Saturday, April 30, 2016

Review: Lamy 2000 4-Pen Ballpoint @BureauDirect

Ah... the Lamy 2000... BALLPOINT! MUAHAHA! Hey, sometimes you need a multi pen. Hats off to Mishka from Bureau Direct for sending this over! I've spent way too long with it before writing this up.
Review Lamy 2000 4-Pen Ballpoint @BureauDirect (4)
ABOUT

Body Material: Makrolon
Trim: Stainless steel
Length: 136.0 mm/5.35"
Barrel Diameter: 11.8 mm/0.46''
Section Diameter: 4. 9 - 10.1 mm/0.19"- 0.39"
Weight (all): 22 g
Price:  £45.00
Where to buy: Bureau Direct
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PACKAGING

The Lamy 2000 4-Pen is simply packaged, which I prefer in packaging style. A kraft cardboard sleeve protects the box. A small booklet is included with information on Lamy pens (and how to use them). The box is pretty flat, and is a grey black, similar to the color of the pen. The top has a small cut out for a matte silver Lamy logo. The lids open and the pen is in a plastic sleeve in a folded felt bed. I like the simple packaging because it is little waste and there is minimal space occupied if you want to keep it.
Review Lamy 2000 4-Pen Ballpoint @BureauDirect (2)
APPEARANCE
Review Lamy 2000 4-Pen Ballpoint @BureauDirect (6)
The Lamy 2000 ballpoint looks like the iconic Makrolon fountain pen. It is cigar-shaped, tapering towards each end, widest near the center. The back end has a brushed stainless steel knock. The clip is attached internally, and is sharp and blocky, both in appearance and to the touch. Under the clip, there is a ring in the barrel, with four colors spaced evenly apart - red, blue, green, and black, though the black is hidden under the clip itself.
Review Lamy 2000 4-Pen Ballpoint @BureauDirect (1)
The nose cone tapers towards the tip, and it is also a brushed stainless steel. The joint between the steel section and the Makrolon is almost invisible - very impressive and well done.

It's a modern design that may or may not appeal to you. I remember the first time I saw the Lamy 2000 fountain pen and I thought it was hideous. Don't judge me. It grew on me after I kept seeing it, and suddenly I realized I was fascinated by it. I actually prefer this 4-Pen because it has a little more color to it with the ring around the top to identify the refills.

PERFORMANCE & FEEL

The refills of the ballpoint come in four colors on this pen: black, blue, green, and red. Two things interest me about these refills in particular: 1. How do they write? 2. What do the colors look like? Some ballpoint multi pens have decent refills but the colors are really blah, or vice versa.
Review Lamy 2000 4-Pen Ballpoint @BureauDirect (11)
First of all, all four refills write well. I hate when I buy a multi pen and half the refills work and the others are already dried up. What on earth is that about? Anyway. These four are fairly smooth writers, although not as smooth as one of my favorite ballpoint refills - the Schmidt EasyFlow 9000. The Lamy 2000 refills are not scratchy and dry, but the medium smoothness is not bad because the tips do not slip around on the page as I write, even on smoother papers. They also do not blob ink, making them less likely to smudge and smear.

I like the width of the tips. They feel like a medium width, so they aren't so bold that I cannot write small, and not so small that it feels like a scratchier microtip. The width and feel makes this pen great for use in my planner - four colors, ballpoint, no smudging, fast drying.

As for the colors - they're not bad. The black is, well, black. It's okay. I don't care much for blacks but if I have to use one, I want it to be a deep, solid black. This one is acceptable. The blue is okay as well - I also prefer a more intense blue, or a more turquoise blue, and this one is neither. The green looks dull to me. The red is not bad. It's not too intense that it hurts to look at. I think the green, for me, is the weakest color.

The refills do not run dry while sitting around, and they write well. I like the mechanism by which the pen works, although it takes a second to figure out where to face your pen if you want a certain color. It works in a way that probably would have taken me forever to figure out had Misha not clued me in - it's a simple gravity method. Whichever color tab on the barrel is facing you will be the one that extends when you click the knock.I do like the quiet, silent mechanism. It feels better than the click-pop release mechanism of most common, inexpensive multi pens.

The pen feels pretty good in hand. I tend to use it for shorter notes and such in my planner so for that, I find the weight, balance, and feel more than suitable. The nose cone is a touch slippery. Like with most ballpoints, my hand tires if I use this for extended periods - I just grip it too tightly to apply enough pressure to write with a dark enough line (which is why I like darker, intense colors - they look darker with less pressure).

The clip is nice and springy, and can be lifted to place the pen into pockets and pouches. It also slides on to things easily, but feels a little loose. It could be more snug, I think.

PROS & CONS
Review Lamy 2000 4-Pen Ballpoint @BureauDirect (12)
Review Lamy 2000 4-Pen Ballpoint @BureauDirect (13)
OVERALL

One of the better multi pens I have used. As it is, the refills perform well and the pen is a robust, solid user. It's easy to carry as a daily user. I like the clean look and mechanism to work the refills, and I love the colored rings around each tip.

I received this pen free of charge for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated monetarily for my review. Everything you've read here is my own opinion. There are no affiliate links in this review.

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