Last year, at the time of the Lamy 2000 100th Anniversary Bauhaus edition, I looked at Lamy’s struggles with managing its limited edition portfolio. While most criticism of the “Blue Bauhaus” fountain pen focused on Lamy’s decision to release fewer than 2000 pens - not coming close to satisfying demand - it’s easy to see how the company ended up in that place: three years later, they still haven’t sold out of their previous anniversary edition, the Lamy 2000 Black Amber, released to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Lamy’s flagship writing instrument.
Others (namely Dr. Deans at Pen Economics) have written in depth on the nature of the problems with this release from a business perspective. In short, Lamy grossly overestimated how many limited edition Black Amber Lamy 2000s they could sell at the 500 Euro / $600 USD price point. While most U.S. retailers no longer have the pen in stock, that’s likely the result of the heavy discounting and promotional offers they used to unload inventory. Some European retailers still have pens available for purchase, so at this point I wanted to take advantage of a couple years’ worth of perspective and re-evaluate the Black Amber with some distance, focusing more on this limited edition release as a pen rather than a marketing case study.
Beyond black makrolon: From left, Lamy 2000 Black Amber 50th Anniversary Edition; Stainless Steel Lamy 2000M, and the Bauhaus 100th Anniversary Blue Makrolon pen.
The Black Amber Is Still a Lamy 2000 - And An Exceptional Pen
Disclaimer up front: I don’t necessarily come to this review from a rational standpoint. The Lamy 2000 is easily my favorite fountain pen of all time, and as with the Bauhaus 100th Anniversary Pen, I was eventually going to track down a Black Amber and add one to my core collection. And, it’s going to be no surprise to you all that I love this pen. I disagree with those who criticized this release on the grounds that it was “too similar” to the standard stainless steel Lamy 2000M. The electroplated finish on the Black Amber gives the pen a much different feel in the hand, and it’s noticeably lighter. When I weighed these two pens on my digital scale, the standard stainless steel pen came back at 2.0 oz, and the Black Amber 1.9 oz (and the Black Amber was fully inked at the time). The difference is enough to change the balance of the pen when posted, at least for me. Curiously, much of the extra weight on the stainless model is in the cap, which weighs .8 oz as opposed to .6 oz on the Black Amber.
How does one describe the color? Let me say this: after seeing the Lamy 2000 Black Amber in person, I finally understood the name. The finish alternately appears dark grey, brownish, or even a champagne gold, depending on the lighting. It’s beautiful. Sure, the Black Amber will never appease those clamoring for a yellow or orange or translucent green demonstrator, but I’ve never felt that wild color schemes would be consistent with the Lamy 2000’s design heritage. At the end of the day, I think I’m fine with the decision to explore more subtle variations in color and texture.
I have pen No. 3497/5000. The size of the releases have significance (5000 pens for the 50th Anniversary, and 1919 pens for the 100th Anniversary of the Bauhaus, founded in 1919.)
The engraving on the cap is very subtle, requiring me to enhance the picture so that it’s even visible.
Overall Writing Experience
I’ve previously reviewed both the standard Lamy 2000 and the Stainless Steel Lamy 2000M at length, and to be honest the experience of putting nib to paper with the Black Amber doesn’t differ all that much from Lamy’s standard lineup. The medium nib on my Black Amber writes a smooth, wet line, consistent with the platinum-coated 14k nibs on the other Lamy 2000 fountain pens I currently have in rotation. At one point, the Lamy 2000 developed a reputation for finicky nibs, but I have to say that I’ve not experienced any issues with the pens I’ve owned, and I’ve purchased five or so within the last several years, through regular retail channels.
Takeaways and Where to Buy
I remain convinced that the primary obstacle to the Black Amber selling well was the price, widely perceived as too high for “what the pen was.” While I’m not sure this is fair - other companies have implemented much more egregious price hikes on their limited editions (including instances where the editions weren’t really limited at all), the discomfort I have with high price points on the Lamy 2000 is that it seems somewhat inconsistent with the Bauhaus ethos: well designed, functional items meant to be used, not necessarily collected. But lots of factors go into companies’ pricing decisions that are beyond the scope of this article, including costs of material, manufacture, and distribution, all of which affect how a company can price the pen without losing money. And, don’t forget that the entire run of Bauhaus 100th Anniversary pens sold out immediately, despite similar pricing to the Black Amber, so what do I know? It could simply be an issue of Lamy feeling out the size of the market for a limited edition Lamy 2000, which sits somewhere between 1919 and 5000 pens.
The texture on the Lamy 2000 Black Amber makes for a perfect pairing with my Raven Venture.
Like any limited edition pen priced at a premium, whether the purchase is “worth it” to you remains a highly personal decision. Anytime you move past the $300 mark, you’re buying the pen because it moves you in some way, or, like me, you’re concerned that if you let this pen sell out without acquiring one your status as a Lamy 2000 super-user will be revoked. But in all seriousness, my overall take on the pen is this: I love it, especially the finish, and the pen itself doesn’t deserve the degree of negative attention it’s received. If you appreciate Lamy’s understated designs, especially the subtle variations in finish and texture they’ve chosen for their limited editions on the 2000, and can handle the weight of the stainless steel body, you probably won’t regret the Black Amber. Ignore the hype/haters and trust your own preferences.
I purchased my Lamy 2000 Black Amber from site sponsor Appelboom last year, around the same time that I ordered my blue Bauhaus 100th Anniversary fountain pen. Although I recognize that the Black Amber is not for everyone, I’m somewhat amazed that this pen remains available for purchase, even at the discounted (but still-expensive) 400 Euro price point.
Further Reading on the Black Amber and the Lamy 2000
One reason I wanted to review the Lamy 2000 Black Amber is because so few reviews of this pen exist. Dries over at The Pencilcase Blog is the only one I can find who reviewed the Black Amber, back in 2016 at the time of its release, and had much the same reaction as I did. I’m glad that I can add my own voice to what little is out there, and make sure this gem doesn’t fall into obscurity.
Disclaimer: I purchased the pen featured in this review with my own funds, for my own use. This post contains affiliate links.