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TL,DR: The Lamy 2000 has a devoted following. If you've been eyeing this pen, the nib you want is in stock and you have the cash, this is the drop to join. This one. The lowest price-point is usually $115 or $120. This is an exceptional "get" by Massdrop.
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Believe it or not, this is the very abridged version of my post series. I'll still publish what I've written, but it'll have to wait another cycle. In the meantime, here are the high points:
The Lamy 2000 is an iconic pen. For many enthusiasts, this is their favorite pen. However, there is a sizable population that either don't care or dislike the pen. If you're scratching your head over what the fuss is all about, don't worry about it. Move on. There are loads of other excellent drops here and even more pens beyond Massdrop.
It's made of material called Makloran. Lamy invented it, so I guess they can call it whatever they want. As a new pen, the Makloran starts with a somewhat scuffed, matte finish and gets shiny over time. As you can see from the pictures in the description, the end near the nib is metal. This front-weights the pen. For writing, some prefer it posted, some prefer it unposted. I'm in the former category. In fact I can enjoy long writing sessions when I've posted the cap and have a full barrel of ink. It's almost ergonomic.
Believe it or not, it is a piston filler. You just can't see the blind cap when the pen is full of ink. Some like this sleek appearance, others find it a bit unseemly (I tried to resist. I failed. Go ahead. Pun-ish me)
Some feel the semi-hooded, wet writing, 18K gold nib is a wet writer. As this is my only gold-nibbed pen, I have no basis for comparison. I can say, however, that the fine nib Lamy 2000 puts down more ink (and a thicker line) than the medium Metropolitan or the fine, steel Lamy nib.
From my subjective experience, I feel as though the fine nib is writes only a little bit larger than the EF nib. To me, the most significant difference between the sizes is that the fine nib has a noticeably larger sweet-spot and the nib seems a bit more robust. Lamy's QC is better than most people believe. However, if there is a problem, I find that it seems to occur with the EF nibs far more than with any other size.
From my experience, if you receive a decent pen and then something goes wrong that shouldn't have (down the road), LamyUSA will honor their warranty. However, you need to read and adhere to the fine print. I talk too much (ya think?). So, the first time I sent in my pen, there was no problem with the warranty. Follow-up repairs were a different issue. How does that saying go? Less is more.
Some have an issue with the little metal prongs that stick out. They are essential for the cap to stay on. Do not remove them from your pen. If you open your pen for whatever reason, make sure you don't lose the little metal piece to which they are attached.
For me, I like them. I notice them much less than any step or screw threads and I use them to help me orient the pen so I'm hitting the sweet spot when I write. Without them, it would be more difficult to use the pen.
I initially purchased a pen with an EF nib from a drop about 1.5 years ago. While the bottom price was better than the $120 or $115 of recent drops, I think this drop beats my purchase by a buck. There were problems with my pen that were beyond Massdrop's responsibility. A friend gave me an early birthday present, so I currently have 2 Lamy 2000s. One has an unusable EF nib. The other one has a fine nib. After my initial experience, I was frustrated an unimpressed. Now, I get it. It is my daily writer. It is comfortable to hold and the words seem to write themselves (almost). Unfortunately there are some limitations. The pen can't do research for me (and my iPhone doesn't make my morning coffee).
If this pen has been on your list, you have the money for it and your nib size is still in stock, buy it.
Then sit on your hands or set an alarm to the whenever the next "update" is and wait a little bit. You're saving about $15 bucks (over the cheapest available online) and helping grow this community. Compared to most online pen retailers, you're saving about $50. If you buy this pen from a brick and mortar store, you will be paying pretty darn close to the MSRP. Really.
If you live outside the US, don't have a friend who can act as an intermediary and are only buying this pen, I feel your pain (well, no, I don't because I live in the states, but other than that ...). If you are interested, there are excellent online retailers who sell the pen and will ship almost anywhere in the world. Yes, I'm talking about gouletpens.com. Of course, there are others, too.
As I mentioned at the beginning, this IS the short version. But even the exceptionally long, short version must end.
Truly, I hope this helps anyone considering this drop.
Oh, one more thing ...
If the size you want wasn't in stock yesterday, check again. Some folks jump early to get exactly what they think they want and then return it before the drop closes. Keep checking.
Cheers.
Fine print: Edited periodically. Significant edits are marked as such. Although I have communicated with both Massdrop and Lamy about the Lamy 2000 in general, I have no official or formal affiliation with Massdrop or Lamy. Opinions are mine, thankyouverymuch.