This model, in all its variations, is one of my favorite modern fountain pens. Made between mid-1980s and late 1990s, the series had several versions. Connaisseur Type I came in black, burgundy, green, and blue and had a flat cap band. Type II was available in the same colors, but had a wider, rounded cap band which extended over the end of the cap for greater protection of the cap lip. Sheaffer teamed up with Levenger and produced a Connaisseur in the Seas collection. Seas Type I had various colors named after particular seas. Its clip and trim resembled the Connaisseur II. Then, came Seas Type II with a different clip, a metal cap crown, and a wider, flat cap band. The Connaisseurs had 18K nibs, while the Seas versions had 14K nibs. They were c/c fillers. They had straight sections in Connaisseur I and most Connaisseur IIs. Straight and scalloped sections also came on Seas I. All Seas II have scalloped sections. My photos do not present a complete set of any of the Connaisseur versions. For an authoritative and comprehensive description of the Connaisseur (and Grande Connaisseur) read the late Dennis Bowden's article in Pennant, Summer 2006. Unfortunately, I can not find it at the moment. Photo 1, L to R: Connaisseur Type I black, Type II burgundy. Seas I, Seas II. In photo 2, the green Seas Type I has a Grande Connaisseur section & nib. The other photos show details which I believe are self-explanatory. Enjoy the photos and stay healthy.
Sheaffer Connaisseurs
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