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The Waterman Serenite.
(ikonZine Spring 00)
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Dimensions :
Height
capped closed : 5.75 inches
cap posted : 6.5 inches
sans cap : 5 inches
Barrel Circumference
N/A - silver gripping section circumference : 1.5 inches
Production
Unlimited production run.
Visit the catalog for pricing and further images.
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18KT White Gold nib with Rhodium plate
Nib surrounds feed for about 3/4 of its circumference. The Nib logo : 'Waterman' is
engraved lengthways, making it legible as the pen stands upright, one of its features.
Nibs widths : EF F M B I and STUB
The feed is unusual and is flattened where exposed.
The matte silver grip houses the section, which comes away by twisting the grip
anti-clockwise
Cap is made from Waterman lacquer,
The cap features an unusual matte sterling silver clip. The clip features a silver panel
engraved with the Waterman logo, from which the actual clip extends by a well sprung
lever, giving a "just right" amount of grip and flex.
The cap is click fit, with a small hole which engages a cam on the barrel. This is very
well engineered and the re-assuring click when closing the cap adds to the luxury of the
pen.
The cap is posted in a very unusual manner. The top of the barrel has a silver disc
(shown) and a space alongside the side of the barrel which engages the clip when posted.
The cap runs at roughly 1/3 the length of the barrel. The engagement hole in the cap is
exposed when removed from the pen. This appears something of an oversight in the design,
which leaves the cap looking as if it is unfinished. A silver encompassing ring would have
polished off the design nicely and provided more support for this fragile part of the cap.
When the cap is posted, the clip sits at a 90 degree angle to the nib.v
The pen body is manufactured from lacquer.
Body is curved as shown with the barrel widening to a flat top.
The barrel end has a silver gripping section as shown, which houses the section.
The opposite end of the barrel has a silver panel with 'Waterman' engraved on it , which
engages the clip as discussed above.
There are no other details on the body.
Cartridge/Convertor fill with plastic cutter mechanism.
It should be noted that despite the curvature of the body , this pen accepts standard
Waterman international size cartridges and convertor.
The inner body is brass lined, with a de-coupling of the brass sleeve (effectively two
separate sleeves) to cater for the pens curve.
In 1999, IDEO , the industrial design arm of Parc Xerox, unveiled the E-Scribe, a quill
shaped device, capable of transcribing handwriting to text on a PDA. This pen is identical
to that design, with all the functions transcribed to define a fountain pen. Not only did
Waterman base their design on a contemporary model, they engineered it in such a way as to
redefine the fountain pen aesthetic for a new century. This is a writing tool destined to
become legend, read on.....
Description :
Whatever the word Serenite means is inconsequential, it undoubtedly conquers up images of
serenity and calm. This is the marketing pitch behind the pen. To a greater extent this
describes the look and feel of the pen. The black lacquer is perfectly complemented by the
silver detail. The matte finish on the silver detail contrasts well with the polished
Rhodium plate of the nib. All pen history is writ large with this pen. The quill aesthetic
is a given. The clever play of eastern design in the silver gripping section, a silver
mock-up of threaded cotton which resembles the hilt of a Samurai sword, and the curvature
of the body gives vast hints and clues to bygone eras that are important in writing
history. Contemporary design is clever design and is well catered for on this pen. The
click fit cap and twist section de-coupling are unique to this pen and fit nicely with the
contemporary black body and silver trim.
This is an elegant pen and the slim tapering body is unique and beyond comparison with
other pens. That notwithstanding, the heft of the pen is similar to an M800 (the balance
is completely different, read on). This is quite a long pen, slightly longer than the
large Paragon, if fact, it is with one eight of inch smaller in length than the Dupont
Orpheo (cap closed on both pens). The nib is also unique, the same shape and design as the
Liaison, this is a smaller nib with better writing characteristics. The accompanying
wooden box, in Waterman blue, curved and with extensive documentation and a nib cleaning
cloth is spectacular in its grace and a perfect companion to the pen.
Performance :
The pen performed flawlessly out of the box and we were up and running in seconds. We got
great results from Waterman's own ink and the pen did not suffer under the clogging
presence of our excellent Penman ink. Suffice to say, Waterman's usual performance with
different inks is preserved here. Had we got it wrong? We assumed, as the box comes with
two packets of cartridges and a convertor that we could simply slot 'em in. We had a panic
attack for a second or two as the convertor aligned itself against the curved inner body,
it actually felt like it was not going to fit. Be careful, don't break anything. Ease the
convertor into the pen, and get used to the feel of doing this.
Whatever about the pen's looks, it shines equally well in the writing department. I urge
all readers to try out this pen. The curved body provides almost scientific comfort and
balance when writing. We had three reviewers and polled seven others. Where there was a
problem with balance, we simply removed the cap and these problems disappeared. As the
pen, by virtue of its curve, tends to rest more on the tendon between the thumb and
forefinger than with other pens, this allows the users hand to give the final say in the
balance of the pen, and gives maximum comfort when writing. All pens should be designed
like this.
There is a venthole on the nib, although it is hard to spot. This is a Waterman nib, no
mistaking. Free flowing, our review sample had a medium nib and it performed to the same
specifications as the Liaison, slightly wet with a line that is best described as 'on the
broad side of medium'. No stalling or skipping, the unusually designed nib exhibited no
artifacts of note. This nib is very smooth and warranted comparison with the liaison. The
Serenite nib is slightly more flexible (it is physically smaller) than the liaison. No
M800 beater, the nib was less smooth than the Symphony and less flexible than the Pelikan.
However, it performed flawlessly and was more accommodating with all types of ink than the
other pens mentioned above. No variation in downstroke/sidestroke was exhibited and the
Serenite would be a perfect candidate for an Italic or Stub nib (neither were available at
time of review). As it stands this is without doubt one of the best nibs to come from the
Waterman house. Appealing to a broad range, Waterman's nibs are always in danger of being
called boring, not an issue with this pen.
The cap is worth mentioning again. The end of the cap has a small hole which engages with
the barrel. Common sense dictates this will wear, and greater protection of this area
would have been welcomed. The exposed cap end also lets down the design excellence of the
pen, to a small extent.
This really is a pen you will have to try for yourself. I know some people love Waterman
lacquer and some people loathe it. The Serenite surpasses there issues with the silver
gripping section and without doubt, this pen stands alone in every aspect of its design
and performance and using our normal review metrics it is hard to relate the performance
of this pen. Once you are happy with the materials and nib, then this is a superlative
pen. I am reminded of the 51's entry in the history books, a pen as innovative as the
Serenite, in its day.
The Dupont Orpheo.
(ikonZine Spring 00)
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Dimensions :
Height
capped closed : 5.8 inches.
cap posted : 5.9 inches.
sans cap : 5.25 inches.
Barrel Circumference
1.75 inches approx.
Production
Regular on-going production
Visit the catalog for pricing and further images.
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18KT White Gold nib with Rhodium plate
Nib surrounds feed for about 3/4 of its circumference. The Nib logo : 'Waterman' is
engraved lengthways, making it legible as the pen stands upright, one of its features.
Nibs widths : EF F M B I and STUB
The feed is unusual and is flattened where exposed.
The matte silver grip houses the section, which comes away by twisting the grip
anti-clockwise
Cap is made from handcrafted Chinese lacquer and sports the Rhus Vernica symbol on its
side.
Clip is Palladium coated with a black decal as shown.
Clip is sprung directly from the cap top via a coated insert, making for a well engineered
and durable array.
The cap is brass lined and the clip sports the serial No. of the pen on its side.
Inner cap clips over the extruded lip on the section as shown above and engages by means
of three plastic cams on the inner clip which grip the section
Black Chinese lacquer body with brass lining.
Cartridge/Convertor fill
Brass screw section is covered by a Palladium coated brass ring with the Dupont logo and
echoes of the nib motif elegantly etched around its circumference. The threads on the
barrel, however, are lacquer.
Barrel ends sports a coated brass top which is unadorned.
Cap is gripped down the full length of the body. (refer to the dimensions above).
Extremely well built, the inner linings are very thick and the excellent Chinese lacquer
provides superb scratch resistance.
Description :
Elegantly packaged in the Dupont colors and with an accompanying cartouche of documents
and soft pen case, the Dupont reviewed here has a stub nib. The Dupont company's products,
sold into the luxury goods market, have retained an air of exclusivity which is unmatched
anywhere else. They are also an innovative company in many ways. These facts combined with
the accompanying packing and the wonderful Rhus Vernica symbol on the side of the cap,
raised our expectations for this pen. Our expectations, far from being dashed, were raised
after a quick introduction to their black lacquer and palladium model.
This pen is a re-working of the Vertigo lacquer model , which has been on the market for
many years. Without doubt, the more contemporary styled model reviewed here is a far
superior looking pen. This pen was built for these materials. It is a heavy pen, and gives
an overwhelming feeling of solidity and refinement. The click cap, reminiscent of the
Serenite, is much better engineered. The cap glides off the barrel with an almost
intuitive motion. The cap once posted, slides right down the barrel, posting very
positively about one third of the way down. The whole body is brass lined and the extra
thick brass threads, where the barrel disengages to take the convertor is solidly
engineered. The clip itself is a work of art. Sprung from the cap top by a very thick
Palladium plated lever, it is very well made and, again, gives a sense of engineering
excellence. The Orpheo has Rolls-Royce build quality. This combined with the understated
elegance of the material and trim, make this one of the most assured and best built pens,
in its category, on the market today.
Approaching investment grade quality, this pen is great value. The Chinese lacquer, made
by craftsmen from the Pilot pen company should ensure its good looks last a lifetime.
Performance :
Whatever about the looks of this pen, its performance is superlative. This pen is
available in two sizes, the one reviewed here is the larger model. A smaller model is also
available and the potential purchaser would be advised to try both. The balance of the pen
is towards the top and again, the heaviness of this pen, coupled with the top heavy
balance did not suit two of our reviewers, who, literally could not control the pen. Do
check the size that is right for you. Having said all that, where the pen was sized right,
it gave a magnificent account of itself. Everyone was struck by the sheer elegance of this
pen, and to an extent , elegant is a good word to describe how it writes.
Even after one stroke with this pen, it was obvious that this was one of the best nibs we
had come across. The difference in downstroke and sidestroke was just right. This, coupled
with the flexible and smooth nib, saw iKonPen reviewing its best writer yet. Flawlessly
smooth and with an exceptionally well engineered amount of flex, this handsome nib was a
joy to write with for all our reviewers, at once bringing out the best of their penmanship
abilities, this is a pen that will show up your handwriting in the best light, in all
situations.
An absolute star in terms of ink performance, it worked well with over one dozen inks.
Drying out was a problem with Penman ebony and the large area nib and feed should be
maintained regularly. The pen does lay down a 'wettish' line, but to an extent, this was
ameliorated by the ability of the nib to respond quickly to the writers hand. In fact one
reviewer reckoned it worked in his interest, keeping a nice flow. The flow, in fact, is
very controlled, but, unlike, the Pelikan M800, the user, by virtue of the engineering in
this pen, isn't even made aware of this as an issue, it's that well designed.
The weight of the pen, where it was not a problem for the reviewer, also aided the
free-flowing writing capabilities of the pen. 'Like writing with a calligraphy pen' was
how one reviewer described it. The diameter of the pen also suits its weight and balance
and again the craftsmanship and experience of Dupont is very evident in the performance of
this pen.
The smoothness of the nib was on a par with the Symphony, with the flexibility exceeding
the performance of our reference pen the Pelikan M800. It really was a difficult task to
find one pen to compare this one with. The Serenite, in terms of design is easily its
equal, though in terms of writing performance it was beaten by a narrow margin here. The
flexibility is more controlled than Omas's Paragon nib and all told this was the best
writer we have had cross our paths.
Conclusion :
This is a wonderfully designed pen, exceptionally well built and durable, we are reminded
of the Symphony in terms of an understated power pen. Signing contracts, writing personal
letters, updating your journal, this pen is suitable for all occasions and it rises to any
occasion like no other.
This is also a prestige pen, coming from one of the World's most renowned luxury goods
houses, although this is no mere status symbol. Its design and performance blend into one
elegant solution to give a writing instrument that is fit to grace any hand that is
comfortable holding it. The Orpheo, at a stroke, fills the gap between the power pen and
the daily user. Consistent, a great performer and with easily one of the best nibs in the
business, the Dupont Orpheo is an iKonPen five star pen.
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