Waterman Graduate

[SquelchB]

First of all, I'd like you all to know this is my first fountain pen review, so please be merciful

 

I was poking around eBay for some cheap pen and I came across several color versions of Waterman Graduate. I have to admit I haven't heard about the pen before, but I liked the design from the moment I looked at it. I'm a fan of minimalism and this is exactly what the looks of Graduate are. Pure chrome wherever you look, straight lines somehow ressembling Parker Vector. This pen is 13,5 cm long when capped, which doesn't make it a big pen, however it isn't skinny. I'd say the dimensions are quite close to Parker Frontier.

 

 

 

 

When you uncap it, you find hard black plastic grip section, which is quite comfortable to hold. The nib is a nailish F, which writes really fine, perhaps even finer than a Parker extra fine. When I put the cartridge in it, it emitted lots of ink, much more than it should - that's why the nib is so stained. However after writing several pages I got a nice writer, putting down generously wet very fine line. I never post my pens, hate the marks it leaves on the barrel, however if posted, the pen is 15,5 cm long. I think the pen is way better balanced when not posted. I feels quite substantial in hand, but I admit it is my first all-metal pen, so the impressions could be very different for you.

 

 

 

 

It definitely looks made with more care than cheap Parkers I mostly have, but the feed is headed a little bit sideways from the nib point. Hope this doesn't have any effect on actual writing qualities of the pen.

 

 

 

 

After only one day of writing with this pen I have to say it was definitely a good buy, perfectly worth the 6 GBP I paid for it. And I also wish to thank Monsier Lewertowski, from whom I bought the pen. His services were perfect and unbelievably quick - ordered on Friday, sent on Monday, here with me on Wednesday. Thanks a lot!

 

 

 

[AndyHayes]

Nice review and great pics. For a first review it was a resounding success. Thanks for making the effort.

[greencobra]

Nice review, SquelchB. We don't see these too often in the US, good to learn a bit more about them. So, congrats on this first review and scoring a nice Waterman for a steal. Good work!

[thehobbit]

Hezká recenze... S levnými parkry opravdu nelze srovnávat - toť i má zkušenost... Nicméně již jsem se vrhl na pera japonská a to je teprv něco... První Pilot je již doma, další na cestě, vyhlížím Sailora...

[MikeLip]

Good job! Try a different ink. I have found that some pens that misbehave badly with one ink settle right down with a different one. For instance my Rotring spews Noodlers by the gallon on paper, making a bled-through mess. But it is perfectly tame with Private Reserve.!

[SquelchB]

Good job! Try a different ink. I have found that some pens that misbehave badly with one ink settle right down with a different one. For instance my Rotring spews Noodlers by the gallon on paper, making a bled-through mess. But it is perfectly tame with Private Reserve.!

It's perfectly all right after a page of two of writing, now it's a good writer. Not the smoothest one, but smooth enough.

[SquelchB]

Hezká recenze... S levnými parkry opravdu nelze srovnávat - toÅ¥ i má zkuÅ¡enost... NicménÄ› již jsem se vrhl na pera japonská a to je teprv nÄ›co... První Pilot je již doma, dalÅ¡í na cestÄ›, vyhlížím Sailora...

Ja mam levne Parkery docela rad, nicmene tohle je opravdu na jine urovni.

 

Mimochodem, meli bychom se bavit anglicky at z toho nasi pratele nemaji dusevni sok

 

English translation:

I quite like the cheap Parkers, but this is just another level.

 

By the way, we should talk English so that our friends here don't get psychically distressed

Edited February 14, 2008 by SquelchB

[DeSuisse]

Hezká recenze... S levnými parkry opravdu nelze srovnávat - toÅ¥ i má zkuÅ¡enost... NicménÄ› již jsem se vrhl na pera japonská a to je teprv nÄ›co... První Pilot je již doma, dalÅ¡í na cestÄ›, vyhlížím Sailora...

Ja mam levne Parkery docela rad, nicmene tohle je opravdu na jine urovni.

 

Mimochodem, meli bychom se bavit anglicky at z toho nasi pratele nemaji dusevni sok

 

English translation:

I quite like the cheap Parkers, but this is just another level.

 

By the way, we should talk English so that our friends here don't get psychically distressed

Thanks for the review,

I have bought one six month ago and the metalic plate stuck at the ent of the cap is fallen.

I had bought one more than 15 year ago and it is always very good, but the cap was in metal, not as the new which seem to be in metal, but witch is in black plastic covered by steel. You can see it in the picture, when you look at the end (like a target black and silver).

To write I think it is a goog pen, a little dry but good if you choose a good nib in the store. In fine you can have smooth or scratchy in this kind of pen.

I enjoy mine with herbin bleu pervenche ink and hope the other reader like this pen to. To write it is as good as the sonnet with metalic nib, but I prefer Lamy safary, and lamy logo pen. :clap1:

For me the problem is the maintenance sevice of Stanford witch is awfull (test for a waterman etalon ballpen) :bonk:

[SquelchB]

Just small note - I gave the nib a smoothing so called "paper bag treatment" and it has turned into very, very smooth writer! I no longer have objections against this one.

[Kabe]

Have one of these. It actually was my second pen

[bossy]

Does anyone else see the pics in post #1?

[Kabe]

I don't

[mackthepen]

No - they're gone and appear unrecoverable.

 

However, I should add that I have one of these pens (probably about ten years old) that writes very well, but is fine - I briefly had a new one this year, but lost it - it was similar, although maybe the cap would have broken with time as a previous poster mentioned.

 

Andrew

[Bo Bo Olson]

The Waterman Graduate was my very first Ebay purchase. I got it for @ E-5.

They go for/went about E-20 in a shop.

I bought a converter for it...not being much of a cartridge guy...cartridges cost so much....now have a syringe and can refill.

 

 

I was brand new to FB (a year and a half ago)...Buying any way...I'd a FP from 1970 the last one I'd bought. A silver Parker 75.

 

I'd inherited some pens that then sat in a desk drawer for 15 years more, that finally got me started with FP's.

 

Then, I was more the metal Ball point/Fountain pen type...now I am more the plastic type.

 

I have eight metal pens, two of which are in this rotation. I should, perhaps on my next changing of the guard, pull out all my metal pens.

 

I bought a Parker Flighter, because I had a Parker Flighter BP...got three of those BP, of this or that model, from before FP.

 

Surprise....I just pulled out my metal pens.

The Waterman Graduate, feels to me and my hand second best right now, after my Parker 75. The Parker Flighter is too light.

 

The Lamy Persona, Cross Townsend, and one of my Diplomats (a bit thicker than the other) are a bit heavy. The Flighter a bit light.

 

To my hand today, best feeling, Parker 75, Waterman Graduate, the thinner Diplomat tied with a Hauhong.

 

That can change, if I use heavy pens for a bit, then the Parker 75 is too light; a tad too thin.

 

Thanks for rescuing that Waterman Graduate from the dudgeon for me.

 

 

The only minus point of the Graduate IMO is it's finger print attracting polished chrome.

Edited May 10, 2010 by Bo Bo Olson

[Sonny Boy Havidson]

I maybe own my third one. The first one was lost, the second is im my former desk in Hamburg but I never came back there so we can consider that it is lost also. The third one is my usual office. If fact, it becomes more the spare pen that remains in my office desk as I tend take my other fountain pens at work. It is normally the only pen that I use with cartridges.

 

In France, it is quite a common pen but it has its own elegance and simplicity that put it out of the crowd. When I was at school, I had some basic plastic fountain pens like many of my mates of very few of us had one of these and I always found this more classy. Now at work, it still deserve some distinction that amaze me as it is really basic when compared to the rest of my "collection". I guess people are more used to BICs and that they imagine the fountain as a delicate tool.

 

It is a really dependable pen and it is the main reason why I have bought it after leaving a meeting with hands covered by ink because my Waterman Audace can stand traveling too much. As stated by SquelchB, the nib is really fine (and on the stiff side) which is something I enjoy for taking quick notes. The only down side is that the body gets greasy.

[bdk]

I dont see the pictures... :S

[Phormula]

Interesting review.

I have been using a Graduate (fine nib) for nearly 15 years as my travel & meetings pen and I can only say good words on it. I got more in terms of performance and appearance than I paid for, definitely.

Mine went KIA, the nib became very scratchy, but this is understandable, considering the amount of use (and abuse) it has taken. Maybe a new nib will fix it, but my usual shops do not carry spare parts for this cheap pen I am lazy scouting for it.

[Sonny Boy Havidson]

Interesting review.

I have been using a Graduate (fine nib) for nearly 15 years as my travel & meetings pen and I can only say good words on it. I got more in terms of performance and appearance than I paid for, definitely.

Mine went KIA, the nib became very scratchy, but this is understandable, considering the amount of use (and abuse) it has taken. Maybe a new nib will fix it, but my usual shops do not carry spare parts for this cheap pen I am lazy scouting for it.

Well, if you are ready to pay shipping from France, I can give you mine.

[Brutto]

It’s indeed a great pen, especially because of the thin yet wet line that it makes. I read a story on the internet (maybe it’s just gossip) that Waterman market the Graduate only in France, but because it’s so cheap, Polish sellers manage to import it into Poland. In fact, you may easily find it in stores in Poland. I imagine that the section and the nib are identical with the Allure and the Apostrophe, which are slightly (just slightly) more expensive because they are more ornate, but are more readily available abroad. Anyway, a great pen. Doesn’t look like a Parker 51 knockoff at all, but writes like the best Chinese 51-wannabes, which can also be great. I have one Graduate which I use daily and a spare in my drawer just in case.

[plumeau]

It’s indeed a great pen, especially because of the thin yet wet line that it makes. I read a story on the internet (maybe it’s just gossip) that Waterman market the Graduate only in France, but because it’s so cheap, Polish sellers manage to import it into Poland. In fact, you may easily find it in stores in Poland. I imagine that the section and the nib are identical with the Allure and the Apostrophe, which are slightly (just slightly) more expensive because they are more ornate, but are more readily available abroad. Anyway, a great pen. Doesn’t look like a Parker 51 knockoff at all, but writes like the best Chinese 51-wannabes, which can also be great. I have one Graduate which I use daily and a spare in my drawer just in case.