Sheaffer "Student" Fountain Pen

[Nhartist40]

I just posted a video talking about the first fountain pen I ever own, Sheaffer's so-called "Student" Cartridge Pen. I go over the original version and how it changed into the 1980s. I have quite a collection, and I really love these pens.  Over the years I have had them they all write very reliably and fairly smoothly, particularly the medium versions.  I really like the 1970s green demonstrator version of the pen.  I used to have the Peacock blue color in it, but they don't make that cartridge anymore.  The only negative about the pen is that it won't fit a converter.  The chamber is too narrow.   It is really designed just for cartridges, but it is quite easy to empty a cartridge and use a needle to squirt your own ink into it.  My guess is that soon Sheaffer will stop making cartridges for these pens which they discontinued sometime in the 1990s. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_Uki25b0oc

[inkstainedruth]

I have a few of them too.  One has a converter, but I can't find vintage Sheaffer converters for the other two, or for a pen (a Skripset, I think) that's a similar size a friend gave me a few years ago (it had been his grandfather's pen).  The last time I looked for converters at a pen show, I was being told by a bunch of vendors "No, sorry, don't have one -- and if I did it'd be $30 US...." (!)  Which is of course more than the three pens COMBINED cost me.... 

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[yubaprof]

I enjoyed your historical review, Nhartist40. It brought back memories of my first FP, also a plastic Sheaffer and also acquired in high school. My memory is, however, not as sharp as yours and so I am a bit fuzzy on the details. Perhaps you can help me out. I graduated from high school in 1964. During my senior year my world history teacher used a fountain pen. I was quite impressed with him as a teacher and also with his pen. I have no idea as to the make of his pen, but I decided I would write with an FP as well. So, I went to the local Rx Drugs store and bought a clear plastic Sheaffer demonstrator. It cost about a dollar or perhaps a bit more, was a flat top and took cartridges. I went through several through high school, college, and graduate school. Later on, I bought a Sheaffer Targa. I was well on my way into the rabbit hole. Can you tell me which plastic model I might have had in high school and college?

[pen lady]

Being Canadian, I apologize in advance for the sales pitch but....... If any of you are going to the Toronto Pen Show (Scriptus) on Oct 29th and want to get one of these great little work-horse pens, I have a number of Sheaffer School pens for sale, all working but in various states of cosmetic condition.  Look for them in my ''bargain-bin'' display along with Sheaffer No Nonsenses and several Parker Vectors.

[pensuponpens]

I had many of these over the years.  When I was in high school, our "school store" in the cafeteria sold BIC crystals and Sheaffer School pens.  The school pens were $1 and came with a few cartridges.  Previous versions from my earlier childhood,, I remember coming with 5 cartridges. 

 

I don't believe I still have any, but they were durable, reliable pens, much better than the similarly priced Wearever cartridge pens and even comparable to the Esterbrook cartidge pens (that came with five cartridges and adapters to make them fit other brands of pen) that was priced at the dollar mark and was, if anything, made of less durable plastic.

[LoveBigPensAndCannotLie]

I have a bunch of these because I keep getting them in random lots of pens with more desirable penms. Most of the ones I've tried have been pretty nice writers. They punch way above their weight in terms of price considering they're almost "freebie" level. Great durable writers.

 

One of my friends recently bought a Jinhao 82, his first fountain pen ever. I gave him one of my Sheaffer cartridge pens (one of the early ones with the 3 digit width designation) as a gift. The Jinhao 82 is no slouch but he told me he likes the Sheaffer pen way more because it's a more consistent writer. A 60 year old pen vs. a modern one!

 

Edit: I just inked up another one to test (had a mostly full cartridge from testing another pen so I figured why not) and to no surprise, it's also a pretty good writer. I didn't think it would be, the tipping looked really right and a little mangled but it's relatively smooth and just a touch dry. 

 

[amberleadavis]

I had one in college that got a lot of use.  I don't know what I did with it, but I loved it for four years.

[wbpeoria]

I have a black one with a hexagonal barrel -- I think that one's a little bit older.   I really like the way it writes.  I also have a few of these.  

My understanding is that Sheaffer cartridges are all the same.  I bought some recently, and they work fine in both the school pen and my mid-60's Lifetime.   

 

From watching the Anderson Pens weekly YouTube videos, it seems that Sheaffer hadn't been producing the cartridges too reliably until recently.  I picked up some green ones when I was in Appleton this past summer; the black and blue ones became available recently.

 

Refilling cartridges with a syringe and blunted needle is definitely the way to go with these.  I have a Sheaffer converter, but it doesn't hold much ink.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I have a decent collection of these from different eras and with all sorts of finishes.  And the vintage carts to go with them.  Such nice little pens: happy, nostalgic, workmanlike.

[joss]

  On 10/18/2023 at 5:13 AM, yubaprof said:

I graduated from high school in 1964. During my senior year my world history teacher used a fountain pen. I was quite impressed with him as a teacher and also with his pen. I have no idea as to the make of his pen, but I decided I would write with an FP as well. So, I went to the local Rx Drugs store and bought a clear plastic Sheaffer demonstrator. It cost about a dollar or perhaps a bit more, was a flat top and took cartridges. I went through several through high school, college, and graduate school. Later on, I bought a Sheaffer Targa. I was well on my way into the rabbit hole. Can you tell me which plastic model I might have had in high school and college?

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Hi, that is a nice story. The translucent version of this Sheaffer school pen was introduced in circa 1960 but it was still cigar shaped as in the ad shown above. The version with a semi flat topped cap and barrel came in circa 1963. Your pen may have looked like the one pictured on this webpage: https://www.dalethele.com/post/vintage-sheaffer-clear-school-cartridge-fountain-pen

 

There is a very informative write-up of these early cartridge school pens here: http://dirck.delint.ca/beta/?page_id=2554

 

 

[yubaprof]

  On 11/11/2023 at 7:39 PM, joss said:

Hi, that is a nice story. The translucent version of this Sheaffer school pen was introduced in circa 1960 but it was still cigar shaped as in the ad shown above. The version with a semi flat topped cap and barrel came in circa 1963. Your pen may have looked like the one pictured on this webpage: https://www.dalethele.com/post/vintage-sheaffer-clear-school-cartridge-fountain-pen

 

There is a very informative write-up of these early cartridge school pens here: http://dirck.delint.ca/beta/?page_id=2554

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Thank you, Joss, for the info and links. Much appreciated.

David

[bohemio666]

I have a 'version 2' of the Sheaffer School/Student Pen (like the ones you show at around 11:30 in the Youtube video). My wife, as she now is, gifted it to me a few years back when I was evidently fascinated with how its nib felt on paper while checking out some affordable vintage stuff at the Pen Hospital at Esplanade, Kolkata. Still one of my favourites and occasional everyday carry. Unfortunately, the push button converter that was included in it did not work, and I had been using a cartridge in it until very recently when I fit a sqeeze converter that I had lying about from a Targa.

[AndrewSimmon]

  On 10/14/2023 at 3:22 PM, Nhartist40 said:

I just posted a video talking about the first fountain pen I ever own, Sheaffer's so-called "Student" Cartridge Pen. I go over the original version and how it changed into the 1980s. I have quite a collection, and I really love these pens.  Over the years I have had them they all write very reliably and fairly smoothly, particularly the medium versions.  I really like the 1970s green demonstrator version of the pen.  I used to have the Peacock blue color in it, but they don't make that cartridge anymore.  The only negative about the pen is that it won't fit a converter.  The chamber is too narrow.   It is really designed just for cartridges, but it is quite easy to empty a cartridge and use a needle to squirt your own ink into it.  My guess is that soon Sheaffer will stop making cartridges for these pens which they discontinued sometime in the 1990s. The Sheaffer 'Student' Fountain Pen is a classic choice for those who appreciate the art of writing with style and precision. Known for its smooth ink flow and comfortable grip, this pen is ideal for students and professionals alike who value quality tools for their work. If you're looking to elevate your writing skills further, visit https://ca.papersowl.com/  for resources and assistance with academic papers. Combining a reliable writing instrument with helpful resources can make a noticeable difference in your productivity and writing experience.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_Uki25b0oc

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cool!

Edited October 31, 2024 by AndrewSimmon