1940s Waterman W2 Pen/Pencil Set SOLD ($80 US)

Hello there! Welcome to Inkquiring Minds. My name is Doug, and I’m back with another pen resurrection video. Today, we’re going to explore a fascinating Waterman set that I recently acquired at a local antique shop.

It’s in its original box and comes as a set. Interestingly, it opens up like a stand. There are three writing instruments, but only two are present in the set. There’s a pencil with a typical art deco-style Waterman clip. This pencil appears to be from the 1940s, as it’s made in Canada. I’m just guessing, though, as I can’t find much information about it.

THOUGHTS

So, what are my thoughts on this resurrection? Well, I’m thrilled! This is the kind of resurrection I love because this pen was destined for the dustbin. When I picked it up at the antique shop, I uncapped it and admired the nib. I thought, “If it had a 14-karat gold nib, it would polish up beautifully.” And guess what? It did!

Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the pen before and after restoration. Look at the transformation! Gold truly shines. The pen was so old, crusty, and decrepit that people might have dismissed it as junk. But those of us who know its true value were amazed.

The nib itself was surprisingly in good shape. However, the one thing that confused me was the marking on the base that said “I-S.” I initially thought it was a five, but it’s an S. From what I can tell, this is supposed to indicate an italic stub. But this pen is far from an italic stub. It’s a fine nib that writes with a pleasant bounce.

Now, the pen writes exceptionally well and takes a good amount of ink. I was surprised at how well the hardware came up. The cap band is now in pristine condition, compared to its previous state.

There are still a few flaws. The clip is pushed over and chipped the top of the cap, but it still functions. It’s a bit wonky, but it works. The cap and barrels have polished up beautifully.

I’m surprised there wasn’t an imprint on the bottom underneath that says “Waterman’s Made in Canada” with “W2.” From all the photos I’ve seen online, it appears to be a W2 set.

The pencil came up beautifully as well and takes 1mm leads. You simply turn the pencil's nose to eject the lead, then bring it back to retract it. However, you must feed the leads in from the front. I’m guessing this pen and pencil set, made in Canada at the Waterman Ideal Montreal plant in the mid-1940s, is from around that time. It comes with the original box.

THIS PEN AND PENCIL SET HAS BEEN SOLD!

Thank you for watching.

And that's all she wrote.