Big Keyhole Nib Mystery Pen

July 8, 2012

I think this one might be from the 30's, but I could be wrong. Top of the cap as that stepped look like the big No.7. Keyhole nib may be 6 or 7, it isn't stamped with size number but here's a picture of it between a #5 RED and a #7 ACCOUNT nib. Hard to tell the difference. It matches the length of the 7 when removed. I've never seen another Waterman with this clip and cap. What the heck is it?

July 8, 2012

Was going to post a link to an Ebay auction, of a pen I saw that looked just like this one!....then I figured out something. So never mind...

Anyway, can't tell you what pen the is. The Davis and Lehrer book shows the same clip and stepped cap end and three cap bands on a Demonstrator Ink Vue (page 91) . But your pen is a a regular lever filler. Could it be a misplaced cap an a different barrel? The 5xx series pens have a similar rounded barrel end as do some of the W# ( i.e. W2 ) series pens but those I believe are from the 40's. The English made and Canadian made pens had some variance to their American cousins (i.e. Canadian made Black #7/#5 did not have the color coded disc at barrel end, yet most had color coded nibs)...could yours be one of these variants ? (Though your nib says made in USA...could be a misplaced nib also!). See many noncolor coded Keyhole nibs around also

....really trying hard not to say....fr**kenpen, but it may be.

Rick

Edited July 8, 2012 by talkinghead

July 8, 2012

Rick,

Yeah that's my listing lol.

I thought franken-pen, also.

You're right, it's the cap from an Ink Vue 7 Black. The barrel must be from something else, though it's a little longer than, and has a different lever than my Commando. The barrel has no imprint.

Not the best picure, but the one below shows this pen in the middle. The Commando is on the bottom and you can see the lever is different. The top pen is a Jet Black #7

Edited July 8, 2012 by Vincent1278

July 9, 2012

The pen is from the late 1930s. The second generation Ink Vue model #511 came in jet black and several nice striped colors, green and brown among them. I have a #511 Ink Vue in brown striped plastic and an identical pen except it has the same normal lever as your pen. You might take a look at Paul Erano's book, second edition, page 177. He reproduces an advertisement that shows the black #511 Ink Vue that your pen is the variant of. My pen does have a barrel imprint but it is not very deep and hard to read.

A very nice pen.

Tom

July 11, 2012

I think that the variant you have would be a 513 /513J depending on the presence or otherwise of a vistulated section. It is very similar to the 5116 series Ink Vues. Your pen would appear to be correct if it is one of the 51## series.

Edited July 11, 2012 by rhosygell