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Thread: Exquisitely rare Sheaffer Balnace (1937-1941 or so). Happy Happy David.

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    Default Exquisitely rare Sheaffer Balance (1937-1941 or so). Happy Happy David.

    I picked up a special Sheaffer Balance last week.

    I'm in my sixteenth year or so as a Hack Amateur Newbie (no, I haven't trademarked it yet) pen collector. It's a philosophy thing. But, along the way I've built what might be the most complete Parker Vacumatic fountain pen collection. Both Vacumatic and Sheaffer's Balance are key 1930's American fountain pens, perhaps the two best sellers of the era, head to head competitor in their market niche during their period of overlap. Both offer hefty evolution of features, a huge range of catalogued models, and progressively esoteric off catalogue variants.

    My photography work and my visits to 100+ pen shows have let me handle tens of thousands of old pens.

    I go back to the beginning with Balance-- my second or third FP was one-- but I have never pursued it with the completist bent I have for Vacumatic. I seem to have acquired 200-300 different variants anyway. Good thing I'm not trying to be thorough

    So, using my inclination to hunt minutia acquired during my coin collecting days (mint marks, die varieties, grading based on nearly microscopic marks, oh my!), and having largely exhausted the pool for exotic Parker Vacumatics years ago, I turned the minutia-scope on Sheaffer's Balance, that series offering at least fair competition to Parker's Vac in the realm of anomalies and off-catalogue findings.

    Though I am a mere wee dabbler in things Sheaffer, the result of this hunt for a decade or so has resulted in what many consider the heftiest collection out there of off-catalogue cap-band Balances along with a fair bit of other anomalies.

    I realize FPG is not chock-full of hard-core vintage pen folk, so I won't drag the challenge out at length, and will offer answer later tonight, but the challenge is, what's funky about this USA-issue Sheaffer Balance from the late 1930s? Seen another?



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    david
    Last edited by david i; September 1st, 2014 at 07:43 PM.
    David R. Isaacson, MD

    http://www.vacumania.com : Sales site for guaranteed, restored collectible pens.

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    Default Re: Exquisitely rare Sheaffer Balnace (1937-1941 or so). Happy Happy David.

    I haven't seen the white (rhodium? chrome?) trim on a green striated model before.
    --
    Mike

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    Default Re: Exquisitely rare Sheaffer Balance (1937-1941 or so). Happy Happy David.

    Hi Mike,

    Yeppers. A reverse trim Marine Green striated oversized Balance. Save for certain gray pens, most of the Parkers, Sheaffers, (less so Wahl) from the era have yellow-tone gold-filled trim. Sheaffer catalogued green highline Balance pens only with gold-filled trim. This is the first reverse trim OS green Balance I've seen.

    regards

    david
    Last edited by david i; September 2nd, 2014 at 12:18 AM.
    David R. Isaacson, MD

    http://www.vacumania.com : Sales site for guaranteed, restored collectible pens.

    The Fountain Pen Board /FPnuts : Archived Message Board with focus on vintage.

    The Fountain Pen Journal: The new glossy full-color print magazine, published/edited by iconic fountain pen author Paul Erano.

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    31000 members and growing. World's heftiest daily vintage pen eye candy

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    Senior Member Jeph's Avatar
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    Default Re: Exquisitely rare Sheaffer Balnace (1937-1941 or so). Happy Happy David.

    So was the nib also plated to match or do you get the nice silver trim and the usual gold nib?

    I love chrome/silver trim on a pen but can't stand it with a gold colored nib. It upsets my sensibilities somehow and is mostly what I find.
    (Not counting pens with worn trim/plating.)

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    Default Re: Exquisitely rare Sheaffer Balnace (1937-1941 or so). Happy Happy David.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jeph View Post
    So was the nib also plated to match or do you get the nice silver trim and the usual gold nib?

    I love chrome/silver trim on a pen but can't stand it with a gold colored nib. It upsets my sensibilities somehow and is mostly what I find.
    (Not counting pens with worn trim/plating.)
    Hi Jeph,

    Ironically, the nibs generally and appropriately found in White Dot Sheaffers from this era are two tone, with a white-metal mask distally over the yellow-gold 14k base. The nib thus matches either color trim, though I have no evidence that was the reason Sheaffer offered the two tone nib, and evidence suggests this indeed was not the reason for the two tone nib (which preceded the first use of chrome trim on a Balance)

    Here's an example of a similar era OS Balance, this one with off-catalogue (though the most common of that cluster) cap-band. Of course an OS Carmine Balance with that cap-band is not at all common. The nib demonstrates well the two-tone effect.



    regards

    david
    Last edited by david i; September 2nd, 2014 at 06:58 AM.
    David R. Isaacson, MD

    http://www.vacumania.com : Sales site for guaranteed, restored collectible pens.

    The Fountain Pen Board /FPnuts : Archived Message Board with focus on vintage.

    The Fountain Pen Journal: The new glossy full-color print magazine, published/edited by iconic fountain pen author Paul Erano.

    Facebook pen group "Fountain Pens"/FPnuts: Davey's casual Facebook group for collectible pens.
    31000 members and growing. World's heftiest daily vintage pen eye candy

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    The Nibsmith dannzeman's Avatar
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    Default Re: Exquisitely rare Sheaffer Balnace (1937-1941 or so). Happy Happy David.

    Wow! It looks to be in mint condition condition. I love this color combo much more than green and gold.

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    Default Re: Exquisitely rare Sheaffer Balnace (1937-1941 or so). Happy Happy David.

    Quote Originally Posted by dannzeman View Post
    Wow! It looks to be in mint condition condition. I love this color combo much more than green and gold.
    Yep, though we must watch for the "inspiration by rarity" thing. Features uncommon/anomalous in old pens strike us as neat- indeed pretty- simply from their oddness. Or so we sometimes wonder. Would we like as well if we'd seen plenty before? I don't know. I do however very much like the look of this one.

    regards

    -d
    David R. Isaacson, MD

    http://www.vacumania.com : Sales site for guaranteed, restored collectible pens.

    The Fountain Pen Board /FPnuts : Archived Message Board with focus on vintage.

    The Fountain Pen Journal: The new glossy full-color print magazine, published/edited by iconic fountain pen author Paul Erano.

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    Default Re: Exquisitely rare Sheaffer Balnace (1937-1941 or so). Happy Happy David.

    I'm afraid I'm partial to yellow gold trim in cases where it doesn't actually clash. I don't think I would prefer yellow gold on a gray-striated Balance, but I certainly do on the green. I wouldn't mind testing this out. Got any gray Balances with yellow gold trim?
    --
    Mike

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    Default Re: Exquisitely rare Sheaffer Balnace (1937-1941 or so). Happy Happy David.

    Quote Originally Posted by mhosea View Post
    I'm afraid I'm partial to yellow gold trim in cases where it doesn't actually clash. I don't think I would prefer yellow gold on a gray-striated Balance, but I certainly do on the green. I wouldn't mind testing this out. Got any gray Balances with yellow gold trim?
    Care to guess?

    -d
    David R. Isaacson, MD

    http://www.vacumania.com : Sales site for guaranteed, restored collectible pens.

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    Default Re: Exquisitely rare Sheaffer Balnace (1937-1941 or so). Happy Happy David.

    David, I'd never bet against you.
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    Mike

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    Default Re: Exquisitely rare Sheaffer Balnace (1937-1941 or so). Happy Happy David.

    Quote Originally Posted by mhosea View Post
    David, I'd never bet against you.
    I'm honored... i think.

    -d
    David R. Isaacson, MD

    http://www.vacumania.com : Sales site for guaranteed, restored collectible pens.

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    Default Re: Exquisitely rare Sheaffer Balnace (1937-1941 or so). Happy Happy David.

    From my 2012 article, "Septuagenarian Canadian Mutant Sheaffers."

    The Canadianinity (eep!) complicates the analysis a bit, but here ya go...




    regards

    d
    David R. Isaacson, MD

    http://www.vacumania.com : Sales site for guaranteed, restored collectible pens.

    The Fountain Pen Board /FPnuts : Archived Message Board with focus on vintage.

    The Fountain Pen Journal: The new glossy full-color print magazine, published/edited by iconic fountain pen author Paul Erano.

    Facebook pen group "Fountain Pens"/FPnuts: Davey's casual Facebook group for collectible pens.
    31000 members and growing. World's heftiest daily vintage pen eye candy

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    Default Re: Exquisitely rare Sheaffer Balnace (1937-1941 or so). Happy Happy David.

    Mike,

    Here's a gift. This one has a couple quirks.



    regards

    David
    David R. Isaacson, MD

    http://www.vacumania.com : Sales site for guaranteed, restored collectible pens.

    The Fountain Pen Board /FPnuts : Archived Message Board with focus on vintage.

    The Fountain Pen Journal: The new glossy full-color print magazine, published/edited by iconic fountain pen author Paul Erano.

    Facebook pen group "Fountain Pens"/FPnuts: Davey's casual Facebook group for collectible pens.
    31000 members and growing. World's heftiest daily vintage pen eye candy

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    Default Re: Exquisitely rare Sheaffer Balnace (1937-1941 or so). Happy Happy David.

    Jeweler's band may help it a little here, but I have to say that my suspicion was confirmed--I prefer the white trim on the gray Balances. Of course the flip-side of the principle you mentioned earlier may be in play. It may be a question of how one reacts to a particular oddity.
    --
    Mike

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    Senior Member david i's Avatar
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    Default Re: Exquisitely rare Sheaffer Balnace (1937-1941 or so). Happy Happy David.

    Yeppers. It has been said that yellow Duofolds are rare today because-- besides being fragile and often dying-- they weren't popular at time of release. Unpopularity then yields high desirability for collectors today. Go figure.

    I do like hunting the oddities, so while aesthetic appeal adds some charm, the rarity and funkiness are sufficient motivators for me.

    Note the Canadian standard-girth Roseglow Balance in the pic above, with reverse ("white") trim. It is a stunning color cocktail, esp when viewed in person.

    regards

    d
    David R. Isaacson, MD

    http://www.vacumania.com : Sales site for guaranteed, restored collectible pens.

    The Fountain Pen Board /FPnuts : Archived Message Board with focus on vintage.

    The Fountain Pen Journal: The new glossy full-color print magazine, published/edited by iconic fountain pen author Paul Erano.

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    31000 members and growing. World's heftiest daily vintage pen eye candy

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    Default Re: Exquisitely rare Sheaffer Balnace (1937-1941 or so). Happy Happy David.

    Yeah, I noticed it before, but I'm not as familiar with the Roseglow ones, so while the context made me suspect that it was "reverse", I didn't actually know it. The white trim really works there because of the highlights in the Roseglow. That deserved to be more common, though the yellow gold looks nice on Roseglow, too, of course.
    --
    Mike

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    Senior Member david i's Avatar
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    Default Re: Exquisitely rare Sheaffer Balnace (1937-1941 or so). Happy Happy David.

    A pic of Roseglow Balances my massive "Introduction to Sheaffer" thread pinned in this forum.

    White trim on Roseglow pens is normal for slender "Junior" Balances (including some related off-catalogue stuff). Any 1st or 2nd tier pen, or even typical 3rd tier pen, even slender, was catalogued in this color with yellow trim.

    I have a Canadian long-standard pen (note too the "early" ball clip on the "late" color Roseglow) with white trim. It is in the front row.



    regards


    d
    Last edited by david i; September 2nd, 2014 at 07:39 PM.
    David R. Isaacson, MD

    http://www.vacumania.com : Sales site for guaranteed, restored collectible pens.

    The Fountain Pen Board /FPnuts : Archived Message Board with focus on vintage.

    The Fountain Pen Journal: The new glossy full-color print magazine, published/edited by iconic fountain pen author Paul Erano.

    Facebook pen group "Fountain Pens"/FPnuts: Davey's casual Facebook group for collectible pens.
    31000 members and growing. World's heftiest daily vintage pen eye candy

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