Waterman Registry
Image coming soon

Waterman · c. 1890s-1910s

Waterman 6

★★★★☆ $200-500
Eyedropper
Filling System Eyedropper
Nib 14k gold (#6)
Material Black hard rubber
Colors Black (smooth), Black (chased)

The Waterman Model 6 was the largest straight-cap eyedropper in Waterman’s 1897 catalogue.1

History

According to FPN member penuria, “The 6 is the nib size and the pen number. It was the biggest early eyedropper at the time according to the 1897 catalogue. In plain black it cost $6 in 1897.”1 FPN member Johnny Appleseed confirms that “Waterman continued to produce the single-digit straight-cap model numbers well past the introduction of the 1X series,” citing a 1905 advertisement listing “straight cap models 2 G.M. - 6 G.M.”1

Construction

Made of black hard rubber with a #6 nib — a large pen by the standards of the era.1 The straight cap (same diameter as barrel) is the oldest Waterman cap design.2 In the pre-1917 numbering system, the single digit serves as both model number and nib size, and the absence of a tens digit indicates a straight-cap eyedropper.3

Rarity

Straight-cap eyedroppers are “rather rare, especially with nibs larger than #4,”2 making the Model 6 a particularly scarce find. The #6 is at the top of the confirmed straight-cap range from the 1905 advertisement.1

  1. FPN members penuria and Johnny Appleseed, “Waterman eyedropper” thread, Fountain Pen Network. Link. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  2. David Nishimura, “Waterman Eyedroppers,” vintagepens.com. Link. ↩ ↩2

  3. David Nishimura, “Waterman Model Numbers,” vintagepens.com. Link. ↩

Eyedropper Era