Vintage Waterman Safety-Filler Identification

[Inksomnia]

I'm not new to vintage pens, but I don't own any watermans or safety fillers. I noticed this pen on auction site. It is workig condition and has F nib, bit stubbish I would say. So I would really like the nib. But I'm bit hessitant, because price is higher that what I usually pay for my vintage pens, and it is auction starting price is 100 euros (115 dollars) (but usually there is no-one else bidding...). What model this actually is? It is marked as Waterman 42, but I don't trust sellers. How hard are these safety fillers to maintain and restore? How easily they leak? Can they be used as everyday carry? Photos are bit small, they are provided by the seller. Color seems to bit faded. Is pen made of hard rubber? I just can't stand smell of hard rubber, so that would be huge bummer. All info is welcome, it helps me to make well, more educated buy and not regretting it later.

Edited October 21, 2018 by Inksomnia

[PaulS]

the pen you've shown does have the appearance of a Waterman e.d. safety No. 42 - i.e. short cap length, straight sides, and the 42 does come in a MHR (Mottled Hard Rubber) - though whether the nib is original I've no idea but it does say IDEAL - most pre WW II Waterman pens do carry the model No. on the butt end of the barrel, so you might ask the seller for confirmation of this.

The 42 appears to have had a bigger brother in the form of the 125 and a younger slimmer one, the 41. Coincidentally, in the Davis & Leher book their example of a 42 is also without a cap ring. Date wise you're looking at a pen from c. 1910 - 20, so a genuine antique and probably not going to be inexpensive.

What makes you comment that you don't trust the seller? - past experience perhaps?

The faded colour, if that is the case, can be brought back to life easily, but if the smell of sulphur turns you off, then perhaps best not to buy the pen. I wouldn't use this as an everyday carry, but this type of pen is easy to use - it lacks a complicated filling system, and is a real piece of history, but to buy this just for the nib is perhaps a tad extreme.

Regret I'm unable to comment on whether the suggested price is on the money or not - sorry

Edited October 21, 2018 by PaulS

[Inksomnia]

What makes you comment that you don't trust the seller? - past experience perhaps?

Auction site is more like generalised auction site, so listings are often wrong. I have no experience on this seller. Smell of sulfur is bad news... I have pens that have only parts made out of hard rubber and it still bothers me. And I forget to add currency! I edit that in the first post. Starting price is 100 euros. There is hardly any competition on pens, so it will probably just be that 100 euros or bit more.

 

I have to consider that pen bit more, there was also safety filler with steel nib, and it Acca pen company. But this waterman has that unusual pattern going that caugh my eye.

[PaulS]

MHR - red ripple or wood grain pens, depending on your point of view - fetch a price premium as far as I can see - but at the end of the day the number of shekels needed to buy this one - within reason - is secondary to our passion. No good waking up each morning for the next couple of years feeling depressed because you didn't buy something because some idiot on FPN put you off. - and you'd soon forget the price tag.

The only time you'll get the sulphur smell is when you clean it, and how many times are you going to do that - so do that out in the open air and you'll hardly notice the pong, and thereafter it shouldn't smell.

Of course, if you're allergic to BHR (Vulcanite) then that's a different matter.

 

The fact that the auction house sells items of a general nature doesn't necessarily mean they are untrustworthy - though caution with all auctions 'played at a distance' is sensible.

 

Best of luck.

Edited October 21, 2018 by PaulS

[Inksomnia]

Pen is still on sale. Price dropped to 80 euros and I'm currently really tempted to get it.

 

I did quite extensive search of seller and he seems trusthworthy. But I'm still thinking about it. Seller says it is restored and provided writing sample.

[PaulS]

ethically, it would be wrong of me to tell you to buy this pen - so I won't - but on balance the reduced price does not appear excessive, and we're back to passion and the extent you will lament losing the pen if you don't buy it. Life is for living - not just window shopping.

You might ask the seller for some explanation of what they mean by 'restored'. Other thoughts are - why does this pen remain unsold? - usually there is some reason for this situation.

[Inksomnia]

I think it is unsold currently, because here people are more interested unrestored under 10 euro pens, not expensisive ones, at least on this site. So it remaining unsold doesn't worry me that much. But problem is I can't message the seller, because site it is on, doesn't have message system at all.

 

And still, I think I don't get many opportunities to get such beautiful pen on this price. Especially in my country, where most fountain pens are from germany. I don't even own any watermans. Maybe I wait is there another price drop if it doesn't sell.