Happy David. A most uncommon 1930s Sheaffer Balance. I'd been hunting years for one.

[david i]

Sheaffer Balance oversized in Ebonized Pearl Celluloid. Off-catalogue "fish-scale" cap-band (typical catalogued Balance pens with gold-filled cap-band have a single thinner smooth band).

An old tale. Probably more than a decade back, when I was only more casually pursuing the special cap-band Balances, I saw my first "fish-scale" cap-band Balance, the same variant, oversized in Ebonized Pearl. A set. Truly crisp condition. Cost then was prohibitive. More than I'd likely charge even today on my retail site. I should have bought it. Ah well. I already had some of the funky cap-band pens, but I only turned a hard focus on such pens a bit later.

My weird Sheaffer double life. A wee-dabbler at Sheaffer now likely with the most comprehensive collection out there of off-catalogue cap-band Balances. Figure when I began reaching diminshing returns hunting Parker Vacumatics (I do pursue Vacs in completist fashion), I turned the skills hunting Vacs to hunting off-catalogue Balances. One thing led to another...

So, for the last decade I didn't encounter another oversized Ebonized Pearl with this cap-band. At the Ohio Pen Show this month, fellow pen collector Pat Mohan had a spare up for grabs. I guess that means I now know of three of this variant. I bought this one.

Not quite as crisp as the set I'd seen 10-12 years ago, it still is in pretty nice shape. A bit of brassing. Some ambering (the MOP chips look yellow-red instead of green-blue) of the Celluloid.

Still, it brings home a Sheaffer variant I've wanted for a long time.

The four off-catalogue patterned cap-bands found on USA-made Sheaffers. Have seen thousands and thousands of Balances. Have seen perhaps 20 with triple cap-band, 30 with fish-scale. Not at all common.

regards

david

[reprieve]

Wow! That fish-scale cap band is stunning. Not to mention the pen itself, an oversized Balance in ebonized pearl, which is a lovely pen even without the rare cap band. Wow!

This is one of my favorites that you've posted about. Thanks for sharing here.

[david i]

Wow! That fish-scale cap band is stunning. Not to mention the pen itself, an oversized Balance in ebonized pearl, which is a lovely pen even without the rare cap band. Wow!

This is one of my favorites that you've posted about. Thanks for sharing here.

My pleasure. I will have to post image of same pen with typical cap-band, albeit in much nicer condition.

regards

-d

[snedwos]

I like the discoloration. It gives it a sort of urushi like feel.