****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
Like most Waterman's, this is a stunning pen. I've had a number of Waterman's over the past 20 years, starting with the first one I bought in Paris at the Gibert Jeune store near the Notre Dame, and have been using them ever since. This particular model, though retaining essentially the exact same physical shape and style of the "Expert" series that have been sold for all these years, is different because it is made of brushed stainless steel with gold accents. Gold accents are no stranger to Waterman's, of course, but it is the brushed stainless steel--which varies between a highly elegant and a slightly used look, depending on what angle you see it at--is just delightful. It's classical in every sense of the word. Most Waterman's use a highly polished body, but this model forgoes that approach to use the brushed steel look, which really crosses the line between dressy and casual. Don't get me wrong: this is an elegant looking pen, one that you can take to any setting, but that brushing gives the pen an almost "worn" look that just makes it stand out. The photos here of the pen are accurate, but you can't easily get the full impact of the pen's looks until you see it in person. I highly recommend it.Note:As many "pen people" know, refills for these pens, including Waterman, Mont Blanc, etc., can be hideously expensive. What's not so openly said, though, is that the Japanese Pentel G2 pen refills are often more pleasant to use than the German-made ones, and, get this, they only cost about two dollars each.It's the first thing I did when I got my Waterman (which I still purchase because it remains made in France) is to remove the cartridge and replace it with the G2 refill, and it's a great writing experience. The one you want for this pen is Pilot G2 Gel Ink Refill, 2-Pack for Rolling Ball Pens, Fine Point, Blue Ink (77241)
