Some Saturdays come with a happy surprise. A package arrived for me
last weekend! A good friend from the US sent over a combined Christmas
and birthday gift in the form of a vintage
Waterman’s Ideal No. 3 set of fountain pen and matching propelling pencil!
It came complete with an original Waterman’s box, complete with paper
insert of instructions on how to fill the pen and pencil correctly.
I could not stop staring. The celluloid was beautiful! The pen is
pristine – the clip and lever are absolutely clean and shiny, the
Waterman’s imprint on the barrel strong and easy to read. There are no
major use marks. It’s been resacced, ready to fill and write with. The
pencil still had its original eraser, and contained the right size lead!
When I removed the pen and pencil from the box I was delighted to
discover a pencilled inscription: “Frank Jr. Christmas 1941 Annie
Carrisa Edna John.” I like to think this was a gift to Frank Jr. from
his siblings.
The paper insert mentioned a patent date of 1932, so the date of
manufacture could’ve been close. (Later, my friend, a member of the
Pen Collectors of America,
discovered the very pen listed in a 1933 Waterman’s catalogue. The
beautiful silvery-grey swirls in a black matrix with random red flecks
is a celluloid pattern simply called “Black Pearl”.)
The nib is a sweet 14k no. 2 flexible fine. My friend tuned the flow
to be able to write well under a light hand, and to be wet enough to
handle flexing. I haven’t really tried any sustained Copperplate-ish
writing with it yet, but I feel it can certainly used that way. (I’d
say my Wahl and Swan pens have slightly softer flex nibs.) I did try a
fancy capital W in my writing sample, however.
This pen and pencil set was acquired from an antique store sale.
Back in the 1933 people paid USD 3 to buy this fountain pen. It might
have been a bit more when it was given to Frank Jr.
Vintage Waterman’s Ideal pens come from the time when the brand was still American and American-made – about 1884-1954. (Now owned by Newell Rubbermaid, today’s Waterman fountain pen brand is based in France.)
I have inked it with Cross Blue and intend to use it often – which is
the best way to honor such a wonderful gift. And the best way to start
the New Year!