LegacyII,or Legacy Heritage?

November 26, 2007

Well,a long story.

Calligraphy is a key element of chinese traditional culture,and handwriting is considered as a second face of men.But not untill recently do I actully realize how important it is.Practicing calligraphy is a long-term process,and I have missed the best time(it's said to be around 13-18 years old).In order to go through this hard time,I would like to purchase a nice fountain pen.After doing some homework on FPN,I think I'm just incurably in love with Sheaffer's trade mark inlaid nib,the Legacy series.

Unlike Parker,Waterman and MontBlanc,Sheaffer is not very popular and seldom discussed in China.

So here I am,a complete Sheaffer newbie.I am very confused by Legacy,LegacyII and Legacy Heritage.What exactly are the differences? LegacyII is compatible with cartridge and amazing touchdown mechanism,does it make LegacyII more adaptive and valuable then the Legacy Heritage?Is LegacyII still available on Penhero.com Store?As daily use(not a collector), which one is worthy to buy,LegacyII or Legacy Heritage?Is extra-fine nib available for Legacy series?

Ah,still tons of questions....

Any information is helpful,

Thanks in advance!

writerman.

November 26, 2007

Dear writerman,

Welcome to FPN!

The Legacy Heritage and Legacy 2 pens are essentially identical except for the filling system. They use the same nib unit, same materials, and have the same trim features. Side by side the two versions will look identical except for the end cap on the barrel of the Legacy 2, which unscrews for the Touchdown plunger.

The Legacy Heritage is a standard cartridge / converter pen where the Legacy 2 uses a modified Touchdown (pneumatic) filling system with a removable sac converter (which allows cartridges to be used in the pen).

Legacy 2 pens were fairly widely available as closeouts up until about 2 years ago. There are none left at Sheaffer. You may find them at dealers still trying to unload them and from dealers on eBay. The Legacy Heritage is the current model and is in production, though some finishes have been retired.

The current Legacy Heritage line only comes with fine and medium nibs. Sheaffer nibs run narrower than most other pens, so a Sheaffer fine will be more like a Cross or Parker extra fine, for example.

Cheers,

Jim Mamoulides

www.PenHero.com

November 27, 2007

Dear writerman,

Welcome to FPN!

The Legacy Heritage and Legacy 2 pens are essentially identical except for the filling system. They use the same nib unit, same materials, and have the same trim features. Side by side the two versions will look identical except for the end cap on the barrel of the Legacy 2, which unscrews for the Touchdown plunger.

The Legacy Heritage is a standard cartridge / converter pen where the Legacy 2 uses a modified Touchdown (pneumatic) filling system with a removable sac converter (which allows cartridges to be used in the pen).

Legacy 2 pens were fairly widely available as closeouts up until about 2 years ago. There are none left at Sheaffer. You may find them at dealers still trying to unload them and from dealers on eBay. The Legacy Heritage is the current model and is in production, though some finishes have been retired.

The current Legacy Heritage line only comes with fine and medium nibs. Sheaffer nibs run narrower than most other pens, so a Sheaffer fine will be more like a Cross or Parker extra fine, for example.

Cheers,

Jim Mamoulides
www.PenHero.com

Thank you very much Jim, that's very helpful.

About fountain pen, I have another painful story. Couple days ago I bought a Waterman Charleston. After writing several lines, and then my friend grabbed it. I bet he had never write a fountain pen before, he push it so hard just like that he was using a screwdriver.

So, inked less than 15 minutes, my brand-new Charleston F nib now write like a M nib.

Since I don't have any Parker or Cross in hand, it's hard for me to imagine the extra-fine of them. Are there anywherer for me to find a sample of handwriting, comparing different size of nib?

More importantly, between Legacy II and Heritage, I still don't know what to choose. Touchdown is absolutely fun, but is it durable?

Any suggestion?

TIA!

Best regards,

writerman

November 27, 2007

The Legacy has a slightly different shape than the Legacy 2 and the Legacy Heritage. The corners of the end pieces are more "squared off" than the other two models. The filling system is the same as the Legacy 2. I don't know if the nib is the same or different. Perhaps Jim Mamoulides can provide this information. He's the resident expert on modern Sheaffer pens.

November 27, 2007

Welcome to FPN. I have learned much from reading the thoughts of other participants and I am certain you will, also. FPN is made up of very nice people.

Regarding the Legacy 2 pens ........................

I purchased several examples of the Legacy 2 pens and am very pleased with all of them. They are a bit wider than I prefer and tend to be heavy pens though they are comfortable in my hand. All are smooth writers.

I have experienced no problems with the "touchdown" fillers. I don't know about the experience of others but my experiences have been consistently good. One positive thing about the "touchdown" filler is that it is easily replaced. It can be easily removed so that you can use a cartridge should you so choose. Should the filler ever become defective, you can replace it with either a cartridge or another touchdown filler in less than a minute. Easy removal is also a benefit when you wash out your pen. I clean pens every month or so and find it convenient to be able to remove the filler so that I can run water through the nib section. Ease of cleaning is a strong positive for this pen.

I know much less about the Legacy Heritage though would rely upon Pen Hero to give accurate information.

Should you have the opportunity to purchase Legacy 2 pens, I encourage you to do so. As noted by others, they are still available on ebay and other sources. As they are no longer in production, I would guess they will tend to increase in value as time progresses.

November 27, 2007

Hi,

I own representatives of all three models: Legacy, Legacy II and Legacy Heritage. The differences among them, as others have pointed out, have to do with design nuances and filling systems rather than writing performance. I haven't detected any difference in the nibs, which have been uniformly excellent.

I agree wholeheartedly with DRP's comments. First: the Touchdown converter system does manage to combine many of the advantages of traditional self-filling systems with the convenience of cartridge systems. (If it has a downside, it's only by comparison to the original Touchdown system, which was more efficient.) Second: it just makes sense to pick up a NOS Legacy/Legacy II while you can. They're likely to be the last self-filling Sheaffers ever made, and although they're plentiful now, they won't be around forever - and when they get scarce, prices will surely rise. Since the Legacy Heritage is a current model, you'll always have the opportunity to add one of those later on.

Whichever you choose, you can be assured - if my own experience is any guide - of getting a superb writer.

Cheers,

Jon

November 27, 2007

Thank you all!

I learn a lot from your posts. Great forum and nice people!

Now I have made up my mind. It seems that LegacyII is worth having, and now the only issue is where can I get one.

Best regards,

writerman.

November 28, 2007

Two quick suggestions ....................

First, don't get in too much of a rush to buy Legacy 2 pens; at least not so much a rush that you pay too much. Good pens at good prices are out there if you take your time to look.

Second, while you're looking at Legacy 2 pens, watch out for nice Sheaffer Targa pens, also. These pens can be described as outstanding in every way.

Glad that we can help!

November 28, 2007

If I bought a Sheaffer Legacy II with a broad nib, would it write a nice wet parker medium?

Thanks

Brad

November 30, 2007

Hello, writerman, and welcome to this forum.

Like you, I'm also from a country where hardly anybody knows Sheaffer pens, which is a shame as for me they write better than all other brands I know. You can find Legacy IIs here: isellpens. I've bought a pen and ink from this seller once, everything was fine (apart from the high shipping costs) and I've read many posts recommending him, too. I have seen a few Legacy IIs go for slightly better prices on eBay, so that's another possibility.

Hi Brad,

I don't think Sheaffer nibs are that much narrower than Parker nibs, but I can't be sure as the last time I wrote with a Parker was ages ago and I don't own a Legacy. Some of my fine nibs (on vintage Sheaffers) are very fine, indeed, and certainly a lot finer than my Waterman Kultur fine, which is regarded by many as a medium-fine nib, anyway. I've just compared two of my medium Sheaffers to that Waterman fine and the Sheaffers' lines are definitely wider.

I hope that helps,

Nellie

edited to add this scan

Edited November 30, 2007 by Nellie

December 1, 2007

Thank you so much DRP and Nellie!

Your pic is a great, great help, Nellie. Chinese character is complicated in structure, if the flow is to strong, the writing will turn out a mess. So according to your comparison, F nib would be my first choice.