The popularity of some pen brands has ebbed and flowed over the years, as tastes, ownership, and management change. In my mind, no company exemplifies this more than Waterman. Those of us who came of age in the 1980s and the 1990s may fondly recall Waterman as a popular brand that you would regularly see available for sale in brick-and-mortar office supply stores (remember those?), with a quality build and classy design at a lower cost than brands like Montblanc. For a brief history of Waterman pens and the modern company (which is actually a corporate descendant of the original U.S. company’s French subsidiary), check out my review of the Waterman Man 100 Patrician.
This navy blue Waterman Expert ballpoint with gold trim is the oldest pen in my collection. I think I received it when I was twelve.
Though Waterman may be a shadow of its former self, I still have a soft spot for their pens, and over the years have accumulated a micro-collection of sorts. All of my Watermans are either modern or what I would consider “near modern,” pens like the Man 100 that aren’t made anymore but are still modern enough in construction and build that I wouldn’t call them vintage. One of my favorites - and probably the first “nice” pen I’ve ever owned - is an early 1990s Waterman Expert ballpoint that a relative gifted to me for a birthday. I recently had the opportunity to add a sort-of-matching Expert fountain pen, a model I’ve never owned despite the fact that it’s still readily available at retail.
Small details such as the imprint has changed, but most of the design language remains the same over the thirty years that separate these two pens.
Since Waterman has discontinued its true entry-level options such as the Phileas and Kultur - wonderful pens that never should have been allowed to go out of production - the Expert has stood a the lower end of Waterman’s reduced lineup, at least in terms of price. While it appears that the company is introducing a few new entry-level pens that haven’t yet made it to widespread distribution in the United States, for most the Expert is their introduction to the Waterman brand.
The slanted finial is the Expert’s “signature.” I appreciate how it lends a touch of flair to an otherwise standard basic pen design.
The design of this pen has not changed over the years. I would describe the Expert as a moderately sized, streamlined pen with flat ends (though the cap finial is angled in a signature design touch). The pen features a stainless steel nib, a friction fit cap that also “clicks” to post securely, and a cartridge-converter filling system. (The pen does NOT ship with converter - a pet peeve of mine at the $100+ price point). Waterman has clearly designed the Expert to appeal to the maximum range of tastes, not only in terms of design but also size preference. It fits my moderately sized hands perfectly, and I tend to see more Experts in the workplace than any other fountain pen or rollerball, in the hands of both men and women. It’s a great “universal” size for a writing instrument - relatively lightweight and exceptionally well-balanced. The medium nib offers exactly what I expect from Waterman: reliable, moderately wet ink flow and what I consider to be a classic “Western medium” line width. Again - middle of the road, and designed to appeal to as many people as possible. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that given the market for this pen.
The perfect size for me. I could write with this pen for hours.
Notwithstanding the fact that I still love Waterman, the quality of the modern Expert doesn’t feel quite as good as on my now 30+ year-old ballpoint. That’s not necessarily surprising, since “mainstream” companies like Parker, Waterman, and even Montblanc all seem to have cut some corners in recent years, giving their modern pens a less substantial feel than those you might have picked up as recently as 10 years ago. On the Expert, it’s most noticeable on the finials. The black plastic feels harder and more brittle, whereas on my vintage version they feel more like softer resin, almost rubbery. Only time will tell whether this change in materials affects long-term durability.
Takeaways and Where to Buy
While not as ubiquitous as it used to be, you can still find Waterman fountain pens at most pen retailers. I honestly believe that this storied brand should be getting more attention than it does, especially among those of us who rely on our pens as everyday tools for the office or study and don’t necessarily need something flashy, but rather just want a predictably reliable pen that gets the job done at a reasonable cost. The Expert fountain pen retails for $185 MSRP (which is too high), but you mostly see it priced at less than $150. If you can use a discount code to get the pen down into the $125-130 range, I’d recommend this pen any day of the week.
I acquired the blue Waterman Expert featured here from site sponsor Pen Chalet, which currently has the pen priced at $147.35. There’s always a 10% discount code floating around (such as the current “FREEDOM” Fourth of July promotion), which gets the pen to a very attractive price point. For an extra $15 or so, you can opt for the “Deluxe” version with an engraved metal cap.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which allows me to receive a small commission, payable in store credit, that I use to acquire additional pens to review on the site. It’s one of many ways I support the blog.