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Review: Waterman Phileas


James P

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Before I begin this review, let me get this disclosure out of the way early, lest anyone accuse me of being anything less than honest: The Pear Tree Pen Company recently became an authorized Waterman dealer. Our Waterman inventory at the moment consists of Waterman Phileas and Charleston models, in all available colors and modes - fountain pen, rollerball and ballpoint. We also have genuine Waterman inks in stock.

 

Despite the fact that I'm a retailer of Waterman products, I think this review is still unbiased and presents an objective view of this pen. Contrary opinions are welcome.

 

OK, now on to the review.

 

Waterman's "entry-level" fountain pen, the Phileas is one of those pens that gave many pen enthusiasts their first taste of what a fountain pen could be. And why not? For about $50.00 (MSRP), you get an attractive pen that's comfortable, well-balanced and writes, uh . . . right.

 

As I said, the Waterman Phileas got many a collecter started in the hobby. I wasn't one of them, however, and this is the first Phileas I've had the chance to hold and use. To say I was skeptical about the Phileas is an understatement. As much as I love fountain pens, I've had a hard time falling in love with Waterman. It's certainly not for a lack of trying, and I own a lot of Watermans. While their quality has almost always been good, many of Waterman's pens are lacquer over brass, which makes them too heavy in my book. Some people prefer a heavy pen, but I don't, especially for long writing sessions. My hands are small and after a while, heavy pens really start to cause me a lot of hand fatigue. Moreover, in my opinion, Waterman's nibs lean toward the bland. Don't get me wrong - they work well enough, but the one's I've used lack a certain je ne sais quoi. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the Phileas is unlike those Watermans I've used in the past.

 

First of all, it's light, but not so light that it feels cheap. Waterman accomplished this by building the Phileas out of plastic, rather than lacquer-coated brass. But Waterman inserted a small brass sleeve into the upper portion of the barrel to give the pen a bit of substance. It feels nice in the hand, and I was able to write several pages without even the slightest hint of fatigue. The pen is also nicely balanced, and is exceptionally comfortable with the cap posted or unposted.

 

Of course, the true test of any writing instrument is how well it writes and this is where the Waterman must have put its R & D money, because the Phileas excels in this department. When I first inked up the Phileas I honestly wondered if I was setting myself up for disappointment. Not a chance!

 

I filled the included converter with Noodler's Black ink and less than a minute later, I was ready to go. I pulled off the slip cap and started to write. Much to my surprise, the two-tone stainless steel nib was buttery smooth. I mean really smoooooooooooth. Although it still lacked some of flair that comes with more exotic nibs, the line it laid down was consistent and even. It was neither too wet nor too dry - it seemed to lay down the right amount of ink at all times. Oh, and did I mention it was smooth?

 

Every single letter was perfectly formed (to the best of my ability, that is), and there was not a single moment's hesitation, skipping, streaking or any of the other potential pitfalls of pendom. Vertical lines were as smooth and clean as horizontal ones. I left the pen uncapped for about an hour and it started immediately when I picked up. It wrote perfectly after sitting on my desk overnight.

 

I did not detect any tooth to this nib at all. Some people may find that disconcerting, as they prefer to get a little feedback from the nib as they write, so if that sounds like you - be forewarned. My medium nib was true to size, which was also unexpected, since Waterman nibs have a reputation for running a hair wide.

 

Appearance wise, the Phileas is an attractive pen. The model I tested is a red marble acrylic. The red is a nice deep, almost burgundy, red with black swirls stirred in. The pen is decorated at the ends with black on the cap and a black "blind cap" to match the black plastic section. Gold-colored trim rings separate the black pieces from the red marble, and a gold clip finishes the package. The nib itself is two-tone stainless steel and looks quite rich as well.

 

On the fit and finish side, it's obvious that this is an entry-level pen. On close examination, the luster of the pen's plastic just doesn't match that of more expensive pens, but when viewed from a distance, it's not as apparent. One of the things that sets many expensive pens apart is attention to detail, and the Waterman Phileas is lacking in this area as well. The biggest "flaw" to my eye was the trim ring at the end of the barrel - it was not a solid ring that encircled the pen barrel; rather, it appeared to be a clip that was a few millimeters too small to complete the circle. I don't know why Waterman would skimp in that area. It's one of those tiny details that few will ever notice unless they happen to be looking for something to criticize, though. And I was.

 

The Phileas measures 5" from the tip of its nib to the end of the black plastic blind cap. That number stretches to 5 5/8" when the cap is posted and 5 3/8" long when capped. Not a large pen by any stretch of the imagination, but certainly not a small one, either.

 

The pen comes in the familiar blue clamshell box, in which is a blue Waterman ink cartridge and a converter for using bottled ink.

 

I have to confess, I almost chose not to publish this review. Because the Wateman Phileas may just well be the last pen you'll ever need, I was worried I'd go out of business! Lucky for me that fountain pens are often more about desire than need.

 

To wrap up, the Phileas is a terrific pen. It looks good and performs far better than one would expect for a pen at this price-point. It's not perfect, but the flaws are primarily cosmetic and easily overlooked when one factors in the outstanding performance. It's easy to see why so many fountain pen enthusiasts got hooked after using one. It really is that good.

 

James Partridge

Edited by James P

So here's what happened
While you were nappin'
I just went out for a snack
I was feelin' famished
And then I vanished...
But now I'm back

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I would have to agree with your review, James. The Phileas is one of my favorite pens to use and is everything you said!

Thanks for the review on a pen that might not get much attention, because of the aforesaid mentioned, but this pen is consistent and a very good writer.

"'I will not say, "do not weep", for not all tears are an evil."

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James P,

 

Enjoyed reading your review of Phileas. It is always gratifying to hear someone say wonderful things about something you love - and I do LOVE the Waterman Phileas. I have two and I'm thinking of buying a third one. It is incredibly smooth.

 

I have a fine point in one of my pens and a medium in the other. I find the medium to be slightly broader than medium on a lot of other pens. However, I don't find it to be too broad. I can certainly write smaller with the fine point so I use it when writing small is necessary. The fine point is very smooth - but not quite as smooth as the medium point.

 

I have a caution for Phileas owners - be a responsible pen owner and don't lay your Phileas up for months with ink in it. [Who would do such a thing?! Not me!] ;) If you do lay it up for an extended period with ink in it, don't be surprised if the gold-looking part of the nib corrodes. Then you will have to order a new nib [$21.00 including shipping and handling] or simply replace your Phileas with a new one --- because once you write with a Phileas, you won't be able to function without one.

 

Judybug

So many pens, so little time!

 

http://img244.imageshack.us/img244/5642/postcardde9.png

 

My Blog: Bywater Wisdom

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I just got my second Waterman Phileas & I LOVE IT! I am now convinced to buy a third one, this time with a fine point. Thanks for the great review!

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I have two medium nibbed Phileas', and I was so pleased with them that I purchased a fine nibbed Kultur (the European counterpart). The Kultur is a bit toothy, though that may be more because of the fine nib, and it looks a lot more plain than the Phileas. It's a pretty good knock around pen.

 

 

J. Haney

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I agree about everything writen in the review.The phileas is a great stater pen or everyday user that if you loose or break it wouldnt break your heart or pocket.

One thing though I have to add,if you look well enough you can find this pen for around 35$.

Respect to all

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Does anyone have a link to a picture of a Kultur?

 

I like the writing quality of the Phileases I've tried, but they look so over-decorated that I have never wanted to own one. If the Kultur writes the same but looks less gaudy, maybe I should have a look.

 

Thanks!

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Thanks, Johan.

 

So is the writing experience the same with the Phileas and the Kulture?

 

Ron

Ron

 

Favorite Pens: Parker "51"Lamy 2000; Bexley America the Beautiful; Pilot Custom 823, 912 and 74; Sheaffer Early Touchdown; Parker Vacumatic; Sheaffer Legacy

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Guest JohanO

Yep, but remember this one is a dressed up Kultur, even with a blind cap and a gold colored nib. But there are more simple versions (about 7,50 euro's on the web) with steel colored nibs and one monocolored.

 

The top ones are Phileas's, the ones on the bottom of the pic Kultur's.

post-34-1152995627_thumb.jpg

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Does anyone have a link to a picture of a Kultur?

 

I like the writing quality of the Phileases I've tried, but they look so over-decorated that I have never wanted to own one. If the Kultur writes the same but looks less gaudy, maybe I should have a look.

 

Thanks!

Lewertowski aka Pensellerfromfrance sells Kulturs on ebay. I just got a very nice "kristal" (all clear plastic) model from him. The nibs are f-a-t - the F I received feels like an M+.

- Jonathan

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Thanks for the pictures Johan. I think less is more with this type of pen. The fancier Phileas models look cheap. The less fancy Kultur looks a little more... unassuming, I guess. More appropriate to its price.

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Thanks for the pictures Johan. I think less is more with this type of pen. The fancier Phileas models look cheap. The less fancy Kultur looks a little more... unassuming, I guess. More appropriate to its price.

I don't think the Kultur looks as nice. The colors seem duller in the plastic of the cap and body, plus the nib is all gold tone, which doesn't look as nice.

 

 

J. Haney

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Guest JohanO

Yes, less is more with this pen, because the Phileas is *a bit* overdone. <_< They are both VERY good writers. But I prefer the more austere appearance of the Parker Frontier and Parker Reflex. These Parker's are more solidly build i.m.o.

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For those of you who think the marbled look of the Phileas is gaudy, there is a plain black model. Although I prefer the look of the two-tone nib of the Phileas, the Kultur has the advantage of accepting the short international cartridges as well as the longer Waterman brand Because of a brass insert (to add weight?) Phileas pens will not accept the short international cartridges. I'm not a big fan of cartridges, but when I travel, they certainly are convenient!

http://home.earthlink.net/~athanatos/John-Sig%203.png

 

"Let those who don't want none

have memories of not gettin' any."

—Bro. David Gardner
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I have a caution for Phileas owners - be a responsible pen owner and don't lay your Phileas up for months with ink in it. [Who would do such a thing?! Not me!] ;) If you do lay it up for an extended period with ink in it, don't be surprised if the gold-looking part of the nib corrodes.

This has happened to my Waterman Expert II - the gold-plated part of the two-tone nib has been pitted by corrosion (I´ve started a thread here some time ago on this). Is it a problem of the cheaper Watermans ? (the non-gold-nibbed ones)

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  • 2 years later...

Thanks for the review! Pretty much echoes my sentiments!

 

Indeed, the Phileas was the pen that got me started in this wonderful hobby of fountain pens.

Loving Mont Blanc and everything fountain pen!!!!!!!!

 

One of the few, the proud... 14 year-old FPN'ers!!!!!! ;)

 

MY FOUNTAIN PENS: Montblanc Boheme Bleu (M), Montblanc 145 (M), Waterman Phileas (M), Jinhao X450 (M), Parker Vector (M), Parker 15 (M), Sheaffer Cartridge Pen (M)

MY INKS: Parker Quink Blue, Private Reserve Midnight Blues, Montblanc Black

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