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Sheaffer Oversize Flat Top Or Not?


Paul80

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Hi all

 

I have my eye on some Sheaffer Oversize pens, some are Flat Top and some are not, which should I go for (I can only get one before your say both ;))

 

Is one more desirable than the other

 

Thanks for any help with this

 

Paul

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Sheaffer Balance OS for me--revels in Sheaffer DNA.

 

J

"Writing is 1/3 nib width & flex, 1/3 paper and 1/3 ink. In that order."Bo Bo Olson

"No one needs to rotate a pen while using an oblique, in fact, that's against the whole concept of an oblique, which is to give you shading without any special effort."Professor Propas, 24 December 2010

 

"IMHO, the only advantage of the 149 is increased girth if needed, increased gold if wanted and increased prestige if perceived. I have three, but hardly ever use them. After all, they hold the same amount of ink as a 146."FredRydr, 12 March 2015

 

"Surely half the pleasure of life is sardonic comment on the passing show."Sir Peter Strawson

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My Fleabay perusing shows OS Balances to be approx 2x the going rate for Sr. Flat Tops.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

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I do rather like to look of the OS Balance, but is it worth twice the price of the Flat Tops that are listed.

 

Flat Tops are selling for around £40 to £50 and Balance OS are selling for around £100 to £130.

 

Paul

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It does not sound illogical to me.

 

The Balance torpedo look is More iconic to Sheaffer than Even the FT, no small accomplishment in itself.

 

The Balance as a user is an perfected improvement From the FT. Especially the feeds.

 

There are many more nicer looking materials in the Balance.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

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But you can have both, and all in one pen. Look for a Sheaffer OS "Half Balance" Its a Balance pen with a flat bottom. Richard Binder discusses them here:

 

http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref/profiles/balance.htm

 

Here is one I recently snagged off the Bay for around $70. All it needed was some refinishing and an new sac:

 

 

 

In my opinion, its the best of both worlds!

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If you're intending to write with these as a daily driver, I have some advice, having used both for regular writing for more than 20 years.

 

While the OS Balance is truly iconic and uniquely Sheaffer, and available in beautiful plastics, in my experience it does not post that well. Hence the many well-used OS Balances with a heavy wear ridge at the back of the barrel--and splits in the cap along the striations. Many writers do not like to post their pens, but the Balance was designed to post and to me feels unbalanced (no pun intended) without the cap.

 

The OS flat-top does post somewhat better (still not nearly as positive a posting as you'd experience in, say, a Pelikan Souvereign or a Parker 51) but it posts high. This creates a pen with a high center of gravity, so better for larger hands. It is somewhat better to write with unposted. It also feels more substantial in the hand, possibly due to thicker barrel and cap walls. I believe the OS flat-tops were machined from rod stock, rather than wrapped from sheet stock as the striped Balances appear to be.

 

The OS Balances generally have thinner nibs, often with the upturned Feathertouch feature which gives very smooth writing especially writing quickly. They have more modern feeds with deeper fins, and so will blob less as they get close to empty than the earlier OS Flat-Tops with their comb feeds. The earlier nibs are generally of a much thicker gauge and can be great for a heavy hand. Both of these pens generally have rigid nibs with no flex whatsoever (the earlier Sheaffer pre-Lifetime flat-top Self-Filling pens were generally flexible, but the Lifetime nibs almost never are. Out of hundreds of Lifetime I've owned or handled, only a tiny handful were flexible. Expect to pay a big premium for this (Rob Morrison has an OS Balance with a correct Lifetime flexible nib on ebay right now that's gone up over $450.)

 

These are all great pens, and really undervalued relative to the prices that similarly-sized top of the line Parkers and Eversharps and Waterman's command. Even second and third tier oversizes in attractive plastics often cost as much, though they are nowhere near the same quality.

 

If you can, I would recommend you buy an example of both given they are still so undervalued. But if I had to choose one, I'd buy the early Balance in black and pearl --the one with the long hump and the long tail. It posts much better, has great balance (pun intended), nice weight and excellent nibs. And it's beautiful. Arguably it is the iconic Sheaffer. They're a lot less common than the ubiquitous brown stripe Sheaffer balance, but they are going for not much more than people were asking for them 20 years ago. And the early ones have that same substantial feeling and build quality of the flat-tops--they feel great in the hand and are comfortable for extended periods of heavy writing.

 

OTOH, the flat-tops are a true bargain. And the OS Balances have beautiful celluloid. Can't go wrong with any of them really. At the moment, they are neither rare nor expensive, so be sure to get the best condition one you can find--or afford. Unless you are on a really tight budget, there's no point in buying one with terribly discolored celluloid, or cracks in the cap lip. If you find a good one, chances are, you'll be writing with it a long time. I still have the one I took notes with at University.

Edited by stephenchin
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Of course the oversized flattop. It is price advantageous and a classic Sheaffer.

 

Roger W.

 

http://www.sheafferflattops.com/images/flats1.jpg

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi All

 

thanks for all the help with this

 

I finally settled on an Oversize Balance and found a nice looking example on the Bay of Evil I paid just over £100 for it

 

I know I paid too much and got stung for an extra £42 in import duty and charges but it was one of the better ones I found for sale at the time, and I have to strike whilst the iron hot as the old saying goes

 

Paul

 

Pictures below,

 

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Sheaffers-balance-oversize-fountain-pen-restored-near-mint-/00/s/OTAwWDE2MDA=/z/KkIAAOxy63FSnSt9/$_57.JPG

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Sheaffers-balance-oversize-fountain-pen-restored-near-mint-/00/s/OTAwWDE2MDA=/z/yEMAAMXQWzNSnSuJ/$_57.JPGhttp://i.ebayimg.com/t/Sheaffers-balance-oversize-fountain-pen-restored-near-mint-/00/s/OTAwWDE2MDA=/z/Kr4AAOxy63FSnSuF/$_57.JPG

Edited by Paul80
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Very nice pen.

 

I'm sorry but your weren't "stung" with the import duties, you were (bleep). Closing in on 1/2 the cost of the item that hasn't been produced for 80 years (or so)? I can't begin to imagine how Anyone can, using the basic "reasons" for duties or tariffs, justify that for something No Country has produced for That Long.

 

That's just insane.

 

Yall should just rebel. It would't be the first time for the Crown. :P

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

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That nib looks like it might have some flex to it. If it does, you didn't over pay at all.

And the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started

And know the place for the first time. TS Eliot

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No flex in the nib at all, a very nice smooth writer for a fine nib though.

 

Bruce, tell me about it, I have been seen to good and proper this week, two pens bought from American sellers both of which where around £100 and both attracting the £40 plus duty charges and its not just the 20% duty but the £13.50 handling fee the post office add as well.

 

We need a revolution and we need it NOW :(

 

Paul

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No flex in the nib at all, a very nice smooth writer for a fine nib though.

 

Bruce, tell me about it, I have been seen to good and proper this week, two pens bought from American sellers both of which where around £100 and both attracting the £40 plus duty charges and its not just the 20% duty but the £13.50 handling fee the post office add as well.

 

We need a revolution and we need it NOW :(

 

Paul

Well, they say the pen is mightier than the sword. In that case, we are all very well armed. To the ramparts!

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http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Sheaffers-balance-oversize-fountain-pen-restored-near-mint-/00/s/OTAwWDE2MDA=/z/KkIAAOxy63FSnSt9/$_57.JPG

 

 

That looks like a great example Paul. Actually, it looks exactly like the one I have.

Parker: Sonnet Flighter, Rialto Red Metallic Laque, IM Chiseled Gunmetal, Latitude Stainless, 45 Black, Duovac Blue Pearl Striped, 51 Standard Black, Vac Jr. Black, 51 Aero Black, 51 Vac Blue Cedar, Duofold Jr. Lapis, 51 Aero Demi Black, 51 Aero Demi Teal, 51 Aero Navy Gray, Duofold Pastel Moire Violet, Vac Major Golden Brown, Vac Deb. Emerald, 51 Vac Dove Gray, Vac Major Azure, Vac Jr. Silver Pearl, 51 Vac Black GF Cap, 51 Forest Green GF cap, Vac Jr. Silver Pearl, Duovac Senior Green & Gold, Duovac Deb. Black, Challenger Black, 51 Aero Midnight, Vac. Emerald Jr., Challenger Gray Pearl, 51 Vac Black, Duofold Int. Black, Duofold Jr. Red.

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I think this pre-paid customs duty scheme is an utter rip-off and when I'm looking on The Bay I won't even consider dealing with sellers who use it. All of us who are outside the US should do the same.

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It was not on the pre pad scheme that was what I was charged when the pens arrived here.

 

Apparently anything coming into the Uk from America that costs more than £30 is now automatically charged the full declared value duty plus a £13.50 handling charge.

 

In both the above cases the tracking info showed both pens where in customs for exactly one minute, so they are not spending to much time thinking about this are they. :(

 

Sadly this for me is now going to kill the USA as a suitable market place. Unless the price is really good ;)

 

Paul

Edited by Paul80
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The OS balances are as close as a 'grail pen' as it gets for me. That said, I'll take my OS flat top with me to the grave (well, maybe I'll will it to my son...).

@arts_nibs

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It was not on the pre pad scheme that was what I was charged when the pens arrived here.

 

Apparently anything coming into the Uk from America that costs more than £30 is now automatically charged the full declared value duty plus a £13.50 handling charge.

 

In both the above cases the tracking info showed both pens where in customs for exactly one minute, so they are not spending to much time thinking about this are they. :(

 

Sadly this for me is now going to kill the USA as a suitable market place. Unless the price is really good ;)

 

Paul

 

Or unless you find a seller willing to fudge on the valuation.

 

First, I am not convinced tracked insured international postage, at least between actual Offices, is even worth it. The tracking is only valid for the country it's shipped within and I'm convinced that were a pen to come up lost, EACH country would likely say the OTHER country did the losing and is responsible for the loss.

 

99%+ of the time, standard untracked postage will get it there.

 

I generally try and be a scrupulous, ethical person, but the government has already transgressed that area with this massive charges IMO. No vendor or buyer is being harmed by fudging the valuation IMO.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

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I have to agree with you there Bruce. But getting a seller to do it, that totally different kettle of fish ;)

 

Paul

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