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Waterman Carene Ef Nib: Repair Or Toss?


Billingsgate

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So it slipped out of my hand last night and plummeted nib-first onto a hard tile floor. Just look at that tip; doesn't it make you hurt inside? This is an 18K EF nib for a Waterman Carene Essential, which I used for all of 2 weeks before the tragic event. The question is: repair it or throw it away? I contacted Waterman customer service and they want US$209 to repair/replace it (the entire pen cost me $189 through an Amazon special!). A dealer in the UK sells new replacement nib units for $108. As far as I know, there are no nibmeisters within 8000 miles of me (I'm in Hong Kong).

 

So, my questions are:

 

1) Is this worth repairing, considering the cost and two-way international shipments? Are there any such nibmeisters you'd recommend?

 

2) Or should I dump it and either spend $108 on a replacement (hence infuriating my wife, who thinks I've spent more than enough on pens lately) or make her happy and cross this pen off my small collection?

 

3) Are there folks out there who buy these things for pocket change to refurbish and sell? Even for a fraction of its value, that might take the sting out of having to replace this nib.

 

carene-EF.jpg

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Inlaid nibs are hard to repair, from my reading.....ask a nibmiester, Ron Zorn or one fo the two Mikes.

Then you would know......in it's just not the tip, the nib looks a bit separated from the barrel.

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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Yes, I'm finding out how hopeless it is to repair it. Not a Mike, but Mark the Nibgrinder told me it was too extreme a bend to properly fix without a visible crease. So it goes.

 

Time to convince the wife that $108 for a new Waterman nib is a better investment than the impressively smooth-writing Kaco brand Victoria & Albert Museum special edition fountain pen she just got herself for eight bucks from Taobao here in China. Maybe her jeweller can melt down the gold from the damaged nib and make her some earrings.

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The EF nib will be difficult to rework back to factory. I have reworked F and M with some success (some very old topics on Waterman Forum). They never come back to factory but are still usable thereafter.

 

Have you thought of House Insurance, damage to valuables in the home. If you have it you might be able to claim for the damage.

 

I would also suggest ebay (or other auction sites) but EF's are rare but for the $$$$ price of a section you could buy a complete pen.

 

DON'T toss (bin) the damaged one pop it on ebay there's always someone, outwith forums, who likes a challenge. Plus you may get more than you think.

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Well, I spent the money to buy a replacement section and nib from a place in England.

 

My wife, who has caught a small bit of my fountain pen madness, likes the idea of removing the damaged 18K gold nib from the section, getting a goldsmith she knows to heat up and straighten the tip (for looks, not function), then adding a pin on the back so she can wear it sometimes on the lapel of her work suit.

 

Perhaps a good idea for someone with a drawer full of non-functioning nibs: turn them into jewelry. If I had a pair of, say, two-tone gold nibs they would make good conversation-starter earrings.

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I'm not familiar with modern Waterman, so, I don't know how to remove the nib from your Carene. You might find some info in the "Repairs" sub-forum here. Once the nib is removed, I think it can be forged back into shape with a little patience. I've done this several times with vintage nibs others considered beyond repair. It might not be cost efficient for a professional repairer but if you try it yourself it might be worth the risk.

 

You don't need heat to forge a gold nib because gold doesn't work harden. The 18 k gold nib of your pen is very malleable but you might have to be careful with rhodinated parts not to be scratched because you can't polish scratches out too much.

 

Never give up, never surrender!

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obviously don't scrap it, but a nibmeister is likely going to be near your $108 replacement fee after shipping. You can probably sell it to a nibmeister for $10-20 plus shipping.

 

The nib is glued down. If you have access to a VERY consistent, VERY gentle source of heat you could try lifting it off, but I have no idea what is used to secure it back down.

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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