A LONG TIME COMING: Waterman Carene Fountain Pen Review

[@jwdyss]

Great review for a beautiful pen!

[@amyfeigt6715]

I just got one second hand that arrived yesterday! I had to get a converter for it which should arrive tomorrow. I can't wait to ink it up! Very happy that I was able to find the Marine Amber color in a fine nib for a decent price.

[@Mr-Safology]

I've been eyeing that same marine amber for a while now :⁠-⁠). Enjoy it Amy and stay safe 👍🏼

[@shazzagirl9803]

Thanks for another great review Mick. You've inspired me to pull mine out and ink it up. Its been a while since I have. Mine is black with a wavy gold cap. Just a felight to write with too

[@paulmchugh1430]

I have to get this pen. But there have been some many pens that intrigue me, the choice of which one to get makes the choice difficult. I have thought that the nib writes wide, like Pelikan nibs. But this example is very nice. Great review Mick.

[@tim9059]

Great video, Mick! It bumped the Carène up to the top of my wishlist. Would you say it writes like a ´true´ fine or more like a medium?

[@sajjadhusain4146]

Mine with the F nib writes like a very true Western fine. The M nib on my other Carene that I’ve sold wrote just a little wider than you’d expect from a medium.

[@Ghuirm]

i ordered one, the reflections of paris edition. look forward to receiving it in the net few week or two, i write aot at my job and i look forward to a pen i will actually take care of instead of discarding it when it runs low

[@kjmav10135]

I have it in a Medium, and I LOVE it!

[@sajjadhusain4146]

I own most of the modern Waterman pens and love them all. I’ve often called the Carene the supermodel in the Waterman stable of beauties. I used to own two Carenes. I sold one and kept the Essential Silver model with the F nib, which will never leave my collection. It’s a keeper. I remember buying my two Carene pens for $265 apiece. Totally worth it. I only wish I had the stub nib which I reckon I’d like even more. The only ‘cons’ I imagine could be that the nib is very stiff which some people won’t like at all. And inlaid nibs seem to bother some users with ink getting to the fingers if you grip too low and the finger slides down and touch the nib. Neat review of a timeless and terrific pen, Mick. Happy to see you own and love it, too. I did recommend the wonderful Waterman Charleston to you, did I not?

[@theoffstageme]

You absolutely did recommend it, and it is on my list for sure!!!

[@timothylivingston4135]

I bough this pen for my wife. She loves it. It writes so smooth and the way it feels in the hand is lovely.

[@ricfraser7436]

Great review. I've had my eye on the amber one for a while but I just got the Nahvalur Year of the dragon so this will ha e to wait lol.

[@user-gl5ld9vm7i]

Mick. Which nib is smoother? The Pilot e95s, or the Waterman carene nib?

[@theoffstageme]

Tough one. I don’t own an e95s, but I’ve used them… and they are lovely. Maybe a touch softer than the Carene nib (but not at all flexxy). In terms of smoothness, I would say the Pilot might just win out.

[@joem.383]

I have the e95s Elite and it writes wonderfully! Med nib and smooth as buttah! Got one for my wife too….in the Champaign merlot color. I have the std black. Paid just over $100 and would buy again. Love the similar inlaid gold nib!

[@dogukantemel2552]

Excellent pen, yet I enjoy Waterman Exception Essence d’Bleu more.

[@jamesfahey7188]

I have one of these in fine and it’s one of my least used pen. It feels like writing with a nail and I really have to drag the thing across the page. The lid and converter creates a vacuum and sucks ink out. I actually returned my original one because it had the worst case of baby’s bottom I have ever encountered. It’s a beautiful looking pen, but very frustrating to use. You’d be much better off with the Lamy 2000, a pen made by a family company that cares about its products and not some unloved brand that forms the portfolio of some larger company.

[@jwdyss]

(imho), sounds like an advertisement for Lamy. 🙄 If Lamy cares so much, they would fix the quality control with the outrageous inconsistency of one of their most popular selling pens...the Safari. Nib width sizing is all over the place. EF's that write like F or even Medium, Fines that are Broads, I've had them all. You never know what nib surprise you'll get next. Please... talk to the hand 🤚🏻, it's really a joke to take this further.

[@jamesfahey7188]

@@jwdyss well you’re the one who’s taken it further and telling me to talk to the hand is rude. I agree that Lamy’s QC has fallen away in recent years and that’s a shame. The whole industry seems to be bedevilled with QC issues. If I had my choice I’d choose neither Lamy or Waterman, but Pilot. I just think that Waterman is a jejune brand and part of that is being a subsidiary of a parent company that doesn’t value the company and its history. I should note that you didn’t actually address any of my substantive criticisms about the Carene. Go buy a Mont Blanc man.

[@journalwithtiff7221]

Do you have the green? Since you're unhappy with it, are you looking to sell? If so please let me know.

[@FrancoisTHX]

LAMY is a family run company no more. I agree that LAMY's quality control is rather poor - despite them gaslighting you every time you report an issue - and that Waterman's is far from the best, but as LAMY sometimes repairs your pens for free, even so without having to show a warranty card, Waterman also sometimes does; It is the only two brands I know of that still stand behind their products in that way, and there is still a number of employees at Waterman who are from the "good old days" and work with passion. I have had quite a few issues with both (several) Carènes and 2000s, but I'd take a good Carène over a good 2000 any day for writing experience and comfort.