popcod
May 7th, 2016, 03:19 PM
UPDATES: ALL SOLD, Thanks!;
I recently decided to sell off a good portion of my collection to better concentrate on my focus. Offered today are 4 vintage Sheaffer Balances [edit: package deal no longer available]. Each of these pens has been fully disassembled, cleaned, and recently restored with a new sac. And all are complete, correct, and in excellent condition with deep and fully legible imprints, no chips or hairline cracks, and straight, smooth nibs. Specific details about each pen will be listed below. Basic info about Sheaffer's Balance can be found on Richard Binder's site: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref/profiles/balance.htm.
http://i.imgur.com/sM2JvrY.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/WxBiFRW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/7HDoFXZ.jpg
Link to full-sized photos: http://imgur.com/a/E9Zmx
1. 1930s Sheaffer Balance OVERSIZED Premiere (Golden Brown Striated): Comes with a two-tone Lifetime nib that lays down a smooth, consistent F/EF line. Measures 5 1/2" capped and cap opening has the expected >1/2" width. Visulated section shows good transparency with very little ambering – being more yellow than orange. There is some minor brassing: a touch to the top of the clip, to 1/4 of the cap band extending roughly halfway up, and slivers to the sides of the lever (see photos). I can find no other issues with this pen.
PRICE: SOLD
2. 1930s Sheaffer Balance FULL-SIZED Statesman (Golden Brown Striated): Comes with a two-tone Lifetime nib that lays down a smooth, consistent F line. Measures 5 1/2" capped and has a thinner girth than #1 but thicker than #3 (i.e. it is the standard girth model). I purchased this Balance from a merchant that had been around a long time and was closing up shop. It came to me with no signs of use whatsoever. And since it didn't have a nib/section unit, I'm wondering if it wasn't old stock from the store. So I sourced a nib and section in similar condition, installed it along with a new sac, then placed it in the pen case. This pen is in phenomenal condition, with no brassing or any other issues. The visulated section shows great transparency and little if any ambering (assuming these were originally yellow). The celluloid stock they used on it is also quite striking, with wider striations that show a lighter, irridescent brown throughout. You'd be hard pressed to find a nicer example - it's like a NOS pen without stickers.
PRICE: SOLD
3. 1930s Sheaffer Balance FULL-LENGTH SLENDER (Marine Green Striated): Comes with a two-tone Lifetime nib that lays down a smooth, consistent EF line. Measures 5 3/8" capped and has a slenderer girth in comparison to #2. Visulated sections shows good transparency with only slight ambering. The only notable trim wear are two 1mm wide spots on each side of the cap band. This pen also has a professional engraving heat-stamped into the barrel: "Ruth Helen Young" with letters about as tall as a single stripe (so a relatively small engraving - I can provide a photo if needed). No other issues of note.
PRICE: SOLD
4. 1940s Sheaffer FULL-SIZED 1000 Military Balance (Golden Brown Striated)
PRICE: NO LONGER AVAILABLE
5. Sheaffer Balance FULL-LENGTH SLENDER (Marine Green). Measures 5 3/8" capped and has same girth as #3. Comes with a monotone Sheaffer #33 nib that lays down a smooth and consistent EF line with some flex (see writing sample below). Not sure if this nib is entirely correct for this pen, as I usually see these with #3 as opposed to #33 nibs (there is very little diffence between the two). If it's not, it seems to have been an early replacement. It has a visulated section with good transparency and slight ambering (nt. I also forgot to empty this pen for the photo :facepalm:). The marine green marbling is brilliant across the pen and really quite stunning in person. Moderate trim wear to the cap band and there is a crescent of high-point brassing on the bottom of the clip ball. The cap un/screws fine and the nib doesn't dry out when capped but, for some reason I can't fathom, the cap does have a tiny bit of wiggle to it when screwed all the way down on the barrel. The price has been adjusted for these issues.
writing sample to show line variation:
http://i.imgur.com/huMF0HJ.jpg
PRICE: SOLD
Payment & Guarantee: Pen is placed on hold for the first person to PM me with firm request to purchase. But if I haven't received Paypal payment in 24 hrs, then it becomes available to the next person. All pens are guaranteed to be in the condition in which I've described them. If I've missed something or the filling mechanism is not fully functional, then the buyer may return the pen at any point by contacting me up to 7 days after receiving it. I've been out of the hobby for some time, but check out the Historical Sales and new Classifieds forum on FPN for some of my previous sales (username: estragon).
I recently decided to sell off a good portion of my collection to better concentrate on my focus. Offered today are 4 vintage Sheaffer Balances [edit: package deal no longer available]. Each of these pens has been fully disassembled, cleaned, and recently restored with a new sac. And all are complete, correct, and in excellent condition with deep and fully legible imprints, no chips or hairline cracks, and straight, smooth nibs. Specific details about each pen will be listed below. Basic info about Sheaffer's Balance can be found on Richard Binder's site: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref/profiles/balance.htm.
http://i.imgur.com/sM2JvrY.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/WxBiFRW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/7HDoFXZ.jpg
Link to full-sized photos: http://imgur.com/a/E9Zmx
1. 1930s Sheaffer Balance OVERSIZED Premiere (Golden Brown Striated): Comes with a two-tone Lifetime nib that lays down a smooth, consistent F/EF line. Measures 5 1/2" capped and cap opening has the expected >1/2" width. Visulated section shows good transparency with very little ambering – being more yellow than orange. There is some minor brassing: a touch to the top of the clip, to 1/4 of the cap band extending roughly halfway up, and slivers to the sides of the lever (see photos). I can find no other issues with this pen.
PRICE: SOLD
2. 1930s Sheaffer Balance FULL-SIZED Statesman (Golden Brown Striated): Comes with a two-tone Lifetime nib that lays down a smooth, consistent F line. Measures 5 1/2" capped and has a thinner girth than #1 but thicker than #3 (i.e. it is the standard girth model). I purchased this Balance from a merchant that had been around a long time and was closing up shop. It came to me with no signs of use whatsoever. And since it didn't have a nib/section unit, I'm wondering if it wasn't old stock from the store. So I sourced a nib and section in similar condition, installed it along with a new sac, then placed it in the pen case. This pen is in phenomenal condition, with no brassing or any other issues. The visulated section shows great transparency and little if any ambering (assuming these were originally yellow). The celluloid stock they used on it is also quite striking, with wider striations that show a lighter, irridescent brown throughout. You'd be hard pressed to find a nicer example - it's like a NOS pen without stickers.
PRICE: SOLD
3. 1930s Sheaffer Balance FULL-LENGTH SLENDER (Marine Green Striated): Comes with a two-tone Lifetime nib that lays down a smooth, consistent EF line. Measures 5 3/8" capped and has a slenderer girth in comparison to #2. Visulated sections shows good transparency with only slight ambering. The only notable trim wear are two 1mm wide spots on each side of the cap band. This pen also has a professional engraving heat-stamped into the barrel: "Ruth Helen Young" with letters about as tall as a single stripe (so a relatively small engraving - I can provide a photo if needed). No other issues of note.
PRICE: SOLD
4. 1940s Sheaffer FULL-SIZED 1000 Military Balance (Golden Brown Striated)
PRICE: NO LONGER AVAILABLE
5. Sheaffer Balance FULL-LENGTH SLENDER (Marine Green). Measures 5 3/8" capped and has same girth as #3. Comes with a monotone Sheaffer #33 nib that lays down a smooth and consistent EF line with some flex (see writing sample below). Not sure if this nib is entirely correct for this pen, as I usually see these with #3 as opposed to #33 nibs (there is very little diffence between the two). If it's not, it seems to have been an early replacement. It has a visulated section with good transparency and slight ambering (nt. I also forgot to empty this pen for the photo :facepalm:). The marine green marbling is brilliant across the pen and really quite stunning in person. Moderate trim wear to the cap band and there is a crescent of high-point brassing on the bottom of the clip ball. The cap un/screws fine and the nib doesn't dry out when capped but, for some reason I can't fathom, the cap does have a tiny bit of wiggle to it when screwed all the way down on the barrel. The price has been adjusted for these issues.
writing sample to show line variation:
http://i.imgur.com/huMF0HJ.jpg
PRICE: SOLD
Payment & Guarantee: Pen is placed on hold for the first person to PM me with firm request to purchase. But if I haven't received Paypal payment in 24 hrs, then it becomes available to the next person. All pens are guaranteed to be in the condition in which I've described them. If I've missed something or the filling mechanism is not fully functional, then the buyer may return the pen at any point by contacting me up to 7 days after receiving it. I've been out of the hobby for some time, but check out the Historical Sales and new Classifieds forum on FPN for some of my previous sales (username: estragon).