I'm Done With Waterman

[rh968]

I have just had to return no less than THREE Carenes - two leaked very badly and the third had such a dud nib that it would barely write. Bad luck or poor quality control? I don't think I'll bother with Waterman again - it seems to be the luck of the draw whether you get a decent pen and life's too short. Cheers.

[Left FPN]

Hi, from the Waterman team.

 

Three is bad luck but some info is required so that we may try to regain your belief.

 

Where did the first two leak.

 

What size nibs were they.

 

What make of inks were/are you using. Certain pens dislike certain inks.

 

Were you using cartridge or converter.

 

Did you go through the 'fully load' process. Some find this cures the lack of ink which may have been the problem with the third. With a new uninked pen one new cartridge may not be enough for the Carenes huge feed.

[rh968]

They were all M nibs using Waterman Florida Blue with a convertor. Not clear where the leaks were coming from: every time I removed the cap, there was ink everywhere. With the dud nib, I tried cleaning it several times as is recommended on FPN. So I think I did everything right!

[Left FPN]

I do not recall you posting in the Waterman Forum but fear not.

 

OK you are using a good ink. I find FB very good in my Carenes, along with Serenity.

 

As for the converters, were they the new (post #2, Item 15) or old style (item 11 thro 14). Many have had problems with the current new converter from leaking for and aft.

 

The remove cap leak has been discussed here before. The Carene cap can pull quite a vacuum when removed so slow removal may be required. They can suck ink from the section if removed quickly. Other have had leaks from the nibs ears which is cured with a small dab of shellac.

 

I am just getting ready to go out but have not forgotten your plight. More later. Don't lose faith in what is and are nice pens.

[AL01]

I have just had to return no less than THREE Carenes - two leaked very badly and the third had such a dud nib that it would barely write. Bad luck or poor quality control? I don't think I'll bother with Waterman again - it seems to be the luck of the draw whether you get a decent pen and life's too short. Cheers.

 

That's true. I now never mes with specific models that have plastic problems... Everyone's experience with pens are slightly different though. (Did you actually like the Carene? If so, then try a used one. I have held one before and it seemed nice.)

[pajaro]

I have used both types of converters in the four Carenes I have had, with EF, F, M and L nibs. The pens dried out unless I put them point down in a desk pen base. All the relatively modern Watermans I have used have been about the same. Laureat, Kultur, Phileas, Hemisphere, all the same. Crusader did work and stay moist and writable. I find this generally true of more modern pens. Sonnet, Prelude, and on and on mainly dry up by the next time in the day I need them. I have generally put them aside and used the pens that worked. 1960s made and before. German pens. Laureat and Carene are so beautiful that I can't manage to sell them. I think of more modern pens as collectibles. Collectibles do not need to be actually used.

 

[Barkingpig]

I must have been blessed with the Carene I purchased because it remains ready to use, when uncapped. I just used it & imagine it may have been a week or more since it's last use, & it wrote "first try," which I cannot say about many other pens. I have WAY too many pens filled @ the moment & the Carene is NOT a favored user despite it's attractive appearance. I just dislike the Stub nib, finding it so much smaller than other factory stubs I have; it's "nail like" behavior doesn't help matters either. BUT I wanted one, got the finish I preferred, with the nib I expected to like, so this purchase has caused me to avoid other Waterman pens, some costing a lot more money.

[Chrissy]

I don't have a particularly bad drying out problem with mine either and I have several Phileas and a couple of Carene pens. And I use them rather than keeping them as collectables.

 

Generally speaking, I believe that pens with push on caps tend to dry out ink slightly faster than pens with screw on caps.

[Bluey]

It's quite possible that the leak was due to the pen being shaken by mistaken. I know from experience that if ink gets in the cap it seems as if there is a never ending source of it coming from some 4th dimension. But that was when I used to stuff tissues in the cap. It seemed to wor except it didn't

What this needs it so flush out the cap completely by putting your finger to the tap so that it emits a jet of water into the cap, and let it dry out.

 

The writing issue could be due to a combination of 2 things -1) the converter(use the cartridge instead) seemed to create flow issues which were rectified upon using cartridges, and 2) as mentioned by Force, the feed is large and needs to be fully saturated before it will write well.

[rh968]

Thanks. If ever I decide to get another Carene, I'll take all of your advice. At the moment though I'm thinking of an Exception Night & Day. Is that a good buy or another goodbye?

[Left FPN]

Thanks. If ever I decide to get another Carene, I'll take all of your advice. At the moment though I'm thinking of an Exception Night & Day. Is that a good buy or another goodbye?

If you don't mind holding a square pen

 

As you all may know I am a great fan of the Carene, having now purchased over 100 (mostly s/h) and sold on some 75 without one return. Another has just left this morning for a new keeper and another tomorrow.

 

Two of my latest finds, one arriving yesterday, a brand new Marine Amber (from ebay £75) and in December '16 a Black Sea Gloss (from Amazon £56) They will no doubt eventually work their way onward.

 

 

[Z-Tab]

I'm a big fan of the Exception. It takes a second to adjust to the body shape and they are pretty heavy pens, but I would say that they are as good as anything in the price range. I have only used the large size, so I can't speak on the Slim models.

[sidthecat]

Try getting your hands on some of the old ones: they'll enhance your writing experience.

[Old_Inkyhand]

Two of my latest finds, one arriving yesterday, a brand new Marine Amber (from ebay £75) and in December '16 a Black Sea Gloss (from Amazon £56) They will no doubt eventually work their way onward.

You have some serious hunting skills, Force. I've admired them since I discovered your posts.

I have three Carenes, I love them all. One was a gift, the other two were bought used. One of these two wasn't perfectly smooth, but it didn't need much tuning.

[jmccarty3]

I am a fan of the L'Etalons. The only problem I've had with a leak is with one that had a crack in the feed.

[Left FPN]

You have some serious hunting skills, Force. I've admired them since I discovered your posts.

I have three Carenes, I love them all. One was a gift, the other two were bought used. One of these two wasn't perfectly smooth, but it didn't need much tuning.

Both pens were there for anyone to take. The MA ran for a week at £80 BIN with offers. The seller took my offer. As for the BS in November 16 Amazon listed them at £56 but out of stock. They added orders could be placed and pen(s) would be delivered when back in stock. I thought about it for a few days before ordering. The drop down quantities box implied 10+ could be ordered in which I selected 2. I wish now I had ordered more. The 2 pens arrived in December.

If and when the other Carene rollerball pens also shown on offer for £35 arrive I will update this topic. Amazon have emailed me 3 or 4 times asking if I want to cancel the order...ummmm, no thanks I am in no hurry

[Old_Inkyhand]

Both pens were there for anyone to take.

I know, that was rather a general remark. One has to have also patience and a good eye to spot deals like these. When I was seeking a used Carene, I couldn't get a nice one for less than £80.

[senzen]

I like the design of the Carène but stories like rh968's really put me off, plus I already have a bad Laureat... My Man 100 works well but shows some corrosion at the section, which is ridiculous for how much it cost. With a bit of FPN research one can find "the good ones", but in the meantime none of my other 17 pens have been a Waterman...

[Left FPN]

Another cause of leaking nibs is that the converter or cartridge is not fully installed. If not installed fully air will get in and allow ink to flow out.

 

From the point on the section where the barrel abuts to the end of a cartridge should be 66mm

 

From the point on the section where the barrel abuts to the end of a converters knurled chrome ring should be 46mm

 

Some require just that little bit more push to get them seated correctly.

 

The seal is on the inside of the nipple and the outside of the proboscis. Early converters have a rubber nipple which is much easier to seat, later have a plastic nipple which is harder to seat (especially when new).

[rh968]

Well, having re-read all the reviews of what seems to be an excellent pen, I have ordered another Carene to replace the three I had to send back, Not the same model, though - this one is in Frosty Brow. The name of the colour intrigues me - frosty blue, perhaps, but brown? I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this will be a brilliant pen this time - my run of bad luck can't go on forever! Does anybody else have the frosty brown colour? Does it have specks in it that sparkle? I could not see any on the photos.