Waterman Hemisphere Review

[iLovPieNCake]

Waterman Hemisphere Review (Fine Nib, Gold Trim)

 

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l280/pldawid93/FPN/P1050836_zps0e7282f8.jpg

 

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l280/pldawid93/FPN/th_P1050849_zpsb56d5281.jpg http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l280/pldawid93/FPN/th_P1050839_zpse753ccc4.jpg http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l280/pldawid93/FPN/th_P1050846_zps8e8a940e.jpg http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l280/pldawid93/FPN/th_P1050861_zps4d48d657.jpg

 

Backstory

 

I have always had a knack for pens due to 9 years of writing notes. Back in 2005, when visiting Poland, I was introduced to fountain pens when my grandmother's brother took us to a local pen store and bought her this Waterman. I didn't have enough money at the time to buy a FP(Fountain Pen) so instead I got some ballpoints. Now this pen is in my hands as a 19th birthday present. My grandmother never used it, but I'm guessing since it was purchased it had a Waterman Blue Cartridge loaded in. Odd enough, the ink didn't spill into the case. This isn't my first FP but the other FPs I've owned were cheap $6 China pens or 4$ Zebras but they never lasted more than a week. This time, I'm investing and doing my research. I've used this pen everyday for the last 2 weeks for notes, mostly on Five Star notebooks and using the Waterman Blue cartridges that I received with it.

 

Aesthetics

As you can see from above, it's a simple and clean design. The pen is cigar styled, a.k.a. smaller at the ends and thicker in the middle. Supposedly it has 23k gold plating, matched with a really nice and smooth polished black plastic material. The bottom of the cap has a beautiful gold ring with Waterman France engraved in it. The clip has has the signature waterman slit and the Waterman logo beautifully engraved into it. The top of the cap has a beautiful ~45 degree slant that gives the pen a modern look. The nib is also simple and elegant with the waterman logo engraved followed by Waterman France and a couple curls. Overall a very simple but elegant design.

 

Design

 

The cap is the click on type, it holds very well and seals just as well. I haven't had any ink spill on me and as mentioned in the backstory, it survived a complete cartridge over 7 years, and that cartridge was empty when I removed it. Although the pen is small, it is comfortable. Side Note: I usually have a preference for smaller pens and I have large hands, 130mm from tip of index finger to my thenar(corner of index and thumb).

 

Capped Length: 136mm

Uncapped(Handle to end): 104mm

Posted: 129.5mm

Thickness: ~12mm at thickest

Handle: 26mm

 

The entire pen is soft to the touch, the tip of the handle gets close to the nib and is tapered out at the very tip. The cap can be posted but do to it's clip on nature, posted, it can and probably will scratch the end of the pen where the cap grips. The nib and feed can just be pulled out, it's a little hard the first time. To place them back in, the feed must be oriented a certain direction and the nib slides onto the feed, hence it is possible to misalign the nib.

 

Weight

 

The pen has a nice heft for what seems like a pen made mostly of plastic. The cap is a heavy piece, it almost weights as much as the pen when filled. Without the cap, the pen is a bit light, when posted it feels nice and a bit heavy. As you can see from the pictures bellow, the pen is top heavy and when posted, it's a lot more top heavy. This is what I can tell you from my experience of having the pen, I don't have a postal scale, so I can't be precise.

 

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l280/pldawid93/FPN/th_P1050881_zps729c5fac.jpg http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l280/pldawid93/FPN/th_P1050884_zps688dfcfb.jpg

 

Filling System

The ink to feed hole is very small but should take international cartridges and feeds the feed well enough. The waterman cartridges are some of the largest I have seen, they just barely fit in the pen. The cartridges also have a small metal ball inside. Some of the newer models are said to have some kind of ring to keep international cartridges from fitting. I am not sure if mine has this but I will report back soon. Some people also say international converters will work, others say that the pen is too small to fit most converters but watermen or and a few others. There is a problem with the waterman converters, the newer converters from Waterman will crack after extended use in this pen, I have yet to try them and I will report back.

 

Performance & Nib

 

Ink flows well, but would probably wetter even if the nib had a breather hole yet it's plenty wet for me. The nib is smooth but can be a little scratchy on cheap notebooks but that's to be expected. It puts down consistent ink using the waterman cartridges. I also found that my nib likes to get dirty, that is probably due to my cheap notebooks. The feed holds ink well and it hasn't dripped on me yet. Also the nib can be replaced with a better one because the nib can be removed. Keep in mind that this is what I have experienced from my pen, all pens nibs and feeds vary at least a bit, so don't expect the same exact results.

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l280/pldawid93/FPN/th_P1050870_zps38c86d1d.jpg http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l280/pldawid93/FPN/th_P1050872_zpsdbbd2f90.jpg

Value

 

The pen cost about 290ish zl, at the conversion rate of about 3.3zl/$, the pen is about $90. You can find if for similar price online, or on ebay they go for about $60. For the price you have to compare it to other great pens like the TWSBI 580/Vac700, Monteverde Invincia, Sheaffer 300 and etc. I also heard that the Waterman had a Hemisphere gift set that came with a ballpoint pen. I don't think those were gold plated and are probably of lower quality but I'm can't be sure.

http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l280/pldawid93/FPN/P1050889_zpsdec3604b.jpg

[rochester21]

Nice review, nice pictures.

[tomgartin]

That's s fantastic review. First time I can remember anyone posting a photo to show the balance point. Thanks for sharing!

[iLovPieNCake]

tomgartin, the whole time I was trying to get that picture I was terrified of dropping the pen onto the nib. Once you drop it onto the nib, it's game over.

Edited April 21, 2013 by iLovPieNCake

[tomgartin]

Oh, haha. That's frightening. To me, it just looked like you had someone else take the photo. Glad it survived the review.

[Nick13]

Does anybody know how to disassemble the pen, I have been looking all over the internet to find out how to disassemble it

 

Nick

[mohan]

I may ask why you want to dissemble it? The nib and feed are friction fit but very tight. Actually I broke the feed while dissembling. Even with out that you can clean it just by using tap water.

[mhguda]

I would not try to disassemble it; Waterman seems to consider the whole section, including nib and feed, as one part that if damaged or defective, they would change for you; and my experience with Waterman pens is that in this price range, you have a lifetime warranty, and possession is enough for them to honor it. I had a Waterman BP that I bought in another country, maybe fifteen years ago, that got damaged - all the paint peeled off; the official Waterman dealer here sent it in for me and it was replaced, no questions asked. The only cost for me was for shipping it out to the head office.

Great service!

[Montblanc owner and lover]

the hemisphere was my first fountain pen,a gift by my grandmother when i was 6...I still got it even if i don't write with it and i'm very attached to it