Early Australian Sheaffers

[HughC]

Sheaffer started in Aust in 1951 and first pens either '51 or early '52. As best as I can ascertain only the TD Craftsman and Admiral where produced with production moving to Snorkels in 1954. Here are the early models, both carry nibs with no country of origin so most likely imported from the US and the barrels clearly maked Made in Australia.

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/phot...eat=directlink


The blue set is mint as a bonus.

Regards
Hugh

Is there an easy way to put a picture straight from picasa?

[cedargirl]

Hi Hugh
Thanks for that. Nice pens.
I'm eager to learn about Aussie Sheaffers.
I'm trying to identify a small black lever-fill with a gold plated? cap and I keep making my head spin!
Can you tell me when they started making lever fill pens here?
My pen has a Sheaffer'S 343 nib and "Sheaffer'S - Made in Australia" around the barrel.
The shape of the pen is just like the Craftsman/Cadet, but it's a lever-filler.
(Sorry I can't help with uploading the photos - I'm still struggling with all that too.)
Claire

[HughC]

Hi Claire,

Can't answer your question with any degree of confidence, I've seen Fineline lever fillers made in Aust. but not a straight Sheaffer. I'd consider what you have as uncommon ( rare?) but more a curiosity than a valuable item, I suspect most of those low cost pens just got tossed out. Little doubt in my mind it's a '50's pen and I'd lean to somewhere in the region of '52-'57 with a few ? .

I've done a fair bit of research into Sheaffer Australia and posted it one the FPB ( see http://fountainpenboard.com/forum/in...210#entry24210 ) .

I have a small but interesting collection of Aussies that I hope to grow.

Regards
Hugh

[cedargirl]

Thanks Hugh

I went in search of Fineline pictures and found one with a gold cap. It looks to be the same pen, only mine doesn't have Fineline written on the clip or the nib or anywhere else. Thanks for your help - and for the link.

I wasn't expecting it to be a valuable pen, but as you mention in the linked post, it's very nice for an Aussie to have some of these early made in Australia pens. It's actually a nice looking pen - the gold cap (although quite warn) gives it a bit of cachet and it has a nice patina of age - and a couple of tooth marks! It's very much a 'user' pen and writes nicely. And I have a soft spot for pens from the 50s - they make me feel right at home!

I'd love to see more of your pens, do keep posting them.

[jar]

Sheaffer Australia made one of my favorite PFMs as well.



Even the nib is marked "Aust".

[whych]

When I get the chance, I'll do some digging. They basically made most of the same models as in US, but were marked as being Australian and never had the price on the barrel (300, 850, etc).
Overall, the Aus build quality is the same as in the US, unlike the Brazillian ones.

I think during the switch to Touchdown/Vac Fill Sheaffer made a choice of lever fill or Vac Fill/Touchdown before dropping the lever fill altogether, but I am sure one of the American collectors can tell us (@jar ?)

[HughC]

When I get the chance, I'll do some digging. They basically made most of the same models as in US, but were marked as being Australian and never had the price on the barrel (300, 850, etc).
Overall, the Aus build quality is the same as in the US, unlike the Brazillian ones.

I think during the switch to Touchdown/Vac Fill Sheaffer made a choice of lever fill or Vac Fill/Touchdown before dropping the lever fill altogether, but I am sure one of the American collectors can tell us (@jar ?)

Basically correct, Aust. production began after the vac fill/lever/barrel price era. The info is scarce to say the least, even the historical society in the suburb of Melbourne where the factory was has nothing !! So most info has a ? attached to it and gathered from experience/here say rather than hard evidence , I've yet to turn up an Aust. catalog or even ads. Probably the differences I note are a limited model range compared to the US, I've not seen a Snorkel in one of the "new" colours yet ( I've seen coloured sections in standard colours) nor in a model higher than Crest despite being made till ~'62 , the Snorkel nibs don't carry a nib code either. I'll post a few more unusual ones soon.

Regards
Hugh

[HughC]

Sheaffer Australia made one of my favorite PFMs as well.



Even the nib is marked "Aust".

Nice Jar, I've yet to add an Aussie PFM. I only have one that my wife gave me (US made).

Regards
Hugh

[whych]

Basically correct, Aust. production began after the vac fill/lever/barrel price era. The info is scarce to say the least, even the historical society in the suburb of Melbourne where the factory was has nothing !! So most info has a ? attached to it and gathered from experience/here say rather than hard evidence , I've yet to turn up an Aust. catalog or even ads. Probably the differences I note are a limited model range compared to the US, I've not seen a Snorkel in one of the "new" colours yet ( I've seen coloured sections in standard colours) nor in a model higher than Crest despite being made till ~'62 , the Snorkel nibs don't carry a nib code either. I'll post a few more unusual ones soon.

It's amazing how many of the later Triumph nib TD's from Australia come up on ebay.co.uk compared to US ones.
They must have made the UK a target market.
The earlier TD's I have all have the 33 style open nib.
They must have made some lever fills for the thread that started all this to have one though.

[whych]

Here is are pics of an Australian TouchDown.
The nib is marked '52' and not the usual '33', etc.

[whych]

Sorry about the image - never realised there was no re-scaling.
For guys unfamiliar with the board s/ware, scroll to the end of the post and drag the slider to get the rest of the image.

Will post pics of a Aus Cadet 23 later.

[whych]

Here is the Cadet 23:

[HughC]

Both date from the early '60s , the top goes by the name of a "Craftsman 52" . These are really hard to understand, solid gold nibs ( these are screw out as well, or they where when made) on low end pens would have meant they can't have been much cheaper than a bottom end Imperial ( I post some pics of the first Imperials ), I sort of think of them as up market school pens but the number that turn up in good condition must mean they had a wider appeal. Beautiful examples, the 52 seems harder to find and I guess I see eight or ten 23 to every to every 52.

Regards
Hugh

[HughC]

IMG_1165.JPG

These are the first Imperials ( made in Aust, US and Canada) , basically a TM TD with a different nib and section ( smooth section, small triumph nib). Not often encountered especially as US made, the 4 at the front Australian, the mint chalk marked one a US pen. Well made pens that clearly didn't sell well in the US, to date no one has turned up any company info on these. The range also included two slip cap models, one with a gold cap ( Golden Imperial) and one with a SS cap ( called a ?) ie same as skripsert cartridge pens just TDs . I haven't seen these as Aust. models though. A non WD model which I assume was quickly fazed out for the better known and common Imperials.

Regards
Hugh

[whych]

The 52 is the 'tip dip' with a large hole in the bottom of the feed.
According to penhero, the nib should unscrew with the Cadet pens, but the 23 is a push fit.
The 52 and 23 pens are not that common in UK, so I guess they sold more in Australia than the Aust. Snorkels and Imperials that are reasonably common here.
Never knocke the nib out of one, but I imagine they are similar size to the 33.

[OakIris]

I had no idea that Sheaffer manufactured pens in Australia; thank you for this information. Makes me realize how little I know about fountain pens and what a fun journey I have before me!

(Hugh - do you still need info about how to post photos via Picasa Web Albums? I can give you a quick tutorial if you do - that is what I use to post photos on forums.)

Holly

[HughC]

The 52 is the 'tip dip' with a large hole in the bottom of the feed.
According to penhero, the nib should unscrew with the Cadet pens, but the 23 is a push fit.
The 52 and 23 pens are not that common in UK, so I guess they sold more in Australia than the Aust. Snorkels and Imperials that are reasonably common here.
Never knocke the nib out of one, but I imagine they are similar size to the 33.

My 23 has a screw in nib.You can tell if it's a screw in by looking end on at the nib, the nib and feed are in a black collar that's easily seen if the section isn't black. I'll take a pic when my camera battery recharges.

IMG_1252.JPG

Regards
Hugh

[HughC]

I had no idea that Sheaffer manufactured pens in Australia; thank you for this information. Makes me realize how little I know about fountain pens and what a fun journey I have before me!

(Hugh - do you still need info about how to post photos via Picasa Web Albums? I can give you a quick tutorial if you do - that is what I use to post photos on forums.)

Holly

Hi Holly

Yes!! At present I'm just downloading pics back to my PC. Thank you.

Regards
Hugh

[HughC]

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

IMG_1202.JPG

Of greater interest here is the BP, earlier Aust. BPs in decent condition are far from common. On the other hand Parker BPs are easier to find than their FP mates.

Regards
Hugh

[OakIris]

I had no idea that Sheaffer manufactured pens in Australia; thank you for this information. Makes me realize how little I know about fountain pens and what a fun journey I have before me!

(Hugh - do you still need info about how to post photos via Picasa Web Albums? I can give you a quick tutorial if you do - that is what I use to post photos on forums.)

Holly

Hi Holly

Yes!! At present I'm just downloading pics back to my PC. Thank you.

Regards
Hugh

Here is how I use Picasa to share photos on forums:

1. Go to your Picasa Web album and click on the photo you want. On the right hand side of the new page showing your photo under "Tags" you will see "Link to this photo;" click on it.

2. You will now see a couple of boxes, one for "Link" and one for "Embed Image" - you want the "Embed Image information. I usually put a check mark in the "Image Only" box because I don't want to link to the whole album in which the photo is contained, and then in the "Select Size" drop down list I normally choose "Medium 640 640 px." You, of course, can choose what you prefer.

3. Once you have selected the above options, double click to select all of the resulting information showing in the "Embed Image" box; it will look something like this: (https....://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CK2HccJYEUc/UX-9GZcmZ5I/AAAAAAAAAtM/lLc8c0TMyBk/s640/IMG_0910.JPG. (I added the 4 dots after https so the forum software would not automatically make it a link, just wanted you to get an idea of the format you should see.) Right click (or ctl-C if you prefer keyboard short cuts) and then select "copy."

4. Here at FP Geeks, choose the "Insert Image" icon on the message box header, select the "From URL" choice and paste in the line you copied from the Picasa "Embed Image" box and click on OK. That's it; and here is a sample photo:

IMG_0629.JPG

That may sound complicated, but it really isn't and once you have done it a couple of times you will see it is quite easy. (If you are unclear on anything, please let me know!)

Hope that helps!

Holly