14 replies to this topic

[BrianMcQueen]

As some of you may remember, I get to travel around the Southeast quite a bit for business.  Today, while down in Alabama, I had some extra time on my hands and decided to check out the nearby antique store which I had visited before and had yielded no pens in the past.  I'm glad I stopped in!  Below are my two acquisitions of the day.  A nice striped Duofold, and a Waterman 17.

 

 

The Waterman has the correct early #7 New York nib, but unfortunately said nib has a crack all the way down the middle.

 

It's hard to tell from the crappy pictures, but yes the bottom half of the Waterman is chased, so it's not a mismatch.

Edited by BrianMcQueen, 12 June 2014 - 12:27 AM.

[david i]

Rare pen. Worth having nib fixed or just leaving alone. Maybe an artifact of image but the clip seems awfully chunky. Larger clip than seen on the 12 and later 5x/7x pens?

 

regards

 

d

[BrianMcQueen]

Rare pen. Worth having nib fixed or just leaving alone. Maybe an artifact of image but the clip seems awfully chunky. Larger clip than seen on the 12 and later 5x/7x pens?

 

regards

 

d

 

Looks wider than that of a 52, but I don't have much experience with 12s or 72s.  I do have a sterling 72 to compare to at home, but don't really know if that's a valid comparison.

[Procyon]

Wow, that is a rare one.  I would definitely have the nib repaired.  Some of the older Waterman clips are very wide - I have a German Silver clip that is also pretty wide.  Considering how large the diameter of a 17 cap must be, however, that one must be super wide.  Super find!

[BrianMcQueen]

Knowing little about Watermans, and knowing full well that rarity and value are not always directly related, where does a 17 sit on the rarity/value curve in comparison to a 16, 18, or 20?

[david i]

17  in my view is more scarce than 16 and 18 and probably the 20, but it is trumped at least by the 20 for general desirability and value due to the SIze-Does-Matter element found among the larger collecting population. Suspect there are plenty of collectors who have owned 20's but not 17's. Of course, a fair segment wants the Biggest Pen and doesn't care about nuanced models. Sort of how there is more demand for a Parker Vacumatic Maxima in red than for a stubby black Parker Vacuum Filler, though to those who know the latter pen is less common and at least more interesting. Suspect same for seasoned collectors of Waterman, who would be happier scoring a 17 than yet another 20.

 

A 17 IMO should top value of a similar condition/color 18, though I don't insist. Of course, I've had 18's and a rather special 20, and I've neither owned nor sold a 17.

 

Does yours have chasing on barrel as expected based on cap? Hard to tell in pic.

 

regards

 

d

[BrianMcQueen]

David, it does have the expected chasing, though it is worn.  The cap has particularly crisp chasing and is black as can be.  The barrel is a little brown and has fairly worn chasing.

[BrianMcQueen]

Thanks for the info on the rarity/value curve, David.  I figured that was about the case, but I wasn't sure if it would top the 18 in value.  I can hardly find any reference to the 17 online, so I figured it was a rare bird.

 

Here is a comparison shot of the cap and barrel.  Sorry for the poor iPhone pictures.  I'll photograph it properly when I get home from my trip.

 

[BrianMcQueen]

Who should I send it to for crack repair?  I want to make sure the imprint isn't killed in the crack repair process.

[Greg Minuskin]

Dear Brian,

 

Thanks for emailing me! I can for sure assist you with the crack repair, and thanks for remembering my repair on that Parker #12!
 

Cost would be about $85.00 if you send me just the nib, no pen/nib or section attached and the return postage with about a 2 week turn around time.

 

Let me know, I look forwarrd to helping you out!
 

Sincerely,

 

Greg

www.gregminuskin.com

greg@gregminuskin.com

[david i]

Hi Brian,

 

I shot this Waterman 17  years ago. I never owned it.

 

 

 

regards

 

david

[Rick Krantz]

I had a waterman 17 the other year, sans correct nib. It hurt the value and resale prospects. It is a rare pen regardless, but there are a few people looking for correct nibs for their 17's. 

[Mike Kirk]

Hi Brian,

 

I shot this Waterman 17  years ago. I never owned it.

 

 

 

regards

 

david

 

You mentioned the clip on Brian's looking a bit chunky? Comparing to your shot of the mottled version, the clips look the same to me. I'm not a Waterman expert but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night.

[BrianMcQueen]

I just compared the clip with that of a sterling clip on a 472.  They are the same width, but the 17's clip is a little bit longer.

[Readymade]

A bit late to the party but - congrats on the find!