Expert vs. Expert II

[ironmarshal]

Somebody skilled in the stealthy arts recently removed my Waterman Expert Rollerball from my office. I quite liked the pen and am now looking to replace it with a fountain pen. What are the differences between the Expert and the Expert II? I apologize if this has been covered, but a search came up empty.

 

Thanks.

[bluefish65]

Check the Fountain Pen Review index linked below, scroll down to the Waterman section and you'll find 2 reviews each of the Expert and Expert II.

 

Review index

 

I have an Expert II I purchased new off ebay for $45 and it's a great writer, especially if you prefer a heavier pen. So, if you decide to go with that you should definitely shop around. I've seen them as high as $150

 

[ironmarshal]

Thanks for the link. The reviews certainly seem to indicate that the fountain pens are every bit as good as the rollerball was. If I'm correct, the major difference seems to be that the original Expert was made of plastic and the Expert II is lacquered brass. I must have had the Expert II rollerball, as it had a brass core as well, and I quite liked the heft of the pen and the way it sat in the hand.

 

Thanks again for the help.

Edited May 18, 2009 by ironmarshal

[bluefish65]

From fellow FPN'er Georges Zaslavsky"

 

"A circa 1995 1st generation Waterman Expert fountain pen in Black plastic and gold plated trim. For decades, Waterman has churned out unique designs, beautiful materials in vibrant colors. The Expert was originally produced in plastic that was light weight and featured a distinctive two-tone, steel nib. They also had a firm clutch to the cap that let you know it was snapped securely to the barrel. Around 2000, Waterman introduced the second generation Expert that never matched up to the first generation. The body was made lacquer over brass that dramatically increased the weight of the pen. The also redesigned the nib and, while the nibs wrote well, they looked cheap. Finally, they redesigned the clutch in the cap that did not engage to the barrel as securely as the first generation. Over time the clutch wears out and the cap can disengage from the barrel with little or no effort. These first generation Experts were a well kept secret and were underappreciated for their design, feel or how well they wrote. This pen measures 5.6 inches in length with the cap clutched snuggly to the barrel.

 

Expert I has a stiff nib, gold colored with sort of a chamfered shape to it, it's bevelled on both sides, rather than being rounded. The cap has a stylized "W" on the front, between the trim rings, and "Waterman Paris" on the back. The end of the cap is just solid plastic with a "W" embossed in it, also the barrel is plastic.

The Expert II has a gold insert in the end of the cap, has "Waterman Paris" on the front between the trim rings and "France" on the back. It has a two-tone rounded nib which is stamped with "Waterman Paris" and has a distinctively different collector. This pen is a bit heavier than the other one because brass barrel."

 

 

 

 

[georges zaslavsky]

I still prefer my first generation experts to the second generation experts. I own 4 first generation experts and they are very good pens.