Sheaffer Balance 875 Lifetime Fountain Pen

[Pjculbertson]

I need help identifying approximate time period the pen was made. I think the 1940s but unsure. It is an 875 Balance Lifetime.
P m

[mhosea]

According to Richard Binder's writeup http://www.richardspens.com/ref/profiles/balance.htm, that's the radius clip, which dates the pen from 1935-42. The brown striated color he lists from 1936-eol, so we're down to 1936-42. The next clue is the lever filler, which might reduce the upper bound, but I'm only guessing because I know some of the later models were plunger fillers.

[Pjculbertson]

I really appreciate the help. I am new to vintage pens and any added knowledge is useful!

[jar]

The 875 was not a model but rather the original MSRP. Lever fillers continued on past the Balance pens and pretty much up until the introduction of the Snorkel and TM in the 50s.

[Pjculbertson]

In further researching, I learned that the pen was called the Balance Sovereign. This is based on the price $8.75. Size, standard slim, nib type lifetime and color brown striated. This pen was made between 1938 and 1942 at which time it was discontinued for the Triumph line.

[Roger W.]

Sheaffer seldom just ended pens so be careful about end dates - they aren't in stone by a long shot. I can point out a lot of pens that Richard's site says ends on such and such that are later examples.

Roger W.

[Pjculbertson]

Thank you. I didn't know that. Mind if I ask how you acquired your knowledge on Sheaffer? I can find a link here and there but is there a book or other source to educate myself?

[Roger W.]

Endless hours of studying ads and catalogs of the period and collecting a volume of pens of the same era. There isn't one good book I can lead you to. When someone reference Jim's site early on in this thread that was a good direction to head. Catalogs from the PCA would be another. The ads in date order on my site is handy - http://www.sheafferflattops.com/?page_id=16.

Roger W.

[kirchh]

Note start date for this model is 1936, not 1938, per catalogs. Name was not applied until a couple of years after the model first appeared.

--Daniel

[kirchh]

I'll add that it is reasonable to surmise that Sheaffer's introduction of striated patterns (of which the Golden Brown seen here was one of the first) was a response to Parker's popular striped Vacumatic pens. Sheaffer waited a few years to issue that response, and it was substantive and successful. Response timing is an interesting subject, as is the substance (or lack thereof) of the response, which sometimes is made by nervous competitors just to make an impression with the public as being on top, it seems. Worth some analysis.

--Daniel

[david i]

Companies often riff on each other, and one can imagine all sorts of motivations.

Perhaps the biggest of this sort was Parker's introduction of lever-fillers (the vaunted filling system of Sheaffer's, Waterman's, Wahl's, etc, best pens) in the utterly crappy Parco/Parkette. There might have been a message there.

As to Sovereign, of some fun is finding the off-catalogue Sovereign Deluxe

Perhaps I'll dig one up. You can see one in my article couple years back, but I'm not sure I have an image done of one in isolation.

regards

-d

[kirchh]

I wonder if sometimes, pen companies issued something just to elicit a response, knowing that lesser makes, nervously insecure about their positions, were absolutely compelled to respond, even with meaningless additions to the category, in an attempt to be seen as being somehow on top. The dominant firms had no need to have the last word, as it were, in product introductions, but they could force smaller outfits to scramble at their whim. Other networking mechanisms played a role, too, I suspect, and there are materials science issues that had to be contended with along with IP matters that could intertwine through the travels of key personnel. Interesting line of research, and interesting that stripes caught the public's fancy when they did.

--Daniel

[david i]

Those of you who have not focused much on the 1930s American pens should note that Sheaffer and Parker regularly poked at each other, regarding tech and style. We have nice information-- one edition provided me iirc by the late Frank Dubiel -- showing Sheaffer to be quite nervous about Parker's new (at the time) Vacumatic. Too, there is evidence that certain Sheaffer developments caught the eye of Parker.

To those with perspective and with comfort regarding their own processing, this jockeying-- in retrospect-- is both engaging and entertaining, and for me without doubt is one of the most pleasant elements of our hobby, something in which I can indulge endlessly. It should be for all who are comfortable with pilpul; Sheaffer and Parker certainly engaged in pilpul, albeit rather indirectly.

Great stuff.

Meanwhile, I just received another funky Sheaffer Balance in the mail. But, now that I am engaged in major catch-up with the sales website (figure 2-4 updates per month going forward, 10-50 pens per update, after a 9 month lag), it might take a bit of time to shoot that one. So much to do, so little time.

The Los Angeles Pen Show looms. One of my favorite at several levels. Last year I picked up some scarce (go figure) Parkers and Sheaffers. I have hopes for this year.

Oh, do watch for the next issue of Fountain Pen Journal. It also looms. Yes, things of late are loominous.

regards

david