What A Stunner! Sheaffer Balance Golden Brown Striated (Pictures And Review)

[thedraperyfalls]

Here is my ‘new’ 1936 Sheaffer Balance in a golden brown striated finish, which I acquired from a very kind and helpful FPN member.

This is not only my first vintage fountain pen, it is also my first from a Western company. I think I chose a wonderful pen to start with!

 

http://31.media.tumblr.com/a8cd4eee789061fa6f0060ef5a1b569b/tumblr_nartk5XMDE1tgf0hdo3_r3_1280.jpg

 

For me, the Sheaffer Balance simply stood out with its Art Deco inspired elegance. It was pretty much love at first sight.

From what I gather, please correct me if I'm wrong, the Balance appears to be the first fountain pen with this beautifully balanced, streamlined torpedo shape.

Prior to that, fountain pens were flat-capped and chunky. The Balance was also innovative in its use of celluloid, as opposed to the plain hard rubber offerings of its time.

 

http://33.media.tumblr.com/b95dc957c5c7a7f3a1cc3bec4f72d223/tumblr_nartk5XMDE1tgf0hdo2_r3_1280.jpg

 

This pen was made in 1936, which means that it’s 78 years old. It’s utterly mind-boggling to imagine what this pen has lived through.

In 1936, Hitler broke the Treaty of Versailles by marching into Rhineland, while Japan invaded China.

Racism and segregation were rampant, while Jesse Owens won big at the Olympics in Nazi Germany. My own parents weren't even born yet.

 

http://31.media.tumblr.com/ab5704ff3158c8124235e388a281309d/tumblr_nartk5XMDE1tgf0hdo4_r4_1280.jpg

 

To think of the hands that had held this pen and the words that it had written.

Just imagine the feelings that it shared, the secrets it kept, the memories it recorded, the stories it told, the ideas it hatched and the love that it had professed.

Now, it belongs to me. I shall duly put pen to paper, and allow this effusive nib a voice again.

 

http://33.media.tumblr.com/b5d48734685d34cbae3a2047496e7f6e/tumblr_nartk5XMDE1tgf0hdo1_r4_1280.jpg

 

The overall build quality is stellar. I'm pleasantly surprised at how well this celluloid has held up over the decades. It's definitely durable.

Ergonomically, the Sheaffer Balance might be a tad small for most hands. It is only 12cm capped, and 14.5cm posted. This is a small pen.

However, this does not mean that it's uncomfortable in any way. Despite it's diminutive size, I find it comfortable to write with for extended periods.

A small gripe - as the metal band is not flush with the lip of the cap, I'm a bit hesitant with posting it for fear of it cracking.

 

The two-tone 14K Feathertouch No.5 nib lays down a very fine line, and is reasonably smooth.

My smoothest pen is a Sailor 1911L with a 21K nib, which glides on paper. If that's a 9.9/10 in terms of smoothness, the Feathertouch nib would be a 7/10.

This isn't a demerit in anyway, as I find that a certain amount of feedback helps me control my writing better. It's really all a matter of preference.

There is little to no flex in it, and upside down writing is doable and produces an even finer line. No hard starts, no skips, all in all - an excellent experience.

 

http://38.media.tumblr.com/f4db0c76b5e15c162868ef919f1f0a4f/tumblr_nartk5XMDE1tgf0hdo5_r3_1280.jpg

 

 

Specifications:

Nib - 14K Gold Feathertouch nib

Filling mech - Lever-filler

Cap - Screw on cap

Length - 12cm (capped) / 14.5cm posted

Width - 3.5cm (widest point)

Edited August 25, 2014 by thedraperyfalls

[Titanic9990]

Beautiful pen and beautiful handwriting!

[mallymal1]

A beautiful pen indeed, and I like the way you've written about it. All part of the pleasure of using vintage pens.

 

Congratulations on a wonderful example.

[Mainecoon]

Congrats in acquiring this pen; it's a beautiful one! Nice pictures and review as well. It was a pleasure reading it.

Enjoy writing with your first vintage.

[TSherbs]

wow

 

jealous

[dannyboy]

Congratulations on your beautiful brown striated Sheaffer balance pen! Those are wonderful writers and beautifully designed pens! I appreciated your sensitivity to the pen's personal history--thank you for this thoughtful post. Enjoy this lovely pen for many years!

[orfew]

Great post and thanks for sharing those photos.

[MKeith]

Very nice reading your thoughts and enjoying your writing. It's good to know that this pen will be loved and cared for, while it gives you good service. I see more Sheaffers in your future.

[Albinoni]

Absolutely beautiful Sheaffer fountain pen and a nice simple review to go with it as well. By the way what's the filling mechanism in it.

[thedraperyfalls]

Hello everyone and thank you so much for the kind words. This is indeed a wonderful writer and I'm very pleased with it.

The best thing is that it's affordable, compared to many of the other vintage pens or even modern offerings.

 

@Albinoni

This Sheaffer Balance is a lever-filler. It works like a charm!

Thank you for asking, and apologies for missing that out.

Edited August 25, 2014 by thedraperyfalls

[Sridhar]

It's a stunner of a pen indeed! And a great write up. I have the Crest and the Vac filler but never got around to the balance which is a much older pen. And you are so right - most sheaffer nibs are hard with a hint of feedback, but extremely wet and ready to go!

[Albinoni]

Hello everyone and thank you so much for the kind words. This is indeed a wonderful writer and I'm very pleased with it.

The best thing is that it's affordable, compared to many of the other vintage pens or even modern offerings.

 

@Albinoni

This Sheaffer Balance is a lever-filler. It works like a charm!

Thank you for asking, and apologies for missing that out.

Ok. I've actually got a 1936 Sheaffer Balance fountain pen oversized but in black and also a lever filling system as well. I'm using Iroshizulku Sho Ro in it

[Inky Tom]

Beautiful pen and beautiful handwriting!

I concur.

[77kath]

Thanks for this post! I have a striated Craftsman that doesn't quite work. I was planning to give it away, but now I will have it rescaled and write proudly with it!

[Downcelot]

Congratulation! I really like my Sheaffer Balance OS very much as well. As I have learned that Sheaffer made their nib fairly nail hard back in the day to better serve their life time guarantee policy. Just imagine, if they made their nibs flexible then, I guessed today we could see serious $$$ for each one of these. My Sheaffer Balance isn't as pristine as yours, it's black and shows some wears here and there but it literately goes anywhere with me. For quick note taking, these pens are killers on steroid!

[T4TEXAS]

Gorgeous!

[thedraperyfalls]

Hello everyone, I'm glad you guys enjoyed the way this review was structured.

 

I intentionally avoided being overly technical or to be overly zealous with ratings, as that has never been the focus for me.

The joys of writing are often hard to quantify, and in many ways intangible and ultimately subjective.

 

A pen may be technically superior in every way, and use the finest materials and mechanism - but it may not be the best pen for everyone.

 

So instead, I chose to share my personal thoughts about this pen, and what it inspires within me.

And from there, a kindred spirit might identify with my experience, and in turn be motivated to try out a Sheaffer Balance.

I think that is the best way I can contribute to this community. I'm so happy that this is well-received!

Edited August 26, 2014 by thedraperyfalls

[Lyander0012]

The pen is a beauty, but it actually pales in comparison to your penmanship! Well, not really; it's a very nice pen, and I like the colour a lot

 

Thanks for sharing this review! While I'm not necessarily in the market for a Balance, I do appreciate their historical significance and how they helped determine the direction of fountain pen design all those decades ago. Also, I'm quite a Sheaffer fanboy, despite my favourite pen at the moment being of Japanese manufacture, so I view more Sheaffer reviews as a good thing XD

 

 

Cheers!

 

Kevin

 

P.S.

What exactly distinguishes a Feathertouch nib from other nibs crafted by Sheaffer at the time? Having trouble finding out :/

[ScottieDarin]

Beautiful review and excellent handwriting!!!

I love vintage pens for the same reasons. Just how amazing these pens have lived through and still in such brilliant conditions!

[thedraperyfalls]

Thank you all again for the lovely responses!

 

@ScottieDarin

Yes, old is indeed gold.

It's wonderful how these pens were made to last, as opposed to so many things nowadays with their planned obsolescence.

 

@Lyander0012

It's nice to hear that you're a Sheaffer fan too. What's your favourite Sheaffer? And what's your favourite pen now?

Regarding the differences in nibs, I'm no expert as I'm new to Sheaffers. I'm sure someone else who's more qualified can help.

I have found these links from Richard Binder's website to be tremendously helpful though. Here, here and here.

 

From Richardspens.com:

Sheaffer’s trademarked name for the duo-point nibs that it began using for non-Lifetime pens in about 1931 (illustrated to the right).

Feathertouch nibs were generally two-tone in appearance, with the slit walls and upper surface of the tines attractively platinum plated.

The slit-wall plating was a feature claimed to improve ink flow (U.S. Patent Nº 1,869,950).

These nibs were essentially the same as those in Lifetime pens except for the imprint and, on some lower-priced pen models, the absence of platinum plating.

 

I've some other pens, mostly Japanese pens, that I use very frequently.

I look forward to writing more reviews, and to offer my personal thoughts of each of them.

Edited August 27, 2014 by thedraperyfalls