Frakenpen'd Restored a Waltham because I liked the look of the barrel

[KBeezie]

I have very little knowledge of Waltham pens, I just know that they're a 2nd or 3rd tier brand of pens, much like Wearever, Anderson, etc etc. And that they have no connection whatsoever to my vintage Waltham pocket watch (which still works btw :P)

When I got the pen, I didn't immediately notice the cracked grip (I really do need to take a flash light into antique stores or something, they aren't exactly the brightest lit places, plus if I had taken two seconds longer... before handing it off to be taken up to the front counter). Also the nib seems kind of meh, which was to be expected, but I liked the body. The J-Bar inside possibly sprung because if you work the lever, the J-Bar just kind of stays bent at the j-joint, wasn't broken but wasn't springing back either.



So kind of started going thru some parts. A Parker Challenger section would fit with just the need of a little rosin, but the Parker nib on it has a snipped tipping, plus I still hope to get the challenger restored (needs a new "Parker Pen" nib, and button). The "Peerless" section was a bit too snug that could potentially break the barrel.

Decided today that I'm never going to use the Peerless (as kind of neat the exterior is, the metal overlay slides up and down), so decided to sand down the first step-down so that it would fit snugly into the barrel without being too much external force.

The section with the included feed also happened to be a decent fit for a loose Wahl No.2 14K Manifold nib that I took off a mid-20s Rosewood Wahl (which now houses a Wahl No.2 semiflex needlepoint).

Took a strong J-Bar off of a Wearever with a cracked barrel. But since the edges of the J-Bar were pretty pointy and sharp, I sanded it down to a more subtle curve and softened the edges so it wouldn't likely cut into whatever sac I put in.



Got it cleaned up



I went with a silicone sac, a #15 size which is a little tight so it holds onto the rather long nipple quite firmly without any give when pulling on it. Currently it doesn't have any adhesive on the sac as I'm currently testing it before I commit to using a silicone adhesive and waiting a day for it to cure (but so far seems to be holding air tight all around without it). One of the reasons I went with silicone is because the cap and barrel is translucent.



Filled it up with Edelstein Smokey Quartz and gave it a go. I haven't really done a 'writing' sample video my angle is a bit off, and it is a bit long running. The writing with the Waltham itself is about 4 minutes, then I try a few lines with my currently inked pens, which are the 1920s Wahl 214AW (written as 216 by accident), 1960s Montblanc 14, 1930s Sheaffer Oversized Balance, 1920s Wahl rosewood hard rubber pen.



At the time of posting this, the video has processed the HD version, but still working on the 4K version (since I edited and uploaded as 4K).

[FredRydr]

But...but...but what about the Peerless?! I've seen Walthams, but never a Peerless.

[KBeezie]

But...but...but what about the Peerless?! I've seen Walthams, but never a Peerless.

Can always wiggle the grip back over. But doesn't feel as nice.

[manoeuver]

cool! love the deco clip.

[Chip]

Here's my little monster: an Arnold knockoff of the Parker Big Red.



With a Wearever cap.

[KBeezie]

Moved the nib/grip/sac over to the Peerless body to see if that cap is at least better sealing. The Waltham body and all is cool and such, but with no inner cap at all, it's drying out really easy.



Eventually I'll find a 'warranted' #2 nib to throw in there so I can save the Wahl Manifold for a Wahl body that needs it.

[Scrawler]

The original nib from the Peerless is different to mine. Does it say "Special Alloy" on it?

[KBeezie]

Yes the nib shown is clearly not original to the pen. I do still have the original nib though it's pretty corroded.

Special alloy just another way of saying steel alloy. Vintage steel corrodes a lot faster than modern steel.

[Scrawler]

Yes the nib shown is clearly not original to the pen. I do still have the original nib though it's pretty corroded.

Special alloy just another way of saying steel alloy. Vintage steel corrodes a lot faster than modern steel.

Yes, mine is still in pretty good condition. On your picture I could not clearly make out the impression on the nib. Yours does not look exactly like mine, which I know to be original. All the antique steel nibs, "Special Alloy" or not, are rubbish in the long term. At least this has some sort of tipping, not just a spoon. I have some spare Waterman #2 nibs but really don't like the pen enough to replace it. From my point of view now, the Peerless is not a fine pen, but more of an art deco curiosity.

[KBeezie]

Agreed though at least the cap on it is preventing dry outs compared to the moor that has no inner cap at all.

My plan is to find a cheap #2 nib that works and sell the peerless as you said an nice looking pen that at least functions well.

[Chip]

What does the term Frankenpen mean to you?

I take it to be an assembly of unmatching visible parts: an Arnold barrel, section, feed, and nib, with a clashing Wearever cap.





Using a different section, feed, bar, or nib other than the original, which yields a pen that appears original at a glance, wouldn't make it a Frankenpen (i.e. a monster).