Mabie Todd Swan Chatelaine – Wet Noodle (See Price Here)

Here is made in New York Mabie Todd & Bard Swan eyedropper with over/under feed. The pen is in overall very good condition. The black hard rubber has faded to a dark brown. The chasing is worn but visible. Not a lot of texture left to it. The imprints are still readable though worn. The beautiful repousse work, gold-filled band and chain are all in very nice condition with no brassing that I can see. There are some scratches on the section from putting the cap on and off. The 14kt. Swan nib is a soft, near paintbrush wet noodle. It writes normally as a smooth and wet F (0.5mm) and flexes with ease up to 2.3mm (BBB+). And it just pours on the ink when flexing. It’s definitely a WET noodle. No railroads here. You can see some of the ridiculous amounts of sheen you will get with this pen. Unfortunately that wetness does reduce some of the responsiveness, but it sure is fun.  (See Price Here)

SIZE:  5 1/4″ Capped

NIB: 14kt. Swan, F to BBB (0.5mm-2.3mm),  WET NOODLE (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Eyedropper

CONDITION: Excellent

Restration Work:

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

Mabie Todd Swan- Wet Noodle (On Ebay)

Here is a Mabie Todd Swan Self Filling pen in black hard rubber with gold-filled trim. The black hard rubber on the pen has faded some to a very,very dark brown. The chasing has almost entirely worn off. The imprints are worn but readable. It appears that at least the large gold filled band on the body is an after market addition as it actually covers up part of the original imprint. This larger band has some scratches and a few small spots with plate loss. The band on the cap sports the initials “J.S.” and has no brassing. The pen does not have the original nib, but what it has is lovely. This is a Warranted 14kt. nib with some fabulous flex ability. The tipping on this nib is worn, but it is still present. While not quite paintbrush soft, this nib has some fantastic responsiveness and a great flex range. It just does some beautiful flex work and is a real joy to use.

SIZE:  5 1/4″ Capped

NIB: Warranted 14kt., F to BBB (0.4mm-1.9mm)  WET NOODLE (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Self-Filling

CONDITION: Good

Restration Work:

• Pen thoroughly cleaned & flushed
• Trim cleaned and 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 Emblem (XXF nib) (On Ebay)

This Waterman Emblem comes in black celluloid with gold filled trim. It is in the standard size. The Emblem was a high end pen of the 40s. The body and cap have some light scratching, most of which I was able to buff out, but it does not have any deep scratches. The pen has a slip cap rather than a threaded one, and it goes on well and stays firm. The large band on the cap is a bit loose but only moves if you are trying to push it up. The trim has little to no brassing. The large 14kt. Waterman Emblem is a superb XXF (0.2mm). It writes smoothly and beautifully. The pen does have some decent flex going up to 1.4mm. With such a fine nib, it takes very little flew to achieve significant line variation. However, the nib is stiff enough that I have graded it “good flex.”

SIZE:  5 1/4″ Capped

NIB: Waterman Emblem, XXF to BB (0.2mm-1.4mm),  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 52 (Factory Italic) – Good Flex  (On Ebay)

Here is a Waterman 52 in BCHR with gold filled trim. The body on this pen is in excellent condition. It is still very black with minimal fading. All the imprints are very clear and crisp. Sadly the clip is missing, or this would be a near mint condition pen. The gold-filled band has some lovely floral repousse work and the initials “J.L.C.” engraved. There is little to no brassing on the trim that I can see. The 14kt. Waterman #2 nib is a really nice XF factory italic nib (0.5mm). It is smooth, about medium wetness, and has superb line variation for it’s size. It has also some flex going up to 1.5mm pretty easily.

SIZE:  5 1/4″ Capped

NIB: Waterman #2, XF to BB (0.5mm-1.5mm),  GOOD FLEX (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Lever

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

Waterman Red Ripple 52 (Near Mint) – Super Flex   (See Price Here)

Here is a gorgeous Waterman Red Ripple that looks to have some after market additions (probably from the French market though it was made in the USA). There red ripple is beautiful with a lovely shine and almost no fading. There is a little scuffing and brassing on the top of the lever otherwise this pen is wonderful condition. The imprints all looks very good and crisp. The rest of the trim shows no signs of brassing. The 14kt. Waterman #2 nib is a wonderful, soft writing XF that is smooth and feels elegant when writing. It has some good flex that goes from XF to BB (0.3mm-1.6mm). It is on the stiffer side of super flex nibs, but it superbly responsive making detailed flex quite easy accomplish. Overall, clearly a fabulous pen.

(See Price Here)

SIZE:  5 3/8″ Capped

NIB: Waterman #2, XF to BB (0.3mm-1.6mm),  Wet Noodle (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Lever

CONDITION: Near Mint

Restration Work:

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

Waterman 52V – GOOD FLEX (On Ebay)

Here is a nice writing Waterman 52V in BCHR. The color of the hard rubber has faded some to a dark brown. Chasing has worn a little but still looks pretty good. Imprints all look pretty good as well. The nickel lever is in pretty good condition with no plate loss, but the Waterman logo is worn a little off and there are some tiny nicks that you can only see with magnification. The 14kt. Waterman #2 is a juicy, very wet writing F (0.5mm) that writes smooth. It does have some decent flex, but it isn’t as responsive or easy to flex as the higher grade flex nibs. It’s still a great nib if you like wet writing with some flair.

SIZE:  4 3/8″ Capped

NIB: Waterman #2, F to BB (0.5mm-1.7mm),  GOOD FLEX (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Lever

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

Waterma 0552 (Near Mint) – Super Flex   (On Ebay)

This is s superb example of a Waterman 0552 in gold filled filigree overlay. The pen is in near mint condition. The black hard rubber is still shiny black with just the slightest amount of fading on the barrel. The gold filled overlay and trim is all in excellent condition with no brassing. Imprints are still crisp. The “0552” at the end of the barrel even has the original red paint in the imprint.  The 14kt. Waterman #2 is just a lovely writing XF (0.3mm). Even lovers of Japanese Fines will enjoy this nib. It is not excessively wet. Just a good steady flow. I’ve graded the nib a super flex although it is not as soft as what I would usually call a super flex. Some would even call this a semi-flex. But the responsiveness of this nib is fabulous. The flex action is so crisp that despite being a bit stiffer it is still very easy to control and produces beautiful line variations. I very much enjoyed using it.

SIZE:  5 1/8″ Capped

NIB: Waterman #2, XF to BB (0.3mm-1.5mm)  SUPER FLEX (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Lever

CONDITION: Near Mint

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 polished
• New sac installed
• Test driven for a week to insure quality

Waterma 52 1/2V Red Ripple – Super Flex   (On Ebay)

This is a gorgeous Waterman 52 1/2V in woodgrain or red mottled hard rubber (not red ripple as the photo states, oops). This pen is in near mint, collector’s quality condition. There is virtually no fading of the hard rubber. The gold-filled trim still looks lovely, and the imprints have no apparent wear on them.  The only blemish are some light impressions on the barrel from where the cap threads, but they are very light. The 14kt. Waterman #2 nib is a very smooth writing F with plenty of tipping left. Honestly, I don’t think this pen was hardly ever used. It also has some good flex that goes up to BB (1.6mm) with ease. Responsiveness is pretty good and the flow keeps up well. A stunning pen in top notch condition.

SIZE:  4 1/2″ Capped

NIB: Waterman #2, F to BB (0.4mm-1.6mm)  SUPER FLEX (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Lever

CONDITION: Near Mint

Restration Work:

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

Vintage Eyedropper in Mother of Pearl – Super Flex  (On Ebay)

Here a nice, quality unbranded vintage hard rubber eyedropper pen. The pen is ornamented with faceted mother of pearl around the center of the barrel with gold filled repousse bands on each end. The hard rubber is still very black and shiny. The mother of pearl still looks very nice with just a little bit of scuffing here and there. There is a little plate loss on the bands, but nothing major. This pen is fitted with a 14kt. Mabie Todd Swan nib that is a very elegant writing XF (0.3mm) that is beautifully smooth, springy, and with good flow. The nib has some nice flex and some even nicer responsiveness. This eyedropper feels really solid and the nib is a beautiful elegant writer.

SIZE:  4 1/8″ Capped

NIB: 14kt. Mabie Todd Swan, XF to BB (0.3mm-1.6mm),  SUPER FLEX (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Lever

CONDITION: Excellent

Restration Work:

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

Wahl BCHR Ring Top – Super Flex – (On Ebay)

Here is a pretty little ring top from Wahl. The red/black woodgrain still looks quite vivid with just a tiny bit of fading. The gold filled trim also looks good with just a little bit of brassing on the crown of the lever. It’s a stunning little pen. The 14kt. Wahl #2 nib is juicy writing F that is smooth with just a hint of feedback to it. The tip of this nib was bent. I straightened the nib out and realigned everything about as good as you can get it. The effect now is purely cosmetic and has no bearing on the performance of the nib. You can just tell the tip of the nib has been marked up a bit in the past. It still has some nice flex going from F to BB (0.4mm to 1.6mm) with plenty of flow to keep up without railroading. A stunning, portable pen with some nice flex ability.

SIZE:  3 3/4″ Capped

NIB: 14kt. Wahl #2, F to BB (0.4mm-1.6mm) SUPER FLEX (See “Grading Flex Nibs” for How I Grade)

FILLING: Lever

CONDITION: Good

Restoration Work:

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