Waterman Carene Grey Lacquer Silver Trim Medium Nib Fountain Pen, Gift Boxed

Already owning a Waterman Carene Black Lacquer Silver Trim I decided to purchase a Carene Essential Silver Wave. The Carene is one of the nicest fountain pens out there. Classy looking and a beautifully smooth writer and the aesthetics of the Silver Wave tick all the boxes.However the nib was considerably narrower than my own model and wrote more like a fine nib. Also it became obvious very quickly that the nib leaked ink. Right from the first fill I had an issue. I tried to tough it out for a day or two in the hope it would settle but it didn't. In the end I had to reluctantly return it for a refund.The Carene is a beautiful pen to write with and to look at but reading around there are issues with the nibs so beware. If you get a good model it is brilliant but frustrating if you get a less than perfect example. I give this 4 stars overall because I have a 5 star model but I bought a second model that was mechanically just about 3 stars.

Once I got over the fact that it is not the nice mid grey colour it looks in the image - it is charcoal and looks almost navy in some light- I was quite pleased with it. Has a smart matt finish, is comfortable to hold and writes very smoothly, compact as opposed to large. I usually use black ink but the enclosed 'serenity blue' ink cartridge is quite nice. Comes in a suedette-lined blue presentation box with compartment for cartridge etc. I was concerned no invoice enclosed but original order confirmation can be used for warranty purpose, I am assured by the nice people at Watermans. Hopefully, anything I write with it will not be as uninteresting as the above. Star missing for the angst it caused me over colour difference and missing invoice.

I bought this pen as a long term keepsake with the proceeds of a long service award, expecting it to last a lifetime.It was a lovely pen, nice to hold and beautifully smooth to write with. I looked after it well, always kept it in the presentation box, always used genuine Waterman inks, and never dropped it. However, it developed a crack all the way around the nib barrel, which can only have been the result of a manufacturing or material defect, so the pen is now useless unless the nib is replaced (about £90). For such an expensive fine writing instrument this has clearly not lasted a reasonable length of time. I have complained several times to Waterman who have so far not offered to repair or replace the pen or nib. Their best offer amounts to selling me a new pen at a discount of 15% compared to the Amazon price.If you are considering buying a fine writing instrument for yourself, or as a gift, I would advise avoiding Waterman, as this premature failure combined with Waterman refusing to repair or replace, has destroyed my confidence in their brand.Update: Waterman have now told me that this is NOT a manufacturing defect! Therefore we have to conclude that ANY of their pens could suffer a similar catastrophic failure in normal use. DO NOT BUY!

Elegant and beautifully made, this pen is a joy to write with. The price is high but this feels like a very high quality pen.

This is a really lovely pen. The nib is very unique and so far it writes like a dream. Very smooth indeed. Use it with some nice paper and it will reward you. The pen itself is thing of beauty and I ordered the Blue Obsession as I'm sick of having black pens all the time. The colour of the pen is superb and the build quality is excellent. The pen comes complete in a Waterman presentation box with instructions, a box of large blue cartridges and also an ink convertor.I should add that when I first received this pen it was in a strange 'Parker' box with 'Parker' instructions, no convertor and no ink cartridges. The pen had also clearly been used and the box was dirty. I immediately activated the Amazon returns process which in my experience is superb. I started the process on a Saturday afternoon and had received a perfect replacement by Monday before I'd even returned the first package. Excellent work Amazon.

Beautiful deep lacquer in a red colour similar to that on the Dunhill AD2000.The Carene is the greatest bargain in the Waterman lineup. I own (gulp) nine separate versions of this, and every one is a wet, skip-free write straight out of the box when using Waterman cartridges.Quality is high, and the inlaid nibs are solid 18kt gold.Nibs are a little in the broad side- a 'M' is edging towards broad, while an 'F' is close to medium.You also can't post the cap safely.Waterman presents them well- all come with a converter and a box of 8 blue cartridges. There are many very very expensive pens now supplied without, so Waterman should be congratulated.Buy a fountain pen and a bottle of ink- it's much more environmentally friendly than a disposable ballpoint and your writing will be so much nicer.These are my favourite pens by a country mile.

After a lot of research, I ordered this pen as a present from a loved one and I am thrilled. My old fountain pens (also presents) had standard medium nibs as I hadn't had a choice and so I ordered a fine nib because my handwriting is small, this is perfect, as with previous reviews, very smooth. It looks beautiful too and feels more substantial with the silver cap.Initially, I ordered the all blue Carene pen but when it came the box was broken and being all blue, felt a bit plasticy, Amazon replaced immediately and this pen with the silver cap looks so much more beautiful and more visible in my handbag.

This pen was offered at a very competitive price. It came with a medium nib which I didn't like so I sent the pen off to Waterman who replaced the nib with a fine one at no cost other than my postage to them. The pen came in an attractive presentation box with a couple of converters and a small box of cartridges. It looks and feels good. It is well balanced in the hand whether posted or not and the nib is very smooth giving a consistent even flow. It is a welcome addition to my small collection of fountain pens. Highly recommended.