Lamy Studio Palladium Fountain Pen Discussions | Drop

Lamy Studio Palladium Fountain Pen

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Jan 15, 2018

If you were going to get your first fountain pen, and it would likely be your only one, would you get this pen or the Lamy 2000?
I can't afford to consider anything more expensive, so I can't consider any "but this $800 pen would be my choice if I could only have one" offers, but if there is some amazing pen other than these for around the same price I will take them into consideration.

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DonnieDelaware

Jan 15, 2018

TipsyMacScotchslurpenI don't have either pen. Both pens look really nice and I love the Lamy pens I currently own. With that said, ask yourself whether you want a cartridge converter or a piston-filler. I have all sorts of fountain pens, but the ones I really love (that don't have sentimental value), are piston or vacuum fillers. If I could only have one pen, I would choose a piston-filled over c/c any day. Now someone will come on here and say, "But what about eyedropper?" If I only had one pen, I wouldn't want to eyedropper it. The Palladium Studio is cool, but it's still a cartridge converter, and a rather expensive one at that. I would go with the 2000 as it is well-renowned, respected in the community (forget the naysayers), and it is a pen that should keep you happy for many years to come. Don't regret; one and done. Also, I find that a western fine is the right balance for everyday writing, as it isn't too thin or too wide.

CAAR

Jan 16, 2018

TipsyMacScotchslurpenI have both, and here is a quick break down of the pros and cons of each: Studio with a gold nib Pro: As a c/c pen, it is easier to clean compared to the 2000, the nib is the standard Lamy nib (just in gold) so if you are already in the Lamy eco-system of nibs, you can swap in all the other nibs you already have (or plan to buy) and you can swap the gold nib into any other Lamy that takes them (so not the D3 or 2000, and maybe some more obscure ones) and you can even put this nib on say a Safari if you want too. Also, while Lamy doesn't have a reputation for a lot of errors out of the box (like say a Visiconti) they also don't have the top reputation on some models. The Studio hasn't seemed to have many complaints and sits at what seems to be the sweet spot of their production line (the normal steel nib version is the same price range as a lot of their pens like the Sufari LX, the Aion, etc.). Con: The clip is neat looking but not very useful in practice. While well balanced, it can be a bit heavy in hand if you are writing for a really long time. The clip, over time, also sits a bit loose if you post and the weight of the clip will make it move around. The steel nib is really good, and it is not a slam dunk to buy the gold nib instead of saving some money by getting the steel nib version instead, particularly since that will give you some additional options for colors and grips. 2000 Pro: Much lighter, making it easier to pocket or write with for long periods of time. The clip is among the best of any pen. Holds more ink. A hooded nib makes it a bit less likely to dry out (though its not on the level or say a #3776's slip and seal system). It is more secure when it posts. It also has guide clips to keep it in place when closed. Con: It is a unique nib, so you can't swap particularly easily. Also, of all the Lamy's, this one and the D3 seem to have the most quality control complaints. It is harder than the Studio to clean, but this is relative, as internal filling pens go, the 2000 is very easy to clean, probably sitting only behind the Pilot 92 on that front. Some people find the guide clips interfere with how they normally hold a pen. If you have a "proper" grip it won't come up, but if you are a lefty or have a non-standard grip (i.e. not the one taught in German schools (which despite being a Millenial American I was)) it might hit your hand weird.

Jan 18, 2018

DonnieDelawareThanks for the reply!
What makes a cartridge converter less desirable than a piston-filled pen? I will say up front that I would much prefer to use bottled inks than cartridges because I like the idea of having the freedom of choice bottled inks offer and I don't want to be further trapped by a specific cartridge type/size. I don't understand what would be significantly different between refilling a cartridge converter versus the pen itself, though. I assume the cartridge converter is going to hold less ink than the Lamy 2000's reservoir, so there is that, but are there other differences that influence your preference?

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Jan 18, 2018

CAARThanks for not only laying out the pros and cons, but also explaining why they matter. The only fountain pen I've ever used is an old one my dad had in with a bunch of other old knickknacks that probably belonged to his father's generation. Sadly I was only a child at the time, so I have no real memory of how it wrote or what it would have taken to refill it (though it still had ink in it that must have been fairly old, yet still managed to write). I remember it having a lever on the side that must've been the mechanism used to refill it.
Unfortunately, nothing here has really set my decision in stone, as I would love to have a larger pool of nib possibilities like the Studio, but the quality of life differences (like the clip and lower weight) of the 2000 may overtake that. I have had my eye on the 2000 for quite a while, now, and only saw the Studio because of this drop. I might just go ahead and go with my first choice, since I basically had no question which pen I wanted before I stumbled onto this one. :)

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DonnieDelaware

Jan 18, 2018

TipsyMacScotchslurpenBoth are good options; you will be able to use any bottle ink with both of these. A piston-filler is considered a part of the pen, is not typically removable without effort, and holds a lot of ink. A cartridge converter is a separate piece you connect to the feed of the pen and holds a much lesser amount of ink. The cartridge converter is actually a small piston cartridge, so both are technically piston-fillers. The Studio also accepts Lamy cartridges, which are disposable pre-filled ink cartridges, but the color choices are limited, especially with a Lamy (proprietary catridges).
At this price, it's hard to know which is really better. If you are torn between a piston-filler and cartridge converter, then I would highly recommend purchasing a cheap cartridge converter pen to try out. Pilot makes a few, but a Jinhao x-750 or something along those lines would also be cheap and allow you to test out that filling mechanism. It will be difficult to test out a piston-filler without spending quite a bit more money as the cheapest I can think of that would arrive within a short timeframe would be a TWSBI Eco or Eco-T. If you have plenty of time, Ebay is great for purchasing cheap piston and c/c pens to test, but the Lamy Studio and 2000 may feel like pulling King Arthur's sword from the stone after using those.
If you want to know more, search "piston vs cartridge converter" online. Pen Chalet has a good article discussing the differences. Jet Pens also has a tutorial on how to fill each with ink. It's on Youtube.

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Shivoneill

Mar 15, 2018

TipsyMacScotchslurpenI have both. You won’t regret either but Lamy 2K is an amazing pen and one of my favorites of all time. If I could have one it would be the 2k.

Mar 15, 2018

ShivoneillThanks for your input! I've decided to get the 2000 over this one, but now Massdrop no longer offers the 2k in anything but the unaffordable (for me) steel version (and at that, rarely).
Ever since Massdrop brought the steel Lamy 2000 to their platform, the makrolon version hasn't been seen here. Guess I'll have to pay the extra $20 (given my preference in nib size) and get it from Amazon.

FullObeans

132

May 21, 2018

TipsyMacScotchslurpenApparently the finish on the Lamy Studios is prone to chipping but the Palladium may be the exception. The gold nib on the Studio is beautiful to write with and has a bit more flex than the hooded 2000, however I'd still probably get the 2000 over this one.

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