Old and New Preludes

Hi everybody. I have a Sheaffer Prelude from the 1990s. It's a bit beaten up, still writes
beautifully. The nib is very smooth and flexible, which I, as someone who isn't doesn't
always use the finest paper, deeply appreciate.

I have an opportunity to purchase a new Prelude at a good price, but I've read conflicting reports
about the quality of these pens. Does anyone have an opinion about this matter?

Thanks,
Steve

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Steven

Hi everybody. I have a Sheaffer Prelude from the 1990s. It's a bit beaten up, still writes
beautifully. The nib is very smooth and flexible, which I, as someone who isn't doesn't
always use the finest paper, deeply appreciate.

I have an opportunity to purchase a new Prelude at a good price, but I've read conflicting reports
about the quality of these pens. Does anyone have an opinion about this matter?

Thanks,
Steve

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I have both older Sheaffer Preludes and a newer sheaffer (China) Prelude and see no difference in feel, fit or performance.

Thank you very much.

It's possible that things have changed but about 10 years ago we found the the new nibs bent more easily than the USA made nibs - softer material. I haven't played with current production pens.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ron Z

It's possible that things have changed but about 10 years ago we found the the new nibs bent more easily than the USA made nibs - softer material. I haven't played with current production pens.

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Thank you Ron. I would not want a Prelude with an even softer nib.
The old one is already quite flexible.

Steve

P.S. I corresponded with Robyn from Main Street about restoring my old Prelude.
I am afraid that I made a nuisance of myself, but she was very patient and helpful.

She asked me about it. I have had a couple come through the shop with the problem. I took a scrap cap apart to see how the Prelude cap is put together, and concluded that there is no way to disassemble the cap and replace the cap liner or clutch. The cap is riveted together at the top, and trying to get the cap apart will kill it.

As is the case with many modern slip cap pens, the "clutch" is 3 or 4 bumps in the inner cap that catch the end of the section. These either compress or wear, so fail to hold the cap on. Dropping boiling water into the inner cap seemed to help a bit because the plastic softens and bounces back a bit to its original shape, but not nearly as tight as it first was.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ron Z

She asked me about it. I have had a couple come through the shop with the problem. I took a scrap cap apart to see how the Prelude cap is put together, and concluded that there is no way to disassemble the cap and replace the cap liner or clutch. The cap is riveted together at the top, and trying to get the cap apart will kill it.

As is the case with many modern slip cap pens, the "clutch" is 3 or 4 bumps in the inner cap that catch the end of the section. These either compress or wear, so fail to hold the cap on. Dropping boiling water into the inner cap seemed to help a bit because the plastic softens and bounces back a bit to its original shape, but not nearly as tight as it first was.

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Thank you very much for that sharing that. I tried once to remove the cap, but gave up
when it didn't come easily. Had I not seen your reply, I might have tried again and broken
it. The boiling water method seems to have helped. The situation isn't critical --- the cap
does grasp the barrel, but more loosely than it once did. I was trying to fix it more out
of loyalty than necessity. After years of banging around in backpacks and suitcases, it
deserves restoration and a dignified retirement.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ron Z

She asked me about it. I have had a couple come through the shop with the problem. I took a scrap cap apart to see how the Prelude cap is put together, and concluded that there is no way to disassemble the cap and replace the cap liner or clutch. The cap is riveted together at the top, and trying to get the cap apart will kill it.

As is the case with many modern slip cap pens, the "clutch" is 3 or 4 bumps in the inner cap that catch the end of the section. These either compress or wear, so fail to hold the cap on. Dropping boiling water into the inner cap seemed to help a bit because the plastic softens and bounces back a bit to its original shape, but not nearly as tight as it first was.

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Thanks for this info. I have three of the 90s Preludes, one of them an all steel pen, part of a calligraphy set with Prelude sections with different size steel italic nibs. I guess I can relax, though, because the Preludes will probably outlast me.