Early Australian Sheaffers

[cedargirl]

Sheaffer Australia made one of my favorite PFMs as well.



Even the nib is marked "Aust".

They are lovely jar, thanks for posting.

Here's another not often seen Aussie set , a rather mundane Imperial II Deluxe ( the deluxe bit means "brushed" steel cap rather than "bright")

snip

Regards
Hugh

That's interesting Hugh. I had thought that the Deluxe referred to the white dot. I have an Imperial II with a Sheaffer's Australia Triumph nib (no barrel markings). It has a brushed steel cap with no white dot and a longer clip than the one you show (and Made in Australia around the band). That would make it a non-deluxe Imperial II, yes?

[HughC]

That's interesting Hugh. I had thought that the Deluxe referred to the white dot. I have an Imperial II with a Sheaffer's Australia Triumph nib (no barrel markings). It has a brushed steel cap with no white dot and a longer clip than the one you show (and Made in Australia around the band). That would make it a non-deluxe Imperial II, yes?

My mistake ( should check the details better) , the Deluxe has a full brushed cap and as you point out a WD , the standard has a brushed cap with a plain collar and no WD. The longer clip is earlier iirc, the one posted is a later pen I think, but I'm not sure of the timeline for these though.

Regards
Hugh

[cedargirl]

Thanks for clarifying Hugh. I just wish I had a tenth of the info you do on vintage pens. It's all new to me. And often confusing - as I rapidly discovered that much of what I find online is not 100% correct for Aussie pens.

Claire

[HughC]

Thanks for clarifying Hugh. I just wish I had a tenth of the info you do on vintage pens. It's all new to me. And often confusing - as I rapidly discovered that much of what I find online is not 100% correct for Aussie pens.

Claire

Thank you Claire, although I really don't know all that much, there are vastly more knowledgeable people around. I know a bit about Aussie Sheaffers ( with a lot still to learn) and a lot about Sheaffer TM TDs and that's about it. Most I learnt the same way your learning !! The internet and forums such as this.

Regards
Hugh

[whych]

Claire
Most of the Australian models are similar to the US ones. Look at http://penhero.com/PenGallery/Sheaffer/Sheaffer.htm for most of the US models.

Hugh, did Sheaffer make the nibs in Australia, or were they imports with the local markings?

[HughC]

Claire
Most of the Australian models are similar to the US ones. Look at http://penhero.com/PenGallery/Sheaffer/Sheaffer.htm for most of the US models.

Hugh, did Sheaffer make the nibs in Australia, or were they imports with the local markings?

Nearly all nibs where made in Australia, the early ones in the OP are not marked as to "country of origin" so I'd assume they where imported ( US?) until the skills in place, again I don't know for sure. Late Snorkel nibs ( Aust. production ran to ~'62 ) are not marked either as a general observation ( marked 14ct-585 ), what that means I'm not sure but I'm always suspicious when not "country" marked. Some times the nibs are marked but not the pen....I'll post an example given time.

Regards
Hugh

[HughC]

Here's an example of pen with Aust. nib but no country marked on the body, a Sterling silver Imperial TD. Top of the Aust. range as I've not seen a solid gold Aussie.

IMG_1257.JPG
IMG_1258.JPG

Regards
Hugh

[whych]

Here's an example of pen with Aust. nib but no country marked on the body, a Sterling silver Imperial TD. Top of the Aust. range as I've not seen a solid gold Aussie.

The body should have some sort of hallmark identifying it, I think.
It could be like Yard 'o Led - the mechanism is YOL, but the bits all have the silversmith's hallmark which identifies the country of origin, among other things.

I've not seen a solid gold Aussie.

Neither have I but then I'm biased.

[HughC]

The body should have some sort of hallmark identifying it, I think.
It could be like Yard 'o Led - the mechanism is YOL, but the bits all have the silversmith's hallmark which identifies the country of origin, among other things.

I've not seen a solid gold Aussie.

Neither have I but then I'm biased.

No hallmark, just Sheaffer Sterling Silver. Yer, gold Aussies are rare, quite a few bronzed ones though....down at Bondi

[jor412]

My Imperial VIII touchdown is Australian made. It's an F nib, writes really well, consistent flow, the works.

[HughC]

I've only got a couple

IMG_1270-001.JPG

[jor412]

Very nice. The one in the middle, that's the one I have, except mine is black.

[whych]

This is an Australian Snorkel with a stub nib.

[cedargirl]

This is an Australian Snorkel with a stub nib.

Wow. My one and only Aussie snorkel has a medium nib. Snorkel + Aussie + stub = jealousy!

Claire

[whych]

Wow. My one and only Aussie snorkel has a medium nib. Snorkel + Aussie + stub = jealousy!

The strangest part of it is that the guy I got it from never even knew it was a stub
When I mentioned it to him, he was pretty surprised, but never asked for it back.

It isn't as smooth as the German obliques, but it's OK.
The broadest Sheaffers I have are the stub and the ealier one with the 52 nib, all the rest are mediums.
The 52 is more like a Parker medium, whereas Sheaffer medium is closer to Parker fine.

[Jon Szanto]

Wow. My one and only Aussie snorkel has a medium nib. Snorkel + Aussie + stub = jealousy!

The strangest part of it is that the guy I got it from never even knew it was a stub

Well, to be fair, his wife always told him "No, honey, that looks perfectly normal."

[whych]

Well, to be fair, his wife always told him "No, honey, that looks perfectly normal."

He said he could live with that, but the thing that did it for him was when she asked: "Is it in?"
Totally ruined his ego that did.

[Jon Szanto]

When he replied 'All the way past the section!", she knew for sure she had married a fountain pen geek.

[cedargirl]

Hahaha - thread is turning blue!

Guys, Get a grip!

[whych]

Hahaha - thread is turning blue!

No, the pen shows its style better with a blue black ink.

Back to topic:
We need HughC to give us some history on the pen.
The only other Sheaffer italics I have are US made fine points.