Confused with the modern Balance

January 13, 2007

Well, like most people I really love the modern Balance released by Sheaffer about a decade ago, but I am confused with their names.

I have two 'non-vintage' Balance:

- Plain green, one golden band on the cap. Monotone gold nib, stamped "SHEAFFER'S LIFETIME"

- Jade green, two golden bands on the cap. Big two-tone nib, stamped "Feathertouch"

I'm confused, because I've read about the "Modern Balance", the "Balance II" and the "Millenium Edition".

Can someone please clarify how to identify these amazing pens? Both my Balance are CHAMPS.

Thanks a lot in advance.

Edited January 13, 2007 by solaris

January 13, 2007

Ok, I'm lazy....Rather than retyping what I wrote here almost 2 years ago, I'm gonna repost it below

Well, looking through my pen books, I see that the Sheaffer Balance II series came out in 1998 as a fountain pen, rollerball (which can accomodate a Balance II ftn. pen nib on it, after the rollerball unit is unscrewed) and ballpoint pen. It came in Jade Green, Crimson Glow, Amber Glow and Cobalt Glow colours. The fountain pens were all White Dot models with gold-plated trim and 18K gold two-tone "Feathertouch" nibs and two cap rings.

In 1999, Sheaffer came out with the Balance II Aspen Special Edition as well as a special model called the Tiger Eye Balance for the Levengers company around that time, as well.

In 2000, Sheaffer came out with its Balance II Milennium Special Edition. The single cap ring has the word "Millenium" on it, if I recall correctly.

Also in 2000, the Balance 'Classic Colors' series came out. These modern Balances were smaller than the regular Balances and came out in solid colors only--Black, Navy Blue and Hunter Green. The Classic Colors line FPs have 14K single-tone gold nibs, compared to the larger 18 K two-tone nibs found on the regular modern Balance line.

Now, predating all of these modern Balance pens was the Balance LE pen from 1997, which is distinguished by its lever-filler filling mechanism; it was limited to 6,000 pieces. The Balance LE Demonstrator model, which was limited to a scant 100 pieces, also came out the same year.

Now, specifically about your question, solaris.....

The "plain green", single cap ring Balance could be one of the "Classic Color" modern Balances in "Hunter Green" colour (solid dark green). I don't have any "Classic Color" moderns (I have two Balance IIs in Crimson Glow and Cobalt Glow) but I saw a webpage that says the nib said "Lifetime" on it, so that pen of yours in "plain green" could be a "Classic Color" modern Balance II.

The jade green one with a double cap ring 2-tone "Feathertouch" nib sounds like a modern Balance II in Jade. There is a nice shot of a modern jade Balance II here:

http://www.jimgaston.com/sheaffer%20jade%2...rge%20photo.htm

Edited January 13, 2007 by Maja

January 13, 2007

Maja, thank you a million times for your post. Extremely informative. I think I then have a

Sheaffer Balance Classic Colors in Hunter Green, with the single-tone nib, and a

Sheaffer Balance II in Jade Green, with the bigger two-tone 'Feathertouch' nib.

I would like to add:

1) I never noticed that there is a difference in size between the two models. The II feels a little wider than the Hunter Green, but I never had the idea of measuring.

2) As I write I have before me the Balance in Hunter Green. I checked again and, no doubt, it has a 'Lifetime' engraved on the nib. There is a 'Sheaffer's' in an arc, and 'LIFETIME' (all capitals). If you check the article from Rick Conner, there is a picture of five Balance nibs: the nib on my modern Balance in Hunter Green is a reproduction of the first one on the left in that picture. So, I do not know is the "Classic Colors" came with the single-tone "LIFETIME" nibs and the "Balance II" with the verrrrry nice two-tone "Feathertouch" nibs...

By the way, which book are you mentioning in that (great) post?

Thanks, again!!!!!!

January 13, 2007

Also in 2000, the Balance 'Classic Colors' series came out. These modern Balances were smaller than the regular Balances and came out in solid colors only--Black, Navy Blue and Hunter Green.

Your description of the classic colors series is accurate but the date of their introduction isn't.

Sheaffer began promoting both the classic colors and upgraded jade, crimson, tiger eye, aspen and cobalt Balance pens in late 1997. Then in 1998 they introduced the lever fill limited edition timed for release 70 years after the first introduction of the Sheaffer Balance.

The millenium edition came out in late 1999. Sheaffer also made a number of Balance pens under license with Levenger. One was an essentially an aspen except that it had silver plated instead of gold plated hardware.

Sheaffer never called any of these pens "Balance II". That is a name that collectors coined to differentiate the modern pens from the originals.

January 13, 2007

Also in 2000, the Balance 'Classic Colors' series came out. These modern Balances were smaller than the regular Balances and came out in solid colors only--Black, Navy Blue and Hunter Green.

Your description of the classic colors series is accurate but the date of their introduction isn't.

Sheaffer began promoting both the classic colors and upgraded jade, crimson, tiger eye, aspen and cobalt Balance pens in late 1997. Then in 1998 they introduced the lever fill limited edition timed for release 70 years after the first introduction of the Sheaffer Balance.

The millenium edition came out in late 1999.

Solaris, I got most of my info from "Fountain Pens: United States of America and United Kingdom" by Andreas Lambrou.... I don't have any catalogs that show the nib name of the Classic Color Balances but I did find several webpages (Googled) that indicated there was a 14K Lifetime nib on them. My Cobalt Glow and Crimson Glow modern Balances have 18K Feather Touch nibs on them

Mary,

In his book above, Andy Lambrou has a photo of the Milennium with the year "2000" next to it. That--and the text of the book ("Sheaffer celebrated the year 2000 with a special Balance Millennium edition")---indicated to me that the pen was launched in 2000.

Re: the Balance LE, Lambrou writes in the book above: "In the autumn of 1997, Sheaffer announced its Balance limited edition series." The year is also listed for the Balance LE on penhero.com's Sheaffer Main Page And Penography :

http://penhero.com/PenGallery/Sheaffer/Sheaffer.htm

Paul Erano's pen book (both editions) also say that the Balance LE was "issued in" 1997. Perhaps when a pen is created vs. when it was officially launched or announced in a press release, there is some lag time, accounting for slightly different years (eg. autumn 1997 vs. 1998)

Lambrou's book claims that in 2000, the same year as the Millennium, "....the Balance Classic color series was offered. This pen is smaller than the regular Balance model and the series is available in black, navy blue and hunter green."

(Update: I checked some back issues of Pen World magazine, and the May/June 1998 issue's "New Pens" section features the Balance Collection of pens, both the marbled finishes (Crimson Glow, Cobalt Glow, Jade Green and Amber Glow) with 18K Feathertouch nibs as well as the Balances in solid finishes (Black, Navy Blue and Hunter Green)all in the same photo.)

The modern Balances are very nice pens. Just be careful if you want to post the cap (as I do); I've heard anecdotal reports of the relative thinness of the cap lip on these pens, so some caution isn't out of place, methinks

Edited January 13, 2007 by Maja

January 14, 2007

In his book above, Andy Lambrou has a photo of the Milennium with the year "2000" next to it. That--and the text of the book ("Sheaffer celebrated the year 2000 with a special Balance Millennium edition")---indicated to me that the pen was launched in 2000.

The Milennium did commemorate the year 2000 but it was advertised in late 1999 and I bought mine in a brick and mortar shop in November 1999.

I traded my Milennium for two vintage Balance pens but I still have an Aspen, Crimson and classic black and green. I was very sorry when Sheaffer discontinued this line. Someday I will acquire the rest of the series.

The only pen I ever post is my Tuckaway so I'm not worried about stressing the caps by posting them.

Edited January 14, 2007 by Mary P