I bought this pen thinking it would be a good everyday pen. Actually, its a great everyday pen. It writes smoothly without skips, drip or slips; good value for money.
On the negative side, its a bit small for my hand but not too small. Refilling the converter is easy but if you don't want to use the converter, you must use Waterman's cartridges; a bit longer and smaller diameter than the standard international cartridge.
So there you have it, a good quality everyday pen. Waterman Phileas Solid Black Medium Point Fountain Pen - 19704W3
Even as a child I knew the name Waterman for fine pens. At that time, of course, Waterman pens ran hundreds of dollars, and they were a pipe dream. This one, by contrast, is usually under $50 and, while the price is much lower than the top class Waterman pens, (Phileas is their "budget" line) the quality is excellent, and you are getting a lot of pen for this money. Also, despite this being under $100, this pen is made in France, not mainland China like so many other fountain pens these days. This pen is reliable; it is easy to clean, even after months of sitting there, and it writes smoothly. What else can you ask for? Only some of the Italian pens can match this at a lower price, and those are usually pretty hard to find.
I'll start from the middle, and then work my way out. The "innards" of this fountain pen are outstanding. In terms of ink delivery and smoothness of writing, this pen is an all-star.
There are a few little but annoying problems with the Waterman Phileas, however. First of all, the nib that is supplied with the pen, a "medium" nib, writes too thickly for my taste. And replacement nibs are expensive. Second, I find the body of the pen a bit too narrow. (I am a medium-sized adult male with a medium-sized hand, so maybe this wouldn't be an issue for you.) Third, the body of the pen is plastic, and so it feels cheap, and starts looking cheap and plasticky after a few months of use. The cap is plastic, too. (Most high-end, traditional fountain pen bodies are made of metal.)
So, in sum, the actual writing ability of this fountain pen is excellent. In other areas, however, I feel this pen leaves a bit to be desired.
I ordered and received my Phileas pen, and at first could not find the cartridge or the converter, so I looked under where the pen was and voilà! When I tried writing with it, the nib was a bit broader than I had expected. I had forgotten to look at my old pens, and noticed later that they are fine nib. However, I hope to get used to my new pen. It is my first Waterman.
One more thing: the converter has very little space for ink. The manufacturers might want to replace it with one with more ink capacity.
Something else that might influence the performance of a fountain pen is whether or not the ink is fresh. Today I bought a bottle of ink locally (I didn't want it to spill in the mail) and I won't say the brand. It wrote much better. I think the new ink had something to do with that. It wasn't Waterman's ink, so there goes the theory "use the same brand of pen and ink".
After several weeks, I got used to the Phileas fountain pen, medium nib. It's a question of not pushing (I've been using a ballpoint too long) the pen but letting it glide over the paper. Now I just love writing with it. I still prefer a fine nib, however. It's a pity Amazon doesn't have the Phileas with a fine nib, it's such a comfortable pen.
Feb. 8, 2010 -- I bought this pen for much less than its current price -- unless the new price is a mistake and it comes down again in a week or so.
The seller sent me a returned/repackaged unit that looked like it has been passed around much like the maligned holiday fruit cake.
The pen body was chipped at the barrel threads, and the box looked manhandled. The "medium" nib wrote like a frayed felt tipped pen, and the light weight gave it the feel of disposable pen.
Waterman must make good pens, but this model doesn't deserve the moniker.
I promptly retuned mine.
I love my black Waterman Phileas. It writes beautifully and feels well balanced in my hand. I am (it pains me to admit) careless of my possessions - this pen has been dropped, shaken and occasionally stepped on. I carry it with me everywhere in my bag or pocket. The barrel and cap are scuffed, but still look pretty good after several years of hard use - no chips or cracks, and the gold is still shiny. It has *never* leaked. The cartridges are a snap to change, and once the new ink is flowing it never skips or blotches, even on cheap paper. My Phileas has a medium nib, which is rather bold. I also like to use a fine nib Phileas pen at times - my writing seems neater - but the medium is my "workhorse" pen.
I adore this pen so much I just bought a second one. I wanted to add this review only to say that a while ago I allowed my current pen to dry out. Completely my fault and I thought I had done irreparable damage. I called the Waterman 1-800 number and the young man told me to soak the nib in warm water for a few hours and refill the pen. I did so and it worked like a charm. The customer service was marvelous, quick, helpful and free of charge. I love the pen. No surprise there. But I am also very smitten by their customer service. That's rare. - Waterman - Fine Writing Instruments - Phileas - Fountain Pens'
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