It'd been a while since I posted a review, so I thought I'd do one of the Waterman's Hundred Year that I recently got from eBay. Pardon the sloppy handwriting, and the obvious lack of knowledge/technique on how to use a flex nib properly. Enjoy!

A cool review of a great pen. I think that this is what pen collecting and using should be all about. It shouldn't be too expensive, it should have educational value, and it should be FUN. I think your experience has accomplished all the above and offers exposure to the flexible nib. Try that with a modern pen and it would be far more costly and might still not give the tactile qualities of a vintage nib. For $15.50, its a no brainer.

I like the interesting way you write "joy." Normally, downstrokes are used for darker shading and upstrokes for lightening the line. Here you've used the flexibility of the nib to make a great reverse shade effect.

Best wishes

I'd say it's worth it!

Congrats! I love my Waterman Hundred Year pen and YOU got a great deal on yours! Isn't the flex fun? I wrote with mine today after it had been ignored for several weeks and it started right up too. I find that "toothier" papers (like Southworth's with 25% or 100% cotton) show off the flex and shading better than smooth paper.

$15.50 for a pen that usually goes 10 times that if its a user, and 20 times that if it in decent shape -- and a flexy nib to boot.

That is a sumgai find if ever there was one.

I was fortunate to get one of these — a second-year model – last year as part of a stash that belonged to my wife's aunt's husband. Mine had a stub nib and after a servicing from Mr. Binder, it is a dream to write with.

This is a magnificent pen. Congratulations on snagging it.

Great review! But more importantly: $15.50 for a Waterman 100 year. Wow. You my friend, are one lucky guy. You also found one of the true joys of vintage collecting, great deals on great pens. Oh wait, you also discovered vintage flex... a two-fer!!

The flex in that nib looks pretty flexy. Keep playing with your handwriting style with the pen, those nibs are a ton of fun. I personally think that they improve your handwriting by slowing you down a bit and the shading they give off even makes my chicken scratch look semi-decent at times.

Anyway, congrats on a GREAT vintage snag.

Thanks, gang!

Brian, there's a good reason for the reason that "joy" turned out the way that it did...

I'm a lefty overwriter. Letters with a sub-scripted left-hand loop (wow...that's a heck of a statement) are about the only places where I get any flex.

Alex, I remembered you mentioning that you'd picked up a cheap Hundred Year...where's yours?

I was guessing that was the answer! I'm married to a lefty underwriter, and Bob at Bittner is a lefty overwriter, so I tend to see lefties around me.

These are very nice pens. I had one offered to me last year and didn't know that the jewel crystalizing was something that pretty much happened to these pens as a matter of course. Well, didn't buy it. Wish I did. After your review here, man do I wish I picked it up. Live and learn.

Anyway, back to the review...nice job, covered a lot. Your writing sample was nicely done too. I know nothing about how a flex nib should be used properly either but I'd like to pick up something with a little flex in it at the NE Pen Show soon. It'd be fun to learn though.

Thanks for taking the time to write it up and share.

Rroossink, if I read just one more post from you about those pens you get for basically nothing, I'll explode!. ARGGGG!. How do you manage? Green of envy here.....

Great review, fantastic pen.

Suppose I shouldn't post the review of the 1929 Sheaffer's OS Balance with a factory stub, then, huh? Let's say that after restoration (sans shipping), I've got just a bit more than the cost of a full-price Al-Star in it.

(Sorry...I couldn't resist.)

Seriously, the key is nothing more than plain ol' dumb luck. All of my finds have been either eBay-sourced or antique shops.

Hey Mr. R....

I just wrapped up the restoration on my 100 year and it is looking goooooood IMHO. I will get some shots up shortly, working on a Waterman Emblem now.

Let's see that Sheaffer OS factory stub!!!

Alex

Workin' on it. I don't have a light tent or a camera that does well in low-level/synthetic light sources, so I'm stuck waiting for a nice day where I can use my "studio" (which is basically a small coffee table near a large window in my living room). Cross your fingers for good weather today, because I'd really like to get a couple of shots of both of these pens.

Okay, so I finally got the chance to edit and get these ready to post. Here's a few pics of the Hundred Year. Enjoy!

nice pen rroosinck

Thanks George! It's a lot of fun to write with, despite not knowing the first thing about flex.