A Fake Vintage Waterman?

July 16, 2015

Hello everybody,

A while back I purchased my first metal overlay waterman, an 0552 1/2. At first I was relatively happy with it, but after a couple of months I'm starting to have my doubts about it even being real.

Apart from a couple of silver overlay pens, I'm not aware of any vintage waterman fakes that have made it into the market.

The nib appears to have changed colour quite a bit at the bottom, which seemed odd to say the least. Also, the 0552 1/2 engraving on the end seemed written differently to other waterman pens I've seen before.

Finally , and most worryingly, the ideal stamp from the logo seems to have been passed into the wrong part of the pen. It is stamped on the lever itself, and directly underneath it as well. It isn't stamped on the underside of the lever though.

Does anybody else think this may be a dodgy find?

July 17, 2015

Pictures are not very clear and do not offer enough detail. Still, pen and nib look like legitimate vintage Waterman products to me.

July 17, 2015

I agree with Mauricio.

greg

July 19, 2015

The nib appears to have changed colour quite a bit at the bottom, which seemed odd to say the least.

That is quite normal. The colour is only all evenly shiny when it has been polished recently.

July 20, 2015

I'd like to see a better photo of the globe stamp you are describing ... I can't quite picture it.

While you might find this pen with questionable repairs, or incorrect replacement parts, I doubt if you will ever find a "copy" per se.

I suggest you go back to enjoying it and put those doubts aside.

Teri

July 20, 2015

Everything about your pen looks fine. The globe stamp under the lever was something Waterman did in the early days of lever fillers for some of their higher end pens. For instance I have four Oriental overlays, and three of them have the globe imprint like yours. My Hand Engraved Vine in solid gold has it - as does one of my Gothic gold-filled pens. Consider yourself lucky that yours has it.

BTW, get a Q-Tip and some Simichrome after that nib and it will be shiny again in a few seconds.

Edited to add picture: A comparison of an Oriental with the stamp, and the usual pen without it.

http://fountainpenboard.com/forum/uploads/1331871780/gallery_6983_116_27844.jpg

Edited July 20, 2015 by Procyon

July 21, 2015

Thanks everybody for the reassuring words.

Procyon - that last picture you sent shows exactly the same stamp under the lever that my pen has. I never even knew waterman did that to any of their pens. Thank you.

I am out of the country until later next month, but I will try to retake those photos with a better camera when I am back.