…or how a non-functional Waterman fountain pen started a connection between generations for a pen collector?
It is well known among stationery enthusiasts that Waterman is one of the oldest companies that makes pens. I am quite sure that it would be a hopeless attempt not only to present the company or its products, but even to try to overview just a narrowed area.
What personally connects me to Waterman pens is a fountain pen that was passed down to me from the family. It was worn out, without a nib, but with such old dates on the bakelite (or hard rubber) pen body that I felt half of it wasn't true.
I apologize for the quality of the images. They were taken back in the time when mobile phones were still unsuitable for capturing recognizable, sharp images. Over the years, I only vaguely remembered that the pen type had something like ½ in its name.
I had already convinced myself that the dates surely belonged not to the pen, but to various patents and other announcements from Waterman.
Unfortunately, this may never be revealed. At the little shop dealing with fountain pens at the corner, I was still able to buy a nib from the old owner, if I remember correctly, around the late 1970s. Of course, not the original, and not even a Waterman (according to the inscription: Original Pekin 14 Ct). Over time, I also figured out how to fill the pen. The reason why it is worth mentioning this last part is that the fountain pen actually did not have any filling mechanism.
At the end of the pen body, there was a two-way rotating element that activated the mechanism: turning it one way made the nib protrude from the pen body, while turning it the other way retracted it. In the closed position, when the nib was retracted into the pen body, ink could be introduced into the pen body with the help of a dropper (later I learned that this filling system is called an eyedropper for this very reason).
The moment I have been waiting for many years has arrived…
…but unfortunately, I was not successful. The ink was constantly leaking from the pen body, either at the nib or at the screwable part at the end of the pen body, or from both. After use, there was no need to empty the ink, as just minutes after filling, all the ink had already spilled out. There was ink on the paper, of course not in the form of letters. There was ink on the table, and mainly on my hands and clothes.
The saying is true: bad memories fade away, while the good ones remain. I believe this is why, from time to time (every 5-7 years), I gave the pen another chance. Starting from high school, continuing at university, and even after that…
I would like to thank László Falusi (found on Facebook Pens and Watches group expert) for taking the time and effort to find out that it was most likely a Waterman 42 ½ Safety Pen.
Every pen has its own fate…
The big question is, what happened to the pen? The local fountain pen specialty store closed, and the old owner passed away. I tried to inquire about repairs at fountain pen distributing companies in Budapest, of course without success. There was only one promising lead. At the KeS specialty store, I managed to exchange a few words over the phone with someone. Perhaps with the owner, who gave me a name, a phone number, and a non-Budapest address. Unfortunately, the paper I wrote it on got lost.
Years went by, and after 1990, Western companies, including Waterman, appeared in Hungary. So I called the Waterman representation in Hungary, where I inquired about service options. In hindsight, I think I was impatient. They might have barely established their presence in Hungary, let alone having a service network or even a central service. I told them over the phone about the pen, its defect, and that I would like to save it. In the absence of service, they offered the possibility of providing a place for the pen at a planned, permanent product exhibition, in exchange for a new Waterman fountain pen. I accepted the offer…
On the agreed day, two people arrived and brought a boxed Waterman Carene fountain pen. The pen was beautiful. We chatted, and I felt that the family fountain pen would go to a good place. The pens changed owners. They went back to Budapest, and I immediately put the new pen to work. My Pilot Birdie, which I had used every day until then, was quickly cleaned, then placed in the pen case, and finally into the cabinet. The Waterman Carene I received in exchange, with the added ink, was a dream. I discovered previously unknown qualities in it. Balance, scratch-free smooth writing, lines of even thickness and saturation.
Nearly 20 years later, my eye caught a completely matching ballpoint pen on eBay. I bought it. Since then, they have been waiting together in the same gift box to take their turn from time to time. Whenever this happens, the old pen always comes to my mind...
I think if I find one at a reasonable price, I will have a Waterman eyedropper fountain pen once again...
In the meantime, I will show how the pen might have looked complete (Image source: ebay.com)
György's further articles in the Budapest Pen show community magazine here!
