Lamy 2000 black - elegant Fountain Pen in robust fibreglass barrel - 14 ct. gold nib, partially platinum-plated - nib size EF

Overview:Out of all my fountain pens, this one is my favourite and it remains inked at all times. I like the simple understated design and the hardwearing nature of the Makrolon construction (Makrolon is polycarbonate and is very strong). The clip on the cap is a brushed steel and adds to the industrial look. I like this type of Lamy clip that appear to be spring-loaded as they make usage much easier, especially if you want to clip the pen to a shirt or jacket pocket without spraining the clip or damaging the fabric of your clothing.The piston motion is very smooth and easy to use and I have no issues inking the pen from a bottle. The ink window, though small is a great feature allowing for the easy checking of the ink levels in the pen just by holding it up to the light.The pen cap secures in place using 2 tiny nubs on the pen body as anchor points. These are small and protrude just a little from the pen body and some people say they are uncomfortable. I however have to disagree as I never notice them - possibly as I hold my pen slightly below them and as I use a tripod grip they are not in the way. I can use the pen both posted or unposted. It is very light so posing the cap maybe preferable for some people to give the pen a little extra weight.The construction is extremely high quality and you cannot discern the joint points between the sections. The grip section is metal like the clip and has a brushed finish. This adds character and perhaps a little texture, but not enough to aid your grip so if you press down too hard like a ball point user has to you may find your grip slips. I hold my pen lightly and have no such issues and this also limits your susceptibility to getting cramp in your hand from too tight a grip.The Nib:The Nib is a 14 carat gold hooded nib with a platinum coating and is really enjoyable to write with. I have it inked up with Noodler's Black and find that it is a nice smooth writer that doesn't skip or seem to suffer any hard starts if left uncapped for a short while. The nib on mine is an extra fine and to be honest is a little wider than I expected. This was probably because this was my first gold nib and I was only familiar with steel nibs at the time, but that was why I chose the extra fine over a fine or a medium which would have been almost unusable to me.Overall I am extremely happy with this pen and use it almost every day both at home and work and highly recommend it to anyone wanting to upgrade from a starter pen to something nicer. I would certainly buy another if I ever had the misfortune of having to replace this one.

Its reputation is well earned, however, I have returned mine to Amazon because it came in a poor box and not the gift box shown on the product details page. Not really becoming for an expensive pen such as this and disappointing.I have since purchased one from WH Smith online for £94.50 - bargain! Sent to Germany for swap to EF nib, £8 postage. Lamy returned it with a 50cc bottle of ink, bonus!I trawled the net and read numerous reviews on the L2K EF and and the L2K generally. Some of the reviews out there are quite old. I have used mine for over a week now and none of the criticisms from older reviews are still valid - probably because Lamy have well and truly got their QA sorted, The EF nib is incredibly smooth, the sweet spot is wide, the pen can be rotated and still write smoothly. Ink flow is excellent, and Lamy blue-black looks great on cream Castelli notebook paper. I absolutely see why this pen is so highly favoured. I have numerous pens, the tactile feel of the Lamy is unique. Some say a bit like wood and that may be true, it feels really pleasant to the touch. The overall shape is streamlined, no ridges or change in shape from section to barrel - all sublimely smooth.The join of the piston knob to the main barrel is a work of pure precision, it is barely visible and almost cannot be felt. How do they do that? Similar joins of nib unit to main barrel and then brushed stainless section are equally precision engineered. The balance with cap posted is superb, just right. The small nubs that form the latch are tiny and although can be felt do not get in the way at all - the nature of the shape is that the pen is extremely comfortable to hold in various locations along the barrel. The all black finish almost makes it a stealth pen. Simple minimalist elegance. I've churned out pages of gibberish because this pen just feels so nice to use, nice to hold and the nib is superb. And it's pretty fine, some say the EF is not that fine, well, I think it is perfect. Somehow this pen is the black sheep of the family insofar as it is completely and utterly different in every way from all other pens. It stands out from the crowd by being hidden in it. Delighted with this pen and see why so many users have made it their every day workhorse pen that they've used for years. Superb.

I bought this for £136, which it seems is quite a low price for this pen, but still not exactly cheap.It's a smart looking pen and very comfortable to hold. But the EF nib was more like a broad medium. My handwriting is small, so I always buy extra fine nibs. This is one of the least fine nibs I've ever used. Very smooth, but way too broad for me. EF is nowhere near accurate.Back it goes. For this kind of money, you expect to get what you are supposed to have paid for. For me, the nib is everything. Buying this was an utter waste of my time. One star.

I needed a pen for developing my handwriting and drawing sketches. First I tried a vintage Parker 51 Aerometric (similar to Her Majesty's one) and liked it a lot - ideal grip and smooth writing. However as soon as you start to draw and hold the pen higher, you notice a sweet spot. It is almost not noticeable when you write but annoying when you draw. Then I got a Lamy Safari. The quality of the line is fantastic: it is consistent in width and never breaks. And there is no sweet spot! It is omnidirectional. The problem is that Safari is over-ergonomical: it is designed only for writing and it sits ideally when you hold it closer to the nib. So what pen is shaped similar to Parker51 and draws the line as smooth and reliable as Lamy Safari? Lamy Studio and Aion? But they are made of metal and relatively heavy... When I touched a Lamy 2000, I new: that's the one! It is the smoothest and the most convenient pen money can buy! And don't forget: it has been designed by Gerd Müller - associated name with Braun design - in 1966. The Bauhaus aesthetics, extreme level of functioning and Lamy's highest level of technology make this pen a good investment.