Product Description
Type Rare safety pen from near the turn of the century, working well.
Product Name Model 18S as stamped on the bottom of the barrel.
Manufacturer and Year Waterman, made in USA -- 1908-1917, it uses the pre-1917 numbering system.
Length Just a hair short of 6 inches.
Filling System Safety Pen, restored with a new seal. (To use a safety pen, you uncap it, fill the barrel with ink, then operate the knob on the end of the barrel to extend the nib. The nib seals when fully extended, allowing you to write with an already ink-primed nib. When you are done writing, point the nib at the ceiling and operate the knob to retract the nib. Then screw on the cap and the pen is sealed. Essentially all safety pens are also eyedropper pens.)
You'll see some photos below of the pen when we had it dis-assembled for restoration. (The small round things are the original cork seals, which we replaced by rubber o-rings.) Note how clean and smooth the spiral is!
Color Black smooth hard rubber. German silver clip.
Nib Fine Waterman's Ideal New York gold nib is smooth and marked "8". It has good flex with nice line variation. (see writing sample below)
Condition Superior condition. The black hard rubber is still dark with only a little oxidization. There's still some red paint in the model number imprint. There is low handwear and no real scratches. The imprints are all clear and relatively easily read. The safety system has been repaired and is working well.
