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SquelchB
First of all, I'd like you all to know this is my first fountain pen review, so please be merciful wink.gif

I was poking around eBay for some cheap pen and I came across several color versions of Waterman Graduate. I have to admit I haven't heard about the pen before, but I liked the design from the moment I looked at it. I'm a fan of minimalism and this is exactly what the looks of Graduate are. Pure chrome wherever you look, straight lines somehow ressembling Parker Vector. This pen is 13,5 cm long when capped, which doesn't make it a big pen, however it isn't skinny. I'd say the dimensions are quite close to Parker Frontier.

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When you uncap it, you find hard black plastic grip section, which is quite comfortable to hold. The nib is a nailish F, which writes really fine, perhaps even finer than a Parker extra fine. When I put the cartridge in it, it emitted lots of ink, much more than it should - that's why the nib is so stained. However after writing several pages I got a nice writer, putting down generously wet very fine line. I never post my pens, hate the marks it leaves on the barrel, however if posted, the pen is 15,5 cm long. I think the pen is way better balanced when not posted. I feels quite substantial in hand, but I admit it is my first all-metal pen, so the impressions could be very different for you.

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It definitely looks made with more care than cheap Parkers I mostly have, but the feed is headed a little bit sideways from the nib point. Hope this doesn't have any effect on actual writing qualities of the pen.

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After only one day of writing with this pen I have to say it was definitely a good buy, perfectly worth the 6 GBP I paid for it. And I also wish to thank Monsier Lewertowski, from whom I bought the pen. His services were perfect and unbelievably quick - ordered on Friday, sent on Monday, here with me on Wednesday. Thanks a lot!

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AndyHayes
Nice review and great pics. For a first review it was a resounding success. Thanks for making the effort.
greencobra
Nice review, SquelchB. We don't see these too often in the US, good to learn a bit more about them. So, congrats on this first review and scoring a nice Waterman for a steal. Good work!
thehobbit
Hezká recenze... S levnými parkry opravdu nelze srovnávat - toť i má zkušenost... Nicméně již jsem se vrhl na pera japonská a to je teprv něco... První Pilot je již doma, další na cestě, vyhlížím Sailora...
MikeLip
Good job! Try a different ink. I have found that some pens that misbehave badly with one ink settle right down with a different one. For instance my Rotring spews Noodlers by the gallon on paper, making a bled-through mess. But it is perfectly tame with Private Reserve.!
SquelchB
QUOTE(MikeLip @ Feb 14 2008, 04:21 PM) [snapback]514024[/snapback]
Good job! Try a different ink. I have found that some pens that misbehave badly with one ink settle right down with a different one. For instance my Rotring spews Noodlers by the gallon on paper, making a bled-through mess. But it is perfectly tame with Private Reserve.!

It's perfectly all right after a page of two of writing, now it's a good writer. Not the smoothest one, but smooth enough.
SquelchB
QUOTE(thehobbit @ Feb 14 2008, 03:40 PM) [snapback]513994[/snapback]
Hezká recenze... S levnými parkry opravdu nelze srovnávat - toĹĄ i má zkušenost... NicménÄ› jiĹľ jsem se vrhl na pera japonská a to je teprv nÄ›co... První Pilot je jiĹľ doma, další na cestÄ›, vyhlíĹľím Sailora...

Ja mam levne Parkery docela rad, nicmene tohle je opravdu na jine urovni.

Mimochodem, meli bychom se bavit anglicky at z toho nasi pratele nemaji dusevni sok wink.gif

English translation:
I quite like the cheap Parkers, but this is just another level.

By the way, we should talk English so that our friends here don't get psychically distressed wink.gif
DeSuisse
QUOTE(SquelchB @ Feb 14 2008, 07:00 PM) [snapback]514171[/snapback]
QUOTE(thehobbit @ Feb 14 2008, 03:40 PM) [snapback]513994[/snapback]
Hezká recenze... S levnými parkry opravdu nelze srovnávat - toĹĄ i má zkušenost... NicménÄ› jiĹľ jsem se vrhl na pera japonská a to je teprv nÄ›co... První Pilot je jiĹľ doma, další na cestÄ›, vyhlíĹľím Sailora...

Ja mam levne Parkery docela rad, nicmene tohle je opravdu na jine urovni.

Mimochodem, meli bychom se bavit anglicky at z toho nasi pratele nemaji dusevni sok wink.gif

English translation:
I quite like the cheap Parkers, but this is just another level.

By the way, we should talk English so that our friends here don't get psychically distressed wink.gif

crybaby.gif Thanks for the review,
I have bought one six month ago and the metalic plate stuck at the ent of the cap is fallen.
I had bought one more than 15 year ago and it is always very good, but the cap was in metal, not as the new which seem to be in metal, but witch is in black plastic covered by steel. You can see it in the picture, when you look at the end (like a target black and silver).
To write I think it is a goog pen, a little dry but good if you choose a good nib in the store. In fine you can have smooth or scratchy in this kind of pen.
I enjoy mine with herbin bleu pervenche ink and hope the other reader like this pen to. To write it is as good as the sonnet with metalic nib, but I prefer Lamy safary, and lamy logo pen. clap1.gif
For me the problem is the maintenance sevice of Stanford witch is awfull (test for a waterman etalon ballpen) wallbash.gif
SquelchB
Just small note - I gave the nib a smoothing so called "paper bag treatment" and it has turned into very, very smooth writer! I no longer have objections against this one.
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