Just received a watermans red ripple 32 1/2 from an ebay purchase and the problems are worse than i expected. The barrel, section and cap are excellent with deep imprints but the lever box metal frame has broke in half. When i removed the cap got a shock the nib tines are splayed wide apart although still seems a fair amount of tipping material. The splaying looks like it may have created a stress crack at the airhole not sure.
This is not a job for me but given the nice condition of the barrel and cap is she worth restoring who could do it and how much might it cost. I paid £17.??

I realize that you are on the other side of the pond, but this is definitely a job for Richard Binder...

I don't have a feel for the cost, but it is hard to see how it could be worth it.

I saw a repair blurb at Lion & Pen about welding broken Waterman's lever boxes back in - looked tedious, but efficient & effective.

You'll need a parts pen for the lever. Let someone with experience install it. It's not a fun or easy job, and the lever box tabs are brittle and easily break.

The nib should be able to be rehabbed. The nice thing about metal is that it can be reworked and reshaped, and even tipping can be replaced.
Even at that, a replacement Waterman #2 nib should run you $25-30.

But if you can find a donor pen (maybe missing cap) you'll probably get a good nib along with the lever you need.

Da Book has a method (crude, but effective) for repairing broken lever boxes. I've done this on a user grade pen in my collection and it works just fine. I wouldn't suggest trying this on anything that you highly value because it involves CA glue. Frank was big on CA glue, in the right place, at the right time...

Nick's right, you should be able to put the nib back in shape. If you knock out the nib, it would be prudent to anneal it prior to any rehab, especially if it looks like there's a stress crack where it's sprung.

Sounds like a fun project pen for those long winter days...


Cheers,
Tom

Thanks fellas, i'm mainly Parker enthusiast just thought i'd pick this one up intending to clean it up and move it on. I will probably drop it into the parts drawer or sell it on as parts. Money lost but swings and roundabouts i have done very well from ebay gained much more than lost.

I had a great experience with Dr. Laurence Oldfield in England
Here is his email address laoldfield@lineone.net

It seems the more difficult the repair the more Dr. O enjoys it.

He did a fabulous job on my Waterman's 5112 Ink-Vue. Which many say can't be fixed.

Steve

You spent about $32 US dollars for the pen and it is definitely worth having it fixed.... especially since it is a red ripple ebonite...