I think Sheaffer was perhaps the most innovative of the pen companies of the Golden Era and beyond. I know it can be argued many ways and not all the "innovations" were originally their idea, but the did make them marketable. The lever filler, the "balance" shape, the vac filler (certainly not original), the triumph nib and my favorite filling system, the Snorkel. You have to love a pen that has too many moving parts, an extending snorkel tube, and that doubles as a squirt gun. The filling system is an engineering wonder and at the same time just isn't necessary, but as gimmicks go, it was a great one.

As far as writing goes, I really like the OS Sheaffer Balance pens. I've been carrying a brown striped vac filler model for a few months and it a superb pen. It holds a ton of ink and that big two toned nib is eye-catching.

I also think if you are looking for EF nibs, there are some Triumph nibs that are hard to beat.

So what are your favorite Sheaffer's?