Inquiry about Sheaffer's Australian Factory

[wxhwxhwxh2002]

Hello everyone! This is my first post on FPN, and I'd like to seek some information regarding Sheaffer.

 

As many of you know, Sheaffer's Australian factory produced a significant number of products. I've searched through related posts and learned that the Australian factory began production in 1951, producing pens like the Snorkel, PFM, Imperial, Targa, and more.

I have three questions I'd like to ask:

1. Did the Australian factory have nib manufacturing equipment, especially for inlaid nibs? I understand that the production of inlaid nibs is quite complex. For pens like the AUST-marked Imperial and Targa, were their nibs entirely produced in Australia, or were they manufactured in the USA and then assembled in Australia?

2. Around when did Sheaffer's Australian factory cease production? I'm curious because I've noticed that later models of Targa (in the '90s) seem to lack the AUST marking on the nib.

3. I'd also like to inquire about how to determine the production year of a Targa. I usually consider Targas with Sheaffer USA engraved on the ornament and the USA marking on the nib's upper left corner as relatively later models. I'd appreciate hearing your perspectives on this matter.

 

English is not my strong suit, and I've used ChatGPT to assist in translation. I hope the expression is clear.

Thank you all for your responses and assistance!

[terim]

You have done a very good job of expressing yourself in English!

 

I believe they were doing inlaid nib production in Australia, I don't think you could label the nib like the one seen here without having actually done the manufacturing.

 

We usually use the sheaffertarga.com website for getting approximate production dates.

 

Good luck in digging out the info you seek!

TERI

[gmark_wa]

Hello, 

• Did the Australian factory have nib manufacturing equipment, especially for inlaid nibs?   Sheaffer (Aust.) had a factory at Heidelberg, Melbourne from mid-1952 to early-1975.  This factory had equipment and tradespeople who could produce some or all of the parts for their products.  I still can’t find any evidence that they did or did not make nibs here.  There are posts on fountain pen forums by a few Australian fountain pen commentators that state that none of the Aust-marked nibs were produced in Australia.
• For pens like the AUST-marked Imperial and Targa, were their nibs entirely produced in Australia, or were they manufactured in the USA and then assembled in Australia?  My guess is that the inlaid nibs were probably imported.
• Around when did Sheaffer's Australian factory cease production?  Sheaffer (Aust.) moved their factory to Croydon in early-1975.  They may have continued production there for a while, but they gradually transitioned to assembling products from imported parts and then to distributing imported assembled pens.  From what I have seen, the TRZ appears to the be the last pen to be produced with Australian markings.

Regards, 

 

Mark.

[gmark_wa]

1 hour ago, terim said:

You have done a very good job of expressing yourself in English!

 

I believe they were doing inlaid nib production in Australia, I don't think you could label the nib like the one seen here without having actually done the manufacturing.

 

We usually use the sheaffertarga.com website for getting approximate production dates.

 

Good luck in digging out the info you seek!

TERI

 

Hello Teri, 

 

Yes, you would think that 'Aust' or 'Made in Aust' indicated that the pen was indeed manufactured in Australia.  But the labelling laws must have been different in the 1950-1970s.  Pens produced at the Sheaffer (Aust.) factory in Heidelberg are marked as 'Made in Australia' but there is evidence that, at least initially, their products were assembled from Australian-marked imported parts.  Sheaffer (Aust.) gradually started making their own parts, but I can't find any conclusive information that shows if they did or did not make nibs.  It is still a mystery ....

 

Regards, 

 

Mark.

[wxhwxhwxh2002]

8 hours ago, terim said:

You have done a very good job of expressing yourself in English!

 

I believe they were doing inlaid nib production in Australia, I don't think you could label the nib like the one seen here without having actually done the manufacturing.

 

We usually use the sheaffertarga.com website for getting approximate production dates.

 

Good luck in digging out the info you seek!

TERI

Dear TERI,

 

Thank you for your kind words! I appreciate your insight into the inlaid nib production in Australia. I also frequently visit the sheaffertarga website – it's a treasure trove of valuable information. Much appreciation to those contributing to the site's content!

 

Best regards,
wxh

[wxhwxhwxh2002]

6 hours ago, gmark_wa said:

Hello, 

• Did the Australian factory have nib manufacturing equipment, especially for inlaid nibs?   Sheaffer (Aust.) had a factory at Heidelberg, Melbourne from mid-1952 to early-1975.  This factory had equipment and tradespeople who could produce some or all of the parts for their products.  I still can’t find any evidence that they did or did not make nibs here.  There are posts on fountain pen forums by a few Australian fountain pen commentators that state that none of the Aust-marked nibs were produced in Australia.
• For pens like the AUST-marked Imperial and Targa, were their nibs entirely produced in Australia, or were they manufactured in the USA and then assembled in Australia?  My guess is that the inlaid nibs were probably imported.
• Around when did Sheaffer's Australian factory cease production?  Sheaffer (Aust.) moved their factory to Croydon in early-1975.  They may have continued production there for a while, but they gradually transitioned to assembling products from imported parts and then to distributing imported assembled pens.  From what I have seen, the TRZ appears to the be the last pen to be produced with Australian markings.

Regards, 

 

Mark.

Dear Mark,

 

Thank you so much for the detailed information regarding Sheaffer's Australian factory. Your insights into the nib production and the transition period of the factory have been incredibly valuable in resolving my queries. If you come across any further information or updates, I would be keen to learn more.

 

Best regards,
wxh

[joss]

On 12/6/2023 at 3:15 AM, gmark_wa said:

Hello, 

• Did the Australian factory have nib manufacturing equipment, especially for inlaid nibs?   Sheaffer (Aust.) had a factory at Heidelberg, Melbourne from mid-1952 to early-1975.  This factory had equipment and tradespeople who could produce some or all of the parts for their products.  I still can’t find any evidence that they did or did not make nibs here.  There are posts on fountain pen forums by a few Australian fountain pen commentators that state that none of the Aust-marked nibs were produced in Australia.
• For pens like the AUST-marked Imperial and Targa, were their nibs entirely produced in Australia, or were they manufactured in the USA and then assembled in Australia?  My guess is that the inlaid nibs were probably imported.
• Around when did Sheaffer's Australian factory cease production?  Sheaffer (Aust.) moved their factory to Croydon in early-1975.  They may have continued production there for a while, but they gradually transitioned to assembling products from imported parts and then to distributing imported assembled pens.  From what I have seen, the TRZ appears to the be the last pen to be produced with Australian markings.

Regards, 

 

Mark.

 

That is interesting info, thanks.

 

For what it is worth: the PCA reference library has a copy of Sheaffer Times magazine Summer 1976 which lists Sheaffer's international subsidiaries. For the Croydon division it mentions that "Sheaffer Australia assembles and distributes Sheaffer writing instruments in Australia and Southeast Asia" (page 8).

The question is whether "assembling" in this case excludes a limited in-house production line. The magazine also mentions that "Sheaffer Australia currently employs 150 people" which is quite substantial in respect to the 1500 people that were employed at the Fort Madison, Iowa factory (quoted on page 3). But the Iowa division is described as a manufacturing plant while the word "manufacturing" is not used for the divisions of Sheaffer Australia, Canada or England.

 

[gmark_wa]

1 hour ago, joss said:

 

That is interesting info, thanks.

 

For what it is worth: the PCA reference library has a copy of Sheaffer Times magazine Summer 1976 which lists Sheaffer's international subsidiaries. For the Croydon division it mentions that "Sheaffer Australia assembles and distributes Sheaffer writing instruments in Australia and Southeast Asia" (page 8).

The question is whether "assembling" in this case excludes a limited in-house production line. The magazine also mentions that "Sheaffer Australia currently employs 150 people" which is quite substantial in respect to the 1500 people that were employed at the Fort Madison, Iowa factory (quoted on page 3). But the Iowa division is described as a manufacturing plant while the word "manufacturing" is not used for the divisions of Sheaffer Australia, Canada or England.

 

Hi Joss, 

 

The Sheaffer's Review from July 1959 (also in the PCA Reference Library) has an profile of the company including its overseas operations.  There is a picture of the Heidelberg (Melbourne) factory on the front cover.  It's description of the Australian subsidiary states that the "Company manufactures complete line of Sheaffer writing instruments. Distributes throughout the British Commonwealth. exclusive of Canada. Chief customer is our subsidiary in England, W. A. Sheaffer Pen Co., Ltd."

 

You would think from this description that they did all the manufacturing on site in 1959, but this is still in doubt.  Certainly by the time of your 1976 article, they had moved away from manufacturing to assembly.  I have spoken to someone who was a sales representative for Sheaffer's (Aust.) in the mid- to late-1970s, and that is certainly his recollection.

 

Regards, 

 

Mark.

[joss]

Hi Mark,

 

From what I learned from Australian newspaper entries there must have been substantial manufacturing (and export) of Australian Sheaffer pens from the early 1950s. There was a Sheaffer plant in a newly build factory in Heidelberg in 1947 where only ink was produced. But it seems that Sheaffer pens were (planned to be?) manufactured upon founding the WA Sheaffer Pen Co (Aust) Pty. Ltd. in 1951 as mentioned in this article (The Argus, January 23 1951):

 

This 1954 article suggests that already existing production will be extended by "special machinery", although the description "precision instruments" is a bit weird here. Might this be machinery for production of gold nibs? From The Herald June 17 1954:

 

 

And this 1954 article speaks about Sheaffer chiefs looking for gold in Australian territories (from Centralian Advocate, July 23 1954):

 

 

 

[gmark_wa]

16 hours ago, joss said:

Hi Mark,

 

From what I learned from Australian newspaper entries there must have been substantial manufacturing (and export) of Australian Sheaffer pens from the early 1950s. There was a Sheaffer plant in a newly build factory in Heidelberg in 1947 where only ink was produced. But it seems that Sheaffer pens were (planned to be?) manufactured upon founding the WA Sheaffer Pen Co (Aust) Pty. Ltd. in 1951 as mentioned in this article (The Argus, January 23 1951):

 

This 1954 article suggests that already existing production will be extended by "special machinery", although the description "precision instruments" is a bit weird here. Might this be machinery for production of gold nibs? From The Herald June 17 1954:

 

And this 1954 article speaks about Sheaffer chiefs looking for gold in Australian territories (from Centralian Advocate, July 23 1954):

Hi Joss, 

 

WG & AJ Stott Investments Pty Ltd produced Skrip writing fluid under licence from Sheaffer’s USA from November 1947.  They produced it in a newly built factory in Warrigal Road, Holmesglen, Melbourne.  However, the company traded at a loss and they had to dispose of the Holmesglen site in 1949.  They then moved to premises at Johnston Street, Abbotsford.  This company became the WA Sheaffer Pen Co (Aust.) Pty Ltd in 1951 and moved to Heidelberg in 1952.

 

When Sheaffer’s USA sought approval from the Australian Government to establish an Australian subsidiary, they indicated that the Australian factory would initially assemble products from imported parts.  At the same time, the Sheaffer USA indicated they would supply ‘tools, jigs and fixtures’ and train local staff to establish production lines in Australia.  

 

From my research, production of writing instruments probably started when they moved to Heidelberg.  They acquired machinery and tradespeople over the next few years and expanded the production capacity.  In 1955, Sheaffer’s USA sent out an inspection foreman to train local staff and help establish an inspection department.  This was required because the ‘Australian merchandise must be equal quality to that of the parent company’. This probably indicates that Sheaffer's (Aust.) had a mature manufacturing capability by that time.  By 1956, Sheaffer’s (Aust.) was exporting products to over 35 countries and approximately 65% of local production was being exported.

 

Here is a photo from the Australian Government publication ‘Overseas Trading’ (Vol. 10 No. 6, 2 April 1958, Page 151) showing inside the Heidelberg factory.

 

Regards, 

 

Mark.

[joss]

Hi Mark,

Thanks again for sharing this great info! The first building, where the ink was produced under licence, was indeed not in Heidelberg but in Holmesglen, Melbourne.

 

 

The 1954 article mentions an export rate of 80% of the Australian Sheaffer production, which seems to have been mainly to Southeast Asia but also to Singapore and even China.

[gmark_wa]

11 hours ago, joss said:

Hi Mark,

Thanks again for sharing this great info! The first building, where the ink was produced under licence, was indeed not in Heidelberg but in Holmesglen, Melbourne.

The 1954 article mentions an export rate of 80% of the Australian Sheaffer production, which seems to have been mainly to Southeast Asia but also to Singapore and even China.

Hi Joss, 

I don’t think the export information in the 1954 article from the Centralian Advocate is accurate, even though is appears to have come from Glenn Stott, Managing Director of WA Sheaffer Pen Co. (Aust.).

In November 1956, Glenn Stott wrote a letter to the Assistant Secretary of the Department of Trade in the Australia Government.  In that letter he stated that ‘Of our total production approximately 65% is exported’ and ‘we are exporting Australian made merchandise to 35 countries’.  I think these are more accurate figures.

Where were the exports going?  Shipping manifests from 1950-1954, show that they exported Skrip, pens and pencils, and/or advertising matter to the following countries:

• South Africa
• UK
• Italy
• Cyprus
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Libya
• Jamaca
• India
• Ireland
• Spain
• Sweden

A Qantas advertisement in 1963 also states that Sheaffer’s (Aust.) used Qantas air cargo to export to the Far East, including China.

Other than that, I have not yet been able to find documents that identify the other 23+ countries.

Regards, 

Mark.