I have been hesitant about the Lamy 2000 as a pencil for the longest time. Always felt it was a pen first and probably best as a roller or FP because of the girth.
That all changed when I got the Tombow Zoom C1 pencil with the mysterious ‘floating’ knock. It was a functional piece of eye candy and I was looking for a nice companion pen. The contrast of the black clip and silver body made me think: Lamy 2000, but in reverse!
Looking again at the 2000 line-up with intent to buy, all the little differences came into focus: If I went with a 2000 BP or 4-color pen, the knock was a simple cylinder. But if I chose the MP, the shape of the knock was actually pretty close to that of the C1.
And so, I got hold of a silver C1 ballpoint and kept a lookout for a good deal on a 2000 MP. I’m really quite happy with how they look together, regardless of the unspectacular mechanism on the 2000.
The tactility of the 2K’s mechanism is… suspiciously like a Schmidt insert, even though it most certainly is not. Perhaps Lamy felt this was better suited to the general purpose nature of the design, except that Kaweco Special shows how one can make a classy, non-technical pencil with a very precise and tactile mechanism.
I’ve been thinking about getting a ZOOM C1 pencil, or pen… but want it in silver (not black or dark blue), because I feel like the design doesn’t show off that well unless it’s silver.
I do have the 2000 in brushed steel. I have it just for collection purposes. The mechanism is fine but I am not that keen about the body shape for all stainless. As a fountain pen, the 2000 is pretty great though, in Makrolon (not all stainless).
I feel the same way about the color contrast for Zoom C1. For the all-black version, I’d thought that the black design would further ‘disguise’ the connector prongs for the clip. Instead, the murky color scheme just made the clip and the floating gap less obvious. I was glad I got to see them in person in Itoya during my last visit to Japan before I decided on the graphite-blue and sand silver.
Compared C1 to Lamy 2000 stainless today. Proportions are quite similar - so much so that it is hard not to see the C1 as an homage.
C1 cannot compare to the fit and finish of the 2000. The precision on the 2000 is extremely high. The seams are almost invisible.
The brushed stainless finish on the 2000 is not really my taste. It is shiny and reflective whereas the C1 is very matte. I like the micro texture on the C1 better. The design and finish on the clips of both MPs are admirable in their own ways.
In hand, the 2000 is a bit too heavy. The C1 is lighter, but still substantial.
I feared it would be like the CP1 or Ohtos - squeak-grind-crunch. But it is not. It is quite nice. Similar to P200, maybe a tiny bit softer and quieter.
Yes, the LAMY 2000 stainless steel mechanical pencil is a bit on the heavy side… and so I wouldn’t write with it for long periods. But the build quality is excellent. It really feels like it’s expensive.
