Product Description
Type vintage pen set
Product Name Model 56 as marked on the end of the barrel. The 5 indicates that the pen is a lever filler. The 6 is for the nib size.
Manufacturer and Year Waterman USA -- 1920s.
Length The fountain pen is 5-5/8" long and the pencil is 5-1/2" long.
Filling System The fountain pen is a lever filler. The sac has been replaced and it is working well. The mechanical pencil utilizes a twist mechanism and takes "thick" or 1.1mm leads. The leads extend but do not retract. The cap piece can be removed and has an eraser installed and an empty lead reservoir.
Color Both pens are made of bright orange red hard rubber called "Cardinal" by collectors. The mechanical pencil has a clip and a 1/8" band halfway through the body. The fountain pen has a clip and a 5/32" cap band. The aforementioned parts are 18kt gold filled as imprinted on the underside of the lever. The fountain pen also has a 1/2" solid 14k band on the barrel with an etched floral pattern, which we think may have been a non-factory embellishment since it overlaps the end of the lever box (it doesn't get in the way of the lever box operation, but it may complicate any later repair required by the lever box.)
Nib FINE Manifold Waterman's #6 nib. It is smooth and writes well. The feed is cardinal red hard rubber to match the rest of the pen and that is correct.
Condition Excellent condition. The coloring is just about perfect for both pieces. You can make out some variation on the fountain pen barrel between the capped and non-capped portions. The barrel also has a slight depression from capping. The fountain pen has a few rough marks on the cap band and a few smooth marks on the cap. There is a crack between the clip and the cap band. The crack is shorter but present from the internal part of the cap. The fountain pen imprints are legible in all three spots, though the 14k cap band does cover half of the main barrel imprint. The pen has been personalized "G.G." on the 14k barrel band. The mechanical pencil has bite marks at the top and wear on the gold filled cone.
