Moore Gold Filled Ring Top – Wet Noodle  (See Price Here)

Here is a pretty little gold filled ring top by Moore. I like Moore’s ring tops as they have a good quality feel to them. There is no brassing that I could find on this pen. There is one ding on the body, but other than that the pen seems pretty clean other than the usual light scratching that comes with normal use. The initials “F.W.” are inscribed in the side of the cap. The 14kt #2 Moore nib is a very wet writing F that is smooth and soft, and it is has some fantastic flex. It ranges from 0.5mm (F) to a large 2.1mm (BBB+). It is very soft and smooth and fairly responsive for how wet it is. A great, durable and portable noodle.

SIZE:  4″ Capped

NIB: Moore #2, F to BBB (0.4mm-2.1mm),  WET NOODLE (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Lever

CONDITION: Good

Restration Work:

• Pen thoroughly cleaned & flushed
• Nib polished and tuned to write smoothly
• Nib and feed ultrasonically cleaned and adjusted for optimal flow
• Pen body buffed and polished
• New sac installed
• Test driven for a week to insure quality

Wahl Gold Filled #4 – Super Flex (On Ebay)

Here is a beautiful Wahl gold-filled pen with a pin stripe design. This is too large to be a ring top and comes with the clip instead. There is one ding and a tiny ding next to it on the cap (see pics). There is also chipping away of the gold-filled exterior on the section. It’s a very common issue on these Wahls. There is a small (less than 1mm) but fairly deep scratch on one side edge of the nib. It is not a crack as it is just on the surface of the nib. There is also a very tiny dent nearby it on the nib. Neither of these issues affect the performance, but are slight cosmetic flaws. “ROBT. HARRIS” is the name inscribed on the side of the barrel. The 14kt. Wahl #4 is a pretty good sized flex nib. It writes normally as a F (0.4mm) that is smooth with good flow but not crazy wet. The flex goes all the way up to BBB (2.0mm) and the feed has no problem keeping up. The nib isn’t as snappy as some super flex nibs, but it is good enough to do some nice flex writing with. Measuring in at just over 4 1/2” this is a nice, good-sized gold-filled pen with good flex.

SIZE:  4 5/8″ Capped

NIB: Wahl #2, F to BBB (0.4mm-2.6mm) SUPER FLEX (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Lever

CONDITION: Good

Restration Work:

• Pen thoroughly cleaned & flushed
• Body thoroughly polished with jeweler’s cloth.
• Nib polished and tuned to write smoothly.
• Nib and feed ultrasonically cleaned and adjusted for optimal flow
• New sac installed
• Test driven for a week to insure quality

Waterman Commando – Good/ Super Flex   (On Ebay)

This is a nice Waterman Commando in black celluloid. The pen has great feel to it that sits well in the hand. I’m personally a big fan of Commando’s. Unfortunately many of them have deteriorated ends or missing clips. This one, however, has neither flaw. The pen is solid black celluloid, so no worries about crazing. The clip is still riveted on tight. There is some significant wear to the top of the clip/ crown of the cap, but all other gold filled trim has little to no brassing. The 14kt. Waterman #5 nib is a large (not huge but large) beauty of the a nib. It writes an elegant XF/F line (0.35mm) that is a pure pleasure to use. One of the best writers I have restored in a while. A nib that simply will not disappoint. It has has some soft flex that ranges up to 1.6mm. It is quite responsive so it doesn’t need a lot of flex to look nice. The feed, however, does not quite keep up, and after a while you will get some railroading (thus the “good/ super flex grade. It would be a definite super flex if the feed kept up better). Slowing down, using wet inks, and maintaining good form can mitigate much of the issue.

SIZE:  5 1/8″ Capped

NIB: Waterman #5, XF/F to BB (0.35mm-1.6mm),  SUPER/GOOD FLEX (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Lever

CONDITION: Good

Restration Work:

• Pen thoroughly cleaned & flushed
• Body polished
• Nib polished and tuned to write smoothly
• Nib and feed ultrasonically cleaned and adjusted for optimal flow
• New sac installed
• Test driven for a week to insure quality

Waterman Eyedropper with Star Nib – Wet Noodle  (See Price Here)

Here is a rare find. In the writing sample I call this a Waterman 12 but in reality this is the pre-12. This pen actually predates the numbering system Waterman adopted in 1898. The only patent date on the pen is 1894. My guess is that the pen was made in 1897. Certainly no later. It is still in great shape. The only flaw is that the hard rubber has faded to a dark brown. Imprints all look great and are easily readable. Now this 14kt. Waterman #2 star nib is an absolute paintbrush. This nib was made to flex like always. It’s not easy to write normally with because slightest pressure brings the tines apart. This nib requires some skill to use and a very light hand. It can flex with ease up BBB (2.0mm), but I would keep it under that most of the time. It’s a nib that would be easy to over flex. It writes “normally” as a very wet F (0.4mm), but that is with zero pressure on the nib. This is a real rare find. A likely 120 year old Waterman eyedropper with an ultra soft wet noodle Waterman Star nib.

SIZE:  5 3/8″ Capped

NIB: Waterman #2 Star, F to BBB (0.4mm-2.0mm),  WET NOODLE (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Eyedropper

CONDITION: Good

Restration Work:

• Pen (barrel, section, nib, feed, & cap) thoroughly cleaned & flushed
• Nib polished and tuned to write smoothly
• Bands cleaned and polished
• Inside of barrel thoroughly cleaned.
• Nib and feed ultrasonically cleaned and adjusted for optimal flow
• Test driven for a week to insure quality

Waterman 12 S.F. – Wet Noodle  (See Price Here)

This is a Canadian made Waterman 12 Sleeve Filler with a truly fabulous nib. The hard rubber on this pen is smooth with no original chasing and it has faded some to a dark brown. The imprints on this one are quite nice, crisp, and easily readable. It has patent date of 1909. The slip cap does have a small chip out of the lip. The nickel filled clip-cap clip is still in great shape with very little wear for it’s age. The internal filler bar has some rust spots, but they are only surface and pretty common on these pens. The 14kt. Waterman #2 is a super soft wet noodle nib. The pen writes normally as a very wet F (0.4mm) that is silky smooth. The tipping was just redone by Greg Minuskin, so it’s as good as the day it was made. The nib has pretty decent responsiveness for how soft it is. The flex ranges up with ease to 1.8mm (BBB). These sleeve fillers are pretty hard to come by and this nib is a real joy to use.

SIZE:  5 1/8″ Capped

NIB: Waterman #2, F to BBB (0.4mm-1.8mm),  WET NOODLE (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Sleeve Filler

CONDITION: Good

Restration Work:

• Pen (barrel, section, nib, feed, & cap) thoroughly cleaned & flushed
• Nib polished and tuned to write smoothly
• Bands cleaned and polished
• Inside of barrel thoroughly cleaned.
• Nib and feed ultrasonically cleaned and adjusted for optimal flow
• Test driven for a week to insure quality

Mabie Todd Swan Ring Top – Super Flex (On Ebay)

Here is a pretty little Mabie Todd Swan in black hard rubber with some lovely and unique bands on the cap. The pen is 4 1/4” long. The hard rubber is now a dark brown. There appears to have been no original chasing. The imprints are worn down, but they are still readable in good light. There are three cap bands each with intricate pin stripe ribbing outlined by a thin zigzagging pattern. The bands really set off the pen. The gold filled bands, lever, and ring top all look superb with no brassing. The 14kt. Mabie Todd #2  nib is a smooth F (0.4mm) that writes with a medium wetness. With a little pressure it can write quite wet. The flex on this comes pretty easy and goes up to BBB (1.8mm)! The responsiveness is pretty good as well. A great little hundred year old pen with some class and big abilities.

SIZE:  4 1/4″ Capped

NIB: Mabie Todd Swan #2, F to BBB (0.4mm-1.8mm),  SUPER FLEX (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Lever

CONDITION: Good

Restration Work:

• Pen thoroughly cleaned & flushed
• Nib polished and tuned to write smoothly
• Nib and feed ultrasonically cleaned and adjusted for optimal flow
• Pen buffed and polished
• Test driven for a week to insure quality

Mabie Todd Swan Self-Filler Red Mottled – Super Flex (On Ebay)

This is a made in England Mabie Todd Swan self-filler in red mottled hard rubber. The hard rubber has faded over time but still has some good color. The black hard rubber section has also faded to a brown. The imprints are mostly worn off though and parts are barely readable. The gold-filled lever has some brassing on the edge, though you can’t tell without magnification. The pen had no original clip, but was fitted with this gorgeous gold-filled accommodation clip with a beautiful design. Definitely a expensive upgrade to the pen. The 14kt. #2 “Swan” nib is a lovely writing fine stub (0.5mm) with some good line variation. It writes normally with medium wetness and is very smooth. The flex is also amazingly smooth and when you open up the nib the ink really flows. Just a little bit of pressure can drastically increase the line variation. The nib goes from 0.5mm to 2.0mm (BBB). It’s a high quality gorgeous pen that will make a fantastic daily writer and gives you great flex besides.

SIZE:  5 3/8″ Capped

NIB: Mabie Todd Swan, F/M to BBB (0.5mm-2.0mm),  SUPER FLEX (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Lever

CONDITION: Good

Restration Work:

• Pen thoroughly cleaned & flushed
• Nib polished and tuned to write smoothly
• Nib and feed ultrasonically cleaned and adjusted for optimal flow
• Test driven for a week to insure quality

Waterman Lady Patricia – Super Flex (On Ebay)

Here is a Waterman Lady Patricia Persian. This pen definitely looks vintage.The chrome plated trim shows a fair bit of wear especially on the clip and band. The celluloid on the cap has darkened in spots. And there is an easy to miss crack near the top of the cap that runs horizontal about half way around the cap. The pearl end pieces are still present and still look quite nice. This 14kt. Waterman #2 surprised me. As a XF (0.3mm) writes very elegantly with a soft, smooth and bouncy feel. The flex range on this pen is not huge going from 0.3mm to 1.3mm. Some would call this a semi-flex but it is not to me. While the range isn’t huge the flex is quite soft and the bounce back is superb allowing for some pretty effortless quality flex writing.

SIZE:  4 1/4″ Capped

NIB: Waterman #2, XF to B (0.3mm-1.3mm),  SUPER FLEX (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Lever

CONDITION: Fair

Restration Work:

• Pen thoroughly cleaned & flushed
• Body buffed and polished
• Nib polished and tuned to write smoothly
• Nib and feed ultrasonically cleaned and adjusted for optimal flow
• Ink sac installed
• Test driven for a week to insure quality

Waterman 74 – Super Flex (On Ebay)

Here is a solid Waterman 74 eyedropper in black hard rubber. These pens were made when the 12s and 14s, etc. were phased out for lever fillers like the 52s. They have the size closer to a 52 but are eyedroppers. They have screw on caps and a nice well structured screw on section. They are high quality pens as you would expect from Waterman. This pen is smooth with no original chasing. The black has turned to a very dark brown-black. Imprints are worn and mostly unreadable though the “74” on the end is clear. The original clip fell off and was replaced by this accommodation clip that shows some wear but is in good condition. The 14kt. Waterman #4 is a superb, juicy fine stub (0.5mm) that will add some character to your writing. When flexed this nib goes up to BBB (1.8mm) with ease. It is quite responsive and has plenty of flow to keep up with pages of flexing. This is sturdy, superb eyedropper that will endure for many, many more years.

SIZE:  5 1/4″ Capped

NIB: Waterman #4, M to BBB (0.5mm-1.8mm),  Super Flex  (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Eyedropper

CONDITION: Good

Restration Work:

• Pen (barrel, section, nib, feed, & cap) thoroughly cleaned & flushed
• Nib and trim polished
• Nib and feed ultrasonically cleaned
• Nib and feed tuned to write smoothly and with optimal flow
• Test driven for at least a week to insure quality

Waterman 52V – SUPER FLEX (On Ebay)

Here is a nice Waterman 52V in BCHR. The pen is not mint but is in good condition. The black hard rubber has lighted to a dark brown. The original chasing has mostly faded away. Imprints are worn but present and readable. There is a small hole in the side of the barrel. It does not pose any danger to the pen, but it wasn’t originally there. The gold filled trim on the pen looks lovely and I see no brassing. The ring top, however, is missing. The 14kt. Waterman #2 is a difficult to find XXF (0.2mm). It writes normally quite smoothly with a medium wetness. When flexed it the range is not huge going up to 1.5mm (BB). But due to its very fine tip, it is quite snappy allowing for some nice flex even with minimal pressure.

SIZE:  4 3/8″ Capped

NIB: Waterman #2, XXF to BB (0.2mm-1.5mm),  SUPER FLEX (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Eyedropper

CONDITION: Good

Restration Work:

• Pen thoroughly cleaned & flushed
• Trim polished
• Nib polished and tuned to write smoothly
• Nib and feed adjusted for optimal flow
• New sac installed
• Test driven for a week to insure quality