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Waterman Carène


brh

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So I ended up with a Copper Brown Waterman Carène for Christmas, and I'm really enjoying it. It's my inspire-me-to-write-poetry-while-drinking-espresso pen as of right now. I don't foresee this changing any time soon. So I drew up a little point-by-point review, touching on 5 areas, assigning each a maximum of 5 points. I think it's important to say what I generally look for in a pen, so that you can automatically adjust my points if you're into totally different things. First and foremost, I'm concerned with looks. How shallow! The pen needs to be pretty, and modern. Modern is very important. A Parker 51 was quite the modern piece when it was made, but nowadays the plastic just looks cheap and outdated (to me! please don't shoot!). Understated aesthetics win big points with me. I don't like celluloid, I don't like gloss. I don't like light pens. Heavy pens just bounce to and fro in my hand better, and I can write comfortably for longer with a heavier pen. Slim is good, I have teeny-tiny hands. As I mention in my review, I like c/c systems, because they don't interfere with the exterior design of the pen. That's pretty much my whole list of caveats.

 

For more reference, there's another nice review of the Carène here, and the official product site is here (site uses flash).

 

-brian

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Nice review. I have this same exact pen. It is among my two favorites (the other a Pelikan 800). My fine nib is stiff, but is more of a wet writer. What kind of ink are you using?

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I have the same pen in a dark Navy Blue, almost tints of purple.

 

I was using Waterman Florida Blue and I would agree with you that its a fine writer, somewhat stiff nib, but good flow.

 

However, recently bitten by the Pelikans which remain my favorite pens, and my waterman collection now sits idle.

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:meow:

Thanks for the review. Glad you are enjoying it. Getting my Carene Islands "Sand" from France deliverd in couple of weeks time. I went for the Medium nib as on some reviews folk say the Fine is a bit dry.

Armchop

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Nice review, brh! I really arppreciate the creativity in the visual presentation ;)

 

I have a purple Carene that I got for next-to-nothing from the Green Board because the nib was bent and the barrel had a few small nicks on it (the seller had disclosed everything in the original ad, don't worry!). It's a very nice writer, but I have to tap it on the paper to get it going. Once I do that, I don't have to re-tap it, unless I store it upright and want to use it at a later date. I guess the "hard starting" is not unique to slightly-bent- nibbed Carenes!

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Nice review. I have this same exact pen. It is among my two favorites (the other a Pelikan 800). My fine nib is stiff, but is more of a wet writer. What kind of ink are you using?

When I first got it, I had old Skrip Burgundy in it. I have now put Caran d'Ache Colours of the Earth Grand Canyon in it, and it writes a bit wetter now. The two browns don't really match (PR Copper Burst probably would've been a better fit) but I really like the Grand Canyon. It's.. um.. earthy. :)

 

 

Glad everyone appreciated the review! I love this pen! Armchop, keep us posted on the Sand finish when you get it! Haven't seen it in person, but I'm under the impression that it's a nice one!

 

-brian

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I just got mine from Pens International in Phoenix last week. I liked the looks but was totally unprepared for how nicely it performs.

 

The review and pen are both excellent.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I agree fully with the review. The Carene was my first good pen, and is now a close second favourite to my Lamy 2000. I do find the nib a tad stiff, but on the other hand the firmness of the whole pen make me think it will still be writing long after I stop.

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Very nice and creative review.

 

I have a Carene Deluxe in Prussian Blue that just arrived in the last week. Unfortunately, one of the very features you like so much is one which will result in mine appearing in the Marketplace in the near future: the weight. I'm just used to heavier pens. I got it because I had heard so much about the wonderfully smooth (albeit stiff) nibs and the great aesthetics. I may try it just a bit more, but most likely, it's outta here. Great pen if you like heavier pens though.

 

Thanks again for the wonderful review!

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8, NKJV)
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  • 2 weeks later...

Excellent review, Brian! I especially like the graphics. Did you make the pen graphic yourself? If so, what was your technique?

 

And I also concur with your opinion and experience with the pen. I have an early Carene model in blue, what I call "Waterman Blue" as it almost matches the traditional Waterman blue box. I find it to be a great writing pen, well balanced and super smooth. Now I just have to find it--I misplaced it somewhere during my move over the summer; it's got to be in a box or tucked in a sock roll somewhere! :blink:

Edited by MYU

[MYU's Pen Review Corner] | "The Common Ground" -- Jeffrey Small

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You gotta find that thing, Gary! I think I'd cry myself to sleep if I misplaced mine. I hope somebody ends up doing a review on one of the new finishes, they seem quite nice!

 

I did do the graphic myself, in Illustrator... Basically, I did this the way I do a lot of more-fun-than-important projects... I shot a digital photo of the pen at the angle I wanted it (didn't have to be a great photo, as long as I could see all the lines!), then I dropped it into Illustrator as a template, and essentially just traced it, placing points at spots where I instinctively realize they need to go in order to produce the proper curves, then just adjusting the Bezier handles to match up all the curves. Different layers for body & section.... Ditch the template and make sure the curves &c. match up to the real life thing well enough and not just the photo... and... voilà!

 

Glad you enjoyed the review!

 

-brian

 

(edit 'cause I forgot to sign!)

Edited by brh
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  • 1 year later...
I have the same pen in a dark Navy Blue, almost tints of purple.

 

I was using Waterman Florida Blue and I would agree with you that its a fine writer, somewhat stiff nib, but good flow.

 

However, recently bitten by the Pelikans which remain my favorite pens, and my waterman collection now sits idle.

 

 

My Carene Lagoon fountain pen leaks ink on my middle finger very often, so it too will soon sit idle. The pen is gorgeos and writes smoothly but ink on my middle finger ruins the experience.

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Nice review,

I especialy liked the grafics. Good Work.

I also have one of these in my collection with a F Nib. I like it, but after being bitten by the Pelikan bug, (have a M800, M600, M400 and M200) I just do not use it very much anymore.

Cheers,

Miguel

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  • 8 months later...

This review may be an oldie but it's still a real goodie. I've been playing around with the Carene's with a Fine and Extra Fine nib now for 2 years, and what a treat it has been. The fine nib is rather smoother, but as has been mentioned before it's not the finest nib around which is probably why Waterman introduced the EF nib. Naturally with such a small writing area it is not as smooth as the F nib, but it's still a treat to write with and is both 'wet' enough to write well and fine enough to write near & small...

 

I'd recommend both these nibs but I confess that most of my experience of Fountain Pens is through Waterman & Dupon (apart from an ill advised Parker when I was a child ;))

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Very cool review! I have a Carene in tomato red---my first 'expensive' pen. The medium nib writes fairly wet and it squeaks, but I love the look.

My latest ebook.   And not just for Halloween!
 

My other pen is a Montblanc.

 

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  • 2 years later...

I've just gotten a used Waterman Carene, and I've found that the two tiny clips that hold the cap in place (sort of like little spring loaded buttons just at the point where the rim of the cap meets the pen when the cap is on) rattle whenever the cap is not on. Has anyone else experienced this problem?

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  • 5 years later...

Just got a Carène black lacqueur F nib and noticed it's a bit dry -- even compared with other F nibs by Waterman. Is there any (safe) way to increase the ink flow of Carène? As it is an inlaid nib, I think it's very hard to adjust it to make it wetter...

 

Thanks in advance.

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