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kirchh
January 19th, 2015, 11:53 PM
The Philadelphia Pen Show this past weekend was, as usual, a great deal of fun for dealers and attendees alike. Though the floor wasn't jammed, dealers reported very good sales over the course of the weekend.

I don't buy much anymore; I'm concentrating on research for the most part (I still collect, but I mostly collect information). I picked up a few assorted items, but nothing really worthy of mention. But dealer Rick Krantz acquired a nice Sheaffer, and he asked me to tell him about where it fit into the Sheaffer universe, so I happily obliged. It was a really sharp example of one of Sheaffer's Depression-era pens; an oversized Balance in Marbled Grey Pearl, but unlike most better-known models, it had the 3/32" cap band of the best non-Lifetime-level pens rather than the wider 1/8" band carried by most Lifetime pens, and it lacked a White Dot as well. This particular series dates to mid-1934, and represented Sheaffer's first foray into a new filling system -- the plunger system introduced to compete with Parker's Vacumatic. Sheaffer, apparently reluctant to commit to a lifetime of service, at first did not offer these new plunger fillers as Lifetime pens, but it did include an oversize model in the lineup, sporting the new Feathertouch 8 nib. Shortly thereafter, perhaps satisfied with the durability of the new system, Sheaffer replaced the non-Lifetime oversize pen with an equivalent Lifetime model, complete with 1/8" cap band, Lifetime nib, and White Dot.

However, Sheaffer, always looking to avoid waste, especially given the times, converted caps originally manufactured for the non-Lifetime OS model to Lifetime caps by adding White Dots (though it's unlikely Sheaffer ever changed cap bands to the wider version, which would have required a good deal more labor), and it also installed the correct nibs to bring these pens up to full Lifetime appointments. It is likely that Sheaffer also field-upgraded customers' pens in some instances, as well as exchanging lever-filler barrels for the early (and possibly troublesome) version of the plunger system originally paired with the narrow-banded un-dotted non-Lifetime model. Rick's pen is of the latter class; it does not have an up-converted cap (no White Dot), but the barrel is a lever model, and it carries a Lifetime nib as well. (Note that this model family should not be confused with the earlier oversized non-Lifetime model that had a 1/8" cap band and was available in Sheaffer's only filling system available at the time -- the lever; the two models are completely distinct.)

Here's a quick shot of Rick's pen (fourth from left), along with a few other examples of this model I had in my bag (the example on the extreme left is one of those factory up-conversions I mentioned). His pen has exceptional color, and he was rightly attached to it -- it's a really eye-catching pen:

https://danielkirchheimercom.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/narrow-band_oses_flat.jpg

If you missed the show, the Baltimore show is in early March, and the Long Island show is the following weekend, so if you need a pen fix, you won't have to wait long.

--Daniel

Jon Szanto
January 20th, 2015, 12:02 AM
Mondo gorgeous pens, Daniel. And don't forget, for the Left Coast, the LA Pen Show is just about 3 weeks away.

david i
January 20th, 2015, 02:36 AM
I am very glad to see Danny Kirchheimer run with the lead I set with the NWD Sheaffers last week. I knew we could motivate him.

Good job, son.

-d

kirchh
January 20th, 2015, 10:15 AM
Here are a few of those up-converted OS Balances I discussed above:

https://danielkirchheimercom.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/sheaffer_up-converted_os_balances.jpg

https://danielkirchheimercom.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/sheaffer_marbled_grey_pearl_narrow_band_up-conversion.jpg

--Daniel

david i
January 20th, 2015, 11:09 AM
Excellent. It is good to see Danny following the lead.

We harbor hopes for him. :)


Pokity Poke.

-d

FredRydr
January 28th, 2015, 12:44 PM
Thanks, Daniel. Your information is always reliable and well-researched.

Fred

Rick Krantz
January 28th, 2015, 11:31 PM
Daniel, thanks for the full explanation on the pen. I was glad to be able to share it for the learning opportunity.

I knew it was special when I saw it, moreso how there were ads in the mid/late 90's from a collector seeking a near mint example, so, not a collector of the large balances, what a great starting point.

I guess seeing it on the monitor here, I did not realize how much it POPS

c'mon David... let's be grateful that the information is being shared and leave it at that. The pokes, ribbings and other comments detract from what you offer the community.

If you agree, thanks this post.

Jon Szanto
January 28th, 2015, 11:46 PM
c'mon David... let's be grateful that the information is being shared and leave it at that. The pokes, ribbings and other comments detract from what you offer the community.

Indeed. Thank you, Rick.

david i
January 29th, 2015, 06:51 AM
Daniel, thanks for the full explanation on the pen. I was glad to be able to share it for the learning opportunity.

I knew it was special when I saw it, moreso how there were ads in the mid/late 90's from a collector seeking a near mint example, so, not a collector of the large balances, what a great starting point.

I guess seeing it on the monitor here, I did not realize how much it POPS

c'mon David... let's be grateful that the information is being shared and leave it at that. The pokes, ribbings and other comments detract from what you offer the community.

If you agree, thanks this post.

Sorry bud, the pokity poke is a proven process. And, I know it is appreciated by the pokee. The scramble generated sort of proves it.

I am particularly appreciate of your having introduced the thin-band OS to the hobby over at the Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/groups/fpnuts) group.

regards

-d

kirchh
February 5th, 2015, 09:01 AM
A nice example similar to Rick's but with a correct Feathertouch 8 nib just finished up on eBay at over $700:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/131416030081

A nice start to a mini-collection (for someone with deep pockets!). I expect pictures will be posted at some point; this is from the auction listing:

http://i655.photobucket.com/albums/uu274/JerseyJump22/PenSheaffersBoxed_zps36df7148_1.jpg

A few months back a Vac-Fil version closed for about $75. So they do appear with some frequency, though it takes an experienced eye to spot them.

--Daniel

david i
February 5th, 2015, 03:32 PM
Happy David,

I heard some others were unhappy they did not win this nice pen, but I still do grab the good stuff when I'm so inclined. It turns out that it was a good thing Rick Krantz and I introduced the hobby to this sort. Weird that now both of us have picked up examples within a month. I'm glad to see others followed our solid lead regarding interest in and discussion of this variant :)

This one completes ("starts"? suuure...) a particularly special mini-collection. "Deep pockets"? What a charmingly silly notion.

The Pokity Poke Process at its best.

regards

-d

Rick Krantz
February 5th, 2015, 06:38 PM
I still think this is one of the best looking balances made.

nice pen David, glad you got one in a short time span.

I guess the question that I need to ask is.... should I be looking for a feather touch 8 nib to make mine "correct" or is mine "correct" as per the discussion above?

FredRydr
February 5th, 2015, 06:49 PM
c'mon David... let's be grateful that the information is being shared and leave it at that...

Indeed. Thank you, Rick.

Yes, thanks for trying, Rick.

Fred

david i
February 5th, 2015, 07:12 PM
Hi Rick,

Good question and also thanks for the nice thoughts. Weird that we are talking about this pen on facebook in real time even as I post this note.

Main answer is... I don't know. Remember... "wee dabbler", though I have offered more content online about Non-White-Dot Balances (over at Fountain Pen Board n such) than pretty well anyone.

A 1934 Sheaffer brochure cites the NWD OS pens iirc suggesting the #7 FT nib, itself an interesting and uncommon pen. Though the #7-nib pens are in the 1935 catalogue, I don't recall offhand if the oversized is shown.

BTW, here's a few page thread over at FPB discussing this sort, though not all the specifics. Non White Dot OS Sheaffers (http://fountainpenboard.com/forum/index.php?/topic/2466-sheaffer-feathertouch-7-nib-and-nwd-balance-explained/).

The brochure I found unclear as to whether 3 or 4 colors were cited: mentioned are

Ebonized Pearl, Marine Green, Gray Pearl and Black

So, Ebonized Pearl and Marine Green are two colors.

Gray Pearl presumably is different color from Black vs, "Gray Pearl and Black" as the name of a single color. Sheaffer did call Gray Pearl its own color.

So, three colors mentioned. One might wonder which Gray is referenced, gray-with-black or gray-with-red-veins. The 1935 catalogue calls Grey Pearl ("E" not "A") the gray/black. So it could be that the brochure page is referencing the newer gray/black color. Perhaps the Gray-red was already on the way out.

Note, I have not forgotten your FT #8 question.


http://vacumania.com/penteech2/sheafferbalance_feathertouch7nib_brochure950.jpg



Alrighty. so with Marine Green, Gray-Red, Ebonized Pearl all color that were around before the brochure was released in 1934 describing 3 colors in Non WHite Dot OS with "# 7 Feathertouch Balance" suggesting the presence of the FT #7 nib, I note that I own Eb Pearl and Gray-Red Non White Dot OS pens with mere 5-30 nibs.

it could be these were what were released as non-white-dot OS pens prior to the appearance of the FT #7 nib.

So, early (pre-the-1934 brochure) nonwhite dot OS pens with 5-30 nib, 1934-brochure-era (and presumably bit later) NWD OS pens with Feathertouch #7 nib.

So, what of the FT #8 nib? Let's play.

It's not akin to the early 1920's when 8-size nib was offered with flex instead of Lifetime nib d/t fragility, though to Sheaffer, the OS nib was considered a #8 size nib (even when not marked with #8).

I've had the nib turn up in at least one, maybe two non-white-dot OS pens but also in an off-catalogue double-band OS pen that was white dot. Of course, nibs are swappable; I might not expect any non-Lifetime nib (even the FT #8 that showed up in one) in a Lifetime pen, but I prefer to be careful about absolute declarations.

I don't see evidence the FT #8 nib had a special grind or flexibility to separate it from typical OS Lifetime nibs.

It is about Lifetime size, bigger than FT #7 or the 5-30 nibs found in some NWD OS pens.

So, this is where the speculation kicks in, following the observation above.

Just as I can hypothesize the Non White Dot OS pens that had 5-30 nibs gave way to the FT#7 nib once the latter nib came into existence (though parallel production and different price point I suppose is possible), it is possible some later Non White Dot OS pens (remember we have minimal snapshot of their production era) were fitted with the FT #8, to make the pen more impressive, only perhaps with price change. Or, again, perhaps they were offered in parallel with FT #7 pens at different price.

Or, could FT #8 nibs have been offered even with some WD pens that were sold at discount, the presence of the FT #8 instead of Lifetime nib the marker to Sheaffer not to honor the Lifetime warranty usually found with White Dot pens?

And so forth. I have couple more nuanced guesses still, but this is good start.

regards

d

kirchh
February 5th, 2015, 10:17 PM
I guess the question that I need to ask is.... should I be looking for a feather touch 8 nib to make mine "correct" or is mine "correct" as per the discussion above?

Hi Rick. As I explained above, the new Feathertouch 8 nib was worn by the original version of your pen -- a non-Lifetime oversize Balance with 3/32" cap band, no White Dot, and a plunger filler. As that model was promoted to membership in the Lifetime bracket, and as a lever-filler version of that color was added to the lineup, pens were put together, factory modified, or dealer-swapped to produce a variety of configurations before (and perhaps even after) things stabilized. Dots were added to caps, barrels swapped, and nibs fitted or exchanged. (I again note that this model is completely distinct from the earlier non-Lifetime oversize Balance model, though confusion about this is understandable among those who have not studied these pens). I have several examples in the same configuration as yours in various colors, along with many examples in several other combinations that evidence this period of market adjustment.

Given this, I would absolutely not recommend swapping your nib. I think you would be altering the historical record.

--Daniel

david i
February 5th, 2015, 10:32 PM
See?

Pokity Poke Process :)

-d