In February I asked if you have heard the fountain pen myth “don’t lend out your fountain pen to others because the way a person writes can cause changes to the nib.” At the time I was referring to my Waterman Laureat. The pen wrote well with one exception – the sweet spot. Unless I held the pen at a 45-degree angle to the writing surface followed by a half-turned to the left, the pen tended to skip. Must be some truth to the myth.
The Waterman Laureat was introduced circa 1985, enjoying a 15-year production as a midline pen, not a top-shelf model but not a pen to off-handedly dismiss. The pen is reasonably close in looks to their Le Man series – a top-shelf model from the same era.
My Pen
Is a sleek thin, brass body pen in black lacquer with gold-plated trim. There are 4 equal-sized gold bands on the pen, one at the top. The typical era-specific Waterman clip is attached to the cap just below this ring. Another at the bottom of the cap, one at the end of the section with the phrase “Waterman Made in France,” etched into it, and another at the bottom of the barrel. Returning to the cap, it has a plain gold plate flat top. The clip and the jewel at the post end of the barrel are embossed with the signature “W” logo.
The section is black plastic with a unique design of tapered concentric rings creating a grip that fits well in hand. I was skeptical when I saw the section. After writing with the pen, I was surprised that my fingers did not feel like they were slipping.
The nib is a gold-plated steel nib, writing MEDIUM. An interesting feature is the lack of a breather hole, welp there is a faux breather hole imprinted as a circle on the nib. A breather hole has two purposes, 1) to improve airflow and 2) to relieve pressure at the base of the slit. Be sure to review my post detailing nib mechanics for more information.
Breather holes are sometimes dispensed with firm nibs stiff enough to resist the bending forces imposed during use. Resulting in finer written lines lacking some variation (sounds like a future topic). Anyway, this nib is stiff, just add fins and use it in a game of darts.
Let’s ink it up and give it a go. I spent some time with the nib and a micromesh cloth, trying to smooth the writing surface. I can happily say I was successful.
Final Thoughts
The Waterman Lauteat is a fantastic pen, an equal to the Hemisphere. I know fountain pen users either love or hate the Hemisphere – I love it. It fits very well in my hand and is a lovely writer. If you notice this model at your local flea market or antique store, don’t pass it by.
Vital Statistics
- Capped Length, 130 mm
- Uncapped Length, 124 mm
- Barrel Diameter, 10.5 mm
- Cap Diameter, 10.5 mm
- Weighs in at 26g
Reference Material
- Mainely Pens: Waterman Laureat Review
- Captain Chang: Modern Waterman Pens
Chronicles of a Fountain Pen 
Strange timing this. My Golden Pilot (recent ebay cheap buy) came in a Waterman box. The box was one of antiquity. I really paid no attention investigating further to the make before. My gosh! Expensive and much sought after on the internet and eBay. They do look very nice and built robustly. An amazing amount of history involved, “surviving for over 100 years with all the competition surrounding the make”. Much admired too. Looking at them with much more interest now having read this post. Great read as always. Cheers.
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Timing is funny, Waterman was my first fountain pen. I started with a couple Phileas but they never struck my fancy. Then I discovered a Hemisphere and I was hooked. I like thin pens (short fingers) and the Hemisphere like the Laureat are thin brass body pens. Waterman has had a colorful history, I need to start looking at their pen options that predate 1985. I found a BEAUtiful Nurse pen set (pen & pencil in mother of pearl) but $350 was way more than I wanted to spend. Thanks and Cheers
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Nurses and Doctors’ pens are something I read about quite a while back. A coincidence happening of seeing one a while back. Apparently they are very collectible due to them as a theme. Maybe the price is in rarity value. But I should imagine that the makers did need a proper performance level due to who would be writing with them. I prefer thinner pens too. The latest Typhoo acquisition, arriving today, is thin too. It’s nib settled over this afternoon’s use. Good luck with the Waterman vintage hunting.
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