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Hi,

I can assure that your second picture is of a 52, because it's from one of my current listings. It's Canadian made and bears the model number on the barrel end. Celluloid 52s, as you would expect, came at the end of that model's run, in the mid-nineteen-thirties. If it was an attempt to restore the fortunes of what had once been Waterman's most popular model, it didn't succeed. Despite shortening the pen and tapering it slightly, it was too outdated to be competitive. Though by no means rare, you don't see celluloid 52s that often. Some of the coloured celluloids used are very beautiful and these pens are much sought after.

To get back to the subject of English-made 52-like Watermans, it's confusing, to say the least. If you look at my ebay listing No 280458964352, at first glance it might be taken to be a celluloid 52. Same shape, same nib, same clip, but the difference lies in the lever, which isn't boxed, and the diameter, which is slightly greater. It's also a little shorter than the standard late 52, but there's a lot of variation in the length of individual examples of models of pens anyway. It has no model number. A few weeks ago, I repaired a black chased hard rubber English Waterman which shared clip, nib, lever and box with the 52, but it was noticeably longer and thinner. It had no model number or name.

My various reference works don't cover English Watermans very well and these no-number pens aren't mentioned at all. It's not really my area either I usually concentrate more on British Mabie Todd pens, English Parkers and Conway Stewarts, but if I come across any new information I'll report back. I think advertisements of the time are the only likely source of sound identification.

Regards,

Sem