What a splendid review indeed. I’m glad I chanced upon this channel today. I’m extremely fond of Waterman pens. Along with Sheaffer, this brand was my gateway to the wonderful world of fountain pens. I’ll always have special feelings for Sheaffer and Waterman pens. I don’t have the Embleme. I was quite tempted to buy the ivory one just before Christmas - and then I got distracted and bought my second Sheaffer Legacy II instead. The comments here on the nib is somewhat discouraging. All my Waterman pens (I have eight) have sublime smooth nibs. So, I’ve been spoilt by that expectation from Waterman. I reckon I’ll get the Embleme anyway. Then, only the extraordinary and elusive Edson will be the Waterman I covet but still don’t have. What’s your favourite Waterman pen. Mine is arguably the Exception. Though I guess I love my two Carenes and the Charleston just as much. Thanks for the review.
I held off buying an Embleme for quite a while but finally did it a while back. Waterman Phileas was my entryway pen. I love my Edson. I have the Boucheron edition but would also like a regular version. I also have a Carene and an Exception. I love my Carene, probably more than the Exception. I have yet to pick up a Charleston, though. My favorite Waterman is actually a vintage 58.
Troy LaPlante ...Cool of you to reply, bud! Yea, Waterman have put out a bevy of outstanding pens. Like I said, only the Edson remains in my bucket list of desires. If I can find one in very good condition at a sane price somewhere I’ll snap it in a heartbeat. The Charleston is fantastic. You’ll love the blatant art-deco stylings and the 18k nib is arguably just as great as the irresistible Carene’s. Waterman is just outstanding. Even the pen I love least - the Perspective - is pretty cool in its own right. As is the Hemisphere that I find rather too slender and small for my usual preferences in pens. But a great writer nevertheless. The wonderful Phileas was my own first Waterman. A keeper, no kidding! The Exception is so unique and so very lovely. It’s also the priciest Waterman I’ve bought so far - a steep $360. Worth every dollar, though. I’ll have to maybe binge-watch many of your other review videos.
Florida blue large cartridge. Almost the same measurements as the Expert III only 2 grams heavyer. Thanks for the video to compaire with the Expert III. April2021 Emblème fountain pen €39,95-€74,50 🇳🇱
I recently acquired this pen in ivory from Amazon on sale for a bit over $30. It is my first Waterman pen. At what I paid is overpriced. The nib is not smooth and I would grade the size more similar to a Lamy F than a M. I know fountain pens are very personal, but I have been disappointed with virtually all "classic" brands I have purchased - Cross, Parker, and now Waterman. I have had better luck with Sheaffer, more so the 300 and Award, less so the 100. If you are interested in a fountain pen get something else.
@@fountainpenfanatic Thanks so much! Just my opinion, but always better that way. Very irritating when join marks ruin the look and feel. Like the hemisphere! Nice looking pen, ruined by the grip!
For medium, this is pretty narrow. I have medium Hemisphére that is like broad in comparison with this. It has reworked nib so there is that but man, maybe different lines have different measurement?
I'm really enjoying my recent Expert purchase. It has such a satisfying click when capping it, nice weight. Looking forward to your review. Inks? Serenity Blue ink is a firm favourite and reasonably priced. Switched to Pilot Asa-Gao, nice wet ink, flows well that dries fast, but pricey.
Pilot inks are definitely on the higher end, which is why I don't own a lot of them. I do have a small bottle of asa-gao, though. It isn't a bad ink. I am a fan of Serenity Blue myself. I have three Experts and have been debating whether to do a video or not.
@@fountainpenfanatic Please do. I know you like the Phileas, so maybe you could do a compare and contrast with the Expert, if not just an outright standalone review?
Aloha Troy! This is an interesting pen, but the price seems high for what it is? Last year, I picked up a Waterman Graduate (I believe that is model?) and thought it was okay, but not any better than most of the Chinese pens. I guess it's the Parker Jotter equivalent from Waterman, so maybe not even worth mentioning! I did like the ink that came with it, which I am guessing is Waterman Mysterious Blue? I am on a quest to find a blue-black ink that comes close to the one in a Pilot Petit1, but so far haven't found anything that comes close, so may just stick to a dark blue and the Waterman cartridge may fit the bill. Now that I think about it, even the Kaweco blue that came with my Classic Sport would also be a good contender? Any thoughts? Mahalo, Thomas
There are other blue inks, but none currently on the market from Waterman that are like Serenity blue. It is my assumption that it is Serenity Blue, which is an ink I use often.
I agree that the Graduate is not as good. I have one and it is "okay", nothing special. Since Waterman does not even mention it on their own site, I did not mention the model. However, I have thought about giving one away since I have two of them. Mysterious Blue is more of a blue/black ink than it is blue. I have used a few blue/blacks. My very first one was by Hero years ago. It worked awesome in my Phileas but horrible in my Lamy 2000. DeAtrementis has a decent blue/black. Noodler's 54th Massachussetts is almost a blue-black. I also like Birmingham Pens Pennsylvania Railroad Boiler Steam blue-black. I am not familiar with the Kaweco blue cartridge and Kaweco ink at all, since it takes a standard international short cartridge and I have a stock of them, as well as a converter for the Sport. Since I am not a fan of the Sport, I almost never use it.
Oh, and I agree with you that the Emblème is a bit over priced for what it is, but not totally unreasonable compared to some of the pens I have seen recently, especially from Kenro and Yafa.
@@fountainpenfanatic , thanks for the replies. I have put Waterman's Serenity Blue on my wish list! I actually just placed an order at the Pen Chalet yesterday, so I just missed an opportunity to pick up that ink, but to make me feel better, it does show that it's out of stock. At the moment, especially after seeing what I am getting with supposedly Serenity Blue in my Graduate pen, I will stop trying to find the ultimate blue-black since I am liking the dark blue from Waterman. Thanks for your comments on your experience with a few blue-black inks. I made the mistake (or maybe not!) of ordering a bottle of Lamy blue-black in the previously mentioned Pen Chalet order, so I will find out by next weekend what I think of it. The ink cartridge that came with my Kaweco Sport has a more purple look compared to the Waterman, so that is no longer on my "to try" list. For what it's worth, the fine nib with my Kaweco Sport is much broader than the fine nib on the Graduate and of course much smoother. I too have mixed feeling about my Kaweco Sport and with supposedly a JoWo nib, it should be quite good. Will need to use it with other inks to really tell how much I like it. Enjoy your upcoming (short?) work week. Mahalo from Kauai, Thomas
I love waterman pens.. I recently got a carene and it’s divine!
What a splendid review indeed. I’m glad I chanced upon this channel today. I’m extremely fond of Waterman pens. Along with Sheaffer, this brand was my gateway to the wonderful world of fountain pens. I’ll always have special feelings for Sheaffer and Waterman pens.
I don’t have the Embleme. I was quite tempted to buy the ivory one just before Christmas - and then I got distracted and bought my second Sheaffer Legacy II instead.
The comments here on the nib is somewhat discouraging. All my Waterman pens (I have eight) have sublime smooth nibs. So, I’ve been spoilt by that expectation from Waterman. I reckon I’ll get the Embleme anyway. Then, only the extraordinary and elusive Edson will be the Waterman I covet but still don’t have. What’s your favourite Waterman pen. Mine is arguably the Exception. Though I guess I love my two Carenes and the Charleston just as much. Thanks for the review.
I held off buying an Embleme for quite a while but finally did it a while back. Waterman Phileas was my entryway pen. I love my Edson. I have the Boucheron edition but would also like a regular version. I also have a Carene and an Exception. I love my Carene, probably more than the Exception. I have yet to pick up a Charleston, though. My favorite Waterman is actually a vintage 58.
Troy LaPlante ...Cool of you to reply, bud! Yea, Waterman have put out a bevy of outstanding pens. Like I said, only the Edson remains in my bucket list of desires. If I can find one in very good condition at a sane price somewhere I’ll snap it in a heartbeat. The Charleston is fantastic. You’ll love the blatant art-deco stylings and the 18k nib is arguably just as great as the irresistible Carene’s. Waterman is just outstanding. Even the pen I love least - the Perspective - is pretty cool in its own right. As is the Hemisphere that I find rather too slender and small for my usual preferences in pens. But a great writer nevertheless. The wonderful Phileas was my own first Waterman. A keeper, no kidding! The Exception is so unique and so very lovely. It’s also the priciest Waterman I’ve bought so far - a steep $360. Worth every dollar, though. I’ll have to maybe binge-watch many of your other review videos.
Florida blue large cartridge. Almost the same measurements as the Expert III only 2 grams heavyer. Thanks for the video to compaire with the Expert III. April2021 Emblème fountain pen €39,95-€74,50 🇳🇱
Is it better than Waterman Allure. Thanks.
I recently acquired this pen in ivory from Amazon on sale for a bit over $30. It is my first Waterman pen. At what I paid is overpriced. The nib is not smooth and I would grade the size more similar to a Lamy F than a M. I know fountain pens are very personal, but I have been disappointed with virtually all "classic" brands I have purchased - Cross, Parker, and now Waterman. I have had better luck with Sheaffer, more so the 300 and Award, less so the 100. If you are interested in a fountain pen get something else.
Hi, does it have join marks along the side of the grip? Or does it appear to be a "turned" grip?
The section does not have any of the join marks you would find from injection molding fused parts. It is smooth like lathe turned resin.
@@fountainpenfanatic Thanks so much! Just my opinion, but always better that way. Very irritating when join marks ruin the look and feel. Like the hemisphere! Nice looking pen, ruined by the grip!
For medium, this is pretty narrow. I have medium Hemisphére that is like broad in comparison with this. It has reworked nib so there is that but man, maybe different lines have different measurement?
I do occasionally run across a medium that is more like a fine and also mediums that write more like a broad nib.
I'm really enjoying my recent Expert purchase. It has such a satisfying click when capping it, nice weight. Looking forward to your review.
Inks? Serenity Blue ink is a firm favourite and reasonably priced. Switched to Pilot Asa-Gao, nice wet ink, flows well that dries fast, but pricey.
Pilot inks are definitely on the higher end, which is why I don't own a lot of them. I do have a small bottle of asa-gao, though. It isn't a bad ink. I am a fan of Serenity Blue myself.
I have three Experts and have been debating whether to do a video or not.
@@fountainpenfanatic Please do. I know you like the Phileas, so maybe you could do a compare and contrast with the Expert, if not just an outright standalone review?
Aloha Troy! This is an interesting pen, but the price seems high for what it is? Last year, I picked up a Waterman Graduate (I believe that is model?) and thought it was okay, but not any better than most of the Chinese pens. I guess it's the Parker Jotter equivalent from Waterman, so maybe not even worth mentioning! I did like the ink that came with it, which I am guessing is Waterman Mysterious Blue? I am on a quest to find a blue-black ink that comes close to the one in a Pilot Petit1, but so far haven't found anything that comes close, so may just stick to a dark blue and the Waterman cartridge may fit the bill. Now that I think about it, even the Kaweco blue that came with my Classic Sport would also be a good contender? Any thoughts? Mahalo, Thomas
After watching a video review of Waterman Serenity Blue, that seems to be my guess on the ink cartridge included with Waterman pens? Any thoughts?
There are other blue inks, but none currently on the market from Waterman that are like Serenity blue. It is my assumption that it is Serenity Blue, which is an ink I use often.
I agree that the Graduate is not as good. I have one and it is "okay", nothing special. Since Waterman does not even mention it on their own site, I did not mention the model. However, I have thought about giving one away since I have two of them. Mysterious Blue is more of a blue/black ink than it is blue. I have used a few blue/blacks. My very first one was by Hero years ago. It worked awesome in my Phileas but horrible in my Lamy 2000. DeAtrementis has a decent blue/black. Noodler's 54th Massachussetts is almost a blue-black. I also like Birmingham Pens Pennsylvania Railroad Boiler Steam blue-black.
I am not familiar with the Kaweco blue cartridge and Kaweco ink at all, since it takes a standard international short cartridge and I have a stock of them, as well as a converter for the Sport. Since I am not a fan of the Sport, I almost never use it.
Oh, and I agree with you that the Emblème is a bit over priced for what it is, but not totally unreasonable compared to some of the pens I have seen recently, especially from Kenro and Yafa.
@@fountainpenfanatic , thanks for the replies. I have put Waterman's Serenity Blue on my wish list! I actually just placed an order at the Pen Chalet yesterday, so I just missed an opportunity to pick up that ink, but to make me feel better, it does show that it's out of stock. At the moment, especially after seeing what I am getting with supposedly Serenity Blue in my Graduate pen, I will stop trying to find the ultimate blue-black since I am liking the dark blue from Waterman. Thanks for your comments on your experience with a few blue-black inks. I made the mistake (or maybe not!) of ordering a bottle of Lamy blue-black in the previously mentioned Pen Chalet order, so I will find out by next weekend what I think of it. The ink cartridge that came with my Kaweco Sport has a more purple look compared to the Waterman, so that is no longer on my "to try" list. For what it's worth, the fine nib with my Kaweco Sport is much broader than the fine nib on the Graduate and of course much smoother. I too have mixed feeling about my Kaweco Sport and with supposedly a JoWo nib, it should be quite good. Will need to use it with other inks to really tell how much I like it. Enjoy your upcoming (short?) work week. Mahalo from Kauai, Thomas
does anyone know where can i get a converter for this pen? have searched online but can’t find.
They are fairly easy to find on eBay or any Waterman distributor. I have bought them mostly from Amazon.
First in!
Great review. The beating drums make it very unwatchable.