Fountain Pens.

[kshitij]

This came in a couple of days ago. A slightly hectic schedule didnt let me open them up till now.

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The Lamy 2000 with (L to R) J. Herbin Stormy Grey, Diamine Ultra Green and the Private Reserve Suede Blue.

The Lamy 2000 was decided on after considerable reading on it. It was difficult to decide between this and the Pilot VP. The classic design, the feel in hand and the nib on it swayed the vote towards the 2000.

[Mack The Knife]

Big thumbsup for the 2000 and Diamine ultra green.

I'd check on the other two inks before using them in an expensive fountain pen. Particularly the Private Reserve.

Which nib size did you opt for?

Looking forward to a writing sample with this pen.

[kshitij]

Your warning came just in time. Was thinking of inking the 2000 with the Private Reserve! Why do you caution against it? Also which makes do you suggest to go with it.

The Lamy is with a 14k B nib.

The J. Herbin stormy grey will be used only with the Noodlers Ahab (Kanwrite flex) for thank you notes and birthday/other festive wishes to be written out.

[Mack The Knife]

Kshitij,

I have heard iffy things about Private Reserve inks. Hence, the caution to read up on them and yours in particular.

The J. Herbin Stormy Grey has suspended particles and I am always sceptical about using such inks in fountain pens. However, I have not come across any negative remarks regarding this ink.

I suggest you start with the Diamine ultra green or any of the Lamy inks you have.

I have been debating between the B or BB for my next 2000 (SS version) or whether to even get another. The 2000 and Pilot VP have been my daily users for sometime now and I really cannot justify another, unless it's a vintage fountain pen.

Incidentally, Lamy has confirmed that there will be a 2000 (limited or special edition) to mark its 50th anniversary this October.

You have bought a fantastic fountain pen and it will outlive you if you take care of it.

I hope you bought it from one of the German auction sites. Euro 90.00 to 100.00, including shipping, usually gets you one. Add another Euro 50.00 to 60.00 for the stainless steel version.

P.S.: I use J. Herbin Perle Noire in my 2000.

[kshitij]

I have a bottle of Lamy blue-black guess will start off with that. Would prefer the colour of the blue suede though.
Not too worried about ruining the Kanwrite flex pen with the particulate ink.

I have read rumors of there being a Titanium version of the 2000. If you get any whiff of that being released, please do notify me.

Do shed some more light on what entails "taking care of" the 2000. Would be a pleasure to keep this pen well and have it with me for a long time.

[Mack The Knife]

I understand Lamy made a 2000 ballpoint in titanium some time ago but I am not absolutely certain about this. In 50 years Lamy have only released three versions of the 2000. The original in fibreglass reinforced Makrolon in 1966, the 'Edition 2000' (Y2K stainless steel edition) in 2000 and the stainless steel version in 2012. In 2010 they made some very minor structural changes to the Makrolon version. Suggest you read this again - http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum ... my-design/

As mentioned on FPN by The Writing Desk, the official news from Lamy is that there will be a Special Edition of the 2000 launched this September. At this point of time Lamy has not released any information on what it will look like.

Special Edition (SE) = Limited to a certain duration. More often than not, this happens to be a year.

Limited Edition (LE) = Only a certain number made.

Will deal with the taking care bit later in the day.

[Mack The Knife]

Simplest way to maintain your 2000 is to use it with one type of good quality ink and use it daily. If you want, you could flush the pen with drinking water by filling and emptying it until the water coming out of the pen is clear. Do NOT use hot water. Water at room temperature is just fine.

However......

1) If you are changing inks, you could use the above flushing process (recommended by Lamy) or unscrew the section from the barrel (carefully and without any lateral pressure), retract the piston, fill the barrel with running water and flick it out a couple of times. Then, without screwing back the section, fill and empty the barrel using drinking water until the barrel is devoid of ink. Let air dry or use a rolled up tissue or q-tip to dry out the barrel.

After you have unscrewed the section from the barrel, remember to put aside the steel washer with the two tabs / ears. If you loose this, the cap will not click shut.

Next, push the nib and feed out the back of the section very carefully or you will misalign your nib tines. Remove the o-ring/rubber washer from the back of the feed. Rinse the empty section under running water. Ditto for the nib and feed. You can also slide out the nib to clean it thoroughly but if the nib does not slide off the feed easily, be careful not to damage the fins on the feed when removing the nib. Wash the rubber washer.

2) At this stage it is always a good idea to floss the nib slit with a 0.002" thick brass shim. Use a shaving blade or anything in steel at your peril. You can also floss the nib without sliding it off the feed. Also check the fins and slits in the feed for any particles, dried ink or anything that could cause a blockage. Run a 0.001" thick brass shim through the feed slits to clear any blockages.

3) If and when your piston stops working smoothly (will take a good few years), you can either remove the piston mechanism at the rear, clean and put the slightest of smears of diving quality silicone grease on the side walls of the piston washer. Or whilst the section and barrel are apart, retract the piston and use a q-tip to apply the slightest smear of diving quality silicone grease to the inside wall of the barrel and work the piston a few times.

4) When assembling the pen, put the rubber washer back on and then align the nib and feed with the section correctly and push the nib and feed in. If you encounter any resistance, stop! Retract nib unit and try again. It should go in without any resistance. Should you force the nib unit in, you will damage the fins on the feed. If you loose or damage the rubber washer, the pen will leak.

Put back the steel washer and screw back the section and barrel carefully and without any lateral pressure. Do NOT use any undue force to screw shut the two parts.

Dismantling the Lamy 2000:

P.S.: I haven't tried it but I suppose you could also give the pen a thorough clean, without dismantling, by using an ultra sonic cleaner. Experiment on a disposable pen first.

[kshitij]

Thanks for the detailed directions mack.
Will trouble you with a coupla more novice questions,
1. How long can i leave the pen inked and used without any worry. I do not intend to use this everyday.
2. Where do i find the said brass shims.

[essdee1972]

Kshitij, I wanted to ask Mack the second question, too.......

If you find any in Mumbai or thereabouts, please buy some extra for me. I'll do the same if I find any.

[Mack The Knife]

Thanks for the detailed directions mack.
Will trouble you with a coupla more novice questions,
1. How long can i leave the pen inked and used without any worry. I do not intend to use this everyday.
2. Where do i find the said brass shims.

A1) Entirely depends on the ink. Pigment or iron gall or any other type of permanent inks could start clogging the feed within a couple of days if the pen has not been used. A dye based ink, such as your Diamine Ultra Green, may easily go a month or two or even more and write immediately. So long as the water in the ink does not evaporate, you should be fine. I suggest you store the pen on it's side rather than nib up (never store in the nib down position if there is ink in it) and at least write a paragraph every day or alternate day. Mind you, I used the word 'may' as I use my 2000 daily and consequently, do not have a definitive answer.

A pen with a slip and seal cap, such as the Platinum #3776 Century is reputed to prevent ink from drying for something like 2 years.

A2) No idea where you can get it in India. If one of you find a source, I would like to buy some as well.
Take a look at http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum ... ubstitute/

[kshitij]

Few images of the Galactic with Diamine Ultra Green.

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Its got a medium JoWo nib which is really smooth. The pen might feel slightly big for people with smaller hands. I find it comfortable to write with it.

[Mack The Knife]

Kshitij, how do you find the 2000?

Also looking forward to a writing sample with its B nib.

[kshitij]

Kshitij, how do you find the 2000?

Also looking forward to a writing sample with its B nib.

The 2000 turned out to be a bag of mixed feelings. The gold nib and the ergonomic shape is awesome. The nib is soo smooth! It almost glides effortlessly over the paper. The shape (some what like the nauka) is perfect for the way I grip a pen.
The down side is the 'B' part of the nib. The line width is much thicker than the B on the safari nib. This makes everyday writing/note taking rather difficult since i have to put in effort to write clearly. May have to get a medium nib for it now.

[Mack The Knife]

Oops....should have mentioned that Lamy 2000 gold nibs tend to write slightly thicker than their stainless steel stablemates.

Here's what my 2000 with a medium nib wrote like.

Lamy does permit a nib exchange during the initial few weeks.

[kshitij]

Some reprieve. After a quick email to Lamy India and William Penn detailing my dilemma, WP called me and agreed to exchange the Broad nibbed 2000 for a brand new Medium nib one. Got it replaced and now it is spot on perfect.