Waterman ID needed for vintage inherited pen

[Cindy B]

This was my dad's fountain pen. It came as a set with a matching ball point pen, in a blue boxed set. I believe it was bought early 80's, in the US (he lived in Texas but I don't know where it was ordered from). I would like to find a converter for it...I see one on Amazon, S0112881 , would it fit or do I need to know the exact pen and look further? Any help appreciated!

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[Cindy B]

Oh man my apologies, I forgot I had posted on this last year and you all kindly ID'd it as a Waterman Leman 100 Opera. I am doing more sketching in my art business and the questions stands re the converter... what is the best place to find one? Either it didn't come with one or my dad never put it in the box I inherited. Also, are there other Waterman nibs that would fit it?

[PithyProlix]

A current Waterman converter will fit. 

[Cindy B]

Thank you ! Any idea on nibs that will fit it?

[PithyProlix]

I have a Man 100 but have never removed the nib. Others will know better than me but I suspect they are not easily removed - I tried removing the nib from a Lady Charlotte - another Waterman from around the same era - and could not. I sent it to the Parker/Waterman service center in my country (the feed was broken) and I was very lucky that they had the replacement parts. 

 

So you will likely need to get the whole nib unit, i. e. nib+feed +section. Ask the Waterman office in your country but I doubt they will still have them ... so all can I say is Google for it and watch ebay. I think they are probably quite expensive.

 

Or someone here might be willing to swap with you - don't know. What nib do you have now? 

[Cindy B]

Ok thank you, I think I will just get the converter and use the nib that is on there. I think it is a medium. Too thick for me to want to sketch with but it's very sentimental to me since it was my dad's, I can still write with it. I'd hate to chance ruining it. Thank you for the advice:)

[PithyProlix]

21 minutes ago, Cindy B said:

Ok thank you, I think I will just get the converter and use the nib that is on there. I think it is a medium. Too thick for me to want to sketch with but it's very sentimental to me since it was my dad's, I can still write with it. I'd hate to chance ruining it. Thank you for the advice:)

 

If you are likely to use the pen more I suggest looking for a nib unit with a thinner nib. I bet that's what your dad would have wanted you to do. (?) And you can always save the one that's on it now, of course.

 

I have an XF and it is really quite incredible. My Man 100 is one of my top five pens (among many) in my collection. People who have them tend to rave about them. You are fortunate to be able use such a wonderful pen. 

[Penguincollector]

@Cindy B, if you want to consider it, there are people who work on nibs and can make it finer for you. You could send it away, or wait for a fountain pen show for a nibmeister to come near you.  If you wanted to give a very general location here or in a private message, I would be happy to help you find a way to get what you want. 

[PithyProlix]

5 hours ago, Penguincollector said:

@Cindy B, if you want to consider it, there are people who work on nibs and can make it finer for you. You could send it away, or wait for a fountain pen show for a nibmeister to come near you.  If you wanted to give a very general location here or in a private message, I would be happy to help you find a way to get what you want. 

 

This is a great idea and I'm not sure why I didn't think about this before (especially since I received some pens back from a nibmeister recently!).

[Cindy B]

Well I am back with a sad story...I decided to fill this pen with some lovely brown Waterman ink I have and try to sketch with it even tho it's quite wide. I then dropped it and it fell point down on the nib!!! Ugghhhh it is now bent. And I guess I need to find a good nibmeister to contact regarding what to do now. I am in the North Texas area, does anyone have a suggestion for someone who might specialize in vintage Watermans??

[Ueno808]

Cindy, so sorry for your loss...but as one door closes, another opens.  Sounds like the perfect time to invest in a fine/extra-fine nib (and section) that will bring your cherished pen back to life and with a nib sized to better accommodate your artwork. 

[Cindy B]

It does thanks, I am on the hunt for someone to help with that!

 

[Penguincollector]

Cindy, your best bet is to get in touch with the organizers of the Dallas Pen Show or a pen club in the area. I know there is a repair person in the area, but local people may know better. The other option would be to contact Dromgooles in Houston to see if they have a replacement section or other solution. They may also be in touch with Texan repair folks or have another lead for you. As someone who has dropped a 1940s Waterman nib first onto tile, I commiserate with you. 

[Cindy B]

I will follow up on these suggestions, thank you so much! I was sick when I did it, a terrible feeling. I can only hope that in the end, I will have a pen I love and can really use for my sketching, I know my Dad would have loved that. He was an engineer and like me, wanted things to be used not just sit around! I am just getting into pens and didn't know there was such a thing as a pen show, I will have to go to the Dallas one:).

[Christopher Godfrey]

I think you have two options open to you:

(i) send your damaged nib to one of the nibmeisters who can repair said nib; or

(ii) contact someone like Terry at Peyton Street Pens who always have many vintage Watermans (watermen?) in stock and who I suspect carry spare parts.

 

Happily for you vintage Watermans pens are still easy to find, so don't panic too much (#2 nibs are probably the most common).  I look forward to hearing that you have resolved your little problem.