c.1948 NOS Stickered Waterman Taperite Stateleigh 357 Fountain Pen

Vintage: c.1948

Make: Waterman's

Model: Stateleigh Taperite 357

Color: Jet

Materials: Brushed gold-filled cap, gold-filled trim

Filling System: Lever-filler (original sac still holds ink, but this pen will probably require a new sac in the future if you wish to put it into regular service)

Length: This full-sized model measures 5 5/16” capped

Nib: Although the sticker identifies the nib as a Flexible F, it’s a standard XF by the standards I use (see nib width standards at the bottom of the homepage). That 14k nib lays down a smooth and consistent XF line. It is bouncy but not what I'd call flexible.

Condition: Near-mint. New old stock with its original price sticker. Inked. Cosmetically, this pen is pristine. Cap show no dents, dings, scratches, brassing or other flaws. Acrylic parts are smooth and lustrous with no deep scratches or other notable blemishes – scarcely even any microscratches. Manufacturer imprint on barrel is factory deep and fully legible. 

Details: I received this pen in a batch of New Old Stock Watermans from the 1940s. It retains its original sticker on the barrel, which reads: “357 / Fine Flex / $13.50.” At the highest end of the price range, the Stateleigh was Waterman’s flagship Taperite of the late 1940s. Like many of the other pens in this batch, it features a clutch-activated cap and a semi-hooded nib. What sets the Stateleigh apart as a “deluxe” model is the brushed gold-filled cap with what has come to be known as the “stars and stripes design.” This example with a Jet black barrel has a star engraved below the clip and several striped below.