Sheaffer Connaisseur Nibs

[Brownieeeee]

Hi there Sheaffer Fans, got a question about the Connaisseur nib. I always thought they were interchangeable between models. I’ve recently found out this isn't true. Does anyone know the history of theses nibs how may different versions were there and importantly which ones will inter change. I have identified a few different nibs but I just thought some one here could speed me up a bit.

 

 

thanks Ian

[johnr55]

Mine is a monotone gold, has scrollwork around the bottom part, says '18k', 'SheafferS', 'made in USA' and something else too small to identify. I only have one Conaisseur so I can't state anything about interchanging. I do have several Balance II's, both the 1 and 2 band type, and my nib assembly is interchangeable.

[Univer]

Hi,

 

I'm by no means a Connaisseur expert, but I've got a few of these lovely pens, and I've had occasion to learn a thing or two about their nibs.

 

The "standard" Connaisseur featured a single-color 18K gold nib, as described above.

 

The Grand Connaisseur featured a larger two-tone 18K nib.

 

The Levenger Connaisseur variant - the "Seas" model - featured a 14K nib bearing both the Sheaffer and Levenger names.

 

There are incompatibilities, but to the best of my knowledge they're not strictly model-dependent. Sometime during the life of the Connaisseur, Sheaffer made a running change to the design of the section/nib unit. Early ones are very much like No Nonsense units, with the exception of the gold nib: that is, the section nipple sticks out the back of the section. Later ones have a metal sleeve - not unlike the metal sleeve used in the Targa - attached to the end of the section; the nipple is now down at the bottom of the "well" formed by this sleeve.

 

The sleeved nib unit may have come into production along with the Grand Connaisseur; at least, I don't know of a GC without the sleeve.

 

When I bought my first GC, I wondered whether its nib unit would screw into the barrel of my original, early-production "standard" Connaisseur. It didn't. I assumed the problem was an incompatibility between "standard" and Grand models. I learned otherwise when I ordered a NOS "standard" unit from Sheaffer years later; it, too, was the sleeved version, and it wouldn't screw into my older "standard" barrel.

 

So far as I know, the incompatibility is a one-way problem; in other words, early nib units will work just fine in later-production pens. For that matter, a No Nonsense or Balance II nib will also fit a Connaisseur barrel.

 

The good news (tempered by the sobering fact that there will soon be no repair/customer service operations in Fort Madison) is that Sheaffer will ream out the barrels of early Connaisseurs to allow them to accept the sleeved units - at no charge. In fact, I have two barrels there right now receiving this treatment.

 

There may well be styling cues that tell the practiced eye whether a specific Connaisseur is early or later production. I don't know what those might be, hence my disclaimer of any special expertise in this area.

 

FYI, the Levenger pens - so far as I know - will all accept either nib unit.

 

To sum up (and I welcome corrections!): if your Connaisseur has a sleeved nib unit, then it should accept any Connaisseur nib unit, sleeved or otherwise. If your Connaisseur has a non-sleeved nib unit, then you will need to stick with such nib units - or have the barrel serviced.

 

I hope that's helpful!

 

Cheers,

 

Jon

[Dennis B]

Ian,

 

Jon got most all of it right on Connaisseur nibs. Here's a photo of the nibs and sections used in the standard and Grand Connaisseurs.

 

http://www.parkvillepen.com/images/sheaffer/connaisseurnibs.jpg

 

On the left is what I have deemed Type I, that is, the smaller monotone standard Connaisseur nib in the metal sleeved section. This one is from an early standard Black Connaisseur pen and is the only standard Connaisseur I have seen with this section.

 

Next is the usual standard Connaisseur nib and section, no sleeve, exposed nipple.

 

Third is the Large two-tone Grand Connaisseur nib and section with the metal sleeve. This section will only fit a standard Connaisseur that originally had the same section. I find this section in all early Grand Connaisseurs, the Black Laque and Tortoise Laque models, and in some Sterling Silver pens.

 

Last is the two-tone small Grand Connaisseur nib with the non-sleeved section. It is the same as the standard Connaisseur nib with the addition of a Palladium (?) mask for the two-tone effect. I find this in the gold plated Grand Connaisseurs and in some Sterling Silver models.

 

The translucent Levenger Connaisseurs came with the Type II section and a 14K nib marked with Sheaffer and Levenger names or the more curved section that was used in the Balance II pens. The second series of Levenger pens had Palladium (?) plated trim and nibs in the Balance II type section.

 

All this and more can be found in the article I wrote in the Summer 2006 issue of The Pennant.

 

Hope this is helpful to you. The Connaisseurs are great pens.

 

Dennis B

[Univer]

Dennis,

 

Thanks so much for the wonderfully informative post. Thank goodness there's always a real expert out there, generally gracious enough to share his/her knowledge.

 

Now I just need to acquire a few more Connaisseurs, so I can have examples of all those nib variants.

 

Cheers,

 

Jon

[sexauerw]

Jon,

The problem is that you can't. Dennis has them all!

[Dennis B]

Jon,

The problem is that you can't. Dennis has them all!

Maybe not all, but a few for sure.

 

Dennis B

 

http://www.parkvillepen.com/images/sheaffer/connaisseurall2.jpg

Edited January 16, 2007 by Dennis B

[DRP]

Such great pens! Kathy has a Royal Selangor which appears to fundamentally be a Connaisseur with a different twist to the design. She absolutely loves the pen.

[Brownieeeee]

Hi thanks for everyones input on this one, that makes things alot clearer.

 

 

Thats a great collection Dennis, never seen the gray/back grey/blue pens before when do they date from?

 

 

Anyone know where i can get a broad Type II nib from?

 

 

Keep your eye on ebay in february if your after a Conniasseur i will be listing a grand and standard set.

 

 

Happy Hunting

[Dennis B]

Thats a great collection Dennis, never seen the gray/back grey/blue pens before when do they date from?

 

I'm not clear on which pens you are asking about. The translucent pens in blue-gray and smoke (gray) with Palladium instead of gold trim are the last series of the Levenger models.

 

 

If you are asking about the two pens on the lower right, blue/Palladium and black/Palladium, those are Levenger pens also, sort of a Grand Connaisseur model with lacquer over brass. The blue was allegedly a prototype produced for Levenger but not accepted or sold by them. I cannot verify the accuracy of that statement. Ialso do not know when they were made.

 

Dennis B

[solaris]

Dennis, your pics make me suffer. A lot.

[rroossinck]

QUOTE (Univer @ Jan 14 2007, 05:50 PM)

For that matter, a No Nonsense or Balance II nib will also fit a Connaisseur barrel.

Has anyone ever done this with a standard Connaisseur and a Balance II nib? If so, could you please post a shot of it? I'd like to see what one of those looks like.

 

Thanks!

[rroossinck]

I found the "head shot", but would like to see it in full size, though. No worries if no one has the time. Thanks!

[Dennis B]

QUOTE (rroossinck @ Feb 19 2007, 12:37 PM)

I found the "head shot", but would like to see it in full size, though.  No worries if no one has the time.  Thanks!

A little slow with getting the pic done and posted, but here is a standard Connaisseur with a Balance II section (bottom) and nib and another with a normal Connaisseur section (top) and nib.

 

Dennis B

 

http://www.parkvillepen.com/images/sheaffer/conn-balance-sections.jpg

[rroossinck]

Thanks Dennis! You know, that section really looks nice on the Connaisseur! I'd imagine that it writes pretty comfortably, too.

[PenFan95]

Nice pens! I like the nib...reminds me of a Prelude's!

 

Which leads me to ask if the nib can be pulled out and fitted in a Prelude...I like the pen, but the plating on the nib is quite...well...weak.