Stainless Steel Lamy 2000 Fountain Pen
A few months ago we got word there would be a Stainless Steel Lamy 2000 coming out, and I’ve been eager to see it in person. With an MSRP of $375 (street price around $300), it’s quite a jump up from the current Lamy 2000 in Makrolon with an MSRP of $195 (street price around $156). Twice the price? I was skeptical, but open minded as I know that stainless steel is a very difficult material to manufacture.
I must say, I am impressed. The pen definitely looks nicer in person than I thought, and the heft is substantial. It’s more than twice the overall weight of the Makrolon Lamy 2000, and if you’re one that feels that a heavier pen feels like a more quality pen you will feel this pen’s value in the weight alone:
Comparison of two Lamy 2000’s, from GouletPens.com
The finish is brushed stainless steel, but it feels just a bit smoother than the stainless steel grip section of the Makrolon Lamy 2000, because it isn’t brushed quite as deep. It’s an incredibly subtle difference and one you probably wouldn’t notice unless you had the two pens side by side. I do like it though. There are a couple of other subtle differences though, like the Lamy logo on engraved on the back of the cap instead of on the side of the clip.
Lamy 2000 fountain pen in stainless steel
The clip is also shiny platinum coated instead of bushed stainless steel, and they left out the ink window, probably one of the biggest tradeoffs from using stainless steel for the pen body. Those are the differences though, everything else is the same. It still has a spring clip, piston-fill mechanism with about 1.2ml ink capacity, and 14k gold nib coated in platinum.
So is this pen worth the premium? That’s going to be up to you to decide. It’s pretty expensive, but in a justifiable way. It’s not just an LE with a number on it that demands a premium, it’s a classically designed pen that is made out of a very challenging material. And despite the weight, it’s still a very well-balanced pen that writes comfortably.
The Lamy 2000 has kind of a sweet spot on the nib that tends to give it a ‘go or no-go’ writing experience (it’s a go for most people though). That in combination with the incredible weight of the pen will make it one that you will probably want to experience for yourself before committing to it. I realize I could be shooting myself in the foot a bit as an online retailer by saying that, but it’s just one of those pens that’s tough to convey online. Hopefully I’ve done a pretty good job of it with this video though.
Stainless Steel Lamy 2000, closed
I will say if you’re interested in purchasing this pen, make sure you either get to use it first (if you’re fortunate enough to be near a brick and mortar store that has them), or check the returns policy of any online retailer from whom you want to buy, to make sure it’s okay to return it if the pen just doesn’t work for you. Any respectable retailer should be totally okay with this, though some charge restocking fees which could be significant on a pen this expensive.
I know some of the initial buzz about this pen called the price into question, so I’m very eager to hear what you think of it with some more information now. I for one am impressed having seen this pen and written with it in person. It’s not available yet. It’ll be mid-August (so we’re told for now) until it starts to become available, in EF, F, M, and B nibs. We’ll have it here at GouletPens.com, you can sign up to be notified by email as soon as it comes in.
Lamy 2000 Stainless Steel, defying gravity
Post any questions or feedback you have in the comments below!
Write On,
Brian Goulet