Help With Identification

[l80magpie]

This pen was my father's. I would like to use it but don't know much about it. What I do know I learned primarily from pakmanpony in his welcome, but it's not a lever fill. Several photos attached that I hope will show enough to enable someone to identify it, and tell me how I can begin to use it.

 

[Scribblesoften]

It is a pneumatic filler. The system was called "Touchdown" by Sheaffer. You will need at least a sac and an o-ring. The sac goes inside the metal tube in your photo and is glued to the end of the section. When restored you would fill your pen by unscrewing and pulling back on the end of the pen. This extends a sleeve. The nib is placed in ink and then the sleeve is depressed back into the pen. This compresses air that squeezes the rubber sac, the compressed air escapes through the o-ring and your sac expands sucking in ink. They work pretty well. With the wire cap ring and the 23 nib, that is a lower line pen. Sheaffer's usually write nicely whatever their original price point. Google Sheaffer Touchdown filler and you will get good results. I believe the 23 nibs were mostly on foreign made pens. Sheaffer experts please help us out as I may have included some mis-information here.

[l80magpie]

Thank you! That was quick

 

I don't know if your reference to 23 on the nib is a typo or not; it actually says 33.

 

I had no idea the end unscrewed. Looking more closely at the picture did allow me to see the faint line of the join. Lo and behold, when I pulled the end a metal tube was revealed. The movement was very smooth.

 

The tube beside the nib assembly is plastic and fits in place securely. I'll definitely do some more Googling.

 

Thanks again.

[paultyler_82]

For further identification, the wire cap band and No. 33 nib makes it a Touchdown Craftsman.

[WayTooManyHobbies]

Very nice pen, and the family connection makes it special. Touchdown fillers are fairly easy to repair on your own. http://richardspens.com is a fantastic reference - on Richard's site, you can look at descriptions of pens (with excellent picture), graphics of how the various filling systems work, and reference pages that include full instructions on repairing your pen. Richard also sells the parts to do the job, along with the tools if you need them.

 

Good luck, and let us know how you make out.

[l80magpie]

I'm bowled over by the knowledge you all have been so kind to share, and at impressive speed too!

 

This is going to be a great project.

[l80magpie]

My father was an accountant and I imagine him using the pen to write the neat, precise figures in his ledgers.

[Scribblesoften]

Sorry, on my screen the "33" appeared to be a "23". I am glad we were able to provide some information about your father's pen. I hope you get it restored so you can enjoy it as well.