Waterman 56 Fountain Pen

Ah, the Waterman Ideal no. 56. You can find a few of these early self-fillers on the internet, some restored and some in original condition. Waterman was established in 1884 and still operates as a subsidiary of Newell.

The 56 was made of para rubber and later Bakelite and came equipped with the traditional gold nib. I find the claim of writing 25000 words on a single fill a curious one. Words have this disturbing habit of coming in differing lengths which plays hell with standardization. Then again, maybe Waterman had a "standard" word specially selected for ink-volume testing.

I haven't had the opportunity to write with a Waterman fountain pen yet. I'm still rolling with my trusty Parker, but I'm hoping to expand the fountain pen family this holiday season...hint, hint.