Waterman's color-nib chart

[rhr]

Waterman's color-nib chart

 

Bruce W posted a message on Pentrace on 26 April 2005 asking for a more complete guide or chart explaining the different Waterman nibs. JRG posted a concise list the same day, and EP posted in reply, "We need an archive for info like this which comes up periodically".

 

Well, in a response to yet another earlier question, posted on Pentrace on 9 January 2005, about this recurrent topic, Wayne reposted a message of mine originally posted years ago on Zoss. I am reprinting my message here to preserve it in The FPN Archive.

________________________

 

A 1927 brochure in the Fischler-Schneider "Blue Book" shows the six basic colors, and gives the following descriptions.

 

Red, Standard Point, for home and general use, med. flex.

Green, Rigid Point, the salesman's friend, for manifolding.

Pink, Flex Fine Point, for stenographers, for shading.

Purple, Stiff Fine Point, for accountants, for small writing.

Blue, Blunt Point, for rapid writers, a broad point.

Yellow, Rounded Point, an unusual pen point, for left-handed writers.

 

A circa 1928-9 Waterman's brochure titled "Ripple-Rubber" lists the above basic six colors, but with the added description of "Stub" to the Blue nib, and a seventh color, "Grey, Oblique, for those who hold the pen at an angle or between the [index and middle] fingers".

 

A Waterman's #7 pen tray from circa 1929 to early 1930s has the basic six colors, eliminates the Grey nib, and then adds three new colors for a total of nine. It also changes some of the descriptions and designations. The plastic tray would have held at least two pens of every color, and had the color in raised letters along one side of the tray and the corresponding designations in raised letters along the other side. In order from one end to the other, these are the colors.

 

Purple, Accountant.

Pink, Bookkeeper.

Black, Stenographer.

Brown, Fine Flex.

Green, Med. Firm.

Red, Med. Flex.

Blue, Stub.

White, Coarse.

Yellow, Left Handed.

 

The Pink is changed from Stenographer to Bookkeeper. The Black becomes the new Stenographer nib. The Brown is redesignated as Fine Flex, or the shading nib. And the White is the Coarse, or Broad nib. So, at any one time there were at most nine different colored nibs, but if one were to count the total of the colors, it would be ten. It's not as simple as it seems at first, but anyone trying to collect all the different colors will also have to be able to discriminate, no pun intended, between all the different colors and their corresponding designations at the different periods that they were issued. Even the basic six colors aren't stable, and with the redesignations of some of the other colors, the sum total of different pens required to fill out a complete set of #7s might be something like eleven, or twelve, depending upon whether the Blunt is the equivalent of a Stub, or a Broad nib.

 

And then there are the #7s with white bands above and below the color bands, and the #7s without the white bands. And then also there are the black plastic #7s. There are also some very late transitional Canadian #7s. These were made of red ripple hard rubber, but during the time when the black plastic pens were already in production. They had a later style of clip, a narrower cap band, and nibs with round holes instead of the keyhole-shaped holes. Also, the nibs were not embossed with the color names, but were instead embossed with the number "7" at the base near the section. They were probably just using up old leftover stockpiles of ripple rod stock. As it is with most other matters concerning pens, and as Frank Dubiel often said, it's not a simple matter.

 

I hope that this complicates things sufficiently.

 

Waterman's color-nib chart

 

Sincerely,

 

George.

 

:ph34r:

Edited October 29, 2005 by rhr

[philm]

George,

 

Great Stuff --- thanks for the repost and it is now in my archive as well.

 

Have a great day.

 

philm

[Gerry]

George, I think that you succeeded beyond your wildest expectations.

 

Thanks for the info.

 

Gerry

[Keith with a capital K]

I have a Waterman nib selection chart from the 30's that I really should scan and post... it shows that there were 7 color coded nibs available:

 

It reads:

 

Nib Selection Chart

 

One of the nibs described below will exactly suit any style of handwriting or vocational use. Ask for your point by it's color name.

 

Also available are various special nibs such as Fine Accountant, stiff and needle fine - Artist's Point, Music Point, Oblique Stub, etc.

 

Purple - Stiff fine. Writes a fine uniform line. Ideal for Gregg shorthand. Firm enough for carbon copies. Writes even finer on back for small figure work.

 

Pink- Flex fine. An unusually smooth writing , fine point. So flexoble it will shade at any angle. For Pitman and other systems of shorthand requiring shading.

 

Brown - Fine. A finely tapered point for general use. Writes smoothly with moderated flexibility. Good for book-keepers and beginners at writing.

 

Red - Standard. A splendid correspondence and signature point of medium flexibility. Writes a medium width line. A fine point that suits the average writer.

 

Green - Rigid. A durable and stiff point of medium width that will not shade even under pressure. Best for carbon copy work. Very smooth, gliding point.

 

Yellow - Rounded. Writes a bold line - a fine line on back of nib. For bold signatures and left handed writers. Writes smoothly on any paper in any direction.

 

Blue - Blunt. An improved stub, slightly oblique. Makes thick or thin stib strokes. Liked by writers who hold their pen between their first and second fingers.

 

(I will insert the scan here a little later)

Edited April 29, 2005 by Keith with a capital K

[Keith with a capital K]

The scanner is cranky so just a few pics for now... these came from a brochure and at some point will have to re-section all the pieces and make a few really good copies...

 

http://www.capitalpens.com/images/fpn/nibchartsnap.jpg

 

http://www.capitalpens.com/images/fpn/nibchartsnap2.jpg

 

The pen in the second picture is a Waterman #7 and it is shown to be fitted with a red keyhole nib.

 

When I get those scans done it should all be crystal clear.

[rhr]

Philm, and Gerry, thanks for your kind words.

 

And Keith, thanks for posting that 1930s color chart. It looks like a later, down-sized version of the 9-color roster. It seems that the black and white nibs were the first to be eliminated.

 

George.

 

:ph34r:

[custar]

I am humbled by the resources of the people here. Great stuff. Thanks, and I wasn't the one who asked for the info.

 

custar

[Maja]

Anyone seen a Waterman #7 pen with a single White colour band (with White nib) in person?

 

Thanks for the info, George

[wimg]

Hi Maja,

 

I have seen several pictures of different specimens, on PenTrace, a while back. They do exist.

Some of the earlier specimens had bands that actually discoloured, I think into grey. Antonios may know more...

 

Warm regards, Wim

[rhr]

I have seen several pictures of different specimens, on PenTrace, a while back. They do exist.

Of a Waterman #7 Ripple pen with a single White colour band with a White nib?!!! Wim, you had better be able to back that up with pictures, because I don't think there ever was a white-nibbed Ripple #7. Waterman may have made the White nib only on the Jet Black #7 pen, the one with the color discs on the end of the barrel. As far as I know, a White-nibbed anything has not shown up anywhere so far, not on Pentrace, nor any place else. I'd like to see one, though.

 

George.

 

:ph34r:

[wimg]

Hi George,

 

Of course, I may be mistaken, and it is impossible to back up, as I never saved that thread, but I am quite sure there were pics of 2 different ripple 7s with a white nib and white band. Don't ask me how many bands, I can't remember. I do remember that on one of them the band had deteriorated quite badly.

 

If I do see one again, I'll make sure to save pics and thread...

 

Warm regards, Wim

[shufen]

Beside the red black-ripple ebonite pens, did Waterman use these nibs (charted in colours) on other models (e.g. barrels of other colours and/or materials)?

 

Or, these colour-marked nibs were exclusively destined/ designed for this red+black-rippled ebonite pens ONLY (not other Waterman models/ styles)?

 

Many thanks.

[Left FPN]

Some info here on the 'white' nib.

[gregamckinney]

Beside the red black-ripple ebonite pens, did Waterman use these nibs (charted in colours) on other models (e.g. barrels of other colours and/or materials)?

 

Or, these colour-marked nibs were exclusively destined/ designed for this red+black-rippled ebonite pens ONLY (not other Waterman models/ styles)?

 

Many thanks.

 

There were Jet (black) 7's with color marked nibs and ripple and Jet model 5's with color marked nibs.

There were also size 2 nibs that were color marked nibs that are found in pens that take size 2 nibs.

 

Best Regards, greg