Waterman Carène Black Sea Fountain Pen | High-Gloss Black with Palladium Plated Trim | Medium Nib with Blue Ink Cartridge | Gift Box

This pen really has the 'wow' factor. From the box to the opening up revealing the pen, to picking it and using it. Even my Dad, the most perpetually 'unimpressed' man in the world went 'oooooh' when he held it. The weight, the balance, the look of it and the attention to detail is something else. I could wax lyrical about how it looks and feels for a thousand words if I let myself. So I'll stop there and comment about the use of it! Before you even insert a cartridge or fill up the enclosed ink converter I STRONGLY advise you to flush the nib through with luke warm water (filtered and previously boiled) and leave to dry in the usual manner before use. I read a review from another site prior to this arriving where the journalist jumped straight in and experienced lots of hard starts and stalling. Leading to frustration and disappointment. But I just couldn't wait and ignored the advise to flush before use. And what happened? All of the above. I was crestfallen and it was compounded by the nib been much thicker than any 'M' I'd used before. My writing was a MESS! So what was it like once I'd followed the advice? Beautiful. Silky smooth and fluid lines, even strokes, a nice dark ink line without been overly wet and it is making me WANT to pick it up and write for no reason at all! I've tried it on everything from cheap to expensive paper and it is gorgeous on all. If only a little impractical on some due to feathering, but that is a fault of the paper not the pen. I refuse to criticise the pen because the 'M' nib is far thicker than any I have used because I broke the golden rule of fountain buying by doing so without trying it first. So buyer beware on that one if you're considering it. Is it worth the money and will you REALLY notice the difference in experience than say with a £40 or £50 pen? Yes, 100% yes. I have a range of pens up to about £80 and it was a big leap to buy one this expensive (although cheaper on Amazon at the time when I got it), so I feel qualified to make the recommendation here. The only issue is that I think, having discovered the beauty and joy of very nice fountain pens, I'm going to bankrupt myself! Buy this. You won't regret it. **Update April 2015** The inside of the cap had slowly scored the nib barrel over the course of a few months. I'd written it off as a wear thing as I used the pen daily and didn't want to be too 'precious' about things. I could feel the cap rubbing against the barrel but thought nothing of the damage it may be doing beyond a little bit of annoyance at the marks on the pen housing. Much to my horror as I began to write one morning the lower section sheared in two. Fortunately there was so little ink left in the reservoir I ruined nothing more than a few pages of a notebook. All credit to Waterman though, they assessed the pen under warranty, shipping it to France from the UK repair centre as it was felt to be unusual enough to warrant the manufacturer to examine it individually. It took a while but the pen was returned with a new barrel, new nib, and a repaired cap to ensure it didn't happen again. It wouldn't put me off buying a Waterman again and I include it purely as a note of caution if you start to see the same happening to your carene. Whilst a very unusual failure and resulting outcome I did find a few other instances of this happening to others. I can't fault the way Waterman handled the matter and my only downside is that having used the pen every day for nearly a year the new nib doesn't feel quite the same having not being 'broken in'.

I have purchased many of these carene fountain pens now largely due the fact I kept dropping them! Be warned if you do drop this pen the gold nib will bend and will be useless I speak from personal experience, you can however replace just the nib but it's often cheaper just to replace the entire pen believe it or not . The pen arrives in a beautiful blue hinged presentation box inside is lined with a cream Suede cushioned lining underneath is a pack of blue ink cartridges and a converter so there's no need to buy either on purchase. The writing style of this pen is quite simply sublime it produces a smooth even flowing script with no drips or splotches . Unlike traditional fountain pens the carene has a rounded nib similar in shape to the very cheap Parker vector pens. That is the only thing That's the only thing this pen has in common with cheaper brands the Parker nib can feel somewhat scratchy where as the carene always feels smooth ,This pen is a thing of beauty it looks good and feels good it's got a nice solid weight making for a very evenly balanced fountain pen:not too heavy not too light. Both the medium nib and fine nib are pleasant to write with . The medium obviously produces a thicker script and the fine nib is as it says on the tin. I will never change fountain pen brands again I am a fan for life. For those who find the price excessive Amazon are the cheapest yes it's expensive but you won't be disappointed this pen They do often dramatically reduce the cost so it's worth keeping an eye out .

Nice quality of this L’essance du blue fountain pen! Writes well, smooth & holding balance is good. If you appreciate good quality writing pens, get this before they hold no more stocks.

Beautiful looking pen. The colour is amazing, its sleek shape is gorgeous. Really nice to hold and use. Its not heavy but not too light. When it's writing at full flow it's a joy to use, but at times it stops and starts, which is annoying. I tend to wet a corner of the paper and scribble on that to get it going, but have to repeat this several times. Some days it writes perfectly, at full flow, other days its temperamental . . . I think it has a mind of its own. Lol Still very much worth it.

I like fountain pens. It's my guilty pleasure. I like collecting new, old, cheap and expensive. I just like how they are superior to every other writing medium, well that's how I see it. I have found some cheap gems and some very expensive stinkers (that's you Mont Blanc <insert any model they make here>). This pen sits comfortably in the affordable end, but still be a considerable amount to spend and therefore needs to be good at what it does. This *is* good at what it does. It has a kind of pleasant sexy (hmm yes I just said that..) feel and look about it, but doesn't trade off writing ability. The nib is really first class for this price and it will serve you well for years to come. Unfussy ink converter size that has the ability to take standard cartridges also, so no need to buy bottled ink if you don't want to (but go on... just try it... once you do you will never go back to cartridges). Oops, doing my stationary pushing thing again. Sorry. A lovely pen that would make a generous statement gift, or better still present for yourself. Enjoy!

It was a visit from the Area Dean (which probably isn't a common opening comment for an Amazon review) that inspired me to buy one of these. He was using a fountain pen on a standard piece of paper and it was obviously the pen he used on a daily basis. I'd always thought that fountain pens were too messy for every day use and although I'd considered purchasing a good quality pen for several years had never actually got round to it. He bought his pen, a Waterman, from John Lewis - I checked and their price for this pen at the time I purchased it for £108 from Amazon, was £190. The pen is really easy to write with, no pressure required, which I guess you would expect for this kind of price range. With a decent quality ink, it dries really quickly so unless you have a habit of rubbing your hand across the words you've just written, the drying time isn't really an issue. I wish I'd realised that the pen comes with the attachment you need to use bottled ink, as I bought that separately and now have an unused spare one. In retrospect, I think a fine nib, rather than medium, would have probably been more use as a pen for daily use but I can't deduct a star for that - it really is a fine pen at an outstanding price and if you're thinking of purchasing a good quality pen then I'd definitely recommend this one.

On opening the amazon package I was pleasantly surprised to find the waterman had come in its original display box as some pens on amazon don’t. I had held my breath fearing the worst that my pen may have been subjected to a trip to my house in a plastic bag, or even worse, made to face the elements, and Britain's bumpy roads, just stuffed inside an envelope. But no, I could breath again, my pessimism was thankfully unfounded. Opening the box revealed the pen in all its black, plasticky glory. Avoiding temptation, I stopped short of hauling the pen out immediately and decided to check out what other goodies were stuffed inside. Ink cartridge… check Ink Reservoir… check Manual… Manual? Or at least I thought it was. In actual fact it turned out to be a 30 page document outlining your legal rights as a waterman pen holder. As if anybody will ever read it. After ignoring added value legal book came the moment I was waiting for. I slid the pen out of the case and held it aloft in my hand. It was a fine looking pen. Shapely and sexy to the look and touch. As I rotated it the Golden accents gleamed and there on the bezel rotated into view it had Waterman etched into the side. I was in pen nirvana! The pen whispered to me Use me! Use me! And I dutifully obliged. She (yes, she) was thick. Much thicker than my lamy and far thicker than I was used to having between my little fingers. And she had a weight and heft to her that a body builder would have been proud of. This was a pen built to last. As wide as a tank and as heavy as one. Yet the Carene was elegant. With a unique maritime inspired Gold nib that looked shaped and ready to cut through the 7 seas. The Bow front that is the signature of the Carene pen series. On filling the pen with Waterman bottled ink, I was trembling with writers anticipation. Notebook ready, Pen on paper, And… Ow what a mess! I now understand clearly why the pen was made half boat half writing tool. Everytime I put ink down on paper a river gushed forth onto the paper page as wide and ferocious as the amazon. A moments pause of the tip would spring up pools and eddies of ink that would engulf even the most powerful of verbs. The nib, a medium, was as far as I could tell was designed to deluge the page and destroy word and sentence alike. To add insult to the situation the pen, every 3 or 4 seconds, would, for reason unexplainable by physics, turn off. Then turn back on. Every fountain pens owner's nightmare. The pen skipped. I tried cleaning the pen multiple times. I tried different inks but nothing could stop the problem. The pen was either trying to drown me in ink or refused to work. I had before me a beautiful pen that makes handwriting look like I've been stabbing at my notebook page all day with an ultra wide white board marker. Up to this point i thought it might just be a problem with the nib but i was wrong. I write with a very shallow angle with a pen and unfortunately this meant the carene nib underside, which protrudes like a boat's keel, would sit on the paper instead of the tip. This made it difficult for me to write unless I opted for a hand position that was alien to me. Sorry waterman, I won't be changing my writing style that has worked for 28 years for you. So the Waterman Carene is a beautiful pen to look at and pick up but, for me, it’s a let down. It fails at its most basic purpose: to write well. I was so looking forward to a premium pen experience but I got the exact opposite. How disappointing. Back to my trusty lamy I go then. Summary. Shallow pen grip may hinder use Beautiful design 18ct Gold nib Skipping Pooling of ink Very wide for a medium nib Cheaper pens write better Poor nib underside design

This fountain pen is a work of art. It sits well in my hand and glides effortlessly across the paper there is no sign of any ink bleed from the nib. The weight of the pen is just right for me. My handwriting style has improved. It is expensive but you have to pay for quality. The nib size is wider than I would usually buy but I do not see this as a negative. The attention to detail in the construction of this pen is fantastic.

Great customer service. Bought it after Christmas. Dropped it by accident damaging the nibs. Sent it to Waterman for repairs. Just got it back like new without charge. Made my day!!! Thank you.

good produce

Purtroppo la fotografia non rende giustizia a questa magnifica penna stilografica, ma se andate a vedere i dettagli vi renderete conto di come realmente è. Le rifiniture sono color oro così come è d'oro il pennino. Il resto della penna è di color bordeaux, ma non uniforme, sembra quasi marmo. Il tocco di estrema eleganza è sulla parte superiore del cappuccio: un cerchio dorato con all'interno un disco color bordeaux ma unito e lievemente più chiaro. Un vero gioiello per gli amanti delle care vecchie penne stilografiche e pure ad un prezzo decisamente accessibile. Che cosa mi dispiace? Era un regalo e per quanto l'abbia fatto volentieri, in fondo in fondo, mi è dispiaciuto doverla dare via. Ma quando la mia cara vecchia stilografica perderà colpi, vi assicuro che l'acquisterò per me stessa.

The fountain pen itself is good. however warranty information is incorrect. It claimed 3 year international warranty, possibly extend to 5 years. Actually their official website shows two year warranty and not able to extend (at least not in Singapore).

Ce stylo plume Waterman Carène Black Sea offre un confort d’écriture exceptionnel et une prise en main très agréable. L’expérience qu’il procure est remarquable, à mon sens au niveau des plumes de très haute gamme comme Montblanc. Le prix, bien qu’élevé, reste dans la moyenne basse des instruments d’écriture haut de gamme. Un excellent choix pour qui recherche une plume alliant performance et élégance. Je recommande sans hésiter !