Sheaffer Legacy advice needed

[Barry B. Gabay]

Posted 39 minutes ago


Hello Sheaffer fans,

Although the Grande Connaisseur and Connaisseur are two of my favorite modern models, I have little personal experience with other contemporary Sheaffers. I'm interested in finally using a Legacy because of my enjoyment with the only PFM I have at the moment: PFM V. I would appreciate people suggesting a reasonable price to pay for a good condition used one or for a new one. I don't really go for all metal pens, so I suppose I'd prefer a Legacy with resin barrel & metal cap. Aside from that, plus a nib in very good or better condition, I don't have other criteria at the moment. I'd likely use it with cartridges, as I do with many current pens. Have always had good luck on ebay because I have purchased fountain pens I know right well (Montblanc, Sailor, Parker 51 & 61, and a few others). Do people have suggestions for other second-hand sources for the Legacy? Are there any features of the Legacy, or eras of production, I should be wary of?

Thanks in advance to all. Stay healthy. Enjoy the remainder of your weekend.

Best wishes,

Barry

[Chrissy]

If you want a Legacy that uses a modern twist action Sheaffer converter as well as cartridges then I would recommend you might prefer a Legacy Heritage. The Legacy's 1 and 2 are touchdown fillers with a special internal converter but they will take Sheaffer squeeze filling converters and cartridges too.
They sometimes crop up on ebay for reasonable prices otherwise they can be fairly costly pens just like the Connaisseur is.

[FredRydr]

So you want an inlaid nib, eh? My experience with the Legacy I (or was it a II?) with touchdown filler was that Sheaffer's inlaid stub nib was every bit as good a writer as the stubs on my Connaisseurs and Balance IIs. Likewise, the ink capacities were every bit as limited. I sold my all-sterling Legacy (below), and other than it's handsome appearance, it's not a pen I reminisce about. Like Chrissy mentions, I ended up abandoning the touchdown converter (right) and opted to squeeze my ink refills, instead (left). The pneumatic device remained in situ; I just didn't use it and had to unscrew the tube to gain access to the squeeze converter.

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[Ron Z]

The Legacy was made with metal barrels, never plastic. The plastic ones in circulation were made for Jim Rouse, who then added the metal cap and nib unit. As for filling, the touchdown filled units use cartridges or squeeze converter. Piston converters won't work because of the touchdown tube, but will work in the later pens. The only difference between the squeeze converter and the gold case converter was the case. A Sheaffer engineer told me that they made the gold case (with no pressure bar) was made to "encourage" the owner to use the TD filler.

[Barry B. Gabay]

What are the chances of responses by three of my favorite people here! Thank you all for the very useful information. I have a few old squeeze converters, though prefer using cartridges. Will take the search to the next, and more serious, level. Thank you again, bg

[Jon Szanto]

Hey Barry! Sorry I couldn't chime in yesterday. I really enjoy the Legacy pens, as I do the PFM. As such, I keep a regular search on the bay for Legacy and track sales. They seem to hold steady and solid, most going for a price range from low $200s to $300. It has been quite stable in that range for a couple years, with outliers going for less or more.

Peeps have already talked about the issues with converters and carts. Like you, I actually prefer carts in these pens - for me, because I can see the ink and they hold more. I recently made a purchase of a Sandblasted Platinum that was a roller ball and swapped the 'section' with a Jim Rouse Fantasy Legacy. The Rouse is now a rollerball, which is a perfect match for that pen, and the Sand Leg is an FP. It not only doesn't bother me that there is no Touchdown mechanism, it's a plus: the unbroken line of the pen barrel is appealing to the eye.

Best of luck on your hunt for an enjoyable pen!

[pajaro]

This was enlightening.

[Jon Szanto]

Just for reference, here are the three pens I mentioned. The photo defines "quick and dirty" because I did a terrible job of getting rid of the dust! Anyway, top-to-bottom: Jim Rouse Fantasy barrel with roller ball swapped in, Cobalt Blue Legacy made for Jim Gaston (note Touchdown system) and Sandblasted Platinum model, originally rollerball (note seamless barrel) that received section from the Rouse pen. This all works for me.


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

[Barry B. Gabay]

Thank you for the explanation & photos, Jon. I appreciate the pricing info too. Beautiful pens! Like others, I sure do miss Jim.

[Chrissy]

That's the nicest Fantasy barrel I've seen. :thumb:

[Ron Z]

I kind of like my orange Legacy. Jim gave me the barrel, and I had the nib unit. I got the cap at a pen show. It's the cap from a 2013 Legacy Heritage Centennial LE pen. ...spare parts, since no number was engraved on the cap.



https://www.mainstreetpens.com/pix/ORLegacy.jpg

[Chrissy]

That's a neat looking Legacy. :)

[Jon Szanto]

I kind of like my orange Legacy.

Me, too! I remember when a fellow FPG'r was selling one of those orange beauts (with a black cap) here a few years back and I was sorely tempted. You've leveled up with that swanky cap, Ron. I also find mine to be a great way to remember Jim, and that is pretty special.

[Chrissy]

Does anyone know if all of the different nib units are compatible with the Legacy 1 barrel and cap? This is the version that has the impossible to find fat O-ring on the start of it's section. Despite being impossible to source that O-ring seems to be an integral part of making the TD filler work, but I guess that wouldn't matter if you use cartridges instead. I bet someone somewhere makes O-rings in that size, but I just haven't found them yet. Filling the gold TD filler with a syringe currently works, so that's what I tend to do.

If the Fantasy barrels could have been a bit longer then maybe Sheaffer twist action converters would fit inside them. I wish someone had made some barrels that could accept those.

On the other hand my Legacy 1 is a silver pen so it probably wouldn't be a great idea to swap my barrel and use my cap with a different one.

[jar]

I really disliked the Legacy line at first but then gradually came to prefer it over my PFMs. Can't help on current pricing though.

[Ron Z]

I much prefer the Legacy to the PFM.

[FredRydr]

Typical! I never really paid much attention, but now that non-metal barrel has me wanting a Legacy Heritage.

[Jon Szanto]

I really disliked the Legacy line at first but then gradually came to prefer it over my PFMs.

Jar, it was that photo, or one very like it, that got me started on my search for the blue Gaston model. This is a clear instance where I'm so glad to be among a community of people who enjoy sharing their collections, as I might likely have never even known of it. A very favorite pen of mine now, not only to the eye but a remarkable writer. Thank you!

[jar]

I really disliked the Legacy line at first but then gradually came to prefer it over my PFMs.

Jar, it was that photo, or one very like it, that got me started on my search for the blue Gaston model. This is a clear instance where I'm so glad to be among a community of people who enjoy sharing their collections, as I might likely have never even known of it. A very favorite pen of mine now, not only to the eye but a remarkable writer. Thank you!

Then my work is done.

[Chrissy]

When I bought my Sheaffer Legacy I believe it cost me somewhere between $250 and $300 while I was in the US.

At the time I posted a thread on here (http://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread.php/20692-I-bought-a-Sheaffer-Legacy-1-with-TD-filler-Observations?highlight=Sheaffer+Legacy) about my observations with the pen and it's TD filler.

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[Barry B. Gabay]

This model is become more & more appealing. I have loved reading this very educated discussion. Thank you all for the photos & information.