Lately I have been pondering the purchase of a Waterman FP. It seems they don't get a lot of love around here, and their online presence seems sparse to me. I think they look really elegant. Can anyone share their experiences with those pens?
Look for a Phileas. No longer in production but still available on the auction sites. Nice size and I've never seen anyone say they dislike it. Mine is in my pocket today. I also have a Charleston, but it doesn't get as much use. The Carene looks very nice, but to me, at that price, I am looking more at piston fillers.
I have a Le Man 100, vintage in the 1980s some time. It is my favorite FP. No trouble with it whatsoever. Feels great in hand and writes very well. I truly love the look of it. I do not know why Waterman does not get more love.
I'm both a collector and user of Waterman fountain pens. Personally I like how smoothly they write. I have both modern and vintage Waterman's from the 40's.
My two favorite Waterman's are my Expert II and Charleston. My Skywriters are nice writers too.
Personally you can not go wrong having a Waterman.
I bought the latest Expert (3) a few days ago and it's a great writer with classic looks. For the price, IMO, it's a bargain. I've written with just about all of the current Waterman FPs and they're all great. The Hemisphere, their budget pen, is a bit thin in body but it too is a great writer. It's also the pen that Stephen King used to write "Dreamcatcher" with.