Waterman Phileas thoughts

[pen2paper]

Don't get me wrong -- I like my Phileas very much. It's become my everyday, go everywhere, knockaround pen. But let's face it: it is cheap. The plastic body has a cheap feel to it. The good news is the cheap plastic is lightweight, and combined with a smooth nib I can write page after page without strain. Too bad the pen is now overpriced, even at $55 (Staples).

 

hmm, i just bought a phileas at office max, with the whole kit (bottle of ink, converter, cartridges, ect...) for under $55.

yes I've seen this kit lurking about in some stores..it also includes blotters.

agree the black Phileas is probably the classiest looker.. I have a blue marbled.

[Bookman]

Don't get me wrong -- I like my Phileas very much. It's become my everyday, go everywhere, knockaround pen. But let's face it: it is cheap. The plastic body has a cheap feel to it. The good news is the cheap plastic is lightweight, and combined with a smooth nib I can write page after page without strain. Too bad the pen is now overpriced, even at $55 (Staples).

 

hmm, i just bought a phileas at office max, with the whole kit (bottle of ink, converter, cartridges, ect...) for under $55.

yes I've seen this kit lurking about in some stores..it also includes blotters.

agree the black Phileas is probably the classiest looker.. I have a blue marbled.

 

Indeed, some of us discussed the Office Max-Staples incongruity last week in my thread on this very subject. As I said at the time, anyone who wanted a Phileas should go to Office Max now because supplies are dwindling and prices aren't getting any lower. I wouldn't buy another Phileas for myself unless I could get a fine nib. While Staples's $55 is too much for the pen alone, I'm tempted to buy the $52 kit at Office Max as a gift for someone else. The included bottle of Waterman ink would bring the effective price of the pen down to $42, which is about right.

Edited July 1, 2009 by Bookman

[Garageboy]

I want a plain black one, without the brass insert and with a 14K gold nib

[Ray-Vigo]

Just as an aside-- those familiar with the field of antitrust law may recall a case some years ago in which Staples tried to merge with one of its competitors (Office Depot?). There really were only 3 office "superstores" in the relevant market, and the merger was shot down under especially damning evidence that whenever one of the superstores was alone in a geographic area, that it jacked prices way up as compared to when one of its two main competitors was around.

 

This just goes to show while price behavior may have much to do with product and inventory, that you should beware of using strictly local circulars and local in-store prices as guides for what real competition would mean. It could be you're in a zone where there's just a Staples nearby and as part of that, the prices are higher somewhat.

 

I'm not saying this is the only factor or it has to be the cause, but I would beware of the assumption that a price change HAS to be related to the product itself all the time.

Edited July 2, 2009 by Ray-Vigo

[Pen2009]

I know I am out of step with the general consensus, but I find them really cheap looking and can't understand what all the fuss is about! The nibs are smooth though, which is what it's all about.

I am in the same opinion there. I saw the Phileas in the office supply stores (Staples, Office Max, and etc) and found that pen look too plasticky and too cheap. I know it's a cheap pen; for the money, I think it is a good starter fountain pen or a loaner pen.

[Ray-Vigo]

I know I am out of step with the general consensus, but I find them really cheap looking and can't understand what all the fuss is about! The nibs are smooth though, which is what it's all about.

I am in the same opinion there. I saw the Phileas in the office supply stores (Staples, Office Max, and etc) and found that pen look too plasticky and too cheap. I know it's a cheap pen; for the money, I think it is a good starter fountain pen or a loaner pen.

 

 

There was an earlier series of designs they did that were similar to a Moire rather than the more common "plastic marble" design. They were green or midnight blue. Some people prefer the earlier ones because the new marble looks a little too plastic-ish.

 

 

[Doug Add]

There was an earlier series of designs they did that were similar to a Moire rather than the more common "plastic marble" design. They were green or midnight blue. Some people prefer the earlier ones because the new marble looks a little too plastic-ish.

Count me in that camp. I have owned a couple of the newer blue marbled pens, but don't care much for the newer design in other colors. My red and blue fountain pens and my green rollerball are all the older design.

[Ray-Vigo]

There was an earlier series of designs they did that were similar to a Moire rather than the more common "plastic marble" design. They were green or midnight blue. Some people prefer the earlier ones because the new marble looks a little too plastic-ish.

Count me in that camp. I have owned a couple of the newer blue marbled pens, but don't care much for the newer design in other colors. My red and blue fountain pens and my green rollerball are all the older design.

 

 

I like them more too, I think because the newer ones are among the most common of all fountain pens you'll see now. The older ones are actually somewhat hard to come by now.

[seanpooh]

I've been buying the Phileas since i was in the 9th grade. I'm probably on my 5th one since I'm so careless, always losing it... I remember my first one from Staples was like $25 brand new, things have changed but not the beauty of this pen.

[sera0516]

I love my Phileases and have one in every color and in every size nib. I find the fine nib to be a medium/fine. The medium and the broad are, to my eye, the same. I am surprised by the relatively high prices mentioned here. I bought all of mine on ebay (not auctions....but the "buy it now" fixed price option) and paid under 30 dollars for every one, including shipping. Granted, that is in a protective tube, not in a Waterman box, and without a converter. (though it did come w/ one cartridge).

 

I bought all of mine from the ebay store 'Pens N More," and I found them to be extremely fast and reliable. Got the matching Phileas pencil from them also. This is just about the only pen I would give as a starter-gift, and this is the place I would buy it. Every pen worked perfectly and was brand new. As of today....July 8th....I see they offer the green marble fine for under 30....and 10 of them (I'm actually tempted....they are soon going to be extinct) for under $21 each, shipped.

 

I don't think there is a better pen under 30 bucks, except maybe the Parker Frontier---an even cheaper looking pen that also writes flawlessly, and looks pretty good in the stainless steel version.

[montblancdude]

My Phileas has acquired a small spot on the gold ring on the bottom of the cap... it appears to be small concentrated area of many tiny scratches that is a slightly lighter color than the rest of the gold band. Have any of you ever had this happen to your Phileas? Should I try to clean it or leave it alone?

 

 

[wednesday_mac]

There is another thread here from January of this year that says the red and green Phileas are being discontinued. (The black and blue pens were still to be in production.)

 

I just bought a black one at Staples because there was a $5 discount coupon in their flyer on Sunday for any purchase over $20. The FP were with the other pens, there were only three FPs (the rest were rollerballs), and the displayed price was $37.40. The pen rang up as $55, and it took a price check to get the displayed price.

 

I really don't think Staples is interested in selling anything but cheap Bics. I had to wade through six huge containers of Bic products - including cheap pens - to get to the pen aisle. The message is obvious enough.

 

But I do like this Phileas. It's the first one I've bought. I am finding the medium line it writes to vary drastically according to the paper I'm using. Haven't tried any ink yet but Noodler's Walnut.

Edited July 14, 2009 by wednesday_mac

[lsmith42]

Just bought two of these... promptly found my taps and removed the brass insert from one of them so that I can use the international cartridges and carry a spare the same way my MB does...

 

They are very nice pens to use and smooth so far with the MB BRG and the Waterman blue-black. Great especially for the price!

Edited July 30, 2009 by lsmith42

[djpyle]

My first three fountain pens were all Phileases. Green, black, and blue, in that order. My wife gave them to me as gifts over the course of a couple of years. Although I'm not a fan of the yellow-gold trim, I love the pens for their smooth nibs and their start-up ability. I once left my black Phileas capped for almost a month after I got a Vanishing Point I couldn't put down. When I tried writing with the Phileas, it laid down a line without a single hiccup. A month! How can you beat that? In my opinion, these are perfect starter pens.

[jigesh]

Price-factor often plays trick with minds with regard to perception of value but Phileas cannot be downplayed - it offers tremendous performance/value in my subjective view.

[jazztonight]

My first fountain pen, after reading nice things about it, was a Phileas kit (converter, bottle of ink, etc.) from Amazon.com

 

here is the deal ($59), no tax, no shipping:

http://www.amazon.com/Phileas-Fountain-Pen...8659&sr=8-5

 

I used it for a week with one of the cartridges, and sent it back to Amazon, which gave me a refund. The M nib was way too broad for me.

 

I then ordered another Phileas with a fine nib from Lewertowski in France. I was hoping that I'd like it, but it just does not work for me (I've tried different inks, too).

 

I have no problem with the way it looks, the colors it comes in, or the price. It just is not great for me.

 

On the other hand, I bought (again from France) a Waterman Expert II. I love the way it writes, looks, feels.

 

(I also have several other pens.)

 

With almost any pen, it seems, you'll find people who love 'em or don't.

 

Then again, it's just a pen, right?

Edited August 18, 2009 by jazztonight

[rhosygell]

For the money the Phileas is an excellent pen. It even stands comparison on writing performance and reliability with pens costing far more. Sadly, the finish does not - it is the finish of a cheap pen and rather flashy too.

Edited August 20, 2009 by rhosygell

[MidnightBlue]

I don't think it'e flashy at all. To me it's got an old world look about it and it reminds me of 'the city": any big city, but I don't care or know why. The finish is is a bit ordinary. Look at the nib finish under a magnifying glass and it'e a horror movie. But, this can be said for Waterman even with more expensive models. Got the red one and use it everyaday at work, but I wouldn't call it spoiling myself.

Thanks

[amin]

Not sure about looks, but the two Phileas pens I've owned have been exceptional writers. Smooth and soft with just the right flow and never a skip or false start. I wish my Edson were as smooth as my Phileas, and the Edson is a smooth writer. I carried one today filled with Penman Sapphire. Wonderful.

[johnr55]

I prefer the Kultur, the less-showy student version. Great pens regardless of the finish preferred.