Waterman's 22, BCHR, Double GPT Barrel Bands, #2 14k Flex

The Waterman 22 is the taper-cap eyedropper counterpart to the cone-cap 12. Same #2 nib size, same black chased hard rubber body, same Waterman eyedropper fill, same era. The tens digit under Waterman's Standard Numbering System decodes the cap form: "1" for cone-cap, "2" for taper-cap. Taper-cap production runs through the 1900s into the 1910s and was always the rarer of the two; Waterman shifted output toward cone-cap and screw-cap forms from 1900 onward, and surviving taper-caps are the harder catch on the market even when the nib size is common. Double gold-plated filigree barrel bands add the dressed-up detail without overpowering the chased ebonite, and the chasing on this example is exceptionally crisp throughout the body. The imprints are very crisp, and the ebonite is in clean condition under polish. The Waterman #2 flex nib measures 0.20mm needle-grind hairlines opening to 1.65mm at 320g Super Flex pressure for an 8.25x line variation in the EF to 4B range. Sharp tines, very crisp line edges, exceptional snapback, and a wet juicy feed that keeps up cleanly through flourishes. Grail-level flex control on a needle-tipped #2. Grade C. The deduction sits on the rear barrel band, which carries a small chip in the gold filigree. Body and nib are otherwise exceptional. A matching original box is available on request. Ebonite rejuvenated and hand-polished, "softness" restored, chasing preserved. Eyedropper assembly tested for seal. Nib heat-set and tuned for flex. Tested on Rhodia 90gsm ivory with Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black.