last, and thankfully it is still made to the same quality today, so investing in one will be good. Lamy list the price as £280 but, if you shop around, you can cut that price. Cult Pens are usually listing it at £195 but have done discounts (at the time of writing there is 10% off) Many companies sell at around £225. Watch out for eBay chancers who list at nearly £400! I think that at this time sub £200 is an exceptional price.
For those who like matching pen sets you can get the Lamy 2000 as a ballpoint, rollerball and mechanical pencil. A steel version of the fountain pen is more expensive, by an extra £80 as shown on the Lamy website.
Every pen has its own characteristics and feel. I believe the Lamy 2000 is a quality, long-lasting and practical writing instrument with a gold nib that will give you a pleasurable writing experience.
Please let me know in the comments if you write with a fountain pen and share your experience.
This article is in my Notebook series. To find more ,select Notebook from the menu.
Nice review!