Waterman's W2

[missuslovett]

I rather like the 'Derby top' Deco look of the Skylines but you're right, the Doric is a gorgeous looking pen. The Swan Visofils have a similar look but affording them is a similar issue to the Dorics!

[mkeeley]

Think the Skyline is colour dependent, some look horrible others nice. Some Omas' have that Doric feel to them too, this is the early '90's special edition Alma I picked up a few weeks ago.

[Cob]

Think the Skyline is colour dependent, some look horrible others nice. Some Omas' have that Doric feel to them too, this is the early '90's special edition Alma I picked up a few weeks ago.

Lovely Omas; how elegant that is..

 

No colour could make the Skyline look good to me I'm afraid: its (capped) shape puts me in mind of 1950s science fiction, where humans have developed to the point that they have become huge brains whilst the rest of them is gradually wasting away, the conclusion of course being that they end up as brains in bottles!

 

Cob

[northlodge]

Lovely Omas; how elegant that is..

 

No colour could make the Skyline look good to me I'm afraid: its (capped) shape puts me in mind of 1950s science fiction, where humans have developed to the point that they have become huge brains whilst the rest of them is gradually wasting away, the conclusion of course being that they end up as brains in bottles!

 

Cob

 

I assume you were a regular reader of The Eagle ;-)

 

I like the Skyline design, but understand that it might have the Marmite effect on others. What I think is beyond doubt is that their nibs are normally superb writers, and worth seeking out for that alone.

[missuslovett]

Lovely Omas; how elegant that is..

 

No colour could make the Skyline look good to me I'm afraid: its (capped) shape puts me in mind of 1950s science fiction, where humans have developed to the point that they have become huge brains whilst the rest of them is gradually wasting away, the conclusion of course being that they end up as brains in bottles!

 

Cob

 

 

Haha! They are a bit Robbie the Robot! It's very much a matter of personal taste and the thing that puts me off them slightly is the rather unfurnished barrel. On the plus side, they're not outrageously expensive though I did see one that was gold filled recently and drooled to no purpose as it was v. pricey.

 

Love Eversharp nibs. I'm quite excited to have snaffled an Eversharp desk pen with a flexible nib. Can't wait for it to arrive. It's a pretty skewbald thing that needs my TLC!

[mkeeley]

 

I assume you were a regular reader of The Eagle ;-)

 

I like the Skyline design, but understand that it might have the Marmite effect on others. What I think is beyond doubt is that their nibs are normally superb writers, and worth seeking out for that alone.

 

Was going to bid on this one which I thought looked really nice. But was over budget in the end as I'd spent up on the other pens. Looking around it went for a decent price though.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WAHL-EVERSHARP-SKYLINE-GOLD-FILLED-FOUNTAIN-PEN-RARE-/121720447407

[mkeeley]

 

 

Haha! They are a bit Robbie the Robot! It's very much a matter of personal taste and the thing that puts me off them slightly is the rather unfurnished barrel. On the plus side, they're not outrageously expensive though I did see one that was gold filled recently and drooled to no purpose as it was v. pricey.

 

Love Eversharp nibs. I'm quite excited to have snaffled an Eversharp desk pen with a flexible nib. Can't wait for it to arrive. It's a pretty skewbald thing that needs my TLC!

 

There are a few desk pens around, some quite nice looking but how do you use them without caps, empty them each time? I assume you used to dock them in the base originally which acted like a cap.

[Cob]

 

I assume you were a regular reader of The Eagle ;-)

 

I like the Skyline design, but understand that it might have the Marmite effect on others. What I think is beyond doubt is that their nibs are normally superb writers, and worth seeking out for that alone.

Ha ha ha indeed I was - from the start; I think I had the first eight annuals - I wish I still did. And it wasn't just Capt. Dare and Digby and Sir Hubert and the Mekon (remember the frame headed "Mars 1986" - those optimistic '50s!), there were Jeff Arnold, Luck of the Legion and cutaway illustrations of HMS Vanguard etc. Marvellous.

 

The design of the Skyline puts me in mind of Raymond Loewy somehow. He once did a Lancia - the rear half was lovely the front hideous. It's the disproportion between the cap and the barrel that grates on me though I can see it might attract by virtue of a kind of asymmetry.

 

 

 

Haha! They are a bit Robbie the Robot! It's very much a matter of personal taste and the thing that puts me off them slightly is the rather unfurnished barrel. On the plus side, they're not outrageously expensive though I did see one that was gold filled recently and drooled to no purpose as it was v. pricey.

 

Love Eversharp nibs. I'm quite excited to have snaffled an Eversharp desk pen with a flexible nib. Can't wait for it to arrive. It's a pretty skewbald thing that needs my TLC!

Robbie the Robot? "On our way 'ome" was that not he? Ha ha these memories.

 

 

Was going to bid on this one which I thought looked really nice. But was over budget in the end as I'd spent up on the other pens. Looking around it went for a decent price though.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WAHL-EVERSHARP-SKYLINE-GOLD-FILLED-FOUNTAIN-PEN-RARE-/121720447407

That was indeed a lot of money I think; I bought a very nice rolled gold Swan the other day, not immaculate admittedly and needs an overhaul, but it has a gorgeous nib, dates from the late '20s and cost me only £45 - say $65.

 

Cob

[mkeeley]

Ha ha ha indeed I was - from the start; I think I had the first eight annuals - I wish I still did. And it wasn't just Capt. Dare and Digby and Sir Hubert and the Mekon (remember the frame headed "Mars 1986" - those optimistic '50s!), there were Jeff Arnold, Luck of the Legion and cutaway illustrations of HMS Vanguard etc. Marvellous.

 

The design of the Skyline puts me in mind of Raymond Loewy somehow. He once did a Lancia - the rear half was lovely the front hideous. It's the disproportion between the cap and the barrel that grates on me though I can see it might attract by virtue of a kind of asymmetry.

 

Robbie the Robot? "On our way 'ome" was that not he? Ha ha these memories.

 

That was indeed a lot of money I think; I bought a very nice rolled gold Swan the other day, not immaculate admittedly and needs an overhaul, but it has a gorgeous nib, dates from the late '20s and cost me only £45 - say $65.

 

Cob

 

 

There's a real do-er upper I'm keeping an eye on, pennies at the minute but have a feeling it will go for a fair bit in the end. It's possible it might be past saving so not going to go mad on the bidding.

 

My problem is trying to work out what, say the Swans or Watermans, nibs will be like. Seems the same number can be both firm or flex. Perhaps the best way for me would be to go for the body I like and, if need be, swap nibs.

[Cob]

 

 

There's a real do-er upper I'm keeping an eye on, pennies at the minute but have a feeling it will go for a fair bit in the end. It's possible it might be past saving so not going to go mad on the bidding.

 

My problem is trying to work out what, say the Swans or Watermans, nibs will be like. Seems the same number can be both firm or flex. Perhaps the best way for me would be to go for the body I like and, if need be, swap nibs.

That's the truth! You never can tell and after all, the number merely indicates the nib's size.

 

One tip I might offer if you are seeking flexibility from a Swan: don't be dazzled by enormous (and very expensive) nibs. You've a better chance with a Swan 1 in my experience than with any of the others - not that they don't exist of course, which is all part of the fun!

 

Cob

[mkeeley]

That's the truth! You never can tell and after all, the number merely indicates the nib's size.

 

One tip I might offer if you are seeking flexibility from a Swan: don't be dazzled by enormous (and very expensive) nibs. You've a better chance with a Swan 1 in my experience than with any of the others - not that they don't exist of course, which is all part of the fun!

 

Cob

 

Thanks for the tip, big nibs are more tempting though!

[missuslovett]

For Robbie the Robot, I was thinking of the Forbidden Planet...but wasn't he something to do with Fantastic Island as well?

 

And I second what Cob says about Swan No.1 nibs. All the Swans I have running No.1 s have flex to a greater or lesser extent. From a fine semi, to a full ff-bb. I know what you mean about BIG nibs too. I was watching with envy the sale of a Swan with a massive No.6 recently. Much too far out of budget, though.

[missuslovett]

 

There are a few desk pens around, some quite nice looking but how do you use them without caps, empty them each time? I assume you used to dock them in the base originally which acted like a cap.

 

Yes, I shall have to get a base for it. If I can pull my finger out and stop being lazy! It'll stand up in one of my numerous brush pots until I can get one.

[Cob]

For Robbie the Robot, I was thinking of the Forbidden Planet...but wasn't he something to do with Fantastic Island as well?

 

And I second what Cob says about Swan No.1 nibs. All the Swans I have running No.1 s have flex to a greater or lesser extent. From a fine semi, to a full ff-bb. I know what you mean about BIG nibs too. I was watching with envy the sale of a Swan with a massive No.6 recently. Much too far out of budget, though.

Robbie is a memory from some rather low-budget serial that ran on the TV donkey's years ago. I shall ask my brother; he might remember the name of the programme.

 

As for the No 1s etc., it occurs to me that in fact the likelihood of getting a flexible nib seems to be in inverse proportion to the nib size, so one has more chance with a No 2 than with a No 3.

 

Also it's a shame that so many of the firmer nibs are medium, since that makes the option of converting them successfully to stubs more difficult. One firm No 2 Swan that turned up here though was a pleasant surprise: a delightful medium stub; the rest of the pen was rubbish so it's installed in a Frankenpen.

 

Cob

[Cob]

I have just overhauled a nice Swan 3150. Lovely full flex No 1!

 

My brother got back to me. Here's what he said about Robbie:

 

Yes it was "Fireball XL5", a Gerry Anderson series. The robot was the one originally featured in the superb 1950s film "The Forbidden Planet" which inspired the amplifier company Krell (the alien race in the film).

 

Full marks Missuslovett!

 

Cob

[mkeeley]

Have loads on my watch list now. Sort of planning what to do with the doer-upper which is always bad idea when it's not yours yet.

 

The only trouble with the number 1 nib will be that the section seems thinner. Saw some pics of the 2060 with number 6 nib, nice but the body needed to be an inch or so longer, looks out of proportion unposted.

 

There are a couple of Visofil's on but read that they're a pain to work on if anything goes wrong.

Edited August 19, 2015 by mkeeley

[Cob]

Have loads on my watch list now. Sort of planning what to do with the doer-upper which is always bad idea when it's not yours yet.

 

The only trouble with the number 1 nib will be that the section seems thinner. Saw some pics of the 2060 with number 6 nib, nice but the body needed to be an inch or so longer, looks out of proportion unposted.

 

There are a couple of Visofil's on but read that they're a pain to work on if anything goes wrong.

Yes No 1 pens are quite small, but not nearly as slim as the eye-droppers from the 1900s or indeed nearly all dip pens.

 

As for Visofils, I have rebuilt a few of the V models (No1 and No 2 nibs) which are fiddly but OK. I have steered clear of the VTs (No 3 nibs) which are from what I have read a serious pain to do.

 

Cob

Edited August 19, 2015 by Cob

[missuslovett]

I have just overhauled a nice Swan 3150. Lovely full flex No 1!

 

My brother got back to me. Here's what he said about Robbie:

 

Yes it was "Fireball XL5", a Gerry Anderson series. The robot was the one originally featured in the superb 1950s film "The Forbidden Planet" which inspired the amplifier company Krell (the alien race in the film).

 

Full marks Missuslovett!

 

Cob

 

 

I remember Fireball XL5. It was one of my brother's favourites, along with Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Stingray... Didn't Gerry Anderson do Space 1999 & that UFO thing as well? Some very strange wigs in that programme.

 

I think the Forbidden Planet was a very clever take on Shakespeare's The Tempest. I didn't know that about Krell amplifiers, though. Like Duran Duran in Barbarella. You learn something new every day!

[northlodge]

 

 

I remember Fireball XL5. It was one of my brother's favourites, along with Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Stingray... Didn't Gerry Anderson do Space 1999 & that UFO thing as well? Some very strange wigs in that programme.

 

I think the Forbidden Planet was a very clever take on Shakespeare's The Tempest. I didn't know that about Krell amplifiers, though. Like Duran Duran in Barbarella. You learn something new every day!

 

Fireball XL5 was the forerunner of those others you mention. I think the 'star' was Steve Zodiac (I was about 4 when the series was being run)

[Cob]

My brother added a coda to this fascinating (off) topic:

 

Robbie the robot also appeared in "Lost in Space". The girl in it was also in "The Sound of Music"

 

and

 

Yes, the Robinson family. The robot used to say "Danger Will Robinson!"

 

I am amazed at the memories people have!

 

Cob