My favorite modern Sheaffer model

[Barry B. Gabay]

Connaisseur, Grande Connaisseur, Sheaffer-Levenger Seas -- all are variants of the same brilliant design. Made in US & UK, they are comfortable, reliable, and beautiful. What else can one ask of a fountain pen? Attached is a photo of 5 Grande Connaisseurs, the 4 standard models and a rare one, blue ronce from UK. It is said that 10 sets of fountain pens and ball points were made in blue ronce. Mine is marked #3. Sorry for the crooked photo. Tried three times & it attached this way each time.

[FredRydr]

Barry,

I agree! You have all of those? Very nice! I have one Connaisseur left from my collection; I sold the pretty ones but kept the best nib in a black pen. When need be, the nib units are interchangeable with the Balance II, though minor aesthetic details differ.

The Sheaffer stub nibs in the Connaisseur, the Balance II and the Nostalgia from the end of the 20th century are among my favorite writers.

Fred

Top: Connaisseur / Middle: Balance II / Bottom: Nostagia - All factory stubs that get regular use.


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[Barry B. Gabay]

Hi Fred,

Thank you for your most recent post card! Thanks for the interesting comments & nice photo above. I have swapped front end units among 1980s-90s Sheaffers, as you have. In full agreement that they are among the very best modern nibs. One of my current daily writers is a Sheaffer-Levenger Seas with Grande Connaisseur front end. Fits perfectly. I'm curious: does the Nostalgia section fit others? I had always thought it's somewhat smaller.

Going to Philadelphia show? We'll be there Fri afternoon through late Sunday, but as civilians. No table.
Have a wonderful red & green holiday! The one with a guy in the chimney and candy eaten from old socks. Its name escapes me at the moment.
Best wishes,
Barry

[FredRydr]

...I'm curious: does the Nostalgia section fit others? I had always thought it's somewhat smaller....
You are correct. The Nostalgia's barrel and section threads are a smaller diameter than those of the Connaisseur and the Balance II. The nibs and feeds are the same, though.

So, have you added Sheaffer's spelling of "Connaisseur" to your spellcheck library yet? :blink:

[Barry B. Gabay]

Thanks for clarifying the Nostalgia vs other Sheaffers of the same era.

Spellcheck? What's that? Fortunately, I'm married to the world's best speller, who is married to the world's wurst speller.

[Chrissy]

For a decent Sheaffer Connaisseur I would probably break my "buy no more pens" rule. :)

[pajaro]

I never liked this pen. The fine nib seemed frail and scratchy. The looks were wonderful and pretty jazzy, but I never came to terms with the fine nib. The ballpoint was wonderful, and I used it a lot.

[Barry B. Gabay]

Chrissy, Good used ones and NOS boxed Connaisseurs often appear at US pen shows. I suspect they do at UK pen shows too. Hope there is one convenient to you. Merry Christmas. Barry

[Chrissy]

Chrissy, Good used ones and NOS boxed Connaisseurs often appear at US pen shows. I suspect they do at UK pen shows too. Hope there is one convenient to you. Merry Christmas. Barry
Thank you for the advice, but I've never been to a pen show anywhere. They fetch very high prices when they occasionally show up on ebay UK. I suspect my best hope of ever owning one might be to consider a Levenger version.
Merry Christmas to you too Barry. :)

[pajaro]

A few years ago I sold my black Connaisseur set of fountain pen and ballpoint on ebay for about $100.