The Ultimate Lamy 2000 Vs Pilot Vanishing Point Comparison!

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Although a large number of people have been making the switch from ballpoint, rollerball, and gel pens to fountain pens over the last few years, there seems to have been a recent spike in the number of people looking to upgrade to their first intermediate price point pen recently. Due to this, there have been more and more people looking for a Lamy 2000 vs Pilot Vanishing Point comparison article as they are both arguably the best picks for the intermediate price point when it comes to fountain pens.

Although both of the featured models have ballpoint and rollerball variants on the market, the majority of people seem to be specifically looking for a comparison between the two for the fountain pen versions of the pen. Due to this, we will be specifically focusing on the fountain pen versions of the Lamy 2000 and the Pilot Vanishing Point to try and offer the best comparison possible for our readers.

Our hope is that this article will be able to help you choose the best pen between the Lamy 2000 and the Pilot Vanishing Point for your needs. As usual, we have our comparison table below putting the two pens head to head against each other with their main features to help any of our readers who are short on time. Below that, we then have our deep dives into both pens to go into the specific advantages and disadvantages of both for any of our readers who have more time available to read the whole article.

Lamy 2000 Vs Pilot Vanishing Point Head To Head

Pen
Our Pick
The Lamy 2000
Pilot Vanishing Point
Image
Lamy 2000 Fountain Pen Black Medium
PILOT Vanishing Point Collection Refillable & Retractable Fountain Pen, Matte Black Barrel, Blue Ink, Fine Nib (60580)
Pen Type
Intermediate Level Pen
Intermediate Level Pen
Nib Material
Rhodium-Plated 14k Gold
Rhodium-Plated 18 Carat Gold
Nib Widths
Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, Double Broad, Oblique
Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad
Nibs Replaceable
Piston FIller
Ink View Window
Ink Capacity
1.35ml
0.9ml
Body Material
Polycarbonate And Stainless Steel
Brass
Length (Capped)
5.5 Inches
5.5 Inches
Length (Posted)
6.18 Inches
6.2 Inches
Pen Weight
0.8 Ounces
0.9oz
Our Rating
Lamy 2000 Fountain Pen Black Medium
PILOT Vanishing Point Collection Refillable & Retractable Fountain Pen, Matte Black Barrel, Blue Ink, Fine Nib (60580)
Our Pick
Pen
The Lamy 2000
Image
Lamy 2000 Fountain Pen Black Medium
Pen Type
Intermediate Level Pen
Nib Material
Rhodium-Plated 14k Gold
Nib Widths
Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, Double Broad, Oblique
Nibs Replaceable
Piston FIller
Ink View Window
Ink Capacity
1.35ml
Body Material
Polycarbonate And Stainless Steel
Length (Capped)
5.5 Inches
Length (Posted)
6.18 Inches
Pen Weight
0.8 Ounces
Our Rating
Lamy 2000 Fountain Pen Black Medium
Check Current Prices
Pen
Pilot Vanishing Point
Image
PILOT Vanishing Point Collection Refillable & Retractable Fountain Pen, Matte Black Barrel, Blue Ink, Fine Nib (60580)
Pen Type
Intermediate Level Pen
Nib Material
Rhodium-Plated 18 Carat Gold
Nib Widths
Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad
Nibs Replaceable
Piston FIller
Ink View Window
Ink Capacity
0.9ml
Body Material
Brass
Length (Capped)
5.5 Inches
Length (Posted)
6.2 Inches
Pen Weight
0.9oz
Our Rating
PILOT Vanishing Point Collection Refillable & Retractable Fountain Pen, Matte Black Barrel, Blue Ink, Fine Nib (60580)
Check Current Prices

In our opinion, both the Lamy 2000 and the Pilot Vanishing Point are excellent options for the lower end of the intermediate price range. The both have advantages and disadvantages over each other but we have to go with the Lamy 2000 as our primary recommendation. It uses the piston filler system, has an ink view window, and in our opinion, a better grip system when writing, especially if you have larger hands.

That said though, the Pilot Vanishing Point is also a great pen for its price point and with its lower price tag, if you really are on a very tight budget or want a pen with a replaceable nib then the Vanishing Point may be the option for you. That said though, we really do feel that the Lamy 2000 will be the better option for the majority of our readers and it has the market share and reputation amongst the community to reflect this.

Lamy 2000 Review

With the Lamy 2000 being the flagship of the Lamy range, it is not surprising that Lamy have put the time, effort, and money into ensuring it is the best that it can be. On top of this, one of the main advantages that the Pilot range have over some of their competition is putting the quality of the pens performance above everything else but Lamy also do this for all pens in their range too putting them neck at neck for Pilots main advantage.

The Nib Of The Lamy 2000

The unique nib design on the Lamy 2000 can take a little getting used to at first but once you have spent a little time writing with the pen it becomes second nature and the vast majority of people quickly start to see why this pen dominates this price bracket. Although the nib of the Lamy 2000 is made from 14 carat gold with rhodium-plated bringing it in with a slightly lower carat rating than the Pilot Vanishing Point, the difference in the performance of the pen really is minimal.

The Lamy range tend to have a slightly more flexible nib than most other pen brands anyway due to their design meaning the pen offers similar amounts of flex to the Vanishing Point without needing the higher gold content in the nib. The Lamy 2000 also has the advantage of the pen being available in extra-fine, fine, medium, broad, and double broad direct from Lamy where as most other pens in this price bracket do not offer a double broad nib size.

On top of this, the Lamy 2000 Oblique range is also available and in wide circulation offering the Lamy 2000 another advantage over the competing pen brands at this price point. At the time of writing, very few competing brands offer an oblique nib option so if you do prefer to use an oblique nib on your fountain pens when writing, the Lamy 2000 is the clear winner.

The only real disadvantage that the Lamy 2000 has over some of the other pens in this price bracket including the Pilot Vanishing Point is that it does not offer a replaceable nib. We really do feel that Lamy have shot themselves in the foot with this as if the Lamy 2000 did have replacement nibs then it would stand alone without any competition at this price point.

The Lamy 2000 is also a wet writer and although most people do prefer a wet nib over a dry nib, if you are left-handed and write fast then we would highly recommend that you opt to use a quick drying ink to prevent any issues with smudging or smearing the ink when writing. Other than that though, the Lamy 2000 offers a great, smooth writing experience in the vast majority of situations no matter the nib size you opt for with the pen.

The Lamy 2000 Barrel

As we touched on above, one of the main advantages of the Lamy 2000 over the Pilot Vanishing Point is that in the opinion of many people, including our own is that the grip on the Lamy 2000 is much better to hold, especially if you have larger hands. If you do have smaller hands then the difference between the two pens will probably be minimal but if you do have larger hands then this can be a pain pushing the Lamy 2000 out ahead of the Pilot Vanishing Point.

The barrel of the Lamy 2000 is made from high-quality polycarbonate with a stainless steel trim helping to make it a lighter pen than the Vanishing Point. Although the difference in weight is minimal, the feel of the polycarbonate on the Lamy 2000 is slightly better in our opinion but in the grand scheme of things, this really does not matter making the actual feel of the pens very similar.

A minor disadvantage of the Lamy 2000 is that it is currently only available in black with a silver stainless steel trim. Although this will probably not be an issue for the majority of people who are looking for a higher performing fountain pen with a low price tag, if you are a fountain pen collector, there is little to no variation available with the Lamy 2000 range.

A huge advantage of the Lamy 2000 over the Pilot Vanishing Point is that it uses a piston filler system for its ink storage and delivery to the feed rather than a cartridge convertor system. Although the performance of modern cartridge convertors has improved greatly over the years, the majority of people agree that using an actual piston filler is still the better option.

The Cap Of The Lamy 2000

Lamy tend to stick to a minimalist design for the majority of the pens in their range so the cap of the pen has nothing fancy on it, it has been specifically designed to offer protection and help keep the pen nib safe. It is made from the same high-quality polycarbonate with the stainless steel trim as the barrel of the pen keeping it light and tough so it can take the punishment of any accidents.

The cap of the Lamy 2000 uses a twist to lock system rather than a push to lock system that some pen brands opt for at this price point. Although we have ranted about this time and time again, we would always recommend that our readers go with pens with a twist lock system if the pen costs over $100 as it helps to ensure the cap and barrel don’t accidentally detach causing the barrel to go missing.

The clip of the Lamy 2000 is a little rigid and some people do report that they prefer a more flexible clip on their pens but in our opinion, at this price point, rigid is better. Just like with the twist lock system, a rigid clip is more likely to keep the pen clipped onto your pocket or paper to prevent it from going missing or sustaining damage from a fall.

The design of the Lamy 2000 is perfectly balanced with the cap of the pen posting very well when not in use and keeping the pen perfectly balanced. This ensures that there is no back weighting on the pen when writing with it posted and that you are always getting the best possible writing experience.

The Lamy 2000 Ink Reservoir

The ink reservoir on the Lamy 2000 offers a maximum capacity of 1.35ml of ink and beats the maximum capacity of the Pilot Vanishing Point with ease. Although the ink capacity of the Lamy 2000 is above average for all fountain pens on the market, it is around average for intermediate price point fountain pens. That said though, being able to re-fill 1.35ml of ink into your Lamy 2000 should easily be enough for the vast majority of our readers as refilling the pen when required is extremely easy.

The Lamy 2000 also has an ink view window that allows you to check the current ink levels of the pen to plan your re-fills but it can be difficult to view the ink in the barrel of the pen. If you hold the pen up to better lighting then it does become easier to view the ink levels, it can still be a pain to the system used by some competing pen brands. That said though, the Pilot Vanishing Point does not offer an ink view window meaning the poorly implemented window on the Lamy 2000 beats the Pilot Vanishing Point by default.

Lamy 2000 Writing Samples

Pilot Vanishing Point Review

Although you could argue that there are two or three pens all tied for the second spot for best pen in this price bracket behind the Lamy 2000, the Pilot Vanishing Point is definitely one of them and in our opinion, the strongest contender for the second position. If Pilot worked on the forward section of the barrel to improve the grip issues and put a piston filler system in the pen then the next version of the Vanishing Point may actually end up being better than the Lamy 2000.

The Nib Of The Pilot Vanishing Point

The nib of the Pilot Vanishing Point is made from rhodium-plated 18 carat gold and although it does have a higher carat rating than the nib of the Lamy 2000, the design of the Lamy nibs tends to add more natural flex to it when writing putting the nibs on par with each other. Additionally, a large number of our readers will probably not be able to tell the difference between the two nibs due to their gold content being so close to each other.

The Pilot Vanishing Point is available in extra-fine, fine, medium, and broad but as Pilot are an Asian pen brand, their nibs are generally as size smaller than their western counterparts. Due to this, we would advise any of our readers who opt to go with the Pilot Vanishing Point to size up their nib if they are used to using a western pen brand. For example, a medium nib from Pilot is closer to a fine nib from Lamy.

That said though, if you do prefer your extra-fine nibs then the Vanishing Point is ideal as it is essentially an double extra-fine by western standards and has a large fan base. Just like the Lamy 2000 all nib sizes of the Vanishing Point smoothly glide over paper when writing offering an excellent writing experience but the lack of a double broad or oblique nib option can hold it back for some of our readers.

One unique selling point of the Pilot Vanishing Point is that the nib is fully retractable into the barrel of the pen but in reality, this is a pointless feature for the majority of people. Having the nib of the Vanishing Point inside the barrel for storage offers similar levels of protection for the nib as having the cap on the Lamy 2000 when not in use anyway. Although we do like that Pilot have tried something different, it is no where near enough to score it points over the competition and is more of a gimmick.

The main and only real advantage that the Pilot Vanishing Point has over the Lamy 2000 is that you are able to purchase replaceable nib, neck, and converter sections to allow you to repair any damage to the pen in the comfort of your own home without having to fork out for a new pen. That said though, the replacements are usually around half the price of a brand new pen at the time of writing so depending on the overall condition of your Pilot Vanishing Point, some readers may opt to just purchase a new pen anyway removing this advantage.

The Pilot Vanishing Point Barrel

The barrel of the Vanishing Point is made from brass rather than resin and although this usually does not bother most people, we are definitely fans of resin-based barrels rather than metal. That said though, this is definitely down to personal preference so we don’t mark this as a disadvantage but want to make our readers aware. Although the Vanishing Point is heavier than the Lamy 2000 due to this, the difference in weight is minimal and most people won’t realize it anyway.

A minor advantage of the Vanishing Point over the Lamy 2000 is the range of colors that its barrel and cap are available in. If you are a fountain pen collector or care about the look of your pen this really does open a number of doors for color options and special edition runs. That said though, we do feel that the better performance of the Lamy 2000 will be more important for most people keeping it as the better option for our readers.

Another thing that holds the Pilot Vanishing Point over the Lamy 2000 is the fact that it uses the Pilot cartridge converter system. Although the Pilot system is excellent, a large number of people will still prefer to use a piston filler system like the one on the Lamy 2000 over a convertor. This alone will be enough for a large chunk of our readers to opt for the Lamy 2000 instead of the Pilot Vanishing Point.

The Pilot Vanishing Point Ink Reservoir

Due to being based around a cartridge convertor rather than a piston filler, the Pilot Vanishing Point does not use a traditional ink reservoir as the ink is stored in the ink cartridge used in the pen. That said though, the Pilot ink cartridges have a maximum ink capacity of 0.9ml putting at just below average when it comes to the amount of ink that the pen is able to hold at once meaning that the Lamy 2000 holds 0.45ml more ink than it.

As we touched on earlier, the Vanishing Point also lacks an ink view window that we feel really should be included in the pen due to having such a low ink capacity. It can be a pain to have to check the actual cartridge to check your ink levels rather than be able to quickly and easily glance at an ink view window. Although some of the color variants of the Vanishing Point on the market do have a clear section so you can check if you are almost out of ink, most of them are not transparent preventing you from even doing this.

Pilot Vanishing Point Writing Samples

Conclusion

That brings our ultimate Lamy 2000 Vs Pilot Vanishing Point comparison article to a close and as we have covered throughout the article, in our opinion and the opinion of most people, the Lamy 2000 is a better option than the Pilot Vanishing Point. Although the Vanishing Point is an excellent pen that is well worth having in your collection if you are a fountain pen collector, if you are looking for a single pen that offers excellent performance for daily use then the Lamy 2000 is the pen for you.