The Waterman Liaison

Some images of the Waterman Liaison ebonite orange with broad nib.

Thanks for looking,
Hans.

Thanks for sharing, Hans. Also, thanks for including a writing sample. How does it write?

Those are nice photos, of a seductively attractive pen. (I just got into Esterbrooks. I do NOT need to get into Watermans at the same time. No, no, no. Must resist. But just one more look couldn't hurt, could it?)

Hi Southpaw,
I just got the pen today. But sofar I´m very happy with it. The nib glides on the paper, and until now no "start" or "skip" problems in the Clairefontaine notebooks I dailly use. This is important for me since I really like a broad nib, but I have a lot of problems with the smooth paper of the Clairefontaine notebooks, and I really like the hardcover Clairefontaine notebooks also a lot.
The pen is rather heavy if your reference is a organic-plastic (also known as celluloid I believe ) italian pen. But if you are used to for instance a lethal weapon as the rOtring 600, its not a big problem.
I intend to write and post a review of the pen, since searching for Liaison gave no hits on this community board. But I want to use it for a few days to get some more impressions for the review......
And some better quality pictures (no shading, better ligthing I hope).
Ciao, Hans.

Hans, thanks so much. I think the Liason is Watermans' best pen (ok, and maybe the Serenite). And it is also one which I don't have in my collection. I have had watermans in the past and sold them. I have found most of them ot be relatively dry writers. I am very intersted in how this one works for you.

By the way, I think your photography is very nice. if you would like one suggestion it would be to diffuse the light. Diffuse light is available naturally, but only outside on cloudy days. Otherwise you might try a lampshade over the subject, and you will find the results much improved.

http://www.pentrace.net/penbase/Data_Retur...p?id=10&csort=2

Hi Hans,
Thanks for the gorgeous picture. I'm trying to stay away from pen sites for awhile because I can't buy anymore pens. However, I have this pen with a fine nib.
They are nice to write with.

At least I don't have to over this one.


Regards,
Karin 9

Karin - You can stay away from the pen sites all you want but the people are going to miss you.

Hans -That Liason is a beautiful looking pen and the pictures are very good.

Hans great pics and pen.I missed this thread somehow ?

Me too, emrecan!

Sorry I missed commenting it the thread earlier....much earlier
Nice closeups, Hans! Thanks for posting the photos here.

Beautiful pen! Is that nib a broad stub nib? Or more of a broad round nib? When I look at your writing sample, it looks like there is some variation in the line.

Thanks for sharing!

TMann

Hi Tmann,
It is a round broad nib, standard broad Liaison nib.

It writes very smooth and is very forgiving in terms of the exact angle you are holding it. The slight line width variation is caused by the fact the nib puts down a slightly less broad line when being moved sideways compared to being moved up/down. It can also be that the linewidth varies slightly when the angle of the pen changes, meaning that the linewidth is a little bit different across the vertical height of the characters. But almost unnoticable and can also be just my imagination

But as with every modern broad nib I have encountered sofar, the problem is the starting if you have not used the pen for some time while uncapped. So if you are writing and you continu writing it is very smooth and very reliable. But if you then put the pen down for looking something up, and then start writing again there is a chance it will not put down ink on the first downstroke. After 3 milimeters of movement it starts. Its a small chore but then again, nothing is perfect in this world. The pen is still the greatest writer I have, but you have to write with is, not pause
Cheers,
-Hans.

But, my hand outwrites the contents of my brain about every 30 seconds, or so. I must, then, pause for several minutes to allow the brain to refill and allow another 30 seconds of writing.

You people that are normal have no idea what I go through.

May I be so free then to suggest that you then practise in the Art of Slow Start. Just put the nib on paper, don´t move and wait for 2 second for the brain to fully engage again in first gear, slowly relase the clutch, and the smooth broad nib will please your brains pleasure centre with a broad wet line of ink
Cheers,
-Hans.

Thanks for the photos, Hans. My Sheaffer Cobalt Balance II has a broad nib with a large "blob" of iridium like your Liason, but it has no problem starting up since I smoothed the nib a bit with some very fine Mylar. It was a bit "squeaky" before that...

I read about that on Binder´s site a time ago. But I worry that I can do more damage than good so until now I stayed away from the mylar............
Probably will not hold out much longer.
Ciao,
-Hans.

Hi Hans,

I could send you some mylar if you like, or bring you some and have a look a the pen at the same time . I often pass Baarlo on my way from or to the HQ of my company, in Utrecht. It's one of the alternative routes I take whenever there are traffic jams (which is quite often ).

So if you'd like to meet up some time and do some show and tell, please send me an email or PM...

Warm regards, Wim

As reported earlier I had problems with my broad nib´ed Liaison. The pen had trouble starting after a pause, and especially in the Clairefontaine notebooks.

During a very pleasant visit by The Mad Dutchman himself last week, the problem was diagnosed as the common baby bottom problem. But the The Mad Dutchman did not have enough free time to repair my Liaison, he had tooooooo much FPN moderator reading-and-posting to do, I guess So after he packed all his Etrurias in his bags, and all his ink bottles, and I was alone , I had no choice but to tackle the problem myself, or forever stare at the Liaison with sadness.

From a mechanical engineer at my work place I got a piece of very fine grid polishing sheet. So yesterday I decided to "repair" the nib. Being a simple guy I just drew circles with the nib on the sheet using the Diamine Royal Blue ink as lubricant , while also rotating the pen along the barrel axis, and levering the pen up and down. After two short sessions the above problems were fixed. Amazingly there were no new problems. Probably the greatest trick is knowing when to stop with polishing



Today I have used the pen with great satisfaction all day. (Yes, I write a lot and I always write with a fountain pen during meetings and during brainwork) I’m now very happy with the Liaison. Not only a beautiful Liaison, but also a great B nib on it.



The Liaison now writes like a dream. It glides very smoothly over all kinds of paper, and most importantly, it did not skip or hesitate one single time in my Clairefontaine notebook.

Today I asked the guy, who supplied me with the polishing sheet, but he did not know what type or grid the paper was. So I have to cherish the sample I have
Ciao,
-Hans.

I just noticed the clip and cap top of the Liaison are spring loaded into the cap.
What I mean is that if you pul the clip away of the cap, then the whole of the clip
and captop will tilt on the cap.
Enjoy,
/:) Hans.

Have the LIAISON in a deep blue, ( Looks black out of the light). Med. nib...Love it!- hook

I wish they had done the Liaison in sterling.