Sheaffer desk set gurus, is this legit?

[Elim]

Ive never seen one of these before, but could easily see it on a vintage pen counter to try different styles of nibs, inks or whatever. I can also see it as a well done home made piece. What say you?https://image.ibb.co/d29wk0/s-l1600-9.jpg

[FredRydr]

I like it. It sure saves desktop space!

I'd put my money on it not coming from the factory, even for a shop display. Notice that the bases of the trumpets/tulips are different (three of one style and two of another), so it is unlikely they were all installed using parts from the same era. Are the four additional holes rougher than the original? Did it come with five desk pens, and if so, what were they?

[Elim]

It's just a pic from ebay that i spotted, sadly i thought i added it to the watch list but it's not there, so I doubt i'll be able to find it again.

[Chrissy]

I think it's something that someone has made. Good idea though. :applause:

[pajaro]

I wish I had thought of that.

[Jon Szanto]

It's a custom setup so that at least one pen hasn't dried out.

[Chrissy]

Whoever made it clearly intended one of the holders to hold a pen that regularly contained red ink. This suggests that maybe all of his pens looked similar to each other when they were in the holders.

He could have even gone one step further and coloured the top edges of more of them with different colours for pens with other coloured inks in there. :)

[Jon Szanto]

Might have been different nib styles, too, like the Classic Fountain Pens set of Nakaya desk pens, each sporting a different nib, that are on display at pen shows.

My, that was a long sentence.

[pajaro]

It's a custom setup so that at least one pen hasn't dried out.

Good one! I should have one made for Sonnets.

[Elim]

I really think I am going to have to make one of these for kicks. I have a beautiful piece of blue dyed onyx that would make a wonderful base. All I think I'll need other than pens and sockets is a lapidary bit for the press to make it through the mineral. Hmm, thoughts & thinks are forming in the squishy place.

[Roger W.]

No but, it is an interesting study in some of the sockets that Sheaffer had. The red rimmed socket is in the correct spot. The two forward sockets are contemporaries of the central one. The back right could be one of two possible sockets - either 1930-1934 or 1935-1939. The back right is a dry-proof second style from 1940-1942. To my mind the back right shows a limited understanding of two different sockets. Of course this could have came out of the factory but, it is not a catalog model. The base itself is a #10 and spanned many years of production.

Roger W.

[Farmboy]

I think it was made to drive the Sheaffer Desk Set Collector nuts...

[jos]

No but, it is an interesting study in some of the sockets that Sheaffer had. The red rimmed socket is in the correct spot. The two forward sockets are contemporaries of the central one. The back right could be one of two possible sockets - either 1930-1934 or 1935-1939. The back right is a dry-proof second style from 1940-1942. To my mind the back right shows a limited understanding of two different sockets. Of course this could have came out of the factory but, it is not a catalog model. The base itself is a #10 and spanned many years of production.

Roger W.

Roger, can you explain why the back right socket is anomalous and has features of two different sockets? Or did you mean the back left (bell topped socket of 1940-42) being anomalous?

[BamaPen]

No but, it is an interesting study in some of the sockets that Sheaffer had. The red rimmed socket is in the correct spot. The two forward sockets are contemporaries of the central one. The back right could be one of two possible sockets - either 1930-1934 or 1935-1939. The back right is a dry-proof second style from 1940-1942. To my mind the back right shows a limited understanding of two different sockets. Of course this could have came out of the factory but, it is not a catalog model. The base itself is a #10 and spanned many years of production.

Roger W.

Roger, can you explain why the back right socket is anomalous and has features of two different sockets? Or did you mean the back left (bell topped socket of 1940-42) being anomalous?

Roger has taught me much about Sheaffer desk sets, so I'll take a stab at explaining...the back right socket could either be an earlier (1930-34) socket or a later (1935-39) one. The difference in the two is that the later one was the first generation Dry-proof version. Both looked identical on the exterior, but the later version had an internal locking mechanism that was intended to keep the pen from drying out. The pen from the 1935-39 era sports a metal "key" on the side of the section. The key engaged the locking mechanism as the pen was turned. That mechanism proved problematic because dried ink tended to prevent it from turning, so Sheaffer came out with the second generation Dry-proof with the external locking mechanism like the back left socket. The pen for the later era (1935-39) can be identified by a tapered face on the section. The locking mechanism was engaged by turning the bell shaped top on the socket.

Since both the 1930-34 and 1935-39 sockets have the same external appearance, the only way to date the back right socket is to look into it for the locking mechanism.

[jos]

Roger has taught me much about Sheaffer desk sets, so I'll take a stab at explaining...the back right socket could either be an earlier (1930-34) socket or a later (1935-39) one. The difference in the two is that the later one was the first generation Dry-proof version. Both looked identical on the exterior, but the later version had an internal locking mechanism that was intended to keep the pen from drying out. The pen from the 1935-39 era sports a metal "key" on the side of the section. The key engaged the locking mechanism as the pen was turned. That mechanism proved problematic because dried ink tended to prevent it from turning, so Sheaffer came out with the second generation Dry-proof with the external locking mechanism like the back left socket. The pen for the later era (1935-39) can be identified by a tapered face on the section. The locking mechanism was engaged by turning the bell shaped top on the socket.

Since both the 1930-34 and 1935-39 sockets have the same external appearance, the only way to date the back right socket is to look into it for the locking mechanism.

Thanks for pointing that out!

Both versions looked identical but is it correct that the 1930-34 Balance sockets have a slightly wider diameter at the top compared to the 1935-39 Balance (internal lock Dry-proof) sockets?