I have in my possession a 52 1/2v in BHR with two barrel inscriptions: one in what I consider the usual place situated near the middle of the barrel; and another near the end of the barrel. The one on the side of the barrel reads: "WATERMAN'S / REG. U.S. IDEAL PAT. OFF. / FOUNTAIN PEN", while the other at the barrel's end reads: "WATERMAN'S / REG. U.S. PAT. OFF. / MADE IN U.S.A." Little new information there! Can anyone shed any light on this curious pleonastic iteration?
Thanks,
Oliver

Can't tell you why, but I believe it dates the pen to later than 1928.

John

I don't think so. My Pink No. 7 has a lateral barrel-end imprint. The pen also has a CLIP-CAP clip, and Waterman changed from the CLIP-CAP clip to the narrower WATERMAN'S clip in 1927. Here are pix that show the difference. Upper is design to 1927, lower is 1927 on.





(Edited to correct a typo -- the Founding Fathers would have had problems...)

So the bottom pen is Pre-American Revolution?

That is to say, there is both a lateral and a longitudinal imprint on the earlier pen you picture? The narrower clip on my pen would date it to 1927 or later.
Thanks for the clarifications.
Oliver

Yes. There are a total of three barrel imprints:

• Waterman's imprint running along barrel near the middle (opposite the lever)
• Model number (7) on end of barrel
• Waterman's imprint running around barrel near the distal end (concealed by cap in the photo)

I also have a Blue No. 7, CLIP-CAP clip, and a Mottled (woodgrain) No. 56, CLIP-CAP clip, both with all three imprints. The Mottled material débuted in 1923, and the Ripple material superseded it beginning in 1926.

OK, checking my sources (and my faulty memory) . . .

Rob Astyk opines that the switch to the double imprint is "about 1927" which would be in keeping with the the ripple in the photo above.

The Mottled example is interesting though - assuming that Waterman completely switched over to Ripple in 1926, then one would think it dates the double-imprint a little earlier. Of course, there is always the possibility they were using up old stock, or still making both patterns into 1927.

But I am curious about your comment "The Mottled material débuted in 1923". Do you mean the specific woodgrain pattern? I know that there are much, much earlier examples of mottled eyedropper-era Watermans - I think going back to before 1900.

Of course, I could look it up in David Nishimura's definitive book on Waterman history. (once he gets if finished. . .)

John

Yes. Waterman did use other mottled rubbers much earlier, as exampled by my Nº 12 ED: