Waterman Early Crusader

In a post on January 24, 2011, I wrote about the restoration of a 1948 or later Waterman Crusader. Waterman introduced their Taperite pens in the mid 1940s, partly in response to the success of the Parker 51 and other streamline pen designs.  The pen restored here is also a Waterman Crusader, however an earlier model, pre-1948.

Following is an advertisement from my collection that dates to 1947, showing that this is, of course, the Pen That Pleases Everyone!  Priced at $5.00, it was aggressively priced compared to its competitors, which would have included the Parker 51, and the Sheaffer Triumphs / Touchdowns.

Below is a photo of the pen (and matching pencil) after I took them apart.  As you can see, it was lightly used, as the sac is still pliable and everything is fairly clean.   As I have mentioned before – unless there is a perceived problem with the nib or section, it is better to leave the section/feed/nib intact.  The plastic used on these late 40s Waterman’s is not sturdy and prone to cracking, even when great care is taken.  There was some dried ink on the nib, so I gave the assembly a bath in an ultrasonic cleaner, which cleaned out the ink and polished up the hooded nib.  The sac size is 16 and I attached a new one to the section, attaching the clutch ring to the barrel before reassembly.

The inner cap of the pencil had become disengaged from the cap, so I coated it with a thin layer of super glue and let it sit over night after reattaching it to the inside of the cap.  This allows the cap to grip the metal portion of the pencil and turn it to move the lead in and out.

Below is the completed pen and pencil set.  The pen measures 5 3/16 inches closed and 6 1/8 inches posted.  The pencil measures 5 3/8 inches. Taperites were available in several colors.  This pen is a dark blue.  I have also seen it in black.

A photo of the Taperite “hooded” nib and the eraser assembly.  The 0.9mm leads are stored underneath the eraser for easy access.

Below is a photo of the two generations of Crusader, albeit both short lived a very close together.  From my experience, the later pen is easier to find today, though its cap is often difficult to find in good condition.

Finally, a close up of a correct time period ink bottle from Waterman, also depicted in the advertisement above.

Sold as a value pen in its day, it can still be found at relatively low prices compared to some of its contemporaries.  Not a bad pen to add to your collection or to your pocket…

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