Miracles still do happen

[Richard]

I went to Raleigh this weekend with absolutely no intention of purchasing a Waterman's Ideal No. 7. One was enough for me, especially since it's a Blue that I inherited from my grandfather. However, Susan Wirth brought me a No. 7 to work on -- it was hiding under a 55/56 cap, but the telltale keyhole nib led me to check the barrel number, and there was a 7 there.

 

http://www.richardspens.com/images/collection/zoomed/idealno7_white.jpg

 

So okay, it's a No. 7. But when I read the legend imprinted on the nib, I had to have the pen. I negotiated with Susan, and it's mine. Mine, I say, all MINE!

 

<yawn>

 

Sure, go ahead and be blasé. Here is a close-up photo of the only No. 7 WHITE nib I've ever seen -- or even heard of.

 

http://www.richardspens.com/images/collection/zoomed/idealno7_white_nib.jpg

 

 

[sheafferkid]

Its a beautiful pen! But, being ignorant, what does the White mean? Glad it was a good show! Wish I could have been there! Would have loved to meet you in person!

 

Evan

[Richard]

But, being ignorant, what does the White mean?

First off, you should read my article Waterman's Nib Color Code.

 

With that information under your belt, you'll appreciate what this nib means when I tell you that it is the rarest of all the No. 7 nibs; for many years collectors were not even sure it actually existed. I don't know anyone who will "admit" to having seen a White, and even David Nishimura, whose pen knowledge is encyclopedic, does not yet know what the correct description of a White is. His site refers to it as a broad nib, probably with a medium taper. It's actually an extremely broad stub, with a short slit and very high shoulders. This configuration renders it rigid.

 

So this discovery is major. I can't take any credit for it beyond having noticed what was shoved in front of my nose, but I'm wicked thrilled to have been privileged to make the discovery and publicize it.

[George]

An extremely rare nib of the colored nibs. A super stub, and probablhy one of the most interesting. Nice find.

 

Send some info to David so he can look it up.

 

 

Edited June 12, 2007 by George

[Rick Krantz]

Richard, if you decide that this might be something you would like to sell, I can put you in line with a buyer that will pay somewhere close to ridiculous. My #7 collector was glad to find a black, now that there might be a white, he will surely be motivated.

 

nice find!

 

 

[PAKMAN]

Awsome find Richard!!!!!!! I am so jealous!!! Took me for ever to get a #5 at a price I could live with and now I want a #7 so bad I can taste it, but to find a White Nib!!!! How much did you have to give Susan to take that beauty home? Will you ever be able to find a white banded cap???? WOW! I am so excited for you! Sounds like a great show with just that one event!

 

Perry Kearney

[Djehuty]

An impressive and very fortunate find. Congratulations!

 

[George]

To answer pakmanpony's question, I hope Richard does find a white cap, but I dont think Waterman made a white cap. Even if they did, waterman probably made like 5 of these, if not less. The cap (if there is one) would be in someone basement, with other parts waiting to be found. But, he did say the cap was a mis-match, so who knows. You would need to find a complete Black nib pen and see if the band was colored. That would be a good sign.

 

Please Richard, If i am wrong correct me.Its always fun (at least for me) to learn about rare odd ball pens in this world.

Edited June 12, 2007 by George

[david i]

To answer pakmanpony's question, I hope Richard does find a white cap, but I dont think Waterman made a white cap. Even if they did, waterman probably made like 5 of these, if not less. The cap (if there is one) would be in someone basement, with other parts waiting to be found. But, he did say the cap was a mis-match, so who knows. You would need to find a complete Black nib pen and see if the band was colored. That would be a good sign.

 

Please Richard, If i am wrong correct me.Its always fun (at least for me) to learn about rare odd ball pens in this world.

 

 

Hi,

 

I'm unclear how we would know Waterman did not make a cap to match the nib, given they made caps to match all other nibs. I have no information as to how many of any nib grade the company produced.

 

Often our evening chats at pen shows involve my showing my latest "super finds" to Richard. This year, he blew mine away. No doubt i will have to photograph this one "my" way somewhere down the pike :-)

 

david

 

[Richard]

I hope Richard does find a white cap, but I dont think Waterman made a white cap.... But, he did say the cap was a mis-match, so who knows.

Well, I actually said it was a 55/56 cap, but since these pens are the same size as a 7, who really knows? It's not a mismatch in terms of color -- it's a very good color match, so that it's not impossible that this could be the pen's original cap. But it's also equally not impossible that somebody could have a banded White cap squirreled away somewhere. In any case, it's really gratifying that we now have an actually White nib to document. What makes it doubly interesting is that the old Waterman display trays for use in stores call the White a Coarse nib, which means it should nominally be a broad nib that's designed to give no line variation at all. So it's all doubly interesting.

 

And I'll point out that this is another of the many reasons for going to pen shows. You never know what you're going to stumble across.

 

DEPARTMENT OF REDUNDANCY DEPARTMENT

APPROVED

Edited June 12, 2007 by Richard

[Richard]

Someone on Pentrace requested a writing sample. This image (144 dpi, approximately 2x actual size on an ordinary monitor) shows what a White does:

 

http://www.richardspens.com/images/ref_info/wat_nib_colors/white_exemplar.jpg

[framebaer]

I hope Richard does find a white cap, but I dont think Waterman made a white cap.... But, he did say the cap was a mis-match, so who knows.

Well, I actually said it was a 55/56 cap, but since these pens are the same size as a 7, who really knows? It's not a mismatch in terms of color -- it's a very good color match, so that it's not impossible that this could be the pen's original cap. But it's also equally not impossible that somebody could have a banded White cap squirreled away somewhere. In any case, it's really gratifying that we now have an actually White nib to document. What makes it doubly interesting is that the old Waterman display trays for use in stores call the White a Coarse nib, which means it should nominally be a broad nib that's designed to give no line variation at all. So it's all doubly interesting.

 

And I'll point out that this is another of the many reasons for going to pen shows. You never know what you're going to stumble across.

 

DEPARTMENT OF REDUNDANCY DEPARTMENT

APPROVED

 

Richard,

any chance the nib started life as a broad (coarse) and was 'tweeked" into a stub by some long ago nibmeister like yourself? That might explain the discrepancy?

 

In any case, as we say here in NE, wicked awesome find!!!

Edited June 12, 2007 by framebaer

[Richard]

any chance the nib started life as a broad (coarse) and was 'tweeked" into a stub by some long ago nibmeister like yourself? That might explain the discrepancy?

I think not. The shape of the nib and the tipping, and the quality and style of the finish work, indicate that there hasn't been any alteration of such a drastic character. Given that the line variation is rather limited for a stub of this nib's width, I'm inclined to think that "Coarse" would simply have been an easier description for Waterman to use than "Stub that's much wider than a Blue but doesn't have a corresponding increase in line variation."

[MYU]

Congratulations on your find, Richard! I was rather clueless about the Waterman numbering system until I read up on your informative article. So each one of these colors was marked by an inset ring on the cap--I can barely make that out in your thumbnail image on your website. Any chance you can provide a link to a larger image?

 

So the White was sort of the "Last of the Mohicans", in that Waterman abandoned the color scheme not long after introducing the White color designation?

 

~Gary

[Richard]

So each one of these colors was marked by an inset ring on the cap--I can barely make that out in your thumbnail image on your website. Any chance you can provide a link to a larger image?

Reload the reference article. You should now see a magnifying-glass symbol next to the advertisement thumbnail. Click the magnifying glass to pop up a larger version of the image.

[Ruaidhri]

If ever a pen had gone to a loving home that one has

 

Congratulations Richard.

 

Regards,

Ruaidhrí

[kirchh]

Well, I actually said it was a 55/56 cap, but since these pens are the same size as a 7...

Note that a 55 and a 56 are different sizes. The No. 7 corresponds to the No. 55.

 

--Daniel

[gicoteni]

Which is the order of rarity? First I am sure the one you found, but about the other colours\nibs? Ciao, G.

[Oxpen]

Which is the order of rarity? First I am sure the one you found, but about the other colours\nibs? Ciao, G.

 

 

I am no expert but a wonderful whole range of #7 red ripples for sale in latest Gopens catalogue

All banded colours are similar in price ($400-$600) except the 'Black' which is a massive $2200

Interestingly the only pen missing in the range is the 'WHITE' - I wonder what that puppy is worth ?

 

http://www.gopens.com/Cat44frames.htm

 

Oxpen

Edited September 15, 2007 by Oxpen

[Richard]

UPDATE: Research has shown that my WHITE nib is in fact a fake. It turns out that John Mottishaw worked on this nib in 2003, and at that time it did not bear a WHITE imprint. It's a very nice nib, but it ain't authentic.

 

Back to Square 1.