My journey with the Lamy 2000 began in May 2014, with the purchase of the fountain pen, at Websters on a day trip to Brighton. In fact, I had wanted one for some time before this, since being shown one by a helpful sales lady at her pen shop in Hampstead, whilst purchasing my first Lamy Al-star. That must have been around 2012. I still remember wrestling with my conscience over whether to buy one from a shop, or from a well-known online source whose price was significantly lower. I chose Websters.
The story of my first Lamy 2000 has been told here before and in an update here. Several years after buying the fountain pen, I picked up the matching four colour multipen, also in Makrolon and brushed stainless steel. It features an ingenious colour selection system, in fact based upon gravity but which seemingly enables you to select one of the four colours just by looking at that colour on the indicator, before pushing the nock. I love this. It is a great party trick.
My Lamy 2000 fountain pen was then joined by another, this time a gift from a pen friend in Australia. He had sent one with an oblique broad nib, which sounds right up my street but which in practice I struggled with. However, the good people at Lamy in Heidelberg very kindly allowed me to send the pen to them for a nib swap and this time I opted for a Fine nib, which is lovely. That tale was told here. The pen is currently inked, with Montblanc Royal Blue, a good pairing.
I had no burning desire for any more Lamy 2000s. However, a few weeks ago whilst taking a walk in Hampstead, I spotted that Rymans had some display pens on sale. A Lamy 2000 ballpoint pen caught my eye, priced at £20.00. (Rymans do occasionally have some great discounts: in the past I have bought Diplomat Traveller fountain pens here for £5.00).
Trying hard to fight temptation, I passed up this opportunity to buy the Lamy 2000 ballpoint, even though it was about one third of the usual price. I walked back to my office, feeling self-righteous but also disappointed and Lamyless.
Over the following couple of weeks, I kept remembering the Lamy 2000 and tried to convince myself that I did not want it, certainly did not need it, and that I should let it go. This strategy was not very effective. Occasionally I would see something that would remind me of the pen, such as an Instagram post by Phil @theinkscribe on 22 February 2023, thanking the Brew Hull cafe, Kingston upon Hull, for finding and looking after his Lamy 2000 ballpoint, which had got cleared up with a board game that he and some friends had been playing at the weekend. A lovely story with a happy ending.
Not long before this, a solicitor had visited my office to sign a deed and produced his Lamy 2000 ballpoint with a green refill for this task, which was an unusual sight and lifted my spirits.
Unable to put the Rymans pen out of my mind, I decided to pay another visit to the shop, “just to see whether it was still there.” I had an, admittedly feeble idea that seeing it again would enable me to tell myself that I did not need it.
And so one Friday lunchtime, I strode up to Hampstead village again. First I popped in to Waterstones book shop, to see whether they had the new book “Tomorrow perhaps the future” written by my Goddaughter Sarah Watling. I very proudly attended her book launch evening earlier in February at Hatchards in Piccadilly.
Not only did Waterstones have the book, but it was in the middle of the window. And then, on entering, I was greeted by an entire table displaying the book. I could not have been more thrilled.
Buoyed up by this exciting discovery, I floated into Rymans and made my way to the pen display. Miraculously, the Lamy 2000 ballpoint, marked “Clearance, £20.00” was still there! I could not believe that no-one had bought it in more than two weeks. What is wrong with people?
With the last of my resolve evaporating, I asked to see the pen and waited while the display cabinet was unlocked. In celebratory mood, I said that I would like to buy it. I asked whether the refill was black or blue. The sales lady made a little scribble and said “Black – and it’s very smooth!”
But then a little drama ensued. She went in search of the accompanying box for the pen, which was surprisingly and frustratingly necessary in order scan the bar code and sell the item. Several minutes passed. Eventually she returned with a handful of Lamy boxes. As there was no indication of which, if any was for the Lamy 2000 ballpoint, she took them to her computer to scan the boxes, hoping that for one of them, an image of the ballpoint pen would appear on her screen. One by one she scanned the boxes. At one point she announced “Lamy Assent?” this being another of the pens in the clearance sale. “Lamy Accent, I think you’ll find”, I replied. “I love that you know this!” she answered. She continued scanning boxes but none seemed to be the right one.
Eventually she found a way out of the impasse and I proffered a twenty pound note. She handed me back £5.00 change. “No, it was £20.00” I said. “Not any more it isn’t” she replied. And so, for a mere £15.00 I was the proud owner of a Lamy 2000 ballpoint, albeit without a box AND the proud Godfather of a published author.
It is not that I am a mean person but it is lovely when a bargain like this comes your way. The ballpoint pen and I started off on a great footing. I found the familiar Makrolon to be very pleasant to the touch. I very much enjoy having the pen on my desk at work and relish every opportunity to pick it up and use it.
Perhaps the moral of the tale here is that, even if you do not think you need a certain pen, perhaps you do. As one of my colleagues in the office later said, “It had your name on it.” And big thanks to Rymans of Hampstead for enabling.
Fountain pen blog 
A lovely story with a happy ending! I’m intrigued by the stubby broad nib on your first Lamy 2000, I must say.
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Thankyou for reading! Yes that broad nib is quite something. I did not get on with the original medium, sent the pen to Lamy for a nib swap in 2014 and it came back with this. It was a lot better but still a strange and difficult nib. Over the years I wrestled with it and opened the tine gap to improve ink flow and lubrication. It is now a juicy writer but still squeaks on the paper. I use a drier ink, Pelikan 4001 konigsblau to compensate!
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I’m not yet brave enough to tinker with an expensive gold nib myself! In fact I rather expect expensive gold nibs to write well straight from the box, an expectation which of course is not always met. I’ve heard of other people having trouble with their Lamy 2000s, also, so it is probably not the pen for me, as another overhand leftie writer.
I have a stub-ish broad on an Onoto which is sheer joy to use.
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Very wise. I found that as a lefty overwriter, a wetter nib was called for and so often eased the tines apart a little, but this and some elementary smoothing are the limits of my nib meistering.
I do enjoy using oblique nibs, on some Aurora, vintage Montblanc and a cheapie Moonman S5.
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As said, great storytelling with a fine outcome. As a nurse those four interchangeable colours were used a lot in hand overs. Colour deemed importance of intervention or task. No nurse had a Lamy. It was all blue/cream Bic. I used an accountants double colour pencil turned upside down four blue or red choice. Oblique is my personal favourite too. I have just bought a Montblanc 3-44G with oblique (OB). My MB #34 has one too. Don’t own a Lamy at all and now you have me putting my thinking cap on! Cheers and all the best.
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Thankyou. It is good to hear about real work applications of the coloured inks. I did not know of this in the nurses’ profession. The Bic multipen is a classic.
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Hi,
Now you have to begin search for the Bauhaus (blue) and the brown…
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Thanks! I actually do prefer the standard black to these although that is a personal thing.
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Lovely. Congrats on the new addition to the family
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Thanks! I feel I should announce the weight and time of arrival. 😀
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… let’s not forget the steel version!
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I feel sure if a reader had no interest whatsoever in pen and ink they would find much joy in such a beautiful camio of the human condition, honestly and warmly told. A lovely story greatly enjoyed and a wonderful result. Thank you.
I will be stepping up my already quite regular visits to Rymans.
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Thank you for reading and for your kind comments, much appreciated. I should get commission from Rymans!
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I love that I am not the only one who has these “I need, I don’t need it, but I want it” conversations. Sometimes I resist, unless my so supportive wife says that she thinks I should, well how can I argue with perfect wisdom.
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Love this pen – cheap but good quality and writes well 🙂
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I appreciate your fine story telling ability.
I am also a Lamy 2000 fan.
You should also get the mechanical pencil version.
Mine has a smooth patina surface, and says “W. Germany” on the barrel.
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Thank you for your kind comments. Yes I have heard good reports of the Lamy 2000 mechanical pencil. I have a friend who says it is one of his most frequently used writing implements.
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I don’t know what the price of the Lamy Accent on sale was, but it’s one of the most comfortable pens in my 300-something collection.
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A lovely account, and so well written.
For my sins, as a hobby and small side business, I handmake fountain/rollerball/ballpoint wooden and acrylic pens. I find the different types of nibs that can be fitted, very interesting and satisfying.
Regards Paul@woodfreak.
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Now that I’ve been in the fountain pen community for a bit, I can understand the appeal of the reliable LAMY 2000s, but something I can’t get off my mind is if they’re as uncomfortable to hold as they look in pictures. I know the Al-star, Safari and some other models have a triangular grip section, but I’d be scared to buy one and find they’re not kind on the hand. Have you ever had any issues with that?
Your goddaughter’s book looks very interesting, by the way! I’m Spanish myself and it’s always nice to see how other countries tried to help during the Civil War (imagine my surprise when I found out George Orwell himself had been in Catalonia). If I get the chance to buy it anytime soon, I definitely will.
Thank you for your post! It was very interesting to see that 4-in-1 LAMY. I wasn’t aware of its existence.
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On attraction of the Lamy 2000 fountain pen is that it is a classic design from the 1960’s that still looks modern today. Some people find the little metal tabs a bit sharp and uncomfortable if they are where you hold the pen, but that is just one of the special characteristics of this unique pen. It is really just a matter of getting used to it.
Yes, the Lamy Al-Star and Safari pens do have a faceted grip section, supposedly to encourage children to adopt a symmetrical grip. Personally, I do not hold pens in this way and rotate the pen inwards slightly. This means that my fingers do not coincide with the facets and instead I find myself trying to grip over a sharp ridge.
I much prefer a pen without a faceted grip. One of the most comfortable, at a similar price to the Safari, is the Cross Bailey Light – which has a pull off cap, no cap threads, no step from barrel to section and no facets. I use one every day in my office.
The best advice is to try a pen before you buy it to see whether the design will suit you, but this is not always possible.
Thank you for your comments and good luck with finding the ideal pen! It can be a lifelong pursuit.
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