Found In The Wild, Balance Red Veined Grey Pearl, Non-Lifetime Standard

[zaddick]

Hello all. I have limited knowledge about Sheaffer pens, but after a lovely lunch yesterday I found one in a consignment store I thought was worth picking up. It was quite dirty and the sac was obviously toast, but it was the nicest pen I had seen in the wild for a long time so I decided to pick it up. Here are some pictures after a gentle cleaning...

 

 

 

 

It has no white dot above the clip, so it is not a lifetime model. It has the short clip with a hump and full ball, so that should put it in the 1932-34 range and the color was definitely available during that entire time. Then pen measures to me at 5 3/8 inches so I think it is the standard size, full girth model (and not the oversize I was hoping it was). I think this pen was referred to as a 500 (for the price), but it is not marked on the pen. There do not seem to be any cracks in the cap lip or anything. Typical brassing on the cap ring and the top of the clip ball. There is no personalization on the pen and the imprint is decent.

 

I am curious as to why the pen has a monotone lifetime nib, but is not a white dot pen. I am guessing it is a replacement nib. (I would have expected on marked 5 - 30 for the price/warranty term).

 

I would like to ask the more serious collectors, is this a replacement nib, or would this have been a nib original to the pen?

 

Also, I don't trust myself to repair the pen. If it costs me say $40 to get it resacked, any thoughts on the pen's worth after? If it is not worth repairing, I will release it back into the wild for someone who can repair it themselves.

 

Thanks for looking and for helping me figure out the nib.

[gregamckinney]

Personally, I would keep it regardless. I am a great lover of this color, and almost never let them go.

 

However, to address your question: How is the (dis)coloration of the barrel? It is hard to tell from these photos. A heavily discolored barrel probably puts this on the "catch and release" side.

 

greg

[bsenn]

 

However, to address your question: How is the (dis)coloration of the barrel? It is hard to tell from these photos. A heavily discolored barrel probably puts this on the "catch and release" side.

 

greg

Or, how about on the "don't feel worried about using it at work" side? My discolored/brassed/gouged pens become my users. I am not worried about leaving one on my desk or carrying it around in my bag.

 

Brian

[AAAndrew]

Oh, I love this color. I had one once with a semi-flexible nib and traded it. Would love to get another one sometime.

 

This is not the only non-white-dot lifetime I've seen. I'm sure others better informed can correct me, but I seem to remember something about a time when Sheaffer didn't put white dots on the pens to indicate a Lifetime pen, it was the nib that determined it, or maybe it was only the nib that was Lifetime and not the pen. I could be wrong and I'm sure someone will bring the right answer. (or two opposing answers and a long thread to "discuss" it)

 

These are great, and as long as the nib hasn't been wrecked, they're great writers and clean up quite nicely.

[gregamckinney]

Or, how about on the "don't feel worried about using it at work" side? My discolored/brassed/gouged pens become my users. I am not worried about leaving one on my desk or carrying it around in my bag.

 

Brian

Discolored/ brassed vintage pens are great as keepers/ users. I only suggested getting rid of it since that was the path that zaddick mentioned in the original post.

greg

[limt]

nice catch, wha't the nib size?

[Roger W.]

White dot came into use in 1924 and all lifetime pens would have been so marked from that time forward - only flattops had lifetime nibs without white dots. You don't refer to them by the price code as 500 means very many things. One refers to it by the model code. In this case M5TC. The lifetime nib is a later replacement but, if it works what does it matter?

 

Roger W.

[robert1962]

So it's a non-lifetime pen with the wrong nib, or a lifetime pen with the wrong cap. The barrel's kind of AC/DC. Nice pen.

 

Good stuff, Bob