What Sheaffers Have Joined Your Collection Lately?

[SeikoProspex7]

I just grabbed this Sheaffer 7-30 not knowing anything about the brand. I just loved the colour. Im happy for the $80 I paid. 

[JonSzanto]

On 6/28/2023 at 9:04 PM, SeikoProspex7 said:

I just grabbed this Sheaffer 7-30 not knowing anything about the brand. I just loved the colour. Im happy for the $80 I paid. 

 

For not knowing about these pens, you chose wisely! These early Sheaffer flattops are great pens with remarkable nibs. If the photo is close to realistic you got one that is in very good condition with little to none of the darkening of the jade celluloid. And for icing on the cake, that is a fantastic price. I just saw a 7-30 sell last week on eBay - keeping in mind it had a rare Sheaffer flex nib - and fetched $440.00!

[SeikoProspex7]

Wow. Thats a lot more than I thought. I was thinking it was around $200 in good condition.  The photo was taken yesterday so its a fair representation of the condition. The nib is perfect. I just have to see if I need to replace the sac., it draws water OK. I was going to ink it on the weekend and see how it goes.

[JonSzanto]

4 hours ago, SeikoProspex7 said:

Wow. Thats a lot more than I thought. I was thinking it was around $200 in good condition.  The photo was taken yesterday so its a fair representation of the condition. The nib is perfect. I just have to see if I need to replace the sac., it draws water OK. I was going to ink it on the weekend and see how it goes.

 

Since Sheaffer is a big part of my collection, I have tracked prices for years. The pen I mentioned is quite a bit of an outlier, and until recently you could usually get the flattops for under $200. Many vintage prices have increased in the last year across the board, and it is hard to find bargains.

 

If the pen was sold as restored, I'd trust the sac; if not, and it is original or done somewhere in the past, it is likely best to replace it before it leaks ink on that nice celluloid, but if it holds the water it *may* be ok. Enjoy!

[Switala]

Some Sheaffer that arrived for collection.
Sheaffer Oversize, Late Manufacture. The plunger diameter is smaller than the other models.
Sheaffer Snorkel Demonstrator.
Special thanks to the great restorer and collector of Sheaffer @Ricardo Borba.

[es9]

1 minute ago, Switala said:

Sheaffer Oversize, Late Manufacture. The plunger diameter is smaller than the other models.

First off, beautiful pens!! 
 

Second, what do you mean re the plunger diameter being smaller? The rod on that pen is narrower? 

[Switala]

We tried to assemble the Balance with a standard kit, but it was too tight, I even thought that the barrel had shrunk, but there were no signs of deformation. After talking a lot, we came to the information that there was a late production that used the smaller gaskets.

[es9]

1 hour ago, Switala said:

We tried to assemble the Balance with a standard kit, but it was too tight, I even thought that the barrel had shrunk, but there were no signs of deformation. After talking a lot, we came to the information that there was a late production that used the smaller gaskets.

Interesting! I don’t suppose you took any pictures? 

[Switala]

Unfortunately we do not take pictures.
But for reference here is an excerpt from the Sheaffer Repair Manual.
I would add that this is a spectacular pen, for its lightness, reliability and beauty.
I'm enchanted by her.

[mrcharlie]

Anyone who can repair the vac-fil pens is a wizard as far as I'm concerned. Nice work.

Edited August 14, 2023 by mrcharlie
fixed a typo

[Switala]

This was a long search, but finally, I found this wonderful Sheaffer PFM V. It's difficult to describe this pen. Personally, I consider the nib to be beautiful and extremely soft, the shape extremely elegant, the ideal size for me and the snorkel filling system needs no introduction. Very happy with the acquisition, as here in Brazil it is very difficult to find one in good condition and at a reasonable price. Very grateful to my great friend and Sheaffer expert @Ricardo Borba who, in addition to obtaining this item, completely restored the supply system, bringing this icon back to its best form.

[Penguincollector]

That’s one dapper pen, @Switala!  
 

  My humble addition is a skinny Sheaffer TRZ #70.  These little pens are favorites of mine.

[JonSzanto]

15 hours ago, Switala said:

This was a long search, but finally, I found this wonderful Sheaffer PFM V. I

 

Congrats - that's a very handsome pen and you'll enjoy using it for years to come!

[inkstainedruth]

Most recently, it's been a black Touchdown with a stub nib I found in an antiques mall about an hour and an half northeast of me.  Before that, it was what I THINK is a Pastel Blue (color might be Aqua -- not sure) Snorkel Valiant, in a local-ish estate sale company's showroom sale last spring.

The Touchdown was apparently part of a set.  The cashier mentioned that (I hadn't looked at the tag all that carefully) but when I looked in the case I didn't see the matching pencil anywhere.  Oh well, ce la vie.  For $20 US plus tax I wasn't gonna worry about the pencil....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Targa]

Many years ago, when they first appeared on the market, I had a Sheaffer Royal Selangor, pewter pen with barrel made in Selangor, Malaysia.  At that point in time, I had been collecting pens for only decade or so, and also had a son enrolled in engineering at Weihenstephan, in Freising, Germany.  Not cheap.  I sold most of my pens to defray the cost of housing in suburban München.  (No fear, I grew back better and bigger.)  In any event, that was one of the pens I most missed from those days, and now I have one back.  This was bought on eBay and arrived today.  Mint, in inner and outer boxes and foam inserts.  It was a tiny bit tarnished, as pewter will do, but a few minutes with a jewelry polishing cloth fixed that.  (Prepare to make "gasp" noises ....)  I did of course fill it right away.  It also needed a slight nib tweak, which was also accomplished in et øjeblik, as my Danish friends would say.  

 

[Targa]

15 minutes ago, Targa said:

Many years ago, when they first appeared on the market, I had a Sheaffer Royal Selangor, pewter pen with barrel made in Selangor, Malaysia.  At that point in time, I had been collecting pens for only decade or so, and also had a son enrolled in engineering at Weihenstephan, in Freising, Germany.  Not cheap.  I sold most of my pens to defray the cost of housing in suburban München.  (No fear, I grew back better and bigger.)  In any event, that was one of the pens I most missed from those days, and now I have one back.  This was bought on eBay and arrived today.  Mint, in inner and outer boxes and foam inserts.  It was a tiny bit tarnished, as pewter will do, but a few minutes with a jewelry polishing cloth fixed that.  (Prepare to make "gasp" noises ....)  I did of course fill it right away.  It also needed a slight nib tweak, which was also accomplished in et øjeblik, as my Danish friends would say.  

 

One more pic 

 

[inkstainedruth]

Wow, Targa, that's a pretty pen!  

I'm curious about the weight of it though.  Is the entire pen metal, or is the silver just an overlay?

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Targa]

It’s cast and pretty heavy. 

[Ron Z]

The Royal Selangor is pewter over a plastic barrel and cap liner.  The barrel liner is a No Nonsense barrel (and one assumes cap) machined down to fit into the barrel, as are the Grand Connaisseur barrels.  I have a bunch of barrels to make replacements since I've had to replace the liners on a few of the Selangor and Grand Connaisseurs.   The Connaisseur and Balance II nib units fit.  Sheaffer planned a line of them, but on this one was made.  I've had two or three of them over the years.  Their price has risen steadily over the last decade.

[Targa]

Thank you for your expert input.  
I like the pen.  The nib is ~ the size of a Duofold International, which to my hand is quite small, but the barrel, especially posted, is chunkier and heavier, so feels better to me.  Although my first task was to tune the nib to Diamine Oxford blue, it has been well flushed and polished and as the classic line from the great Australian movie “The Castle” goes, “This is going straight to the pool room.”  So not to be a daily writer, rather exhibit while I write with Churchills.