I recently found a Golden Brown Striated Sheaffer Balance Premier Lever filler at what was way below market price (I think). I could not quite make the pen out in the pictures but I have always wanted a Premier lever filler (I already have a vacuum filler Premier in Grey Striated Celluloid) and Brown is my favorite color.
Additionally I could see the pen body pretty clearly and the cap the condition looked outstandin. Sure enough there is no brassing on the clip, the cap band, or the lever and the celluloid is incredibly even and there is no warping or shrinking around the lever area. In short the pen was in stunning shape. When it arrived it not only was in great shape but the nib was deeply patina’d to a coppery color and the pen looked as if it spent most of it’s life in a drawer or cabinet. It gets better. The nib is a factory fine stub. A tipped stub. Small, maybe .7 and pretty sharp.
So I filled it and was happily using it until I looked again at the nib and then it dawned on me. Hey! Wait. That nib doesn’t look like any of my other Balance pens, all of which have a nice swoopy waverly aspect to them.
Is this just a very late issue Balance or could this pen have been been purchased and then the nib replaced at a later date buy Sheaffer? The fit to the feed is stunning. Or did a few old Balances ship with these nibs? This looks just like the 8SH nib you would find on a Touchdown pen. This one does have a number on it.
The nib hasn’t been re-tipped. The tip does not have different colors of gold and the nib just looks new, other than the patina. The plenty of tipping. Additionally, the nib fits PERFECTLY to the feed. Fits like a glove.
The pen is fantastic (OS Balance in mint shape with a small factory stub! yeah!) but I am curious to know if this nib is a later replacement or a franken-pen.
Whatever it is, I am happy to own it.
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