Let me introduce you the Waterman Le Man 100 Stylo Officiel de la revolution française.
It was a very limited edition of the 1st generation of the man 100 made in 1989 for the anniversary of the bicentenary of the french revolution. Needless to say, not many of these were made and to see one for sale mint, uninked and with its boxes and papers is something unusual. I found one at my favorite penshop Morastylos, I immediately reserved it two weeks ago and bough it yesterday. Needless to say that I am happy. Let's review the pen
1)Appearance
The pen is not much different from a normal except that the clip is special and remembering the 200th anniversary of the french revolution and at the end of the cap there is written 1789-1989 bicentenaire de la revolution française. The color is black and the gold plating hasn't shown a single point of wearing. Something that tells you a lot about the quality of Waterman in the 80's. The pen is black with gold trim which means a good and minimalistic appearance combining elegance and sobriety. The classic lines of the man 100 are going well through the decades and never get old, owning a man 100 or a man 200 is a sign of having good taste in fountain pens.
2)Weight
That version of the man 100 is of resin which less heavy than laquered brass corpse of my man 100 patrician. Ergonomics are excellent, it is not a too light nor a too heavy pen, it is a better pen than the exception or the edson.The pen never tires the hand.
3)Filling system
The converter or the waterman big cartridge are the usual means of filling the pens but you can also use a man 100 as an eye dropper. The converter is very user friendly and extremely reliable. Waterman cartridge are vailable in any color you want so no worries here. The man 100 pen is an immediate starter and never knows troubles unless you have not rinced it with cold water when the pen was full of dried ink.
4)The nib
This man 100 has the older nib with the hole and not the globe. On this man 100's nib, it is written waterman 1883-1983, ideal 18k750 - Paris. Despite the nib was uninked I tested its flex and can confirm you that the first generation man 100 are top quality nibs.
5)Conclusion
That purchase strengthened my love for the man 100. The man 100 is pen which is attractive and which is very well made perhaps far better made than what Waterman produces today. I know that here many aficionados love the man 100 and the man 200. I am getting another man 100 patrician in July but this time a blue one with a full flexible medium nib. I will perhaps have a man 100 Night & Day one day or an oliver wood or a macassar wood man 100. Man 100 or Man 200 purchases are contagious.
Flexible nib? do you mean custom ground nib?
I offered my father a man 100 and he loves it a lot, he writes with it more than with his parker 25. As I said and will continue to affirm it, the man 100 and the man 200 are the best high end watermans ever made, they beat the edson and the exception in terms of fit, finish, nib smoothness and overall quality.
