Waterman Charleston Review

[WilsonCQB1911]

You guys are really making me want to buy one! It's on my short list.

[stephanos]

Thanks for this review.

 

Actually, it helped me identify what I had bought: I hadn't seen this model before and didn't know what I was buying, except that it was a modern-looking Waterman with an 18K nib. I find the extra ring on the barrel quite 'blingy', but the 18K nib sold it for me.

 

Mine is a black-and-silver model with F nib, which I picked up the other day at an antiques fleamarket for a modest price (a very modest price, judging by the prices mentioned in this thread). It's working fine, now that I've given it a thorough clean, and writes a very decent line with good flow and next to no line variation. I have yet to decide whether to keep it or give it away.

 

Two things:

1. Something I haven't seen mentioned: the end of the barrel unscrews, which I find a little weird. The barrel end is metal (brass?) and the part of the end of the barrel that unscrews seems to be entirely plastic.

2. It seemed a little out of place at an antiques fair, even being generous with the term. From what I have found on FPN, this is a model that was only recently discontinued: is that right? Can anyone shed more light on the dates?

[amk]

You're right, Stephanos, this is a fairly recent pen: I believe it was discontinued as recently as 2010 or 2011 and there still appears to be a fair amount of NOS around. Still, for some people, *any* fountain pen is an antique!

 

Anyway, well done on your acquisition, whatever you decide to do with it.

[tinta]

I just had to look up a review of a Waterman Charleston. I'm not familiar at all with Waterman pens.

A friend of mine suggested that the undersized Kaweco gold nib on my Dia2 looks a bit similar to the small nib on a Charleston.

True enough, there is some resemblance in their size & general outline, though the Waterman nib is stockier at its base.

Thank you rochester21 for your excellent pictures of this rather interesting pen.

Edited February 3, 2016 by tinta