What's wrong with Waterman?

[Jerome Tarshis]

On 1/21/2021 at 10:51 AM, sandy101 said:

The truth is that Waterman & Parker probably outsell most other fountain pen brands. 

(snip)

The Carene/Sonnet/whatever make nice looking pens that people buy as gifts for their son/daughter/nephew/neice who has graduated or is off to University. The folk who buy them remember that they had a nice Parker/Waterman/Cross when they graduated or got that promotion. They want something like what they had 20 years ago - and nothing too oiutlandish - which is why the brands are so conservative. Their target market is probably an older generation buying gifts for a younger generation. 

 

Exactly this. To which I would add that some of the purchasers are younger people for whom it is time to assimilate themselves to the world of older people.

 

FPN represents a small hobbyist market that doesn't add up to many units. When it comes to a large company deciding what to manufacture, victory still goes to the large battalions. As perhaps it should. At least it's an understandable idea, and as I remember business meetings from my long-ago youth, understandability counts for something.

[ivyman]

Historically, Waterman had made great pens. Not any more. I am glad I have acquired in my collection some of their best creations such as #7 pink nib (wet noodle) pens, Patrician (jade green, moss agate and turquoise). I practice fountain pen writing with them daily and am very happy with them. Don't think I will acquire Waterman pens any more going forward because I feel there are none worth getting from them. 

 

All I am looking forward now is to find myself a Montblanc L139 with long window and a flexible OBB nib.

I know it is very difficult to find one, but it is worth the chase.

 

 

[thx1138]

I think that the Carene is a superb pen. Every one I have bought, new or used, works perfectly.  The nibs are wonderful and smooth and the finishes are beautiful. 

The marine green, closely followed by the amber, are two of the most attractive laque finishes i have seen.

Carenes do not dry out or seem to have any other bad habits (at least my half a dozen or so FP's).

[TSherbs]

8 hours ago, thx1138 said:

I think that the Carene is a superb pen. Every one I have bought, new or used, works perfectly.  The nibs are wonderful and smooth and the finishes are beautiful. 

The marine green, closely followed by the amber, are two of the most attractive laque finishes i have seen.

Carenes do not dry out or seem to have any other bad habits (at least my half a dozen or so FP's).

gah!

 

I don't need more enticement....

[agentbug]

the story that I've got from local store, it was waterman is initially pointed a little bit higher than parker in Newell Rubbermaid group, and it's why parker has moved into waterman's factory in st herblain.

 

Then, the group decided to re-image both brands, it's why we saw parker has had renew their image. So Newell planned to re-image waterman just after parker. but it seems delay forever.

 

Now parker represent more than 65% of waterman's factory's production.

 

The reason that waterman stopped exception original line, it because waterman makes the nib for cartier Roadster as well. sadly cartier stopped the fountain pen. 

 

and the retail of waterman told me, waterman's parts are made in poland assembled in France.

 

[Doug C]

The Serenité, the Edson, Carene and a reasonably priced entry level model (yet to be designed). keep them all below $800 and you have a company that would take the pen world by storm.

It has been said before, the corporation doesn't care enough about one of its subsidiaries.