What Waterman pens do you own?

[Tas]

In order of purchase:

 

1 x Expert II (reddy marble effect)

1 x 515 (black)

1 x very poorly Carene (black) that I very nearly ruined by trying to fix but has gone from a dry scratchy medium to a big fat unbelievably smooth stub.

 

I did have two Reflex models but they were terrible starters so I gave them away.

[anra]

My Watermans:

 

2 x Kultur

1 x Hemisphere

1 x Phileas

1 x Audace

1 x Ici et La

 

[Bo Bo Olson]

One.

A 52 BCHR with a XF to BBB Waterman Ideal nib from Mauricio.

 

I checked what inks many recommended for super-flex nibs, and had a few. R&K Scabiosa I'd not used for much yet. It was iron gall and would dry quick.

It did. It did well on most papers tested. It is just the start. I've only had it inked for 20 minutes.

 

I took the 52 and R&K ink to my Gmund and MK paper (German) samples. In that Gmund costs €35 for 50 or 100 sheets depending on which...I intend to dither a very long time. Certain inks work 'best' on the 170g, others on the 120 and of course a couple did great on the 100g....that is three slightly different types of paper at those weights.

 

On (US) Southworth 90g ivory I marked down as scratchy. Otherwise it was 'toothy' in most cases. A couple it seemed less toothy...to bad I didn't mark that down. Must have been early in the quick scribbling.

 

I'm sure with 100% cotton it would smooth out, but there would be very little shading left, in 100% cotton swallows that.

Ancient 'iridium' is not as smooth as modern after The War. It is lumpy, chunky and prone to have pieces break off. "Iridium' for fountain pens was perfected in or just after WW2. So grinding to over smooth such old nibs can grind chunks off.

 

I ordered through my B&M G. Lolo Paper laid Verge De France 160g 25% cotton. That is not a paper for that nib. I can think any laid could/would cause that nib to hang up a couple of times a line....sort of scratchy.

G. Lolo Velin 125 g 50% cotton. writes 'ok' but there are parts of strokes that don't show up every other line. There is Rail Road'ing when trying the fancy L....That paper is not for that ink, or not that nib or both.

Neither of these papers lived up to my expectations. I've got to get the regular 90-100g versions.

 

I just tired my Australian 'flexi' BB stub Snorkel on those two papers....hacked a letter or two on the laid, and was 'toothy' on the 125g...to my surprise. I guess those papers are best with nibs with a big American Bump under (Many of the '50's German nibs were rather flat under the tines. Some of the 'no name' German semi-flex nibs I have from the '60's do have an American Bump under. The only pen I have inked that had the American Bump under was a Parker, it mastered both papers easily.)

 

There is no perfect nib, paper or ink. With luck one finds the perfect combo though. Persistence helps in the luck file. Max cost is not always a winner.

 

My 'fancy' letter is an capitol L, and with a good ink, on ok paper it will show a small

trapezoidal block from when the nib crosses back over the end of the long stroke of the L just as it curves. That is the only place and letter I press a nib. Even then I don't press to the max. Much of flexible writing as done by those who can...not I, is about how fast the nib snaps back. I took a light down stroke and pressed once relatively hard on one side of it,and a bit harder on the other. Yes, the nib goes from EF to BBB. I really don't have to do that all the time...now do I?

 

I can get a full English handlebar mustache L letter out of a nib like this with good flex. Do read Richard Binder's article on how easy it is to spring a nib.

 

My test phrase is Let it Be. (Quick writing not trying to max a letter.)

L e t i t B e ... The fancy letters L and B get a bit Bold, the t's get crossed and the e ends up with some swing of flow. I started doing that with my first semi-flexes and continued to give me an idea what the nib would do, and or what the nib and ink would do.

 

The first pen I bought off of Ebay was a Waterman Graduate...that chrome fingerprint trap was the first pen I sold on Ebay too.

I want a Waterman Woodgrain or Ripple some day....when I know more.

 

[Sinistral1]

Bo Bo:

 

Thank you for this post. You describe very well the importance of marrying the right paper with the right ink and the right nib for maximum performance of all three.

 

I also liked how you highlight the differences in how much tipping material is on the post WW2 nibs versus the pre WW2 nibs, which results in an oft "scratchyness" (of those 1890-1940 flexible nibs) on all kinds of modern paper. Trying to smooth these old nibs can ruin them because of how their iridium was attached, as well as the very nature of the tipping material.

 

Thanks again for your astute observations!

Edited January 3, 2014 by Sinistral1

[Mr. Pink]

Just one, a black Man 100. I think it's a better looking pen than anything they make now.

[Tasmith]

Executive:

 

 

Kultur:

 

Edited March 5, 2014 by Tasmith

[m6ttl]

Looking in the cabinet, I see these two. Both are black.

 

Centennial 100 LeMans

Laureat

Edited March 17, 2014 by m6ttl

[SeanKidd]

3 Phileas' and 2 Laureats. Love em'!

[willard]

One Kultur, which I believe is the best Safari I ever owned.

 

One Facette, which comes from my grand-mother's estate. It was scratchy and not fully cleaned.

 

I blame my grand-mother for discovering FPN and having become a pen nut.

Edited March 19, 2014 by willard

[discopig]

Waterman 12 1/2 PSF, just plain hard rubber with a gold band on the barrel

Waterman 52

Waterman's Ideal 1/2v, unknown model from early 30s

Edited March 27, 2014 by discopig

[tylchick]

My second Waterman just arrived today - a 52 Wood Grain Ripple, with some cosmetic flaws but it writes so smoothly with a superflex nib. Time to start to learn some fancy writing...

[Gary D]

Hi,

 

I have just aquired this watermans Safety pen. It has a 1903 US patent on it and has a diameter of about half an inch. Can anyone tell ne anything about it?

 

Thanks

 

Gary

[Xof72000]

I can't read properly the nib, but it looks like a 48 safety... any number on the bottom end of the pen ?

[Gary D]

Yes it's got a 48 on the end and a no 8 nib

[pensilly]

My latest find over the weekend...a No. 20 in sterling overlay (looks like a vine pattern). Needs a ball on the edge of the clip, but nib is beyond repair, so if anyone has a No. 10 nib, I'd be interested. Peter

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/uploads/imgs/fpn_1396831303__img_8462.jpg

 

 

 

[Xof72000]

Great find Pensily !

And good luck searching for the #10 nib ... not so easy to find ...

[tmenyc]

Using my wonderful 5, with its equally wonderful Brown nib.

 

Tim

Edited April 7, 2014 by tmenyc

[pensilly]

That is sweet!

[gqtuazon]

I just bought this fountain pen from an airport. I am not sure what it is and the closest is the Waterman Exprert but I am not sure.

 

 

Waterman Expert 003 by gqtuazon, on Flickr

Edited April 14, 2014 by gqtuazon

[gqtuazon]

Here is the full image.

 

Waterman Expert 002 by gqtuazon, on Flickr