Lewis Edson Waterman developed a revolutionary new feed system in 1884 after he lost a lucrative insurance deal because his unreliable pen flooded and ruined the document. The success of this invention drove him to further improve his designs and, following a 'sink or swim' newspaper advertisement placed in 1887, the company began to grow.
Waterman's most successful early pen was the Ideal Fountain Pen which was produced successfully in huge numbers. The famous lever filling pen was brought out in 1913 followed in the early 1920's with the iconic red ripple series which were produced in response to the competition offered by the introduction of the Parker Duofold. The Patrician, introduced in 1929, is widely acknowledged as being one of the finest fountain pens ever made. Between the wars the company continued to thrive although it never reached the commercial heights of its great rivals, Parker and Sheaffer. Waterman was bought out by the French company Jif-Waterman in 1954 and the US manufacturing facilities closed down. The French company continued to develop new products under the Waterman brand and they are still marketed today.
