Review Revisited: The Lamy 2000 4 Color Ballpoint (Multipen)

July 14, 2022

I don’t often revisit old reviews, but I’ve been in a nostalgic mood lately as I prune back my collection and decide what to keep and what I should pass along to others. I also periodically get questions about whether my opinion on certain pens I’ve recommended heavily in the past still feature prominently in my own daily use. One of those pens is the Lamy 2000 4 Color Ballpoint, more commonly referred to as the Lamy 2000 Multipen. For a refresh on my opinions of this pen, you should start by reading my original review.

Lamy 2000 Macrolon Crack — A small split in the Macrolon, which is pretty shallow and hasn’t “moved” at all since I first noticed it 2 years ago. I still use the pen without incident.

Nearly five years later, everything I said in that original review still holds true. The “gravity drive” refill system, where you rotate the pen so that the refill you desire to use faces up, continues to work flawlessly, and the pen itself has withstood significant use fairly well, including relatively heavy pocket carry and briefcase travel. My pen does have a small split in the Macrolon around mid-barrel, though it’s stable and hasn’t expanded in the two years since I first noticed it.

The Sailor Imperial Black Multipen features a .5mm mechanical pencil, which is great even though I prefer the Lamy’s form factor. (The Lamy also rattles less.)

If there is one “regret” I have with this pen, it’s that the Lamy 2000 4 Color Ballpoint doesn’t feature a mechanical pencil option. If I were able to roll with three pens and a pencil in this form factor, this pen would never leave my bag. As it stands, if I think I’m going to be in a situation where a pencil might be necessary, I’ll carry the Sailor Imperial Black Multipen instead. While that particular pen is quite a bit heavier and not as comfortable to use as the Lamy, the mechanical pencil option is a huge plus.

My Best Multipen Options from Lamy and Sailor — My two preferred multipen options: the Sailor Imperial Black and the Lamy 2000 4 Color Ballpoint.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

While I don’t use multipens in general as much as I used to, the Lamy 2000 4 Color Ballpoint still makes its way into my regular daily carry. I use the same four D1 refill options as I did five years ago (two .5mm Jetstreams in blue and red, a Lamy highlighter refill, and a standard .7mm blue-black ballpoint refill that I bought in bulk years ago and which I think is Monteverde). While this particular pen is going on six years old, and carries some “battle scars,” I’d consider it stable and a worthy investment, especially given how much use I’ve gotten from it and the fact that I only paid $50 or so. You can still get these in the U.S., though the price these days is more around $80. If this particular pen ends up breaking, I’d have no hesitation about investing in another one. I’ve linked here to Jetpens, the U.S.-based retailer that also features a wide range of D1 refills that should be compatible with the Lamy 2000 Multipen.

Disclaimer: I purchased this pen with my own funds, for my own use, years ago. This post does not contain affiliate links. The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges from the T.G.S. Patreon Program.

Caran d'Ache Black Code Inventory Reduction

July Inventory Reduction, Part II: Additional Clearance Pricing, Plus Most Pens Now 10% Off!

July 13, 2022

I had a long, 14-hour work trip yesterday, so I’m a day behind in my weekly posts, but I wanted to go ahead and continue our July Inventory Reduction sale with a slight change. We will continue to offer 10% off all paper and pencils, automatically applied at checkout, through the D.C. Pen Show as we reduce certain of our inventory and refocus the shop and website. As of today, most pens are now 10% off as well, excluding TWSBI. Be sure to take advantage of this as it’s a great opportunity to snag a deal on daily writers such as the Caran d’Ache 849 and the Traveler’s Company series. I’ve also placed some additional items on sale, and the discount will be in addition to the reduced price.

Much of this inventory I plan to take with me to D.C. to further reduce, so if you have your eye on something, now’s the chance! I’m still determining what I will be stocking going forward, but I would like most of the focus to be on custom designs and exclusives, not standard or stock items.

This particular promotion excludes TWSBI. The T.G.S. Curated Shop is an authorized retailer of all items shown.

Schon DSGN Classic Machined Pen Anniversary Edition

In Pursuit of the Perfect Patina: The Schon DSGN Machined Pen v2 Anniversary Edition

July 9, 2022

If there’s any universal rule of pen shows, it’s that I’ll walk away from the Schon DSGN table with something(s) in my pocket. This year’s Chicago Pen Show was no exception. Literally 20 minutes into what was supposed to be an “I’m just here to look” show, I was at Ian’s table finalizing the purchase of a faceted “aged copper” Pocket Six fountain pen, and one of the new “Anniversary Edition” Machined Pens in Polished Bronze. What can I say? I can’t help myself.

Schon DSGN Purchases from Chicago Pen Show 2022

A bit of a recap of the history of Schon DSGN is in order here. The company originally launched its first design - the “Machined Pen”, now the “Original Classic Machined Pen” - back in 2012. That pen defaulted to the Fisher Space Pen refill, which is an excellent option for write-anywhere pocket carry, and could also accept D1 refills using an adapter (sold separately). I have a couple of these Classic pens that I use regularly, including one in DLC-coated stainless steel and another in anodized aluminum. That said, Ian is rarely completely satisfied with any of his designs, and this year decided to offer a “redesigned” take on the Classic to celebrate more than a decade of high-quality writing instruments!

Schon DSGN Pocket Pen Collection — My Schon DSGN pocket pen collection, from left: the Classic Machined Pen in DLC stainless steel; the Classic Machined Pen v.2 in polished bronze, a Classic Machined Pen v1 in aluminum, a Pocket 6 fountain pen in faceted aged copper, and a Pocket 6 fountain pen in faceted brass.

So What’s Different?

Externally, there isn’t much of a difference at all between the “Classic v1” and the new “v2” or “Anniversary Edition.” The pen retains the same cylindrical shape, with a threaded end to allow you to post the cap securely for longer writing sessions. The pen, however, now unscrews from the grip section to refill, and the interior has been modified to accept a Parker-style refill cartridge, offering significantly more versatility with respect to refill options. The pen ships by default with the excellent Uniball Jetstream SXR-600-07 (.7mm tip size), a smooth, quick-drying writer that should please most people, though the Schmidt Easyflow 9000 is also available upon request.

But the refill swap isn’t the most exciting aspect of the new pen, at least to me. As part of the redesign, the Classic Machined Pen v2 is now fully compatible with Pocket Six fountain pen and rollerball sections, meaning that you can combine parts and switch how you use this pen depending on your needs. If you’d like to purchase a full kit outright, Schon DSGN sells the pen with all three section options, though the bronze shown here is currently available with the ballpoint grip only. (If you want to use a brass fountain pen section with the bronze, it still looks great!)

Classic Machined Pen v1 vs v2 grip sections — As you can see, there is very little, if any, differences between the grip section on the v1 (left) and the v2. If you enjoyed the first, you’ll almost certainly enjoy the second.

A Note on Material Choice

A huge reason why I love Schon DSGN metal pens, and especially the brass, bronze, and copper versions, is how they develop a patina over time. This particular pen features an aluminum bronze, which I find slightly warmer than brass and which takes on a somewhat unique tone as it ages. In the photo below, you’ll see the body (which has had significantly more hand/pocket contact than the section) has taken on a completely different tone. With the exception of sterling silver, I very rarely shine or polish any of my metal pens because I enjoy the weathered, “experienced” look.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

The Classic Machined Pen v2 is a solid standby that’s served as a core EDC item since I picked it up. The rock-solid clip holds firmly to either my shirt or pants pocket, and the Jetstream SXR-600 is a longtime favorite refill. What I can’t decide is whether to stick to the .7mm tip size (which will work fine for most people) or move to the .5mm or even the .38mm.

You can purchase the Schon DSGN Classic Machined Pen v2 directly from Schon DSGN, starting at $150 for the polished brass ballpoint, $160 for the polished copper, and $170 for the polished bronze. Purchasing the full set (ballpoint plus rollerball and fountain pen adapters) adds approximately $60 to your purchase. While not inexpensive, if you’re looking for that “one pen” (or “primary pen”) for your everyday carry, especially one that you can switch from ballpoint to roller to fountain, it’s a worthy consideration.

The Schon DSGN Classic Machined Pen (far left) closer to when I first acquired it. You can see from the more recent pictures how the polished bronze has aged. The pen is pictured here, from left, with a Kaweco Liliput, a Tactile Turn Titanium Gist, and a VERY well loved Rotring 800. (Only the Schon is mine - pen club pic.)

For further reading, you can check out my reviews of other Schon DSGN pens, such as the Pocket 6 fountain pen and the engineered plastics collection, by visiting our archive.

Disclaimer: This post does not contain paid advertising or affiliate links. I purchased this pen at the 2022 Chicago Pen Show with my own funds. If you enjoyed this review, consider supporting us directly via the T.G.S. Patreon Program and purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop, which this week is running a 10% off sale on all pencils and paper to thin out our inventory. Be sure to check it out! (Discount automatically applied at checkout.)

Colorverse Standard Model — Want a crack at this? Better hit the Gently Used Sale fast!

Thursday Drops: Gently Used and Pencil/Paper Inventory Reduction!

July 7, 2022

As you can tell from all the announcements I’ve been posting recently, I’ve been doing a lot of “summer cleaning” and pruning not only the site and shop but shop samples, review samples, and other gently used products that have accumulated over the years. There’s some great stuff in there, including some that’s uncommon! Check out the “Gently Used” Stationery Sale page, and remember that orders from T.G.S. Gently used can be combined with general shop orders to save on shipping.

Update on Inventory Reduction

As I mentioned yesterday, we will be running specials through the D.C. Pen Show early next month in an effort to reduce our general inventory further and allow us to focus on other projects with the T.G.S. website and Patreon Program. For this week, all Paper and Pencils are 10% off, no coupon code required. The discount will be automatically applied at checkout! To the extent something is on clearance pricing, the discount will be in addition to the sale price.

Lochby Restock - New Colors and Designs

Yesterday’s post highlighted the recently arrived Lochby Venture Pouch, but we also received a restock of Brown, Charcoal, and Navy options for the Lochby Field Journal and Lochby Tool Roll. Finally, there is a TON of Lochby paper in stock, and now would be a good time to stock up on 68 Tomoe River!

If you’d like to support T.G.S., consider visiting our Patreon Program! Going forward I plan to focus on growing that group as a primary means of supporting the site. We do meetups and more!

Introducing the Lochby Venture Pouch: Compact Versatility

July 6, 2022

Even though we’ve decided to streamline our retail operation, that doesn’t mean we don’t still have some fun stuff coming in the door! Before the holiday, the Lochby “Venture Pouch” arrived. Just when I thought Lochby couldn’t get more creative with useful case design, they come up with something like this!

A Combination Pen Case and Pen Pouch/Carry-all/Stationery Dopp Kit

What makes the Venture Pouch unique is the fact that it features not one but TWO zippered pouches. On one side, there’s a “pen case” with elastics to hold pens, pencils, and other bands. While there are two sets of bands facing each other, I probably would only recommend using one side if you’re carrying pens that you’re concerned about scratching. If not, the larger bands would be useful for holding headphones, cables, and very large pens.

If you flip the pouch over, the “pen case” portion becomes the center divider for the true “pouch”. You can use either side to store pens, pencils, sticky notes, ink cartridges, highlighters, chargers and more. The mesh side pouches also have velcro closures that can be used to secure smaller items like thumbdrives and SD cards.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I’m planning on enjoying my Charcoal Venture Pouch, and it’s accompanying me to the office today. We have a handful of Lochby Venture Pouches in stock in each color (Brown, Charcoal, or Navy Blue), priced at $44. Like all Lochby products, this strikes me as an exceptionally good value for the quality you get. In the event we run out, or if you’re looking to have these shipped internationally, you can purchase from Lochby directly.

More on Shop Inventory Reduction and This Week’s Special: Paper and Pencils!

Many thanks to all of you who participated in our inventory reduction sale last week! We’re in the process of chewing through all of your orders and hope to have all of them out the door in the next couple of days. While our Fourth of July sale has ended, we will be running weekly specials through the D.C. Pen Show early next month in an effort to reduce our general inventory further and allow us to focus on other projects with the T.G.S. website and Patreon Program. For this week, all Paper and Pencils are 10% off, no coupon code required. The discount will be automatically applied at checkout! To the extent something is on clearance pricing, the discount will be in addition to the sale price.