Sheaffer Balance Photo Thread 1928-1942

[DrPJM1]

  On 6/19/2019 at 7:13 PM, sztainbok said:

Hello everybody.

I have been going through the 1938 Sheaffer catalog, interested on identifying balanced pens with Lifetieme Feathertouch pens.

All the pens in the catalog are said to have Feathertouch nibs.

Pens described as Lifetime Feathertouch have the nib inscribed with the words Sheaffer Lifetime but not Feathertouch, and they have the white dot.

Pens that are not Lifetime pens,such as the Admiral model, have the nibs inscribed Sheaffer Feathertouch, and no white dot.

All the nibs are bi-color nibs.

My question is how to identify a Lifetime Feathertouch nib if Feathertouch is not inscribed.

Thanks.

 

In that catalog, all Sheaffer nibs were Feathertouch because they could write upside down and had platinum-plated slit walls between the tines. Platinum is more "wet" than gold and these nibs had better flow.

 

Non-Lifetime nibs were stamped Feathertouch, no White Dot. Lifetime nibs were marked Lifetime, but had all the Feathertouch features, and had the White Dot.

Edited June 20, 2019 by DrPJM1

[sztainbok]

Thank you Pedro.

[Nathaniel Harter]

Here's an unusual Balance. First, and most obvious, this Balance has a WASP clip, the same one as my Addipoint has. Secondly, this Balance is a grey striated with gold trim, rather than the typical silver trim that most of the grey Balances had.http://nathanielharter.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/66610443_2350383888567784_1397616017777098752_o.jpghttp://nathanielharter.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/67107184_2350383931901113_2648156000103694336_o.jpghttp://nathanielharter.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/66816205_2350383958567777_5020451447695736832_o.jpghttp://nathanielharter.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/64669948_2350383981901108_6967738071504650240_o.jpg

[georges zaslavsky]

I will contribute to this thread with two vac fill oversized Balances beautifully restored by Ron Zorn, a Valiant bought some years ago from Gary Lehrer and an Autograph bought from Terri Morris nearly 5 years ago

Edited August 4, 2019 by georges zaslavsky

[RICARDOBORBA]

[jaytaylor]

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks!

 

This is a throwback photo from 2004!

 

This is a Sheaffer 74TC Jet Black Balance and a Sheaffer J8TC Jade Green Oversize Balance c. 1928-1930. These are lever fill fountain pens. The Jet Black pen is about 5 5/8 inches long and sold for $8.25 and its matching pencil sold for $3.25. The Jade Green pen is about 5 3/4 inches long and sold for $8.75 and its matching pencil sold for $4.25. Each has a firm gold nib stamped SHEAFFER’S over LIFETIME over REG. U.S. PAT. OFF. over MADE IN U.S.A. over a number. Each barrel is stamped W. A. SHEAFFER PEN CO. over FORT MADISON, IOWA, U.S.A over PAT’D – PATENT PENDING. The ball clip is stamped SHEAFFER’S and the White Dot is positioned just above it. The box is from the 1940s.

 

http://www.penhero.com/Temp/SheafferBalances_2048_01.jpg

 

Thanks!

[falarcon]

[goodpens]

  On 1/10/2019 at 5:39 PM, PenHero said:

Hi, Folks!

 

This is a Sheaffer Balance Junior Long Style Vacuum-Fil fountain pen in Marine Green celluloid c. 1940-1941. Its about 5 3/8 inches long and sold for $2.75. The barrel is actually alternating color and clear celluloid strips so that the ink level can be seen by the user.

 

http://www.penhero.com/Temp/SheafferBalanceJuniorMarineGreen_1280_02.jpg

 

Thanks!

Thanks for all the great images and info here!

 

For the various striated colors, is it the case that all lever fillers have ink windows and all vac-fillers have the alternating clear celluloid strips?? Does it mean that, regardless of filling system, all of these have some method of gauging ink level?

Edited October 10, 2020 by goodpens

[Mardi13]

My big guys.

[Preserved_Killick]

My 86-year-old Sheaffer Balance Oversize vacuum filler w/ fine nib

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

Welp… time to resurrect this thread…

 

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

Advertising repairs:

before

 

after

 

 

I’m gonna start posting to my fountain pen instagram too: 

@veteranpens

https://www.instagram.com/veteranpens

[Penguincollector]

  Here’s my No. 3 lever-filling Ebonized Pearl Balance. It’s the small version with chromium trim and a slightly lighter EF nib. 
 

[Tashi_Tsering]

I have this pen and pencil set (no lifetime warranty). Judging by the clip, I have an early version.  The nib is very thin (~EEF) and hard.

 

 

[Penguincollector]

Does it say 3-25 on the nib, @Tashi_Tsering? I have one in a black radite ring top, and it’s very rigid and extremely narrow. 

[Tashi_Tsering]

  On 3/9/2025 at 6:45 AM, Penguincollector said:

Does it say 3-25 on the nib, @Tashi_Tsering? I have one in a black radite ring top, and it’s very rigid and extremely narrow. 

Expand  

No, it’s 5-30

[Penguincollector]

   

  On 3/9/2025 at 6:46 AM, Tashi_Tsering said:

No, it’s 5-30

Expand  

   I should look up what the numbers mean. I think they just had this thin hard nib as an option back then.

[Tashi_Tsering]

  On 3/9/2025 at 6:53 AM, Penguincollector said:

   

   I should look up what the numbers mean. I think they just had this thin hard nib as an option back then.

Expand  

Many years ago I read that the number was a price/warranty. i.e. 5-30 meant $5 and a 30 year warranty; 3-25 meant $3 and a 25 year warranty. I think I read this in Richard Binder’s book, but I'm not sure. 
 

Indirectly, it also meant size: 5 meant a standard-sized pen, 3 meant a small one.

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

Those are both beautiful pens! Thank you both for sharing. 

 

 

 

 

I’m gonna start posting to my fountain pen instagram too: 

@veteranpens

https://www.instagram.com/veteranpens