Sheaffer - why so popular and what's your favourite?

[SIR]

I don't own any Sheaffer's but am aware that they are of the most popular vintage pens, the words 'Balance' and 'White Dot' alone immediately imparting connotations of quality; so, why are they so popular and which is your favourite Sheaffer pen?

[Empty_of_Clouds]

I only own my father's Statesman (which has a white dot), but it remains uninked.

As mentioned on my Changing Perspective thread, I would like to acquire an oversize Balance with a Lifetime nib. However, being unable to accurately assess these things using only the internet does make the whole venture a whole magnitude more difficult. Why do I want a Balance? Not sure really. The shape appeals to me, as does the nib design. Regarding materials though I am only drawn to the marine green (or maybe a black version).

[FredRydr]

I don't own any Sheaffer's but am aware that they are of the most popular vintage pens....
You've noticed? My preference for Sheaffer pens evolved gradually such that my collections of other vintage American, German and Italian marques slowly eroded while I kept Sheaffers that came into my possession, especially 1929-1946. It's mostly subjective, so it isn't easy to pin down, but here are a few of my observations:


- The Balance design that predates the venerable Montblanc 14x series remains a favorite shape (I like both).
- For an EF flex nib that can handle a heavy hand without being sprung, those uncommon Sheaffer flex nibs from the '30s can't be beat.
- The Vac-Fill plunger is a great filling system despite the challenge to restore. It is simple, needs no thin diaphragm, and holds a large quantity of ink,
- Modern Sheaffers through to the end of the 20th century continued to offer great nibs (both open and inlaid), especially the stubs.
- They offer great value for both purchase and resale.
- I have experienced only one celluloid failure from constant use over ten years.
- Parts are reasonable to come by.
- My favorite pensmith welcomes Sheaffers about as much as any vintage or modern pen, and he's got the parts!
- I'm still "discovering" pens, currently the '40s deco conical Vac-Fill pens with their ultra-smooth tips.
- And after two decades of buying and selling, my favorite nib remains a Sheaffer that now resides in an oversize ebonized pearl Balance lever-filler.

There are more reasons, but that's enough for now.

[WabiSabi]

For me it's the incredibly creative snorkel filling mechanism combined with the usually superbly smooth and elegant triumph and inlaid nibs. The PFM has the perfect combination of these features for my money and is extraordinarily well-balanced in use (with cap posted of course).

[penwash]

Sheaffer is probably the most consistent in terms of maintaining high-quality production, especially considering that they produced massive amount of pens. And the sheer number of variations and models would occupy a pen collector's years in research (and debates). On top of that, Sheaffer successfully developed and delivered innovative filling systems that are so well made, that today, decades later, we still get to experience and enjoy.

My favorite among Sheaffer pens: Any Sheaffer with Touchdown filling system. Also the Triumph nib and its successor the Inlaid nib. I also love the "Dolphin" and the "Tucky".

While a lot of us are fans of the Snorkel, I much prefer the Touchdown system because it is simple, effective, and elegant. It still have the "coolness" factor of blind-cap and chrome tube going in and out of the barrel, but it has a decent ink capacity and restoration is easy compared to the Snorkel.

[Brilliant Bill]

I don't really do "vintage" pens, but I have a Sheaffer Legacy II from the nineties. I understand these were some of the last Sheaffer pens made in the U.S. For a semi-objective appreciation of this pen, see...

https://youtu.be/7eFp6_oq84o

The one I have is sterling silver and oozes elegance. I'm not so much into elegance, so I don't keep it polished, but the function is perfection. The feel in the hand is exactly what I believe a fountain pen should be. The nib glides over any sort of paper and consistently delivers a bold, strikingly deep line of ink. It's one of the pens where you don't have to even think about the tool -- just a direct channel from the mind to the paper. And from pure aesthetics, I don't know that there is anything more beautiful than the inlaid 18K gold nib. I've never used the "touchdown" filling system. I just fill Sheaffer cartridges with the ink I want, and I'm off to the races.

Because of this, I suppose if I got "into" vintage pens, I'd probably start with Sheaffer.

[Scrawler]

I do not own a Sheaffer pen. I can not keep Sheaffer pens. My wife has some sort of Sheaffer fetish and any that have come into the house have been seized by her to go into a collection I don't get to see very often.

[WabiSabi]

I do not own a Sheaffer pen. I can not keep Sheaffer pens. My wife has some sort of Sheaffer fetish and any that have come into the house have been seized by her to go into a collection I don't get to see very often.

Haha - I imagine your wife hiding round a corner, watching you open your latest pen purchase and then rubbing her hands together with an evil grin on her face as she realises it's time to plot another sheaffer abduction! :spy:

[Voiren]

I'd like a Balance in a nice stripy material eventually - the shape and the stripes look great together. The celluloid pens are a lot less common on UK eBay than US (and cost significantly more when I've looked) so it is more of an idle wish than something I'm actively looking for just now. Oh, and I'd like something with a Triumph nib too. I didn't check the price range of Balances when I was last at a pen show, so I should probably do that! I think I'm going to be looking more closely at the Conway Stewarts next time though...

I do have two Sheaffers. A big jade Senior with the huge nail of a Lifetime nib. The jade is a good colour, but the clip's broken off and it has had something of an impact and melty repair to the cap rim in one place. I got it for the colour. The other is a desk pen fountain and ballpoint set with an inlaid nib - I think it looks great with the lines of a desk pen.

[Ray-VIgo]

They're a well-made, yet still accessible brand if you want to own a vintage pen. It's true that some of the pens are quite expensive, but many of the more common models and colors are quite affordable. Yet you're still getting a well-made product that has a long lifespan. And it's hard to beat what you're getting for the price. As an example, take a basic TM Touchdown or a slender lever Balance in a common color. These are commonly available online in the US for $50 or even a little under if you look and are willing to change the bladder/o-ring. You're getting a lot for the money. And for the more experienced collector, there's a great deal of variety in the Sheaffer brand to fill a collection.

[Scrawler]

I do not own a Sheaffer pen. I can not keep Sheaffer pens. My wife has some sort of Sheaffer fetish and any that have come into the house have been seized by her to go into a collection I don't get to see very often.

Haha - I imagine your wife hiding round a corner, watching you open your latest pen purchase and then rubbing her hands together with an evil grin on her face as she realises it's time to plot another sheaffer abduction! :spy:

You are surprisingly not far off. However she does not have an evil grin, and her plot to obtain the pen is well practiced and almost always the same. She smiles with delight "Oh, that's nice, did you get it for me?, thank you" or some variant of the same.

[pajaro]

I like Sheaffers from the 1950s to the 1970s mainly. From when I was a young pen hoarder. Touchdown Imperials and Dolphins, and the translucent school pens. Then I came to like the 1996 Holly pens.

I don't much go in for the others, but I will say that the Preludes are good pens. Haven't made up my mind about them yet. No sense rushing into things.

[Jon Szanto]

/reserved (will get back to this when home from work tonight...)

[silverlifter]

Echoing everyone else's comments about the quality of construction, the innovation of design and filling systems. And they invariably write exceptionally well.

My favourite is my PFM II. It is the most comfortable pen I own, lending itself to longer writing sessions. The PdAg nib is a joy to write with, putting down a glorious wet line of Aurora Black with a delightfully smooth traversal across the page.

I'm also emotionally invested as the first pen I bought for myself when I was at university (1984) was a Targa. That thing must have logged tens of thousands of pages by now and it has never skipped, hard started or burped, despite being pretty shoddily treated in the early days (loose in a bag with football boots, books, and the other crap you have to lug around for a day). On exam days, I'd show up with the Targa, a bottle of ink and a 12-pack of kleenex, and knew that no matter how many pages I had to churn out during the day (often 2 x 3 hour exams), the only thing I would not have to worry about was my writing instrument.

That white dot delivers on its promise, and that can't help but breed brand loyalty. I'm an unabashed fan.

[SIR]

Sheaffer is probably the most consistent in terms of maintaining high-quality production, especially considering that they produced massive amount of pens. And the sheer number of variations and models would occupy a pen collector's years in research (and debates). On top of that, Sheaffer successfully developed and delivered innovative filling systems that are so well made, that today, decades later, we still get to experience and enjoy.

My favorite among Sheaffer pens: Any Sheaffer with Touchdown filling system. Also the Triumph nib and its successor the Inlaid nib. I also love the "Dolphin" and the "Tucky".

While a lot of us are fans of the Snorkel, I much prefer the Touchdown system because it is simple, effective, and elegant. It still have the "coolness" factor of blind-cap and chrome tube going in and out of the barrel, but it has a decent ink capacity and restoration is easy compared to the Snorkel.

Ideally, if i did decide to make a foray into Sheaffers, i would want a Snorkel/Touchdown - the engineering vision is amazing, kind of shows how little other manufacturers tried to really innovate.

[guyy]

Ideally, if i did decide to make a foray into Sheaffers, i would want a Snorkel/Touchdown - the engineering vision is amazing, kind of shows how little other manufacturers tried to really innovate.

That's a little unfair. After all, Parker developed the 61 in this period. It's a flawed pen, but it's a creative solution to the problem of how to fill a fountain pen.

[SIR]

Ideally, if i did decide to make a foray into Sheaffers, i would want a Snorkel/Touchdown - the engineering vision is amazing, kind of shows how little other manufacturers tried to really innovate.

That's a little unfair. After all, Parker developed the 61 in this period. It's a flawed pen, but it's a creative solution to the problem of how to fill a fountain pen.

Ok, tell me more - i know nothing about the Parker 61.

[a_v_l]

I've given up on PFM but I still have a few Legacies and Targas that are in regular use because they are great starters. The stub nibs are magnificent, the rest good enough. As for the filling system, it's alright but I miss an indication of the ink level.

[Lady Onogaro]

I think they are pretty and elegant. I have a few skripserts and lady skripserts. These take today’s cartridges. I also have two of the pretty ebonite and abalone pens.

[although]

I agree with all of the statements about how Sheaffer made (makes?) great pens. I have a small collection, maybe 25 vintage Sheaffers. I also have a Legacy and a Balance II.

I think that their availability is probably the primary reason that I have become a fan. I have stumbled across them at flea markets and estate sales. They are all over ebay. And, probably because they aren't so scarce, the prices are usually quite reasonable. Heck, there are even folks who have made small businesses out of turning new barrels and caps and putting old Sheaffer guts inside them!

[guyy]

That's a little unfair. After all, Parker developed the 61 in this period. It's a flawed pen, but it's a creative solution to the problem of how to fill a fountain pen.

Ok, tell me more - i know nothing about the Parker 61.

The 61 looks like a slightly skinny double jewel 51 on the outside: same hooded nib, same metal cap, with the added benefit of the arrow on the hood which signals where the nib is.

Inside it's pretty different, with the capillary filler. The capillary filler is basically a sheet of perforated plastic rolled into a cylinder. To fill the 61 though unscrew the barrel as you do with an aerometric 51, then place the back end of the filler into an ink bottle. The pen will soak up the ink through capillary action. Other than the barrel, there are no moving parts. It's therefore much simpler than the Snorkel. Cleaning is fairly easy : run water through the pen. I use an ear syringe. As c/c pens caught on, Parker came out with a c/c version of the 61.

The downfall of the 61 is the crappy plastic, which is prone to shrinking and cracking. Otherwise, it's a nice pen.

[guyy]

Sheaffer made durable and well-made pens. The nibs are very nice, too, especially the Triumph nibs. Like everyone else, i like the inlaid nibs. A Sheaffer nib can take your breath away -- even in an everyday fine or medium tip.

That said, i'm not a fan of the innovative filling systems. Sheaffer often got overly wonky and added complexity for what i consider to be minimal benefit. However i do think the TD filler was reasonable, and an improvement over the vac filler.

[FredRydr]

I've thought the Ink-Fill Vac-Fill is about as simple as you can get: no sacs and only one moving part.

[Jon Szanto]

I can't think of any other pen company that, over nearly a century, consistently made pens of quality, innovation and attractiveness. I can't pick favorites among them, but I own more Sheaffers than any other pen, and write with more (usually) than any other brand. From the incredible big 8C pens of the 20s and their giant nail-ish nibs, to the OS Balances that are a perfect size and... balance, to the Vac-Fills and celluloid/plastic materials, the advent of the Triumph nib and later TD and Snorkel filling systems, the bomb-proof school and No-Nonsense pens, the incredible PFM and Legacy, the 20-year Targa line, the latter three with the remarkable Sheaffer inlaid nib...

I don't think there is another pen company that can match that track record. There are certainly other great pens that have been made, but year in and year out, these were the pens that ended up standing the test of time, through every epoch.

[stub]

Sheaffers are my bag. I have more of them than any other pen and only Parker comes close (Pilot too).

They were a great and innovative company. They made great nibs, had amazing feed designs. Their pens are incredibly sturdy and many of them beyond being great writers, and ergonomic, are fun to gander. From the flattops (that is where I start) to the 90s, they made great pens in every decade (fewer perhaps as the years went on) and I think they are the single greatest pen company of all time (for my uses, in my opinion etc & co), made perhaps the most innovations, they made the single greatest pen of all time (again imo) in the Sheaffer Balance and even made the greatest cheap pens of all time (school pens, Skripserts, & esp. the Nononsense).

Highlights for me are the:


Lifetime Flattops and the 7-30
the Balance Premier
the Open nib Crests from '37
The "OS" Crests/Valiants/Sentinals with sheath points that followed
the 1st year Touchdown pens,
ALL standard TM Snorkels (conical and open nib).
The PFMs (all models)
Imperials with the long diamond inlay nibs
Targas
90s Crest RIs & Legacy I (less so the II and Legacy Heritage).
Nononsense.


I literally never have 0 Sheaffers inked. I adore them. My favorite all time brand. Sheaffer factory stubs are probably my favorite all time pens. But, for work, I love me a nice hard plain old boring M nib. I like the gold nibs, the PdAg nibs and their steel nibs. Sure the # 8 nibs are amazing beasts. Somewhat overlooked are how fantastic those #5 "feather touch nibs" can be. My kingdom for the rarely seen #7 Feather touch nib.

Sheaffer pushed the envelope. For 60-70 years in their heyday they made every other pen company sweat. They invented the lever for crying all night.

[Chrissy]

That's a little unfair. After all, Parker developed the 61 in this period. It's a flawed pen, but it's a creative solution to the problem of how to fill a fountain pen.

Ok, tell me more - i know nothing about the Parker 61.

The 61 looks like a slightly skinny double jewel 51 on the outside: same hooded nib, same metal cap, with the added benefit of the arrow on the hood which signals where the nib is.

Inside it's pretty different, with the capillary filler. The capillary filler is basically a sheet of perforated plastic rolled into a cylinder. To fill the 61 though unscrew the barrel as you do with an aerometric 51, then place the back end of the filler into an ink bottle. The pen will soak up the ink through capillary action. Other than the barrel, there are no moving parts. It's therefore much simpler than the Snorkel. Cleaning is fairly easy : run water through the pen. I use an ear syringe. As c/c pens caught on, Parker came out with a c/c version of the 61.

The downfall of the 61 is the crappy plastic, which is prone to shrinking and cracking. Otherwise, it's a nice pen.
Another one of the downfalls of the Parker 61 is the inlaid arrow on the hood. I once remember suggesting that you risked it falling out if you dared to clean the 61 in an ultrasonic cleaner. Then Ron Zorn said the arrow would fall out if you sneezed. :(

I love my Sheaffer pens. They are all well made and have excellent nibs. I have 2 Targas plus a silver Legacy with a stub nib that I use a lot. :)

[Jon Szanto]

The 61 looks like a slightly skinny double jewel 51 on the outside: same hooded nib, same metal cap, with the added benefit of the arrow on the hood which signals where the nib is.

Inside it's pretty different, with the capillary filler. The capillary filler is basically a sheet of perforated plastic rolled into a cylinder. To fill the 61 though unscrew the barrel as you do with an aerometric 51, then place the back end of the filler into an ink bottle. The pen will soak up the ink through capillary action. Other than the barrel, there are no moving parts. It's therefore much simpler than the Snorkel. Cleaning is fairly easy : run water through the pen. I use an ear syringe. As c/c pens caught on, Parker came out with a c/c version of the 61.

The downfall of the 61 is the crappy plastic, which is prone to shrinking and cracking. Otherwise, it's a nice pen.
Another one of the downfalls of the Parker 61 is the inlaid arrow on the hood. I once remember suggesting that you risked it falling out if you dared to clean the 61 in an ultrasonic cleaner. Then Ron Zorn said the arrow would fall out if you sneezed. :(

Well, there is one way around all of this, and I found it by accident: a Parker 61 made in Argentina. These were manufactured for only 7 years (1969-1976) and had a number of differences: two metallic 'dots' reside where one would normally see the problematic 'arrow' on the hood; the pen is an aerometric filler instead of the capillary; the alloy used in the cap seems to be different, with the gold being more yellow in nature (I say that as a positive. More information on this rare-ish variant can be had here (http://www.vintagepenscollection.com/HistoryofParker.html).

I realized I didn't have any photos and I'm in a bit of a rush, so forgive the lighting, making it a bit harder to notice the dots. This is a very handsome pen and while I don't own many Parkers past the Vac era, this is one fine pen. And the last non-Sheaffer comment I'll make! :D


https://i.imgur.com/KKhedXcl.jpg






(Argh! Cat hairs!!)

[guyy]

Yeah those Parker 61 arrows do have a habit of falling out. I worry about it happening every time i cap or uncap the pen.

I generally don’t have to worry about this sort of thing with my Sheaffers. On the whole, they’re more robust than non-51 Parkers. My favorites are a flex nib BHCR Self-Filler, a touchdown Imperial with a nice xf nib, and my stub & italic nib Targas.

[azkid]

I dont have enough exposure to the various models to say why, but fortunately many others have covered that topic thoroughly.

I don't consider myself a "Sheaffer guy" but the pens I have are quite good.

Of the three Balances I own, my favorite is a late 30s grey and black striped Balance with a 3-25 posting nib and ink window section. The size and, well, balance is perfect. It's gorgeous and practical. Though it writes a bit too fine for daily use.

Second place is my black and gold, full length, early Lifetime Balance. It is one of those few pens that I naturally write more neatly with but it is overly drippy.

My late 30s Sheaffer Junior in the alluring Rose Glow pattern has a delightfully springy Junior nib with a subtle CI grind to it but the pen is just too short.

My Sheaffer Skripsert with the cylindrical nib took a lot of work to correctly flow but now it does and the nib is phenomenal.

I have a list of other Sheaffer pens to acquire eventually: snorkel, touchdown, vac fill, a Crest and a diamond nib pen.

[Sailor Kenshin]

Two words: conical nibs.

I also have a small, beloved collection of Sheaffer school pens from different eras. :) And a PFM.

[calamus]

Sheaffers seemed to have a mythic quality to them when I was a little kid. I wanted a Snorkel so badly, but somehow didn't manage to acquire my first one until the age of 72. A Sentinel, aqua barrel and stainless cap. I was lucky to find one that had been properly serviced and worked perfectly. It was my first Sheaffer. Then a few months later I ran across a Balance in an antique store for $20. It needed a new sac, which I was able to replace. It MIGHT be my best writer. From the pattern (gray with red veins) and the shape of the clip, it appears to have been made in either 1934 or 1935. The nib, a 14K stub, slightly oblique, has a little bit of flex and feels alive in my hands. That's the only way I can describe it. I put the pen to paper, and cursive flows out of the nib, almost by itself. Sometimes the pen seems to pulsate and fly across the page. It's one of those things that you need to experience; I don't think I can describe it adequately. And that streamlined styling is something else! A beautiful pen that works beautifully.

Anyway, I love them because they're great, and they're American-made (I have no interest in the current outsourced crop), there are lots of them around and the prices are reasonable, parts are easy to find, and it's easy to find someone to work on them. Several people have mentioned that Sheaffer's filling systems are innovative. Not only did they invent and perfect the Touchdown and Snorkel filling systems, they even invented the lever-filler!

[pajaro]

Conical nibs? Actually almost all of the Sheaffer nibs I have used have been superb. Nibs period.

[amk]

Someone's already mentioned there are not a lot of vintage Sheaffers around the UK, and there are hardly any at all in France. I don't love all Sheaffers - but there are a few really wonderful pens and I have a mini-collection of Balances, a design I really adore, in some wonderful and often unique celluloids.

For me the high points are the flat top - jade! wonderful colour - the Balance, and far more recently the Targa and the cheapie No Nonsense. The latter is a great way to get started collecting something that's fun and doesn't take too many pennies; it's a delightful pen with a huge number of different versions and materials, and for whatever reason it's the one Sheaffer pen I do run into quite often at French sales and flea markets.

[Deb]

I'm surprised to hear that Sheaffers are uncommon in the UK. Seems to me there's plenty in eBay every day. I have a leverfill Balance that Jon Szanto kindly sent me. It had some nib difficulties but once that was sorted it's a terrific pen. Small, but I have small hands and prefer small pens. I've had, and admired, some of the early flat-tops. Like some others, I'm not especially taken with some of the filling systems though the Vac, like the Onoto, makes a lot of sense. Sheaffers are about quality, for me, at least until the 1990s.

[Cyril]

I also have a short story into this pen. My first pen was a no-nonsense Sheaffer Calligraphy with three Nibs. I bought it during 1986-1988. It was with me when I immigrated to several country in Europe. :rolleyes: My Calligraphy skills never moved and about several years ago when I went into Ink and pens I really liked it and bought the same pen set Now named VINTAGE no-nonsense ( Ha Ha I got Old too :facepalm: )

Then I got into this Vintage Pens I tried to have my hand on a SHEAFFER SNORKEL and I was not so amazed to find such a fine writer. It was because I already knew the quality of these pens even the steel Vintage nibs are special. It is in my list to add some vitage Italic to my collection.