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I am obsessed with certain items. Watches, fountain pens and cameras. In my fountain pen collection I own a reasonable variety of well known brands:
Pelikan
Waterman
Montblanc
Parker
Cross
Shaeffer
Lamy
Waterford
Namiki
so that gives me a background to compare against. I like broad nibs the best but medium does just fine (no pun intended) for me as well as broad nibs are not always available. My writing style is that I have 'wild' swings in my writing, almost like when someone jots down a signature: forceful, fast and with swings. the other quirk is that I hold the pens slightly rotated off center. Keep this in mind when reading this review as it complicates matters for the pen a bit.
I will not go into the other brands on here but solaly focus on the Carene. I own it with a medium nib, this exact model.
About the Waterman Carene Medium nib
Size: I would call this a standard size. It is well suited for a 6' person, does not look flimsy in the hand. It might be a tad large for women but certainly not noticeable uunless you have someone like me looking at it.
Weight: this pen is relatively lightweight. The metal is light in the hand but not so light that all the writing pressure on the tip has to come from your hand. The pen has just enough weight on its own.
Balance: given the lightness of the metal the pen can be used with the cap stuck on the back without significantly altering the balance. This is important for me as I have made that a habit over the years.
Material: it appears to be a very light metal. I'd guess it is aluminum. The black front piece is a composite, much like Montblanc uses for it whole pens. The trim is silver as is the nib.
Styling: this is where the Carene really hits the home run. This pen attracts lots of "oohs and Aaaahs" and people want to hold it. Its Azure blue and silver abd black color scheme is unique and looks extremely rich. Its smooth timeless lines can be perceived as modern or minimalist. Nothing overdone on this pen and I just love it. The nib is wedged in with a bow. Look closely at the pics. Very very beautiful design!!!
Most importantly, handling: This pen has a little bit of trouble keeping up with my writing style. It sometimes fails to ink fast swings when using regular ink and requires a bit more pressire than I prefer to get the ink to flow. Since the nib is wide and short, it does not have a whole lot of flexibility so when you write sllightly tilted like me you might have to sometimes correct missing lines in your writing. Also, given the little extra pressure needed when writing I cannot use it without getting a little tired in the hands.
Conclusion: not my preferred daily writer but a gorgeous piece of functional jewelry that can be used for regular work needs. Not something you'd write a few pages in a letter with given the less forgiving nature of its design. For the price I think this is an excellent deal but look around carefully as there are big discrepancies in price online. Mine was sub 200.
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Waterman Carene Royal Blue Fine Point Fountain Pen - 41416
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