Help Identifying A Vintage Waterman

[danieljkm]

 

HI there,

My grandmother recently gifted me a pen passed down from her mother.

I’ve found it hard to read a lot of the text and the hallmarks have been hard to decipher.

After trying to find the model on the internet I am really struggling to find an exact copy. I want to keep it in the family but want to know a rough idea of its worth so that I can insure it if required and also to help solve my curiosity.

The notes I have got so far are as follows:

it looks like a ripple effect pen with gold overlay (barleycorn effect)

The nib

It looks gold but It also has ink stains and although I can see there is waterman text on the nib i can’t work out what it says.

The lid is a screw top with 2 small holes in i believe for the type of pen it is.

the clip on the lid has a circular Ideal marking then what I believe to be F.D.W. and then a 9CT marking

on the other side of the lid there is a hallmark saying 9 in a diamond then 375 (this is also repeated on the base as per the images).

The base around the lever area has the following.

F.D.W. in a rectangle

9 in a diamond then followed by 375 in an adjoining rectangle

then this is followed by 2 hallmark symbols. This first looks like a stamped “n” in a circle and the second i can’t tell 100% ut it looks like a square with a triangle out one side surrounded again in a circle.

When I look at the year for the "n" shape i believe it relates to 1887/88 but that doesn't seem right to me.

The lever has the words ideal again in a circular logo.

The wood effect/ ripple effect end has the following text carved into it:

Waterman

Reg U.S. PAT. OFF.

Made in U.S.A

On the very end of the wood effect/ ripple section of the base it has the following carved into it: 51V although the 1 could almost be a 2 but I would say it is a 1.

I have tried searching on the web about it and have found what look to be similar 52V pens but they aren’t exactly the same and I can’t work it out.

after looking at this site and other links i believe it looks like the model 152 (item 401 in the pdf catalogue from the link in another chat (http://www.artcurial.com/pdf/2010/1876.pdf)

Im guessing the pen is 9 carrot gold overlay and gold nib but I can work out the model and the year it was made and whether it is valuable or not.

Any help you could provide would be grateful.

Please see below for images.

Kind Regards,

Daniel

 

[RMN]

I don't know the pen, but I can tell some about some of the inscriptions.

The pen was apparently made during the time when Frank D Waterman, the nephew of Lewis E Waterman (the founder) was at the helm (Initials FDW)

 

The pen is apparently made of 9 carat gold (14 ct would be too soft) hence the 375 which is the gold percentage.

The carat system gives parts from pure gold which would be 24 carat. 14 ct is then 14/24= .575 and 9 ct is 9/24 = .375.

 

 

51V would be the model number. Waterman changed their numbering at a certain point. I am not enough into vintage to know exactly when.

 

 

D.ick

[Scribblesoften]

The model number is the 51(2?)V on the end of the pen. The V indicates that it is a vest pen. Waterman vest pen models were the same thickness/diameter as the standard sized pens but shorter in length. I believe - not sure if my memory is betraying me here - that the second number refers to the nib size. So a 1 would be a smaller nib that the standard 2 size. It is a very nice pen and a wonderful gift from your Grandmother. Congratulations.

[northstar]

5 stands for the lever filling system, 1 for nib size and v as mentioned above indicates that it's a vest pen. It's a beauty, Congrats.

[Uncle Red]

Waterman 51V's are pretty rare and a Ripple with English 9Ct gold overlay is even less common.

[Sarrelangue]

Thank you all !
 
Thanks to this post I could identify my  Waterman ideal lever filler, calendar, chain fountain pen, with the same stamping.