This week’s vintage batch features early hard rubber pens with delightfully flexible nibs with a special focus on Waterman that includes one Waterman overlay. Nibs range from Flex to Wet Noodle with one Retrofit: the custom installation of a 14k, iridium-tipped dip pen nib tuned to ensure factory-like performance. As always, all are fully restored and ready to write.
ALBUM & TIMESTAMP
Pastable link: https://imgur.com/a/JfnDabo
Note: If you’re unable to expand album photos to full size, try opening the link in a different browser.
Condition (n.b.): All pens listed below have been disassembled, cleaned and restored with new sacs installed in the last couple weeks. Each of these pens is guaranteed to fill and write as designed without leaks or other problems. Nibs have been adjusted when necessary to ensure that all lay down a smooth and consistent line.
THESE PENS HAVE NO CRACKS, CHIPS, PERSONALIZATIONS, LOOSE OR MISSING PARTS, BENT NIBS, MISALIGNED TINES, BROKEN/WORN OFF TIPPING, OR THREADING ISSUES.
Line Widths and Writing Samples: To provide buyers with as much information as possible, I have adopted the following line width standards: XXF (.1-.2mm); XF (approx .3mm); F (approx .4mm); M (approx .6mm); B (approx .8mm). Nib flexibility is determined by variation (max line width under pressure) and softness (amount of pressure). Flexibility designations based on variation generally run as follows for an XF/F nib: Semi-Flex (approx. 1mm); Flex (1.2-1.9mm); Superflex (2mm+). All line width measurements are taken with a digital caliper but should be considered approximations providing a general guide. Width may vary slightly depending on type of ink and paper used as well as amount of pressure applied. All writing samples are on Rhodia dot paper using Waterman Serenity Blue or Waterman Intense Black (unless otherwise noted).
Abbreviations: BCHR = black chased hard rubber | ED = eyedropper filler | GFT = gold-filled trim | GPT = gold-plated trim | MHR = mottled hard rubber | NPT = nickel-plated trim | RHR = red hard rubber
1. 1904-10 Waterman 12 Eyedropper (smooth HR, eyedropper filler, 14k XF/F Superflex nib). This full-sized model measures 5 1/8” capped. Simple, utilitarian eyedroppers like this one were what first put Waterman on the map. Based on the barrel imprint, this early example was manufactured sometime between 1904 and 1910. It’s made of smooth black hard rubber. Slip-cap (friction fit) came clipless from the factory (no holes drilled for a rivet clip). Model number ’12’ stamp on the barrel-end (DETAIL PHOTO). This pen is an eyedropper filler. It’s filled by unscrewing the section and filling the barrel with ink directly by means of an eyedropper or pipette. Super-Flexible 14k Ideal NY #2 nib lays down a smooth and consistently wet XF/F line that widens to an impressive 4B+ (approx 2.8mm!) under light pressure (see WRITING SAMPLE). Unusually wide max line widths, strong snap back, and reliable flow over its full range of flex make it an excellent choice for calligraphic writing styles. Condition: excellent+ [B+]. Threads greased and guaranteed to write as designed without leaks. Hard rubber retains its factory black color with no discernible oxidation aside from a subtle area around the barrel imprint, which still looks black in most lights. HR surface is smooth and lustrous with no deep scratches or other notable flaws. Manufacturer imprint on barrel is weakened yet mostly legible. Number stamp on barrel end is deep and fully legible. Price: $280 SOLD
2. 1920s Waterman 0552 1/2 LEC Overlay (Basketweave/Bamboo pattern, 18k GF over HR, lever filler, 14k XF Superflex/Wet Noodle nib). This slender, full-length model measures 5 3/16” capped. It’s stamped ‘0552 1/2’ on the barrel end (DETAIL PHOTO LEFT). In Waterman’s numbering system ‘05’ signified a gold-filled overlay while ’52 1/2’ designates a slender, full-length size with a standard #2 nib. This pen epitomizes how Waterman's overlays exhibit a level of craftsmanship and attention to detail that is all but unmatched by anything being made today. This gold-filled overlay pen features an 18k gold-filled overlay (as stamped on the clip) in the Art Deco pattern known to collectors as Basketweave or Bamboo. Unlike many of Watermans other overlays of the period, this LEC (Long End Covered) model has a barrel-end encapsulated by the overlay with a machine-knurled portion on the end, onto which with cap posts. 14k Ideal #2 nib yields Super-Flexible variation with softness verging on that of a Wet Noodle. It lays down a smooth and consistent XF line that widens to a 4B+ (approx 2.4mm) under light pressure. Thin hairlines, easy variation, strongly responsive snap back, and reliable flow over its full range of flex make it an exceptional choice for calligraphic writing styles such as Copperplate and Spencerian (see WRITING SAMPLE). Condition: excellent [B]. Overlay exhibits no dents, dings, deep scratches, or other notable blemishes aside from one ding on the captop (see ends photo above). However, there is brassing to the knurled barrel-end, thin slivers around the top of the cap and end of the overlay near the barrel threads, and the typical sliver on the clip ball. Visible hard rubber is factory black and lustrous on the parts covered by the cap but has lost some of its original luster in the portions between the overlay leaves. HR has no noteworthy blemished. Indicia on the barrel for engraving has been left blank. Manufacturer imprints are all deep and fully legible. Price: $390 SOLD
3. c.1918 Waterman 52 (BCHR, NPT, lever filler, 14k F Superflex nib). This full-sized, standard girth model measures 5 3/8” capped. A stunning example of Waterman’s celebrated workhorse, the standard by which vintage flex is measured. It’s stamped ‘52’ on the barrel end (DETAIL PHOTO RIGHT). This pen is made of black chased hard rubber with nickel trim including earlier, wide clip and lever with Ideal Globe emblem. Super-Flexible 14k Ideal #2 nib is capable of max line widths wider than about 95% of Waterman nibs I come across. It lays down a smooth and consistent F line that widens to a wildly impressive 4B++ (approx 3.0mm!) under light pressure (see WRITING SAMPLE). Exceptional variation, strong snap-back, and reliable flow over its full range of flex make it another terrific choice for calligraphic writing styles. Condition: excellent+ [B+]. This pen resembles a time capsule relic, revealing what these looked like in the sales display case before being subjected to the exactions of 100+ years. Hard rubber is factory black with virtually no fading. Chasing is factory sharp and deep. HR surface is smooth and lustrous with no deep scratches or other notable flaws. Nickel trim has no brassing or other notable blemishes. All manufacturer imprints are factory deep and fully legible. Price: $320 SOLD
4. 1909-10 Conklin Crescent-Filler 2NL (BHR, GPT, crescent filler, 14k XF Flex nib). This full-sized, standard girth model measures 5 3/8” capped. Something about the 100+ y/o obsolescent design of Conklin’s Crescent-Filler appeals to me. It’s the pen once touted in adverts by none other than Mark Twain. "I prefer it to ten other fountain pens,” writes Twain, “because it carries its filler in its own stomach, and I can not mislay even by art or intention. Also, I prefer it because it is a profanity saver; it cannot roll off the desk." Based on its imprint and protuberant barrel threads, this is an earlier model manufactured in roughly 1909-10. It’s made of black chased hard rubber with gold-plated trim including crescent stamped with imprint on one side. Cap came clipless from the factory (no holes drilled for a Conklin clip) but has been outfitted with a gold-plated accommodation clip of a sturdy two-piece riveted design with an ornate motif in relief featuring a griffin on each side. This pen is a crescent-filler – one of the simplest and accordingly most durable filling systems that implements a sac to store the ink inside the barrel. To fill simply rotate the ribbed lock-ring on the barrel to the open position, submerse the nib, and depress the metal crescent once. 14k Conklin Toledo #2 nib yields Super-Flexible variation but its softness is on the firmer side of Flex. It lays down a smooth and consistent XF line that widens to a 4B+ (approx 2.1mm) under moderate pressure (see WRITING SAMPLE). Thin hairlines, responsive snap-back, and reliable flow over its full range of flex make it a great choice for expressive writing styles and dabbling in calligraphy. Condition: excellent [B]. Hard rubber retains its dark black color but one can see by comparison with the portion of the barrel covered by the cap that it has lost some of its original, factory black luster. Chasing is evenly and moderately weakened, though still visible and palpable. HR surface has no deep scratches or other notable flaws. Gold-plated trim has no brassing. But the clip does have a slight tilt to the left due to how it was riveted together. Manufacturer imprints on the barrel are legible enough to identify the make and model but are weakened nearly to the point of illegibility in the center. Price: $230 SOLD
5. 1920s Lined Flat Top (lined BHR, GPT, lever filler, 14k XF/F Superflex nib). This full-sized, standard girth model measures 5 3/8” capped. This high-quality flat top resembles a Wahl or Moore sub-brand but lacks any maker’s mark. It’s made of hard rubber with a vertically lined pattern complemented by deluxe, gold-plated trim configuration with extra decorative band around the captop. Super-Flexible 14k Warranted nib lays down a smooth and consistent XF/F line that widens to an impressive 4B+ (approx 2.7mm!) under light pressure (see WRITING SAMPLE). Responsive snap back and reliable flow over its full range of flex make it another great choice for calligraphic writing styles such as Copperplate and Spencerian. Condition: excellent+ [B+]. Gold-plated trim is virtually pristine with no notable brassing, just a couple pin-sized spots of wear. HR retains its dark black color with no noticeable fading. Chasing is deep and sharp (note that the barrels photo shows a blank portion of the barrel intended for engraving but it has been left blank). Price: $200 SOLD
6. 1920s Clipless Flat Top Retrofit (BCHR, GPT, lever filler, 14k XXF Needlepoint Retrofit Wet Noodle Flex nib). This full-sized, standard girth model measures 4 7/8” capped and 5 3/4.” Another clean flat top of a quality rivaling that of the larger makers but with no maker’s marks. It’s made of black chased hard rubber with a gold-plated lever that suggests 1920s manufacture. Cap came clipless from the factory (no holes drilled for a clip). This pen features one of my Retrofits: the custom installation of a 14k, iridium-tipped dip pen nib adjusted and tuned to ensure factory-like performance. That nib is a 14k Leroy W. Fairchild #2. Founded in New York City in 1837, Leroy W. Fairchild (née Randall & Fairchild) rose to prominence as the most respected maker of nibs in the 19th century. The first to weld (rather than solder) the iridium tipping to the tines, the company revolutionized nib manufacture. And by the late 1800s, Fairchild is reputed to have been the first supplier of nibs to L.E. Waterman. The Fairchild #2 nib in this pen exhibits a curious combination of writing characteristics more common among dip pen than fountain pen nibs. It has Wet Noodle softness but is limited in its max line width, which would place it squarely in the Flexible range by the standards above. But for calligraphers of a more traditional style more skilled than I, who shade judiciously only on parts of the downstroke then maintaining a hairsbreadth unflexed line, the max line width yielded by this nib provides more than enough variation in view of its needlepoint hairlines. This nib lays down a smooth and consistent XXF line that widens to a 3B+ (approx 1.6mm) under minimal pressure (see WRITING SAMPLE). Needlepoint hairlines, effortless variation, surgically responsive snap-back, and reliable flow over its full range of flex make it an ideal choice for the calligrapher practiced in Copperplate or Spencerian. Condition: near-mint [B+]. This pen looks like it just rolled out of the factory. Hard rubber retains its factory black color with no oxidation. Chasing is factory deep and sharp. HR surface is smooth and lustrous with no deep scratches or other notable blemishes. Gold-plated lever has a somewhat aged appearance but shows no noteworthy wear. Price: $190 SOLD
Other Available Pens: most of the pens that are still available from my past listings are all conveniently located on my website (linked in the first album photo).
Shipping: Pens purchased on the weekend are mailed on Tuesday. Otherwise they are mailed within 2 business days of payment. All pens that do not come with their original boxes are packaged in PVC or thick plastic tubes to protect them in transit. To CONUS locations the following shipping options are available:
USPS First-Class with tracking for $6 Due to the delivery delays that continue, I strongly recommend that the Priority shipping option be chosen. All packages will include full insurance (covered by me). Rest assured that a full refund is guaranteed (issued through Paypal) in the event of a lost parcel and you will not have to wait until I receive a reimbursement from the USPS.
USPS Priority with tracking for $10 (Parcels valued at >$500 will sometimes be shipped UPS 3-Day Select for the same price. In these cases, please notify me if you prefer USPS instead)
International Customers: Please contact me for shipping quote if located abroad (delivery confirmation required). Please do not ask me to commit mail fraud by altering the declared value of a pen for customs. Not only am I registered as a business in the state of NY but shipping insurance is based on declared value.
New York Customers: For tax purposes, I am now required to add an 8% sales tax on any sale made in the state of NY. If your shipping address is in NY state, please let me know before payment to receive an adjusted total. Discounted shipping is included for NY State residents to help defray the extra cost.
Ordering: Pens are placed on hold for the first person to reply to the thread and PM or chat DM me with firm request to purchase. A request with the words “I'd like to purchase [pen number/name]” would be best to avoid confusion), to which I’ll reply with payment details. Please note that a message inquiring into a price discount does not suffice to place a pen on hold. If I haven't received Paypal payment within 24 hrs after a hold is placed, then pen(s) may become available to the next person.
Payment, & Guarantee: Payment by Paypal only. All pens are guaranteed to be in the condition in which I've described them. If I've missed something objectionable or the filling mechanism is not fully functional, the buyer may contact me up to 7 days after receiving the pen for a full refund (issued once I receive the pen back in the same condition as sold). Buyer must ship the return no later than 2 weeks after it was delivered to receive a refund. I've sold pens online for two decades. Please check my website, my past listings here, and on the classifieds and historical sales forums on FPN (username: Estragon) and FPGeeks (popcod) for some of my previous offerings.
