What's Up At Christof's

[christof]

Thanks for the kind words. Next I will show here will be a pen from the flea market tray on wich I am working today. So let's see...

[ethernautrix]

Oo! What's the story on your glass Waterman? Is it made of glass? I haven't heard of it, and I'm intrigued.

 

Also, I love your photos!

[christof]

Oo! What's the story on your glass Waterman? Is it made of glass? I haven't heard of it, and I'm intrigued.

 

Also, I love your photos!

 

The waterman's was made in the 1930's and it's filled with cartridges - glass cartridges. I still am working on this one. But have a look at here:

http://www.vintagepens.com/Waterman_glass_cartridge_pens.shtml

Edited May 20, 2012 by christof

[GemMayhem]

Thanks for this wonderful thread! I have been following it with great interest because I admire your restoration work, your photos and now your lovely sketches!

[Lennart Wennberg]

Christof,

 

You are a great guy and your writing, your pictures and your pens are absolutely first class!

 

But setting up a blog is easy. Just register an account at www.wordpress.com and start building. If you had a blog it would be easier to explore your collected writings. You can also double-post on both your blog and here on FPN.

 

If I can do it, you can also...

 

Grüße

 

Lennart

[dickydotcom]

flea market number 2 looks like a Doric to me too simply because of the faceted body. I think the mark 1 because of the cap band.

Dick D

[christof]

flea market number 2 looks like a Doric to me too simply because of the faceted body. I think the mark 1 because of the cap band.

Dick D

 

Thanks for your help Dick!

 

I found this:

here:

Link

 

You are right. Seems to be a first generation Doric in Junior size. Only the color is unknown now.

 

I will post pictures, when it has been restored.

Edited May 21, 2012 by christof

[christof]

Only to show you how spontaneous we react here at Christof’s (and of course to please Lisa Miyako... ) I layed down the freshly restored Montblanc 332 back to the drawer and took out the Waterman’s glass cartridge filler, which seems to be of interest for some people here. So here comes:

 

5. Waterman’s first cartridge filler

There has been no need for restoration work for this pen. Just disassembling and cleaning was fine. There are no moving parts, no bladder, no piston seal, just a humble rubber seal at the end oft he section, where the cartridge is plugged in. This seal is fine and I prefer to keep it original.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5152/7240820392_ff32069e82_c.jpg

There are not many informations about this pens on the www. But there is a quite informative pen profile on vintagepens.com, written by David Nishimura.

David writes, that theese first cartridge fillers were made in the U.S.A. and have been sold in Europe. He also writes that the pens have been retailed by Waterman’s French company JIF. So it wasn’t amazing to find a french JIF glass cartridge inside the pen.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5071/7240822710_907682b1c8_c.jpg

To load the pen, you just have to unsrew the blindcap of the barrel (which has a spring loaded bottom inside) and put a new cartridge in, screw back the blindcap and it’s all ready for writing again. The section part is quite cleverly designed : There is some pressure to the feed when the cartridge is screwed in the pen (the spring loaded back, remember?) . So the common friction fit feeds would not work. That’s why the feed has to be secured by a tiny little hardrubber screw, which also held the rubber seal. Clever, isn’t it?

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7078/7240845036_5e05b7ef7f_c.jpg

David Nishimura mentions that theese pens have been U.S. made but for JIF Waterman France. He also mentions that there can or should be a 18ct. nib, how it was usual for the french market. There was no imprint on the nib what is not uncommon for theese Waterman’s nibs, so I disassembled the section to see what’s on the foot oft he nib. Well, the nib seemed to me to have some dings before I took out my loupe and had a closer look. See what I discovered on the downside of the nib:

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7095/7240823746_9511659da5_c.jpg

There is an 18ct stamp and two other funny hallmarks.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7239/7240823912_261a9bf2aa_z.jpg

It wasn’t also a surprise that the nib was a nice writing flexible one – perhaps I will have to use this pen a little bit in the future. Perhaps just to see how it looks if the cartridge is full of nice Waterman’s Florida blue.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5344/7240824642_1fe9172e72_c.jpg

But until then, let’s see what’s next…

[Soot]

This is one cool pen, I was eyeing this one awhile back but at the end turned my attention to other pens, too bad for me.

But still, one cool pen!

[christof]

Okay, seems that the interest for the Waterman’s has rather been humble…(Thanks Bob, your comment is appreciated) So here is next:

 

6. „the magic triangle“

As mentioned, the Montblanc 332 from my recent flea market find has been restored as well. So I’d like to show you some pics as usual. Here’s the pen :

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8014/7267349628_3e14893cd3_c.jpg

This 332 has probably been made in 1939 and is the smallest size made during this period. The pen is fitted with a lovely soft, smooth and flexible OB nib. Have a look at this:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8024/7267353750_21e888d666_c.jpg

Many years, I had problems with the cryptical numbering system of montblanc. To many different series, to many different models, colors, filling systems and so on… But, there is a system! I just didn’t understood it, so I did a diagram to understand better. I called it „the magic triangle“.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7102/7267349146_270ba8e211.jpg

I know. For all you Montblanc experts out there this is nothing new. But for me it was helpful….

So, the 332 was the smallest and the most cheap pen in this era, but still with a piston filler. So which model has been the biggest and most expensive one? Of course, you know it. The 139. Here comes two pics for comparison.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7104/7267350648_c4b12ba167_c.jpg

Also the white star is sort of a budget variant. But I like it a lot. This thin white curvy line is very elegant in my opinion.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7105/7267352096_948f6d65cd_c.jpg

Okay, well….that’s all for the moment. I know, I know, quite boring stuff – but…let’s see what’s next…

(it will be shocking and outstanding at the same time. Bewildering and startling etc...…I promise.)

Edited May 25, 2012 by christof

[Soot]

I wonder which would be cheaper, the 322 or 332? I am guessing 322.

 

Christof, you need to draw a direction arrow on the magic triangle so people don't get confused on which way they should read the numbering.

[pen2paper]

not boring!

like that red ink view

[christof]

I wonder which would be cheaper, the 322 or 332? I am guessing 322.

 

Christof, you need to draw a direction arrow on the magic triangle so people don't get confused on which way they should read the numbering.

 

Thanks Bob, you are a true and loyal reader. Thanks also for your comment. You are right, I have to complement this. But here's a quick help: numbers be meant to read counterclockwise, started at 10 o'clock. Is this cear? Have a nice week end.

 

EDIT: forgot to answer this:

I wonder which would be cheaper, the 322 or 332? I am guessing 322.

 

Do you mean back in the 30's or today? I think the piston was superior and more expensive in 1939. ...but I am not sure about if they have been sold during the same period. As I said, I am not an expert. Today, push knob fillers are much more sarcer and more expensive I'd say.

Edited May 25, 2012 by christof

[christof]

not boring!

like that red ink view

 

music in my ears! thanks.

[pen2paper]

not boring!

like that red ink view

 

music in my ears! thanks.

the pleasure is all mine, or all of Ours.

very much enjoying this photo lesson.

 

Great thread.

 

 

[southerncomfort]

Okay, seems that the interest for the Waterman’s has rather been humble…(Thanks Bob, your comment is appreciated) So here is next:

 

6. „the magic triangle“

As mentioned, the Montblanc 332 from my recent flea market find has been restored as well. So I’d like to show you some pics as usual. Here’s the pen :

<a href=" title="MB_332_1 von 2" bei Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8014/7267349628_3e14893cd3_c.jpg" width="800" height="336" alt="MB_332_1"></a>

This 332 has probably been made in 1939 and is the smallest size made during this period. The pen is fitted with a lovely soft, smooth and flexible OB nib. Have a look at this:

<a href=" title="MB_332_2 von 2" bei Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8024/7267353750_21e888d666_c.jpg" width="800" height="535" alt="MB_332_2"></a>

Many years, I had problems with the cryptical numbering system of montblanc. To many different series, to many different models, colors, filling systems and so on… But, there is a system! I just didn’t understood it, so I did a diagram to understand better. I called it „the magic triangle“.

<a href=" title="MB Triangle von 2" bei Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7102/7267349146_270ba8e211.jpg" width="500" height="500" alt="MB Triangle"></a>

I know. For all you Montblanc experts out there this is nothing new. But for me it was helpful….

So, the 332 was the smallest and the most cheap pen in this era, but still with a piston filler. So which model has been the biggest and most expensive one? Of course, you know it. The 139. Here comes two pics for comparison.

<a href=" title="MB_332_139 von 2" bei Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7104/7267350648_c4b12ba167_c.jpg" width="800" height="370" alt="MB_332_139"></a>

Also the white star is sort of a budget variant. But I like it a lot. This thin white curvy line is very elegant in my opinion.

<a href=" title="MB_332_139_2 von 2" bei Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7105/7267352096_948f6d65cd_c.jpg" width="800" height="535" alt="MB_332_139_2"></a>

Okay, well….that’s all for the moment. I know, I know, quite boring stuff – but…let’s see what’s next…

(it will be shocking and outstanding at the same time. Bewildering and startling etc...…I promise.)

 

The nib looks like it would be a real pleasure to use. Not boring at all!

[ethernautrix]

Only to show you how spontaneous we react here at Christof's (and of course to please Lisa Miyako... ) I layed down the freshly restored Montblanc 332 back to the drawer and took out the Waterman's glass cartridge filler, which seems to be of interest for some people here. So here comes:

 

5. Waterman's first cartridge filler

 

Wow! This is so amazing, Christof. I don't know why the glass cartridge appeals to me so much, but it really does -- and your handwriting is gorgeous, too!

 

Thank you! (I was on a road trip using my little Netbook with a wonky Internet connection, so I couldn't click on the links and sometimes the pages with photos wouldn't load completely, which made it a bit frustrating, but I'm home now with my big laptop. :-) )

 

I love this thread that you've started -- so much information beautifully presented. Thank you!

[ethernautrix]

<a href=" title="MB_332_139 von 2" bei Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7104/7267350648_c4b12ba167_c.jpg" width="800" height="370" alt="MB_332_139"></a>

 

 

*Swoon!*

 

Such beautiful pens, and, again, I love your handwriting. Inspires me to use a broader nib (or a flex) and try to add some flourish or character to my own handwriting. Lovely!

[ticoun]

flea market number 2 looks like a Doric to me too simply because of the faceted body. I think the mark 1 because of the cap band.

Dick D

 

Thanks for your help Dick!

 

I found this:

here:

Link

 

You are right. Seems to be a first generation Doric in Junior size. Only the color is unknown now.

 

I will post pictures, when it has been restored.

 

The color looks like Bronze and Green, which is a second generation color.

http://richardspens.com/ref/profiles/doric.htm

[GemMayhem]

Thanks for taking the time to create the gorgeous photos of this stunning Waterman's glass cartridge pen. I had seen one of these long ago and was fascinated by it, so it's a treat to see your detailed photos of it disassembled. Very clever indeed! I bet it will look even more beautiful with a full cartridge of Waterman's Blue. Let me know if you tire of it.

 

All the Best,

Gem