Pitmans College was the trading name of a company offering courses in Pitman's shorthand, a rapid writing system based on phonetics. Founded in 1857, it used symbols to represent sounds or letters and in many cases a single symbol could represent one of two sounds, depending on whether the line was thin or thick. A pen with a flexible nib was needed to produce the different linw widths and, as Pitmans became more successful they commissioned various pen manufacturers to make pens to their own specification, in this case Waterman's.
There has been much debate about who actually made the various Pitmans models but the evidence for this pen being a Waterman's is fairly compelling. The nib and feed are clearly Waterman products, the nib is stamped as such and the feed is very recognisable. When I dismantled the pen I found the original ink sac, petrified but still clearly marked 'Waterman's'. As only Waterman's would have fitted this sac to a new pen, amd I believe this was the first reastoration then it can safely be assumed that it is, in fact, a Waterman's pen. Please see last photograph.
The pen is very much an archetypal 1930s/40s English lever filler. It is a 'no frills' pen, clearly designed to last and do a specific job well, in this case produce lines of varying thickness consistently and efficiently, the nib is actually stamped 'Shorthand'.
It is in excellent condition throughout. The finish is superb and the imprint is clear and crisp. The lever operated filling system works well and takes up a good volume of ink, and the 14 Ct. Gold Waterman Shorthand nib writes with a very pleasing flex. Someone with a decent hand would enjoy producing some impressive results.
Although the Pitmans pen was intended to be used for long periods of time on a daily basis, probably in a college or office environment, judging from the condition of this pen I would think it has led a much more leisurely life. It's probably time for it to be put to work!