Waterman Ideal #32

[grayfoxgirl]

On a recent visit to my grandparents' house, my grandmother gave me three of her vintage fountain pens which had been locked up in a drawer for many years. Among the pens she gave me is a black Waterman Ideal 32. I have searched the internet (including fpn) for information on this pen to little avail. Can anyone tell me when this pen was probably manufactured, what makes it different from, say, a 52 or a 42, what it is made out of (it feels different from my other pens--hard rubber, perhaps?), or anything else about it? Also, any other 32 owners out there? Thank you.

 

I am really excited about the prospect of writing with this pen sometime in the future; it needs some restoration work first. It is missing its clip and something rattles around inside the barrel when I pick it up sometimes. I think the nib might be a flex or semi-flex, though.

[Procyon]

The 32's were made later than the 42's and 52's. The 32's were basically Waterman's lowest priced pens in the 1930's - being made from 1933-1939 or so.

 

When the 42 and 52 were made the first digit fit into a numbering scheme that Waterman used at the time. The 4 in 42 meant a safety pen (retractable nib, screw cap), the 5 in 52 meant a lever filler. Waterman abandoned this system in the 1930's (although the 2 at the end still indicates the nib size for all three of these pens).

 

These pens can be very nice writers, if restored.

[grayfoxgirl]

Thank you very much. From the dates you mentioned (and the battered appearance of the pen), I'm guessing that this must either have been Grandma's school pen or one that belonged to one of my great uncles.

[Penprophet]

What pen are we talking about- the 32 was a baby sized straight cap eyedropper about the size of a checkbook pen but without the flare or it was a low end 1930s pen which are quite common. If we are discussing the eyedropper, it also came in a slighter larger size the was a 34.

 

Mark

[grayfoxgirl]

Mine is a full sized lever filler.

[gregamckinney]

The 32's were made later than the 42's and 52's. The 32's were basically Waterman's lowest priced pens in the 1930's - being made from 1933-1939 or so.

 

When the 42 and 52 were made the first digit fit into a numbering scheme that Waterman used at the time. The 4 in 42 meant a safety pen (retractable nib, screw cap), the 5 in 52 meant a lever filler. Waterman abandoned this system in the 1930's (although the 2 at the end still indicates the nib size for all three of these pens).

 

These pens can be very nice writers, if restored.

 

Hi Procyon,

I don't have my docs in front of me, but wasn't the 3/3V line less expensive than the 32?

My recollection is that they are essentially the same pen but the 3 was only in black with chrome trim, and the 32 had colors and GF trim.

Maybe the 3 isn't really its own "line" if it is only one pen and one pencil?

 

Regards, greg

[Frazer]

I have this pen that was purchased as a 1932 NOS Waterman 32 from GoPens (the picture is from their online catalog of the sale).

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/sfpence/Waterman32.jpg

 

The pen has "32" on the end of the barrel. I love the springy no. 2 nib.

[Procyon]

 

Hi Procyon,

I don't have my docs in front of me, but wasn't the 3/3V line less expensive than the 32?

My recollection is that they are essentially the same pen but the 3 was only in black with chrome trim, and the 32 had colors and GF trim.

Maybe the 3 isn't really its own "line" if it is only one pen and one pencil?

 

Regards, greg

 

 

Greg,

After looking in Fischler & Schneider, it looks like the 3 and 32 were about the same price. They seem to be almost identical pens. The only difference I can see is that the 3 has two rivets showing on the clip, and the 32 has no rivets. At least that's true with the ones in the book. There is a marbelized color pictured of a 3 also, so there were more than just black pens in the 3 series.

 

Looks sort of like Waterman may have just decided to change the numbering system. I would guess maybe they wanted to make the numbers fit with the #5 and #7 pens, and so changed form 32 to 3 - but that is just a guess on my part.

 

Regards, Allan

Edited April 18, 2011 by Procyon

[grayfoxgirl]

I have this pen that was purchased as a 1932 NOS Waterman 32 from GoPens (the picture is from their online catalog of the sale).

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/sfpence/Waterman32.jpg

 

The pen has "32" on the end of the barrel. I love the springy no. 2 nib.

 

Mine looks just the same minus the clip. Seeing one with a clip finally is kind of exciting.

[Frazer]

It would probably be a fairly inexpensive restoration and if the pen has sentimental value, I'd go for it. I paid $125 for the new old stock that I have, and I think you would be well under that restored.

Edited April 19, 2011 by Frazer

[grayfoxgirl]

It's the second pen down on my list of pens that need repair/restoration (numero uno is the Diamond Point that my grandma also gave me which needs more extensive/expensive repairs). I'm currently keeping my eyes peeled for a suitable clip or cap to salvage a clip from so that after or when the Diamond Point is taken care of, I can have this one restored too. It really is exciting to learn more about it; especially since my grandmother can tell me very little (she is having trouble remembering much about her pens).

[gregamckinney]

I have this pen that was purchased as a 1932 NOS Waterman 32 from GoPens (the picture is from their online catalog of the sale).

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v244/sfpence/Waterman32.jpg

 

The pen has "32" on the end of the barrel. I love the springy no. 2 nib.

 

Gary Lehrer (GoPens) knows more about pens than I ever will, many times over.

However, I will say that I've never seen a 32 with that clip, and wonder if this is a later, 'Dauntless' (or similar) cap on a 32 barrel/nib/feed/section.

 

That said, I wouldn't be surprised to find out this is a weird, later version of a '32.' Looking at the 1947 Waterman catalog today, I learned that Waterman issued new 'Lady Patricia' pens, so I guess anything is possible.

 

Regards, greg

[Frazer]

Gary Lehrer (GoPens) knows more about pens than I ever will, many times over.

However, I will say that I've never seen a 32 with that clip, and wonder if this is a later, 'Dauntless' (or similar) cap on a 32 barrel/nib/feed/section.

 

That said, I wouldn't be surprised to find out this is a weird, later version of a '32.' Looking at the 1947 Waterman catalog today, I learned that Waterman issued new 'Lady Patricia' pens, so I guess anything is possible.

 

Regards, greg

 

Yes, Gary does know pens, Waterman in particular, so...

 

I always hear the Twilight Zone theme when the discussion turns to Waterman model numbers. I have never seen a "32" with clip like this either, and I would have guessed it to be a pen from the 1940's.

[Ernst Bitterman]

The following image comes from the 1933 Waterman catalogue-- just to give a sense of what the clip might have looked like (because that really does look like a very late '30s or early '40s clip in the photo):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v249/takematsu/Wat32.jpg

[79spitfire]

I have a #32 and a 3V. The pens are very similar. They both sport flexy #2 Waterman nibs, the 3V has a "tip filling" type of feed and is in a green/grey/red veined celluloid and the 32 is a plain black that matches the pic from the '33 catalogue exactly, down to the two rivet cap. I repaired mine, it was an easy fix, only needing a sac. Waterman's pens of the era don't have spring type pressure bars (J-bars) so are usually in good shape mechanically. These pens (to the best of my knowledge) are commonly found with full flex to wet noodle nibs. It's great that you got these pens, they should be great fun to fix up and use

[penjog]

To the clip: My # 32 doesn't have a clip either.

But I have already experienced, that foreign caps (with or without clip) were screwed on.

 

Hansjürgen

[Ernst Bitterman]

I'm just here to fix that picture that the monstrous changes over time at Photobucket have made useless.

 

There. Hosted on-site, so it should be visible here as long as there's a here.