Waterman 12

The Waterman Model 12 is the most common Waterman eyedropper — “the basic, utilitarian” cone-cap pen with a #2 nib.¹ It is by far the most frequently encountered vintage Waterman.¹

History

Lewis Edson Waterman patented his multi-channel feed on February 12, 1884 (US Patent 293,545),² and began selling pens from behind a cigar shop at 136 Fulton Street in New York.² The earliest documented sale occurred July 11, 1883.² The cone cap design — where the cap is larger than the barrel and fits over it — was introduced around 1894-95, superseding the older straight-cap design where cap and barrel were the same diameter.¹ The Model 12 remained in production into the 1920s.³

Construction

The pen is made of hard rubber (ebonite), available in black smooth, black chased (machine-engraved pattern), or mottled red and black (MRHR).¹ The #2 nib is the standard size — small by modern standards but practical for everyday writing. Many Model 12 nibs are “wonderfully flexible — far more, proportionately, than pens from later eras.”¹

Pricing (1919 Catalog)

The 1919 Waterman catalog lists the following prices for Model 12 variants:⁴

• No. 12 plain or chased: $2.50
• No. 0712 (one gold middle band, engraved or plain): $3.50
• No. 0612 (two gold bands): $3.50
• Sterling silver overlays (Gothic, Filigree, Pansy Panel, Oriental patterns): $5.00-$7.50
• Solid gold overlay (512): $22.50+

The Numbering System

Waterman’s model numbering, standardized in fall 1908 and revised in spring 1917, encodes the pen’s features in its digits:⁵

• Units place = nib size (2 = #2 nib)
• Tens place = cap/filling type (1 = cone-cap eyedropper)
• Hundreds place = overlay material (05 = gold-filled full overlay, 4 = sterling full overlay, 5 = solid gold, 06 = two gold bands, 07 = one gold band, 08 = gold cap band, 09 = gold cap-top band)

So 0512, 412, and 512 are all the same Model 12 pen with different overlay metals: gold-filled, sterling silver, and solid gold respectively.⁵

Overlay Patterns

Overlay variants feature named patterns applied to the metal surface:⁶

• Trefoil Vine Filigree (1907-1923): Art Nouveau design, the most common filigree. Sterling, gold-filled, or solid gold.⁶
• Gothic: Geometric pattern found on 0512 and 412 variants.⁶
• Barleycorn: More popular in the UK than the USA.⁶
• Scroll, Chased, Basketweave/Bamboo (Art Deco, 1925+), Sheraton, Pansy Panel, Oriental: All documented in the overlay pattern reference.⁶
• Fine Silver Filigree (c. 1899-1903): The earliest overlays, made from .999 pure silver via electrodeposition with hand-cut piercings. Rare.⁶

Identification

Look for the barrel imprint: “L.E. Waterman Co.” or “Waterman’s Ideal.”⁷ The model number is typically stamped on the barrel end.⁵ Flexible nibs are common on early examples — test for flex by gently spreading the tines.¹ Hard rubber should be black; brown oxidation indicates sun damage or age.⁷