The time has come for a review and write-up for the Waterman's Ideal No. 52 pen. I have not yet seen a full length review of the 52, so here is one for those interested. I've also included some notes for first time buyers that should help in picking out a good user 52.


I. Appearance: 9/10
The Black Hard Rubber (or Chased Hard Rubber) Waterman 52 is a basic, clean design. It is, in fact, rather austere compared to more modern offerings. It is rather plain even compared to the celluloid pens of the later 1920s and the 1930s. These pens have a basic "flat top" design. These pens often come, as this example, with nickel trim. The pen also has a curious "baseball" motif hidden in it's design: notice the "Ideal" logo resembles a baseball and the clip resembles a baseball bat. The lever's tip is also round in the style of a baseball and when the lever is used it appears as if the baseball is being "pitched" toward the bat. The #2 nib is a basic gold affair- it is not terribly large. The Ripple and Mottled hard rubber versions are flashier. The design is pure 1910s and 20s style all over in the BHR version. It is simple, subdued, but elegant. Black hard rubber is a beautiful material, especially when fully blackened and shined up. It really is unique in its prime condition.




II. Feel In Hand: 8.5/10
I would call the full sized 52 a moderate to slightly larger than average size. It is larger than many smaller, more modern pens, but is also quite a bit smaller than the larger pens like the Oversized Balance and the modern Waterman Phileas or Levenger True Writer. The pen's weight I would describe as fairly average. I was not surprised either by heft or lightness unposted. The pen is indeed slightly heavy when posted. The pen, when posted, is too heavy for my tastes, though people who like heavy pens may feel the need to post. The pen's ability to post is functional, though not spectacular. It posts better than my Balance, but not as well as several of my modern pens.



III. Filling: 9/10
This 52 is a lever fill. As mundane as a lever action is- it's common for a reason: it's reliable and simple. The lever fill system fills simply and once you're familiar with the process you really can't go wrong. The down side, of course, is that you need to make sure your sac is pliable and the press bar is working correctly, but beyond that there isn't too much to it. What makes the 52 better than the average lever filler, if you ask me, is the lever action of this pen. This Waterman that I have has a soft action with a "snap down" at the end of the travel where it locks down into the box. I have, in the past, had problems with some lever fillers being too "hard" in action. This pen is soft, but the lever box keeps the lever locked down when not being operated.

IV. Writing: 8.5/10
Here's where this 52 varies from the usual offering a bit- the nib on this one is a semi-rigid medium nib. The nib has a VERY LITTLE amount of flex- but not much by vintage Waterman standards. The nib is semi-smooth. It has a fair amount of feedback compared to the Sheaffer offerings of the 1930s. The nib is not as smooth as a modern ball nib. However, this nib is by no means scratchy either. It is smoother than flex, but not as smooth as a ball tip nail. The line width is a generous medium- probably about the same as my Phileas medium. The flow of ink is fairly rich. The feed is plain, though quite effective. I like the nib, though I would not call it my favorite of all nibs. I do find it very functional and nice to use- though it is not perfect.



NOTE: If you choose a more standard flex nib version you will find something different than the nib I describe here. Please do a search of this forum if you want more information about writing with flex- that is a large topic all its own. What I describe is a semi-rigid medium nib with nice everyday writing characteristics.


V. Durability: 7.5/10
Here is the catch with hard rubber- durability. Hard rubber of this age can be quite brittle, and the color can be prone to fading from actinic light. The color, once oxidized by the light, can also wash off with water. Moreover, if you do get a chip or crack in the brittle hard rubber once the surfaces oxidize (which can be fast) you will find no adhesive capable of a long term fix. This is one of the biggest holes in pen repair- there really is no satisfactory long term fix for broken or cracked hard rubber that has oxidized. As a result I give this pen a somewhat reduced score due to the hard rubber material. HOWEVER, beyond the hard rubber drawbacks the Waterman's 52 is fairly robust for a hard rubber pen. I have no complaints related to the robustness of the 52 itself, but I will give a lower score due to concerns about hard rubber as a material in general. Though this material is beautiful- it must be carefully cared for.



What to look for:
-new sac and a functioning lever that moves without a struggle, and doesn't flap around freely, should lock down into the lever box well enough to stop vibration (though locking need not be tough)
-nibs of this vintage can vary in terms of flex- take your pick of them. With Watermans WATCH for what you have- they range from fairly rigid to flexible (most) to super flexible. Waterman made a large variety of nibs so try a few. The nib, as always, should be free of defects and should write fairly smoothly, though a bit of tooth is often present. This is normal, and you will find a different effect on different papers and with different inks. Be careful not to spring a flex nib (this is where, by applying too much pressure to get the wider line, you bend the tines too far and they will not return to their proper position).
-beware of excessive corrosion on the lever as it means you could have corrosion on the pressure bar as well
-the section should fit snugly and tightly to the barrel
-check the cap lip for cracks, as well as the rest of pen. I mention the cap lip because these can be prone to cracks. With hard rubber you must be very wary of cracks or breaks because if they become a structural issue, it is VERY difficult (and often impossible) to fix them like you would fix regular plastic. \
-treat hard rubber with care- do NOT expose to sunlight or harsh UV light sources. AVOID WATER- it may wash off some of the color if actinic light has gone to work on it. It is POSSIBLE to have it blackened to taste though this is often a messy process. Some pro repairers will do this. Do not be overly discouraged by discoloration- you can have that fixed. Focus on cracks, breaks, and structural issues instead. Do NOT blacken rare or historically significant pens.
-be sure to store this one upright whenever possible- the simple feed can and will blot into the cap if exposed to enough heating of the barrel takes place
-be very careful of handling the pen in terms of sharp motions- it will fling ink
-you will need bottled ink as the pen doesn't take a modern cartridge
-also focus on the lever box area. Lever boxes can develop breaks, cracks, and damage. This often need to be replaced in full once they break.
-look for a pen that suits you in terms of size: the 52 1/2 is not as wide, the 52 v is shorter, and the 52 1/2 v is the smallest. I prefer the full-sized 52.



The Final Word
Nothing screams "old style" better than a Waterman's Ideal No. 52. It is plain, simple, and very reliable in function. Many of these pens are 80+ years old and will function beautifully once restored. Most will have ossified sacs by this point- you probably will have to replace it, but don't be put off by that. Don't be put off by discoloration, but be sure to focus on cracks, and breaks in the hard rubber or the lever box. Never force a stuck or stubborn lever. You can find a VERY wide variety of nibs for these from super flex to rigid to specialty nibs like Accountant's nibs. If you're looking for a place to start in the black hard rubber world, these are a great place to start- they're plentiful, simple, and great to use. Often users can be had for decent prices and will provide very good service. Just remember to be careful with the hard rubber as stated above.

This is a great review and makes me wonder why I haven't seen the 52 reviewed before. This is one of the pens I cut my teeth on learning to fix vintage pens. Good point about never forcing the lever. Instead, remove the section carefully and you will usually find out why the lever is stuck. I've seen great minty examples of this pen in black smooth, black chased, woodgrain, ripple, and the more elusive cardinal hard rubber. It's amazing but even after 90 years of age these pens will still give off the aroma of rubber with a little rub.

A great classic vintage pen to use and to work on. Just remember to keep it and all hard rubber pens away from sunlight and you'll have a great pen for years to come.

Thanks.

Thanks for a review of a classic pen, the pen that got many of us started on vintage pens.

The 5 in 52 stands for lever filler, the 2 for the nib size. You'll find the full spectrum of nib widths and flexibility in those #2 nibs. Vintage nibs are usually finer than today's, but are also easier to find with flex.

If you want to go wild, you can always go to Ripple or Mottled hard rubber. Same basic pen in hard rubber with red grain or mottled effect. Or the Red hard rubber for some flash.

With all of these the focus is really on the nib and the line it makes. And that's a very good place to start with any pen.

gary

Excellent informative review, Ray-Vigo! I am still searching for my Ideal full sized 52.
Thank you for reviewing this classic pen!

One suggestion - perhaps explain what it means to "spring" a flex nib...

Thanks for the revew and tips!

I know that it depends on the condition of the pen, but what's the average price of Waterman 52 ?

Thanks for that- I have taken your suggestion and added a sentence about that to the review. I think writing about the 52 is tough since you have such a variety of nibs for them.

More generally:

I am inviting everyone to add on to this review by posting your #2 nib reviews below. If you have a nib that would fit a 52 and would like to give it a review, then feel free to add a note about it. This review above is really about the pen itself, and somewhat about the semi-rigid nib this particular one has. I realize though than many 52s have standard flex nibs- something I actually don't have at the moment (oddly enough). So if you have a 52 (#2) nib and would like to write a review for the nib and its performance, then feel free to add on below. I think we can have a really nice 52 review thread that starts with the general pen review above, but then also has mini-reviews or notes for different nib types attached to it. That way people looking for 52 information can come right to this thread and see about both the pen and the nibs. Since I'm not an expert on Waterman flex nibs compared to many other people, I think their expertise would be great to have here.



Prices: I generally dodge value and price questions, but I'll try to field this one. Mint pens, rare pens, or ones with special nibs will tend to be quite expensive. I will say, however, that a decent user-grade 52 can be had for under $100. I bought mine for about $60 and had it fixed up (new sac, semi-rigid nib, shine up but no blackening) for about $20 plus a trade of the old nib I had. So for $80 I have a nice, shiny 52 with a medium nib in it that works for everyday style writing. You can acquire damaged specimens for very little money (under $25) and then try to piece together a single working pen from the parts, if you desire to go that route. If you can piece together a good cap here and a good body there, etc, then you might be able to get a working example together for under $40. These are just my very ballpark estimates though- don't take them as Gospel.

Semi Rigid Nib Update:

I've acquired another 52, this one with a more rigid medium nib. The feed is the same style smooth feed.

The nib is pretty smooth and the flow is generous.

The feed has a difficult time coping with a fast flowing ink. Aurora black weeped from the breather hole after a filling and immediate writing session. It got better as the ink level in the bladder went down.

I would suggest that if you're going to use a smooth feed with a high flow ink that you "bleed" off some excess after filling the pen by just pulling the lever a little bit and letting a couple drops roll back into the bottle.

#2 nibs are common and easy to find in a variety of flavors, including flex, high flex, semi flex, semi rigid, and rigid. They have some specialized nibs like accounting nibs too.

Not to spam this, but I would like to also add that you don't have to be a flex fanatic to really like these pens-- the semi-rigid nib I currently have writes very much like a medium Sheaffer or Parker nib. In fact if I had to liken it to any nib I currently have, I would put it as being closer to my Balance 3-25 medium and my Duofold Fine than to a true flex nib.

So, just because you may not want or like flex, that doesn't mean you need to avoid the Waterman 52.

Just be aware that hard rubber is high maintenance material for everyone.