What's new

New to fountain pens, have question.

I decided to check in with this forum because I have this fountain pen my wife bought over 25 years ago. It says on the box it's a Waterman Paris, model #18275-3. Laurt Red Marble. Suggest price $65.00.
I was just wondering what you guys think of it. Be honest, I can take it. Here are a couple of pictures I took of it.

$DSCN2300.jpg$DSCN2294.jpg
 
I do not have that exact pen, but I do have some Waterman FP and I am quite happy with them. Have you tried it? I suspect that it will be just fine.
 
I have a Waterman pen that is at the bottom of their line and it's quite nice.
All that really matters is how you like it when you write with it.
I'm a Montblanc fan and they are hated by most pen people but I don't care.

The best thing to do is ink it up and take it for a spin.
 

Doc4

Stumpy in cold weather
Staff member
It should be just fine for you to use. Ink it up and have at 'er!
 

nemo

Lunatic Fringe
Staff member
The pens are good but sometimes on that era Waterman (1990's) the nib corrodes if put away dirty. Your pic suggests a bit of that or maybe it's just a shadow ... don't know.

Cartridges and converters are readily available, so let us know how it goes for you!
 
I have used, and enjoyed a Laureat as well. One common objection appears to be that the clutch ring (which provides a firm grip for the cap when it is on the pen in the 'closed' position) can loosen with use or over time. If yours is in good shape then go ahead and use it! In fact, use it no matter what. Ink it up and enjoy it.

If you're looking for a valuation or appraisal, I'll add that it's not that uncommon a pen, so won't fetch that much in terms of a sale price. So go ahead and enjoy it.
 

oc_in_fw

Fridays are Fishtastic!
Welcome aboard. Whether it has been inked before or not, you will want to flush it before filling it. You can do that with the converter or a bulb syringe thingy (technical term) that you use for flushing out ears.
 
The pens are good but sometimes on that era Waterman (1990's) the nib corrodes if put away dirty. Your pic suggests a bit of that or maybe it's just a shadow ... don't know.

Cartridges and converters are readily available, so let us know how it goes for you!

I tried cleaning it but it does seem to have some corrosion on it. What is a good general purpose ink? Do the people on this forum perfer one color ink to another?
 
If you're looking for a valuation or appraisal, I'll add that it's not that uncommon a pen, so won't fetch that much in terms of a sale price. So go ahead and enjoy it.

I was a little curious about the value, not that I would sell it. (It's my wife's pen.) So thanks for that info. I may just dive into the ink on this thread.
 
Parker Quink, Waterman, Pelikan and Sheaffer are all fairly easy inks to find. Pick a bottle of a color you like or maybe even just get some disposable ink cartridges to start with. I have two of those pens (one fine and one medium), and they're great.

As suggested above, get a couple of these for flushing/cleaning the pen's nib and feed. Also see the Nib Wiki (link in my signature line below) for more info on fountain pens in general.

-Andy
 
A reusable tube that has a built in piston mechanism you retract with a twisting knob to suck in ink from a bottle
 
I have the Waterman Laureat fountain pen in a blue-gray marble with a medium nib. It was actually one of my first pens...I found it and a matching roller ball at a local flea market. It's a very nice pen with an excellent, smooth nib. I found it a little narrow for my hand and now the set is on long-term (i.e., permanent!) loan to my wife. Recent eBay sales prices seem to be all over the map. Anywhere from $25 to $100+. :confused1
 
Use it. Discover Waterman's smooth as glass nibs are generally too wet and broad. Search through many pens for finer nibs that are as smooth as Waterman's. After spending untold fortune searching through a hundred pens find Pelikan and Kaweco do it for you... maybe Sailor.

... or just get a Kaweco and a Pelikan.

Then find a Parker 51 clone for everyday use while you hunt for a real Parker 51.
 
Top Bottom