The LAMY 2000 has been writing design history since 1966. As a timeless classic it is still one of the most modern writing instruments today.
Designer: Gerd A. Müller
Function alone determines form. With this design principle Lamy has won the hearts of many design enthusiasts throughout the world. And this all started with the LAMY 2000. When it made its first appearance in the shop windows in 1966, it was the first writing instrument of the modern era which did not seek to be a status symbol but simply an honest, high-precision tool for writing by hand. Made of modern materials; stainless steel and Macrolon.
The Lamy 2000 is available with a 14k gold rhodium-plated nib in 8 widths: Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, Double Broad, Oblique Medium, Oblique Broad, and Oblique Double Broad.
marktaber (verified owner) –
As far as design, what can I add? It’s a classic, and still looks fresh and modern, over 50 years after its initial release. It definitely deserves its place in the NYMoMA.
The pen is comfortable, and more than reasonably priced for what you get. I ordered the medium nib with minimal modifications. I asked Daniel to make the medium wet enough to allow inks to shade (that’s a main reason I use fountain pens!), while (since it is an every-day carry) not gushing. The nib was tuned to perfection. I love this pen.
The service and support is excellent. I’ll always check this site first now for my fountain pen purchases.
Roland Johannes –
Everything about the Lamy 2000 that has to be said has already been said. And I can only add that all the reviewers (Youtube etc.) are right – it really is a fantastic pen!
But the best part of this pen for me is the nib, perfectly ground and tuned by Dan Smith. I asked him to do a fine architect grind, with medium smoothness and medium flow, and it turned out just perfect. I cannot even begin to explain how I love writing with this pen…
As always, Dan’s service is exeptional – I am a customer for life!!! Thanks Dan!
Maggie Hoerdeman (verified owner) –
This pen is absolutely amazing. It writes incredibly smooth and fits nicely in the hand. I like a pen with a bit of weight to it, and this pen delivers without making my wrist hurt. I asked Dan Smith to tune and smooth the nib for me and he did a wonderful job. This pen quickly became my favorite!
Greg (verified owner) –
Amazing pen! I asked for a Cursive Italic grind on a Medium nib, and it writes like a dream. Extremely quick service and excellent packaging. Will buy from again!
eduardo_coello3 (verified owner) –
The treatment was good, I asked for a modification in the nib BB to stub and the result is good is an incredibly smooth and juicy nib that slides smoothly.
The design is quite elegant and the grip is comfortable.
I hope in the future to buy more fountain pens here.
yohnnie (verified owner) –
This pen was never in my radar because of how stubby it looked in photographs, but fortunately we had a small pen night at a local stationery store, where I finally got to hold and try one in person. The body felt robust and compared to most of my pens has a good weight to it, which I enjoyed. The seamless minimalist approach to the design also won me over. The separation between the piston knob and the body is practically impossible to distinguish unless you’re actively looking for it. The ease of use with the snap cap makes it a good everyday pen. Being a semi hooded nib, this it can stay uncapped for quite a while, and it allows me to grip the pen where I normally would enjoy gripping a pen.
Unfortunately the pen body is all I enjoyed from it. The stock lamy 2k nibs didn’t really interest me and felt finicky at best, and the extra fine was definitely not fine enough for what I use my pens for usually, which is illustration. (But this one is going to be for writing down thoughts)
Fortunately enough nibs can be ground and tuned to your liking! So my research started, and I heard a lot of great things about Dan. I wanted a new pen, and I wanted a custom nib. The Lamy 2k felt like a good option for a note jotting, thought writing pen, and so far it has been.
My dad used to do some drafting so my handwriting took after his; blockprint in all caps. I did some research online to see what nib grinds would complement my hand writing. An Architect grind is what my research led me too. It gave block prints a little bit more character. But I had to make sure I get it right, so with my lamy al-star, I bought a few stubs and wrote with it sideways where the thicker stroke is going horizontal. It felt like a good match, I wrote everyday with the stub pretending it’s an architect and I finally gave in and got a lamy 2000 with the architect. I also asked Dan if he could tune the reverse so I can still do some small sketches if it’s the only pen i have on me at the time.
It took a while to get to me, Canada post labour strikes, and I happened to order on dan’s busier week, but the wait was definitely worth it. It’s exactly what I asked for, and I’m a happy customer. Thank you Dan for the Lamy2k! If I ever need to replace one of my pens I know where I’m going!
questdruid (verified owner) –
I asked for a medium nib to be ground to a 0.7mm cursive italic and the nib was ground really well, thanks Dan! Nib was also tuned perfectly to be on the wetter side per my request. My only issue was that my Lamy 2000 came with a scratch below the ink window, which means the pen might have been a return. Anyhow, it’s not too noticeable and I’m not too bothered.
Tyler (verified owner) –
I ordered the double bold (BB) nib with the Stub customization. I’m blown away — line variation is amazing and this is absolutely the smoothest nib I’ve ever written with at the correct angle. And I’ve collected many pens over the years. Great communication with Dan. Thanks!
Matt (verified owner) –
I’m really convinced that ordering a pen from Dan is the only way to go now.
Most pens iv’e bought from retailers have always had SOME issue, big or little. It’s always something whether the tines come misaligned, or tines are too tight so that flow is restricted, etc.
This purchase was a bit crazy, I ordered a medium nib and wanted very specific customizations. I wanted flow to be very wet but not maximum, I wanted feedback to be a smooth pencil despite ink flow, and also ordered a cursive italic, ground to be sharper than usual.
As expected, Dan delivered. Figuratively and literally.
The pen is fantastic, and all of my conditions were met. It has been about a week and I have not felt the need to use any of the other pens I have, because this nib is just that good to write with. Sometimes I stop what I am doing and just do figure 8’s on the page, just to feel the nib and see the flow.
Honestly, it’s magical. It’s sad because all fountain pens should write as well as nibmeister-worked nibs should, but they dont, so Dan is my choice for when I want a pen and want it done right.
Thank you Dan for a fantastic writing experience.
BobbyD –
Nice pen. Skipped a little at first until I got the hang of keeping the nib more flat on the page. Now it writes like a dream. My first gold nib pen was a Platinum 3776 Fine nib and I did not think the Lamy 2000 would top it but it is a nice experience so I am not sure which I like more. I got the fine nib on the Lamy 2000 also so it is a little thinker line than the 3776 fine but that is a fun contrast. Just a touch of visible line variation with the fine but nice to see. Lastly, I really like ordering these pens from small shops like nibsmith.com instead of Amazon. Just feel like I know where it is coming from and good customer support.
Muphrid (verified owner) –
The Lamy 2000 is a great writer with a unique body and professional style.
I ordered mine from Dan with a fine nib, and I couldn’t be happier. The writing is truly effortless, but you can still feel just enough of the page to know what you’re doing. I greatly appreciate the confidence of having a professional ensure that even a stock nib performs impeccably. I really cannot find fault with it.
The makrolon material of the body is enjoyable and pleasant to hold, and there really is nothing else like it out there. It feels durable and solid, and compared to typical plastics, acrylics, or resins, it has a distinctive texture.
I enjoy many kinds of aesthetics, from clear demonstrators to translucent to solid bodies with intricate patterns or designs. There really is nothing else like this in terms of an understated, modern, professional look. From head to toe the pen adheres to a mantra of function complemented by innovative form. I really enjoy the 2000’s sense of unified design, and it’s convenient to have a pen with a cap that snaps into place.
If you enjoy fine pens and don’t have a Lamy 2000, get one. You won’t regret it.
Manuel F. (verified owner) –
I already owned a LAMY 2000 with an extra fine nib, its a very good pen that never seems to dry out, but I wanted a LAMY 2000 with a double broad nib, I searched in many places, and The Nibsmith had one in stock ready to ship. I bought it, and I am glad. The difference between the extra fine and double broad is obvious without an example, but when I wrote for the first time with the double broad nib, the lines laid down on the paper gave me a small pleasure, more of a satisfied feeling that this nib was what I wanted. Each of us have our personal taste, I find the double broad nib on the LAMY 2000 a real treat to write with. By the way, the price on the pen from “The Nibsmith” is a very good deal.
Manuel F. (verified owner) –
I want to amend my review of the LAMY 2000 from a 1 star rating to a 5 star rating.
skip.marshall (verified owner) –
I am not a hobbyist or a pen geek. I am a writer, and have been for almost fifty years. Early on I learned that my best work was the result of a good first draft, and not just an outline to consult beside my typewriter.
Unfortunately, my handwriting is deplorable. Very often, I had great difficulty in reading my own writing, and especially so if I wrote hurriedly. My father suggested that I write my drafts with a fountain pen, as these would force me to slow down. I bought two “Sheaffer Cartridge Pens.” Remember those? For $1.00, you got a plastic pen with cheap metal cap and two or three Sheaffer ink cartridges. I still have those pens, and they still function as well as such pens are able. They went off to college with me a few years later.
Today I own perhaps sixty fountain pens including those that belonged to family members. Forty-odd of these pens are in regular if not frequent use. Each has its use, and there are duplications and overlaps. These pens range from the utilitarian Lamy Safaris and AL-Stars to various Pelikan, Montblanc, and Nakaya. Some are for writing those quaint snail mail notes, some for signature on documents, some to accompany me into somewhat hostile environments where loss or damage to a more highly valued pen would be possible if not probable. My first drafts are always written with one of these valuable tools. I slow down in order to be able to use a fountain pen, I can then read what I have written, and, most usually, because I have been able to think as I write and choose words more carefully, I can proceed directly from this draft to final editing in Word. In the end, I save time by slowing down, and the final product is superior. Thanks, Dad.
Here is the point: Among these pens, I now own three Lamy 2000. The most recent is a medium oblique purchased from and tuned and smoothed by Dan at Nibsmith. The Lamy 2000 is notorious for its small sweet spot. Because my mechanics are so poor to begin with, I have to focus closely as I write with my 2000s. I really don’t mind that, and I rarely have problems with these pens.
I mentioned that I own Nakaya. I own three, actually, all purchased from Nibs.com, and tuned by nib guru John Mottishaw. I love my Nakaya; they are my correspondence tools for snail mail, and rarely leave my home. They are exceptionally smooth and responsive. Here is my point: When I saw that the relatively modest Lamy 2000 was available in oblique nibs tuned and smoothed, I squeezed (not pulled) the trigger. I inked this new pen and evaluated the result.
Ordinarily, I find that new pens and I have to get used to each other, and I don’t mind that. Directly out of the ink bottle, this pedestrian pen performed well. It is not my intention to compare a Lamy to a Nakaya, for example, but in terms of the performance of the tuned nib, Dan Smith has equaled the work of John Mottishaw given what each was starting from, and that is really all that needs to be said to those who are more peen geek than I am.
I will not be surprised if this Lamy 2000 becomes one of my favored all-purpose pens that travel with me when I don’t know exactly what tasks may be necessary. That is not the case with either of my other two 2000s, and I attribute that to the work done by the Nibsmith. I imagine that those who are more critical or compulsive than I with regard to their curated collections of fountain pens will be pleased by the results achieved by Dan the Nibsmith.
Christian (verified owner) –
Very much enjoying this pen!
christian (verified owner) –
This was my first Nib grind and it beat all my expectations. I use my Lamy 2000 M stub every day – and love it.
Erica Yoshimura (verified owner) –
I love my new Lamy 2000 ef nib tuned by Dan. It writes absolutely beautifully. I changed my nib specifications after ordering and Dan was so accommodating, patient, and helpful throughout the process. Will definitely be coming back for more or Dan’s work