I recently picked up this Waterman pen from ebay. It has a nice flexy italic nib, but needs some work. I was wondering if anyone could help me with which model it is. I know very little about Waterman pens (at least the older models outside of the 52). I suspect it is some variation of an Ideal (or is that just a name for the type of nib?)

I don't know the model number, but the pen is a low-line model from the 1940s or '50s.

"Ideal" was Waterman's trademarked identifier from the very beginning, and it applies to all their stuff. Read my glossary entry on it.

There seems to be a dearth of information on Watermans as compared to some of the other companies. I understand Parker and Sheaffer dominated the market, but I still see information on other companies more often than Watermans.
I have read they were kind of behind the curve on technology for most of their history, but they seem to be well thought of pens. Is this lack of information an accurate assessment or am I just looking in the wrong place?

Except for that whole designing the modern fountain pen as we know it today thing, it could be said that they were a bit conservative in their introduction of new technology.

I'm gonna jump in here with another request for information. Can someone fill me in on the English Waterman W3 pen?

There is a book in the works. Lehrer/Davis Waterman Book

i think its actually out, or at least on pre order, check 1001pens.com max davis's site

It looks just like a Waterman model I have called the Commando. 1940s.