Waterman Expert Deluxe Review

[jatinsindhu]

In this post I will review the Waterman Expert Deluxe Fountain Pen. The one which I have has a fine nib.

 

Official Product Link of the pen

 

Flipkart Link from where I bought the pen

 

Background: I have been using the Waterman Expert for more than 3 years. It is my second waterman pen. Prior to this I had owned the Waterman Phileas and being really satisfied with that I decided to go in for another waterman. This pen also has the fine nib like my Phileas. This was also the most expensive pen in my collection at the time of purchase. In short I had a lot of expectations from this pen even before I had tried it out.

 

 

 

Appearance & Design (1-10) - 8/10 - An appealing design.

 

I went in for the deluxe version in black colour. It has a metallic cap with chrome finish. It has five horizontal bands and has a sloping top. The clip has a slit in the middle just like any other waterman. You can also find waterman and paris written at the base of the cap in white over a black band. The barrel is black lacquer over a metal body and has chrome bands to match the cap. It has a steel nib which also matches the cap colour. Overall the pen has only two colours - chrome and black and they are well-coordinated. As a whole the pen follows a cigar shape with it being wide at the middle and narrower at the ends. The grip section is comfortable to hold with the width increasing just above the nib to prevent your fingers from slipping. The pen looks upmarket and has a good design.

 

 

 

Construction & Quality (1-10) - 8/10 - The pen is solidly built.

 

The construction quality is good and the pen feels solidly built. There is nothing much to complain and the pen can handle some abuse. (I have never this pen so I don't know what would happen).Even after 3 years of fairly regular use this pen is in good condition. I am happy with the construction.

 

 

 

Weight & Dimensions (1-10) - 9/10 - Balanced when unposted.

 

The weight of the pen feels just right. It is neither very heavy nor can you call it light. I have fairly big hands and the pen fits in well posted as well as unposted. This pen is thicker than its sibling, the waterman hemisphere. Personally I find the thickness of the pen to be just right and the hemisphere is too slim for me. This pen has a very heavy cap so I prefer to write with the cap unposted. Having the cap posted seems to alter the balance for the worse and it feels as if you have to hold the pen in your its position rather than it naturally resting in your hand.

 

 

 

Nib & Performance (1-10) - 10/10 - Wonderful Nib.

 

The pen I have is with a Fine nib. The nib is made out of steel and there is nothing fancy about it. It is a relatively small in size. What you expect from a nib depends from person to person and this is subjective so one should always take this with a pinch of salt. Here is my opinion... Of all the fine nibs that I have ever tried this is the best. I bought this pen after using the Waterman phileas. That was also a fine nibbed pen and I went for this with similar expectations. The nib is smooth and fast. There have been no issues with any of the inks that I have used with this pen. Being a fine nib the inks are very quick to dry. However off the box the nib was not as smooth and you need to give it some time, write some pages with it and then it shows its true colours. Being a fast and a quick to dry nib it is ideal for note-taking applications or where writing speed is an important factor. I really love this nib and this pen has always remained in my circulation thanks to the nib.

 

 

 

Filling System & Maintenance (1-10) - 9/10 - Classic reliable converter.

 

The filling system design and the overall maintenance effort involved with the pen is same as that of any other converter based pen. The converter is the standard waterman converter which can be used across almost all their pens around this range. Since the nib is fine it does not use a lot of ink and a single top up can last a fairly long time.

 

 

 

Cost & Value (1-10) - 7/10

 

I bought my pen online in India from flipkart.com. It cost me around Rs. 5400 that is around USD 80. Depending upon the other pens in your collections you may categorise it as average or an expensive pen. I don't think you can call it cheap in any way. At the time of purchase it was the most expensive pen in my collection. For what it costs it is a pretty simple device. It has the classic looks and performs well. Depending on what you expect from this price point you may either by happy or disappointed. Thus, this again is a very subjective score. In my opinion this pen was "expensive" at the time of purchase but after some years of use I feel that the money was well spend and I am satisfied with my investment.

 

 

 

Conclusion (Final score [sUM/6]: X) - 8.5/10

 

It is a wonderful pen. It is not too fancy but has everything that it should have. Feels like a complete package. It is that sort of pen which very few people will dislike and you will need to put in some efforts to find any shortcomings. It is that pen which may not have many "fans" but which is liked by most of its owners. It is a safe bet to go with and I recommend this pen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to my blog where this review is posted

Edited September 18, 2015 by jatinsindhu

[s_t_e_v_e]

Nice review, thanks! I like the Expert too. It is a very reliable pen suitable for everyday use. If a converter doesn't bother you then I think it is a complete package.

[jameswatts]

I have an Expert Deluxe I the spiral pattern, which I like a great deal -- it's been my everyday carry pen for much of this week. I also have one of the original Experts from the 1990s, which is a noticeably larger pen and with a much more unconvential looking nib than what is currently offered.

[mehandiratta]

thank you so much for the detailed review...

[overwriter]

Good review and I absolutely agree. I have had one of these with mottled red and black lacquer, gold trim and a fine nib for years now. For everyday reliability, comfort, and performance I put up there with my old and battered Pelikan M200.

[Iur]

Good review and I absolutely agree. I have had one of these with mottled red and black lacquer, gold trim and a fine nib for years now. For everyday reliability, comfort, and performance I put up there with my old and battered Pelikan M200.

 

Can anyone kindly elaborate on the matchup between the Expert vs the M200?

I am aiming at buying one of them in the medium term (next year or maybe Christmas) and would like to have some user feedback.

 

I know the main difference being the C/C system vs. the piston filler system...

[ashutoshthakur]

Thanks for the review.. it's a nice pen. I have one in white barrel.

But I have lost the metal disc on top of the pen cap. Any suggestions for its replacement.

[1nkulus]

Can anyone kindly elaborate on the matchup between the Expert vs the M200?

I am aiming at buying one of them in the medium term (next year or maybe Christmas) and would like to have some user feedback.

 

I know the main difference being the C/C system vs. the piston filler system...

 

 

Apart form C/C for Waterman and piston for Pelikan, the Waterman is almost twice as heavy as the Pelikan when posted (26g vs 14g).

 

The grip and barrel diameter is similar.

 

The posted length is similar too.

Unposted, the Pelikan is 122mm vs 126mm for the Waterman.

 

Both have steel nibs.

 

The steel nib of the Pelikan, IMO, is better and has a greater variety of widths.

Unlike Waterman, you also have the option to upgrade the Pelikan nib to 14K.

 

The Pelikan can be left unused for longer periods without drying out than the Waterman.

[1nkulus]

Thanks for the review.. it's a nice pen. I have one in white barrel.

But I have lost the metal disc on top of the pen cap. Any suggestions for its replacement.

 

Contact Waterman for repairs or, maybe, buy a replacement cap.

As for repair, it is possible that the pen could get held up at customs upon it's return.

 

You could lookout for a damaged pen with an undamaged cap.

[Iur]

Apart form C/C for Waterman and piston for Pelikan, the Waterman is almost twice as heavy as the Pelikan when posted (26g vs 14g).

 

The grip and barrel diameter is similar.

 

The posted length is similar too.

Unposted, the Pelikan is 122mm vs 126mm for the Waterman.

 

Both have steel nibs.

 

The steel nib of the Pelikan, IMO, is better and has a greater variety of widths.

Unlike Waterman, you also have the option to upgrade the Pelikan nib to 14K.

 

The Pelikan can be left unused for longer periods without drying out than the Waterman.

Thank you so much for tour detailed reply! The Pelikan seems to be the best deal overall and I was admittedly already more inclined for it from the get-go. Plus, I think I favour lightweight pens since I write for long periods of time.

[1nkulus]

Thank you so much for tour detailed reply! The Pelikan seems to be the best deal overall and I was admittedly already more inclined for it from the get-go. Plus, I think I favour lightweight pens since I write for long periods of time.

 

Glad it was helpful.

 

You could also consider the M400 which comes with a 14K nib or the M215 which is slightly heavier at 21g IIRC.

I prefer the M215 compared to the M200.