Waterman Carène

[Glaedr]

I haven't seen a Waterman Carène review on here, so I thought I'd make one!

 

Appearance/Finish 5/5

 

The carène is finished very well in an attractive, glossy black (I believe it is called Black Sea). The cap fits onto the barrel with a secure click; however this can mean that some ink is left on the nib from the force used. The gold plating is also highly polished and complements the black nicely. It feels well made and very well manufactured.

 

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d55/jozo888/LondonZoox4444160.jpg

 

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d55/jozo888/LondonZoox4444162.jpg

 

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d55/jozo888/LondonZoox4444163.jpg

 

Nib Design and Performance 5/5

 

The nib is smooth with just a hint of tooth. It is strange in the design because the breather hole is at the back and the nib also extends part way up the section. This is not a problem because the ink does not spread to this area, and I have had no trouble with starting this pen, even when it is left uncapped for a while. It has not skipped on me at all. It is not a wet or dry writer, but in between.

 

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d55/jozo888/LondonZoox4444165.jpg

 

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d55/jozo888/LondonZoox4444167.jpg

 

Design/Size/Weight 5/5

 

This pen is quite heavy, due to the lacquered brass constrution. I write with my pens posted and it does not feel too heavy for me and the pen remains balanced. Furthermore, there has been not damage from my posting habits at all on the upper of the barrel. This pen is about a centimetre longer than my Lamy Al-Star.

 

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d55/jozo888/LondonZoox4444166.jpg

 

Filling System 3/5

 

This pen uses the cartridge/converter filling system. This is not my preffered system, but it is good for keeping the weight down on this pen. It came with a free pack of Florida Blue cartridges and two converters.

 

Overall, I am very pleased with this pen and would rate it very highly for it's cheap price.

 

http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d55/jozo888/LondonZoox4444168.jpg

 

This writing sample is Florida Blue, but the colour is bad on my camera for some reason!

 

Please excuse any mistakes as I am relatively new to fountain pens and haven't grasped all the lingo yet!

Edited October 29, 2006 by Glaedr

[RonB]

Thanks for the review. I agree these are very nice pens.

 

Ron

[HyperCamper]

Thanks for the review! One of the first high end fountain pens I bought is a Carene. Recently dug it up from the big box-a-pens and cleaned it. It's lying a pen rest next to me as I write waiting to get a sample of the FPN GM Brown...

[southpaw]

Excellent review - thanks for sharing.

[TMann]

Nice review and great pics! I really like that black color, too. It's subtle, but very classy.

 

TMann

[Maja]

Great review, Glaedr----keep 'em coming!

 

I acquired a nice Waterman Carene with a bent nib for very little money a few weeks ago. With a bit of tine straightening and nib adjustment, I managed to get it working so that it starts up without any hesitation (late edit/update: the pen now requires a bit of priming---a gentle tap on the paper--to get it going, but once it starts up, it's fine) . The Carene has a nice nib design, but if something goes wrong with the nib it is difficult to fix as it appears to be permanently attached to the pen....(edited last line for grammar )

Edited November 16, 2006 by Maja

[sittingfool]

I love my Carene. It's one of the best writers I own. Great review!

[Simius]

The Carene that I have skips ever so occasionally, and sometimes I don't even notice the skipping until later. For example, the other day, I wrote a 7, but later realized it was a slanted 1. Good thing I caught the mistake quickly - otherwise it would have become an expensive financial commitment. I can't figure out any particular pattern to the skipping, but it happens often enough and in situations such as the above that it's not just an irritation.

 

Has anyone had similar experiences? Any solutions? Thanks...

[kpyeoman]

I love the look of the Carene, but there seems to be mixed reviews from ppl that own one. Either it's absolutely incredible, or it suffers from problems like above that are pretty problematic for a pen in this price range. It makes me nervous about purchasing one. I know every pen will have it's issues due to volume of production, but there seems to be more reservations about the Carene on FPN than other similar pens in its price range.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Nice handwriting! I like the writing sample, thanks.

[Bill Wood]

I must be lucky I think. I have three Carene's and there all great.

[Pen2009]

Does anyone know how to make the nib and the barrel end line up correctly? Mine is not lining up properly.

[Ghost Plane]

If you do a google search on the site, there is a thread with instructions and photographs how to adjust things so they line up.

[eisbaer]

Does anyone know how to make the nib and the barrel end line up correctly? Mine is not lining up properly.

What I did was use (quite some) more force when tightening the barrel to get them aligned. I didn't feel completely comfortable at first, screwing on the barrel harder than I expected was needed but the pen's ok and it's lined up perfectly.

[Pen2009]

Does anyone know how to make the nib and the barrel end line up correctly? Mine is not lining up properly.

What I did was use (quite some) more force when tightening the barrel to get them aligned. I didn't feel completely comfortable at first, screwing on the barrel harder than I expected was needed but the pen's ok and it's lined up perfectly.

I think that could strip the threads in the barrel as they are just plastic while the nib section threads are made of metal.

[breaker]

nice review!

thanks!

[TSherbs]

I love the look of this pen, but, alas, out of my price range.

 

Santa, maybe??

[lewis]

The Carene is like a middleweight boxer that takes a heavyweight to a points decision.

[Boston Brian]

Terrific review and beautiful handwriting by the way. I only have two modern Waterman pens and sadly the ill flow is poor on both of them, which has kinda put me off looking for any others.

[bobbytee53]

I own a waterman careen.Ibought it about a year ago from cult pens it wasn,t cheap but what a loverly fountain pen in fact its the best pen I have ever owned.Mine is marine amber and comes with gold trim.Iwas going for the black sea finish but the marine amber was in my opinion far more attractive.I have got several fountain pens one a shaeffer which I bought in the 1970,s,but the waterman careen wins hands down for me.Iwould recommend the carene to anyone who enjoys writing.There are obviously much more expensive fountain pens out there on the market but for quality.looks and writing ability .the carene is the one for me. Sorry about the typing I am not the greatest typist in the world