Waldmann Tango, Sterling Silver

[QM2]

http://queenmargot.com/waldmann04.jpg

 

WALDMANN "TANGO"

Solid Sterling Silver

Barley Pattern

 

This pen now belongs to MDI. But it was mine first and it still lives in our joint household, so

I am posting a review on his behalf.

 

There are two main reasons I wanted to review this pen. First, Waldmann is a brand that is

common in a number of European countries, but relatively unknown in the US -- which may be

of interest. Second, this pen is an example of an acquisition that has gone from "blah" to "Ahh!"

after an expert nib adjustment, and I thought this would be nice to document.

 

I bought this pen two years ago, during my initial stage of trying to graduate from using Parker

Vectors and a Sheaffer Prelude, to "nicer" fountain pens." This was before FPN, and my search

process was random and amateur: I googled "sterling silver pens," found the Waldmann sold by

a German online retailer on ebay for a very low price, and decided to give it a try.

 

http://queenmargot.com/waldmann01.jpg

 

http://queenmargot.com/waldmann02.jpg

 

Appearance and Design

 

The Waldmann "Tango" model is a well-crafted, solid sterling silver pen that combines classic and

modern forms to achieve a look that is distinctly its own.

 

Technically, I suppose the design qualifies it as a flat-top, as the top is indeed flat. However, the tip

of the cap undergoes several undulations before ending in its final platform, making the overall look

difficult to classify. The best I can do, is to say that it manages to have both an old-fashioned and

a high-tech appearance at the same time.

 

http://queenmargot.com/waldmann03.jpg

 

The same can be said of the clip. In one sense, it is a very classic, curved clip that tapers towards

the bottom and ends in a flared tip -- more Art Nouveau than Bauhaus. Nonetheless, something in

the execution suggests a modern "techie-ness," almost giving it the look of a drafting tool. The "W"

imprint the top of the clip, done in a very contemporary typeface, contributes to this impression.

 

The pen is made entirely of solid silver, much like Yard-o-Led. The only non-silver part is a thin strip

of black resin (or rubber?) below the lip of the gripping section. The body and cap are imprinted with

an attractive striped Barley motif. There is a long rectangular engraving plate on the cap. Overall,

the pen has a very serious and distinctly "masculine" look to it.

 

http://queenmargot.com/waldmann05.jpg

 

Size, Weight, and Balance

 

The Waldmann is just under 5.3" capped, 4.75" open, and 6" posted. Despite being solid sterling, it

is not an overly heavy pen. It is wider than the standard size Yard-o-Led Viceroy, but slimmer than

the grand, and it weighs accordingly. The balance is excellent, particularly when posted. The sterling

gripping section is comfortably curved and warms up quickly to the touch.

 

Filling System

 

The filling system is international standard cartridge/converter.

 

http://queenmargot.com/waldmann06.jpg

 

Nib

 

My pen came with a Medium Schmidt steel nib, though a gold version is also available.

 

Now here is the disappointing part: Out of the box, the pen performed very poorly. The problem

was flow: The pen would not write unless I exerted quite a lot of pressure on the nib -- to produce

a line, it was necessary to push so hard as to almost spread the tines.

 

Being new to pens over the fifty dollar mark at the time, this upset me tremendously and ruined

my impression of the pen. I put it away in its box, where it sat for an entire year, quietly getting

on my nerves with its uselessness. Having gradually become more educated about pens and having

by this time accumulated a small collection of great writers, I planned to sell the Waldmann. But at

the last moment I changed my mind, and included it in a batch of pens that I was sending for

regrinding to Richard Binder. Like the other pens, I asked Richard to grind it to a cursive italic.

Happily, this was one of the best pen-decisions I have ever made: Several months later, the

Waldmann was transformed from a non-writer with a boring Medium nib to one of the best cursive

italics I have ever tried.

 

http://queenmargot.com/waldmann_sample.jpg

 

Apparently, MDI agreed: When the pen returned from Richard during my stay abroad, he

appropriated the Waldmann into his own collection after trying it for me! The drama of this treachery

is documented here: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...showtopic=70384

Above is a sample of the Waldmann's italicised nib in its new owner's handwriting. The nib is a .45mm

cursive italic, ground for maximised line variation.

 

http://queenmargot.com/tiny_italic.jpg

 

Here is another example of what this nib can do (bottom sample, my writing). It produces almost

as much line variation as a sharp italic yet writes super-smoothly: Using it is quite an experience!

 

Value

 

When I bought this pen, it was available for as little as $90. Today, even with the fallen dollar, it

is sold by several online retailers and on ebay for around $100. In the US, the Waldmann is difficult

to find, but in Austria and Germany it is commonly available in any stationary shop that sells fountain

pens. The cost is usually around 100 EUR, so you are better off buying it online.

 

I think that at this price, the pen is more than worth it. Remember that this is a solid sterling silver

pen, not silver plated, or with a silver sleeve. I have no idea to what extent my nib experience is

representative of Waldmann's QC in general -- but to be fair, even the best, most popular brands

often have flow and nib issues out of the box. And at worst, $100 + nibmeister fee is still very much

worth it for this pen.

 

Conclusions

 

If you like silver pens, you are unlikely to find a better deal than the Waldmann Tango. The nibs are

excellent for stub and italic conversion -- and as someone who gets this done to most of my pens,

I know that not all nibs have equal potential in this respect. Waldmann is an 80+ year old German

pen company and I hope that this review will contribute to raising its profile in the US.

Edited October 20, 2008 by QM2

[escribo]

Thank you for that nice review.

I'm ever on the lookout for silver pens.

I don't own one yet, but I'll definitely check this one out.

-jon

[QM2]

I'm ever on the lookout for silver pens.

I don't own one yet, but I'll definitely check this one out.

 

Both my husband and I like silver pens, and there just aren't very many that are actual solid silver. I have several Yard o Leds, and my husband has a Sailor 1911 sterling and a Conway Stewart Icon 100 -- but I can't think of any regular production pens that are actually silver through and through. What other silver pens do you have?

Edited October 19, 2008 by QM2

[orangezorki]

Sorry to burst anyones bubble, but googling reveals that the gold nib is an option that costs almost as much as the pen itself.

 

David.

[QM2]

Sorry to burst anyones bubble, but googling reveals that the gold nib is an option that costs almost as much as the pen itself.

 

David.

 

You are right; I originally wrote "14K" in the review, but the pen has a Schmidt steel nib. It has been out of my hands for a while, sorry!

 

 

[escribo]

I'm ever on the lookout for silver pens.

I don't own one yet, but I'll definitely check this one out.

 

Both my husband and I like silver pens, and there just aren't very many that are actual solid silver. I have several Yard o Leds, and my husband has a Sailor 1911 sterling and a Conway Stewart Icon 100 -- but I can't think of any regular production pens that are actually silver through and through. What other silver pens do you have?

Sorry, in re-reading my reply I see it wasn't clear.

I meant I own no silver pens.

But I'm working on that. That's why any time I see a thread on silver pens,

I am all over it like white on rice.

I just love silver! Gold is nice too, of course, but I can have a lot more silver than gold,

and it feels so nice to handle.

-jon

[Sharkle]

 

This is an excellent review with great pictures. Thank you very much for introducing a "new" pen to me.

 

[jonro]

It's a nice looking pen. What is the size of this pen on the Pelikan scale (i.e., Pelikan 600, 800, etc.)?

[escribo]

EDIT: Never mind. I think I found him -- edelmixx

 

QM2, you weren't kidding about how rare this pen is in the USA!

Do you happen to remember the name of your Ebayer you bought it from?

 

Thanks,

-jon

Edited October 20, 2008 by escribo

[QM2]

escribo: I bought it from a seller called precious-pens-and-more almost 2 years ago, but they are no longer on ebay and I do not remember the URL of their online shop.

 

The pen is also available from this seller, and the engraving option is included for free:

http://www.thedeskworks.com/waldmannpens.html

 

jonro: The pen is just under 5.3" capped, 4.75" open, and 6" posted. I inserted this information into the review now as well. It is longer and narrower than Pelikan proportions, so cannot really compare to MXX models.

Edited October 20, 2008 by QM2

[crussll3]

I had a very different experience with my Waldmann Tango. It was my first fountain pen. It is not a solid sterling pen. The ends are weighted with somthing that is plated and does not tarnish like the actual sterling portions of the pen, which are remarkably thin and fragile. The converter and nib fit into a piece that is either a very light base metal or plastic with a chrome plate. I also have a Yand O Led pencil, and in terms of build quality and amount of silver, there is really no comparison between the two. (though I have no experience with YOL fp's.) I have had fairly constant issues with leakage, even after repair. It is a $100 (mostly) sterling silver pen, but it's not solid, or in my opinion, terribly well made.

[Pfhorrest]

Beautiful pen. Reminds me of the Graf von Faber Castell line.

[QM2]

I had a very different experience with my Waldmann Tango. It was my first fountain pen. It is not a solid sterling pen. The ends are weighted with somthing that is plated and does not tarnish like the actual sterling portions of the pen, which are remarkably thin and fragile. The converter and nib fit into a piece that is either a very light base metal or plastic with a chrome plate. I also have a Yand O Led pencil, and in terms of build quality and amount of silver, there is really no comparison between the two. (though I have no experience with YOL fp's.) I have had fairly constant issues with leakage, even after repair. It is a $100 (mostly) sterling silver pen, but it's not solid, or in my opinion, terribly well made.

FWIW, I know that there are many different versions of the Waldmann Tango, including silver, silver-plated, and others. Sorry to hear that the version you have isn't so nice.

[truthpil]

I just discovered Waldmann and particularly like the look of the Tango. Since these are have Schmidt nibs, does anyone know if the nib unit can be unscrewed and swapped with other Schmidt nib units? That's usually the case with pens that have Schmidt nibs, but I would like to make sure before dropping a ton of cash on one of these beauties.

Edited December 28, 2018 by TruthPil