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View Full Version : Vintage Waterman Identification Needed



RayCornett
February 21st, 2015, 04:25 AM
Can anyone identify this beautiful Waterman lever filler ? 5 inches capped. 14k nib.

k5MOW
February 21st, 2015, 05:12 AM
Sorry I can't help you but it sure looks nice.

Roger

Scrawler
February 21st, 2015, 10:32 AM
It is a Waterman 502. Please show us the nib.

RayCornett
March 3rd, 2015, 01:31 AM
I finally got it into my possession tonight and it is in the process soaking and being resaced tonight. Someone called it a Stalwart, too.

Made in the US. "Watermans" on clip. Physically, just holding it in my hands and looking it over, I would rate it a 10 on condition. And I mean its so good that the little dot of plastic on the center butt of the barrel you often see on new parts like this is still there. The sac was of course ossified but when soaking the section to get it loose there was very little ink residue in the water. Almost as if it were NOS but dip tested, The cap band needs a little buffing but the body looks flawless. The imprint is "brand new"deep and clear. The nib is a 14k 2A. There is also a "0 0",2 zeros, on the exposed part of the feed. The only real issue was the J bar which was in pieces before I had the section off. Luckily I have a spare on hand.

Cant wait until the new sac and J bar are in place. Knowing me it'll be sometime tonight as I am nowhere near tired although it is after midnight.

Scrawler
March 3rd, 2015, 06:30 AM
The "Stalwart" was called "Dauntless" when it was made in Canada. They are derivative of the 502, when it was made in England. The W2A is not considered a flexible nib. They are workhorse nibs for normal, everyday fast writing. The W2A was a better school nib than the W2. There is quite a bit of confusion about immediate post-WWII names and what they were called, how they behaved and minor issues of differences in furniture, depending on where they were made and what stock the factory had to get rid of. Knowing this was made in the US, the Stalwart name is the most appropriate.

Procyon
March 4th, 2015, 09:29 AM
This one is a little newer than the Waterman's I am used to, so maybe it's different - but I have never seen a J bar in a Waterman. Usually the lever has little tabs on the end that fit into a pressure slide bar. The only restoring force is provided by the sac.

Scrawler
March 4th, 2015, 11:31 AM
This one is a little newer than the Waterman's I am used to, so maybe it's different - but I have never seen a J bar in a Waterman. Usually the lever has little tabs on the end that fit into a pressure slide bar. The only restoring force is provided by the sac.

Actually that remained true. I learned about the pressure bar the hard way when, I first started collecting early Watermans. I tried to take the J bar out, saw there was not one and partially put one in when it bound up on the pressure bar. They developed this to circumvent Sheaffer's patent for a lever filler.

RayCornett
March 4th, 2015, 11:00 PM
What came out in pieces when placed together looked like a J bar, even had the J hook at the bottom of the barrel which I had to use tweezers to remove. So, I guess I assumed. Sad thing is I did try a J bar and it did bind up. When removing it, the lever box was knocked loose in the process and one of the inside prongs that hold it in place was broken off. When using a dental tool to reinstall it like shown in the Grandmia lever box video I slightly bend the lever box but not so bad that it can't be straight again.

So, I guess I just need to locate a replacement lever box since the one prong is broken, and get a pressure bar instead of a J bar,

Procyon
March 6th, 2015, 02:45 PM
Ray, it's not really too hard to solder a thin piece of brass where the broken tab was. I have done this several times. I used a .38 special shell casing, and cut a little strip of it out with tin shears, but you can also get brass sheet at hobby stores. Make it longer than you need, solder it, and then cut to proper length. A little filing will be necessary to make sure it fits right. Actually, Grandmia has a video showing how to do this.

It's easier to just get another lever box, but I always like the idea of repairing things like this - since the numbers of them are somewhat limited.

AZBennett
March 6th, 2015, 04:02 PM
I have a broken barrel from a lady patricia, if anyone knows if the lever box and lever will fit your pen, you can have it for the price of shipping.