I have a few Scheaffer's that I purchased via the bay that have non-gold colored clips/trim, one is a hump clip flat ball, one hump clip round ball and one is the streamlined non-ball that came later. Did Scheaffer make non-gold trim on the balance or are these just worn to the point of appearing to be silver? I haven't seen anything out there on the websites that indicates non-gold clips were made.

Any Scheaffer aficionado know of non-gold clip/trim material on the balance?

Sheaffer made many a pen with chrome trim.

Roger W.

It very much depends on the colour of the pen, they made several pens with chrome trim but others were only offered with gold filled trim.

Pearce.

From time of each color's first appearance, Balances is Gray/Black an in striped Gray featured white trim across the line.

Early Junior trucated balances (really non-balances) that have chopped blunted ends had white trim, even in colors in which Balances proper had yellow trim).

Later proper Junior Balances (low line, roughly $2.75 cost iirc) had white trim in all color plastics.

best

david

Thanks guys! That is exactly what I was hoping to hear.

For example...

Roseglow is a color generally associated with yellow trim.

In the pic below, the models generally ascend from left to right in terms of size and value, and note the "Junior" pen on the left with correct white trim

regards

david

Hi All,

Not to muddy the waters: I've got a couple of Gray Pearl striated Canadian Balances - one featuring a WASP-style clip, one a proper Balance clip - with gold-filled trim. The combination, to eyes accustomed to the white trim, looks a bit odd...but not bad.

Just a side note, but I thought I'd mention it in passing.

Cheers,

Jon

Ahhh, but the key is "Canadian", which to many of us who hunt 1930's plastic almost is a synonym for "muddying"

Canadian pens often do not follow the "rules"- such as they are- for USA made pens. Indeed, while Canadian pens are perfectly collectable (gracious of me to admit that, no?) and indeed do offer opportunities to find oddities (Sheaffer gray pen with gold tone trim, Sheaffer any balance with WASP-like clip, Sheaffer late Balance with ball clip instead of radius clip, Parker Vacumatic with flex nib), such finds tend to carry well less value than such would (even if they were possible) on USA_made pens, because they just aren't so odd for Canadian pens.

But perhaps it is fair to point out that when we discuss trends, observations, catalog data, heaven-forbid "rules", that we are describing the vast proportion of Balances (etc) that are USA-production.

Peharas i'll post my Canadian Standard (not thin Junior) Balance in Ebonized Pearl with White Trim :-)

regards

david

Canadian Sheaffers often have trim variances with respect to their American cousins (Sorry, Abe). The pen fourth from left in David's picture exhibits another typically Canadian get-up.

Though I suppose it's possible that an occasional Balance with gold-plated trim has been uniformly worn down to the nickel, it's a near-certainty that the pens the OP refers to are chrome-trimmed models as stated by other respondents above.
--Daniel

David:

I admired that collection on your previous post WOW it is sweet!!! Any chance you can name them for us going across starting with the Junior?

Alex

I have a ca. 1935 grey pearl vac-fil Balance that has white trim on it. David, what model would that be? It doesn't have a white dot, but does have a two tone nib (but the nib doesn't say lifetime.) Yea! I want to know what all of those models are too!

Well, it is a Balance. After that size and trim become key. Most from that year (and note there are two Grays around that time. Gray/Black Gray/Red) depends on size and trim details. No model names iirc back then. Just size and trim/nib to give guide. Later model names (appearing around 1938) sometimes applied in retrospect to lend cohesion. At very least one has lifetime (white dot) and non-lifetime in several sizes. Then nib contributes to guidance. Higher line but non Lifetime often have 5-30 nibs during that era. Lower line non-lifetime mite have less hefty nibs.



Levels and levels to answer.

Sheaffer Balances largely bereft of model names until around 1938, though often the names are applied to simiar looking pens of earlier vintage to lend connection to the series. And, while i have many catalogs and often am meticulous on model names (eg. with Parker Vacs), i don't keep track offhand of the numerous names used for numerous size/trim mixes starting 1938.

Another approach is to use the model price points, which started being stamped on barrels perhaps around 1938, eg. "1000" can be an Oversize or a Long Standard (fat standard, Slender OS, Statesman, whatever we call it). And, most Rosies seem to lack the stamps (as do most earlier colors) as Rosie was on the fade (or so it seems) as the numbers were coming in and used 4 years or so on other colors that lingered longer.

Indeed i like this subject, heartily recommend Richard Binder's website profile, even wh ilst disagreeing with some of his details (it is BAD to call the Standard WD pen a "Senior" IMHO), and no doubt planning my own spin on the approach to learning these, were i ever to scribe my own guide.

But, to name the models. Let's use the following appraoch. This might teach more than actually naming the pens. Will focus only for now on the STriped pen era (late 1936-41).

1) Balance exists in Lifetime (white dot, WD) models and non-WD models.

2) All Lifetimes are high line (first tier pens) priced either $8.75 or 10 depending on size

3) if we clump NON-WD models, there are at least three tiers of pen, Feather Touch non-WD (mostly or all $5) at various sizes, 2nd Tier ?$3.75 with thinner cap-band and wimpier nib (maybe a #3 nib by the striped era) and Junior $2.75.

So- let's say we have WD and below that 1st, 2nd, third tier NON-WD

4) Most non-WD are catalogued in Long and Short models at most price points. Radius clip this era

5) Some uncatalogued-this-era (TBOMK) models exist, such as the short-standard-WD.

6) Also note the variously described Deluxe, Milled, Jeweler's Band is not catalogue, well recognized, and adds charm to whatever model on which it appears.

7) Longer fatter pens can be found at lower price points than some more costly pens. It's about TRIM /NIB as much as Size and oriignal price point defined more by trim than size, ge nerally.

Another approach is to go just by size (length and width) listing if pens exist WD and whichever non-WD tier out there.

Also, for now (this is dabbling tonite) i will defer to that whackjob Kirchheimer's schema for categorizing basic sizes by diameter as OS, Standard, Slender.

WHITE DOT: $10 Oversize $8.75 Standard, $8.75 Slender and $8.75 Short Slender. Later names include Premiere for OS, Statesman for Standard, Sovereign for Slender and ?? Milady or Princess or SHort SLender. There further is an uncatalogued in Stripe SHort Standard, presumably $8.75, no later name known, maybe or maybe not made in USA in any stripes (mine above is Canadian). Radius clip on USA made pens.

Non-White Dot 1st Tier $5 Feather touch pens. $5 standard. $5 SLender. $5 Short Slender and maybe uncatalogued $5 (presumably) SHort STandard. Look alot like WD equivs, save no WD and slightly thinner capband. Radius clip

Non-WD 2nd Tier ?$3.75 or $3.50. Slender and SHort SLender models. Probably a #3 nib Flat ball clp (at least early on not sure later) with Sheaffer on it.

Non-WD 3rd . Junior. White trim. Short Slender and maybe regular Slender. WHITE TRim flatball "Sheaffer" CLIP

OK. Look again at pic, then will try to name the pens using the above ifo.



Left to Right

1) Third Tier non-WD (fourth Tier all told) Short SLender $2.75. White trim Sheaffer flat ball clip Junior nib

2) 2nd Tier Short Slender maybe $3.75. Yellow Trim Sheaffer flat ball clip. #3 nib

3) White DOt Short SLender with Deluxe Band. Would be $8.75 in normal band. Radius clip. Lifetime nib. Price unclear with this band

4) White Dot SHort Standard. Uncertain if made in USA (earlier colors were). This one Canadian. Presumably $8.75 oriignal retail (USD). Lifetime nib

5) 2nd tier nonWD (third tier all told). regular (long) Slender. $3.50 or so original price. Yellow trim. Sheaffer flat ball clip. #3 nib. The longer brother to pen #2

6) 1st tier nonWD (2nd tier all told) SLENDER . upgraded Deluxe Band $5 originally in catalogued capband. Uncertain original price with this band. Yellow trim. Radius clip. Feather touch.

7) WD SLENDER. $8.75 original price. WD, Radius Clip, Lifetime nib. The longer brother to pen 3 but with regular band

8) WD Standard . $10 With this band dunno. WD, Lifetime nib. Radius clip.

9_ WD STandard with Deluxe Band. Dunno price with this band. Essentially same pen as #8

10) WD OS> $10 original price. THe big boy.

regards

david

David:

THANK YOU!!

That was a tremendous amount of information and it answered a lot of questions I have been banging my head about regarding identifying these puppies as I come across them in the wild. Thanks again for going the full distance and putting all of the background out there. It is much appreciated and a great learning experience.


Alex

Also short Lifetimes in black and Gray Pearl (red-veined) were offered with chromium trim.

--Daniel

Really? Gray/Red with White trim on Lifetime pen?? That is news. I've not had the pleasure to encounter that. Catalogued or anecdote? I s'pose i could desaturate the trim on my archived pics to make the image of one of those to keep my archive up to date.

d

Cataloged and observed.

--Daniel