Lady Sheaffer Style/quality Discrepancies

[RedRinger]

Hi Sheaffer's lovers,

 

I recently noted a marked difference in style (and apparent quality) between two Lady Sheaffer's that I own, the number VI Paisley Periwinkle model. Attached are some photos in which I tried to give the best sense of the differences. One pen is slightly duller, and the pattern seems to be composed of "wave" forms with pointed crests and round troughs; the other pen seems to be brighter, but of less accurate milling perhaps, with more symmetric "sine wave" forms composing the pattern.

The nibs also seem to have some *very* subtle differences; the nib on the left belongs to the pen of ostensibly lower quality, and the one on the right to the pen of higher quality. The nib on the right has an extra set of lines on either side of the registered trademark symbol, and the entire hallmark is shifted upward, with the slit a bit shorter than the one of the left.

 

Would anyone care to indulge my obsessive attention to detail? My overall impression is that the slightly duller pen is of higher quality. I wonder if this represented an improvement, or a decline in manufacture over the run of this model?

 

(sorry I haven't cleaned up the nibs yet; that gunk really is all just ink)

 

 

 

 

 

Cheers!

Matt

[Ron Z]

Just minor changes over the life of production. It happens.

[bass1193]

Wow, big difference! Looks like someone forgot to sharpen the tool on the sine wave pen!