Some of you will know that a major focus for me is collecting Sheaffer's Oversized Balance pens from the 1930s. I had a little time to myself today for the first time for many weeks. I thought I'd get the camera out and share some images of one of my most prized sets.

A super, dare I say it, rare Oversized Sheaffer Balance fountain pen and pencil set in the elusive Grey Marbled Pearl colour.
This pen is a vac filler. Recently restored very sympathetically by Michael McNeil of Northwest Pen Works (kudos to Michael for an excellent job). I opted for the fully reversible "rubber plug" method of restoring the filling system. This was the method advocated by the late Father Terry. As I didn't plan to use the pen much, I was comfortable that the repair, whilst not the optimum choice for robustness had the distinct advantage of being easily reversible.

The transparency of the pen barrel is excellent (usually one finds that the clear plastic areas have turned red) and the overall beauty of the set has hardly diminished over the last 72 years. The clip style and the fact that the original paperwork is dated April 1935 makes this an early vac filler. I believe the vac filling system was initially introduced on the WASP range of pens before it was promoted in the main line.

The box has nickel/chrome plated trim which matches the trim on the set. I am confident that this is an original factory ensemble.

Every time I look at this set, it just lifts my heart.
Enjoy the pics.

Beautiful pen! And great pix!

Thank you so much for sharing. I also love those Sheaffer's OS Balance pens. Last one I bought was a red-veined marbled grey at the Chicago Pen Show.

Extraordinary. That is a real beauty. I wonder how it has been stored all these years to remain in such excellent condition?

That's one heckuva nice OS Balance. Thanks for showing it.

Jack

Holy cow that is a NICE pen! Look how clear the ink window is! That is just too cool! I have a grey marble pearl set, but it is a smaller, non white dot model. That is just SWEET!

Evan

It seems strange that we don't see more of these pens in the Largest Balance size.

PeteWK

Given that they were likely made for a shorter period of time than any other color (coupled with the novelty of the filling system), I think it would be expected.

--Daniel

True, other than the Blue, which I've never seen in a white dot oversize pen. I'm actually referring to any oversize white dot in this color, vac-fil or lever. I see other "rare" colors on eBay with some regularity but I can't recall seeing any of the gray marble in quite some time.

PeteWK

Beautiful pen! The transparency is wonderful! John

They do crop up. Have three at home, two plunger one vac-fill. The white trim makes for more challenging hunt if one wants clean pen, though.

d

By plunger I'm assuming you mean lever filler?

PeteWK

Yep. Typo. Two plunger one lever filler.

d

There's no evidence of which I am aware that Sheaffer ever made an oversize pen in the Blue material as a production item.

Lever-fillers in Grey Pearl are even scarcer than the Vacuum-Fil variety likely because they were made for an even shorter period of time (about a year according to the information I've examined). Edit: As clarified later in this thread, it is reasonable to assume that the lever-filler in marbled Grey Pearl replaced the lever-filler in red-veined Grey Pearl sometime between August of 1935 and July of 1936, and the model appears in the July 1936 catalog, but not in the August 1937 catalog. Therefore, according to this data, the model was likely marketed starting sometime after 8/1935 and ending sometime before 8/1937.

--Daniel

Aside from the pens themselves (pretty good evidence that pens were produced), have you seen any company info on the blue marble pens?

d

David;

The only company info on blue is from the 1932 price sheet that lists blue in the 3 different 3-25 configurations.

Roger W.

Thanks. I might have that sheet at home. Will have to peek. Believe i've shot all three pen configs (actually, might own all three not sure), but have not shot all the pencils yet.

And, for those who collect, i point out that besides the three Balance pens (long slender 3-25 and short slender 3-25 in clip and ring forms), the pen was produced as a "truncated" balance (non-balance, really) in what was Junior trim/style of the day. Guess there are four pens four pencils thus in this color, save for any other model/styles of which i am unaware.

here be the three pens

They're on an order form that dates likely to late '32.

--Daniel

[/quote]
There's no evidence of which I am aware that Sheaffer ever made an oversize pen in the Blue material as a production item.

Lever-fillers in Grey Pearl are even scarcer than the Vacuum-Fil variety likely because they were made for an even shorter period of time (about a year according to the information I've examined).

--Daniel
[/quote]



That's interesting. What information have you examined? They're both hard to find. I have this example. Shown is a lever Oversize barrel. The other parts are set aside. I purchased it without a cap sadly.

PeteWK

edit here - near mint condition / perfect color - Just a few shallow marks

Marketing/advertising materials -- catalogs and such.

--Daniel

My issue with that is the Sheaffer Catalogs. They list a Oversize Lever pen in Pearl Grey in 1935, 1936 and 1937. I think this is one of those time when the truth is finding us.

PeteWK

The truth is definitely finding us. Only the 1936 listing is for the marbled Grey Pearl color we're discussing.

--Daniel

For everyone's viewing pleasure. Catalogs dated August 1935 (No. 164), July 1936 (No. 226) and August 1937 (No. 266).

August 1935 Oversize Grey Pearl Lever Pen M8TC MBATI

July 1936 Oversize Grey Pearl Lever Pen A8T TROFA

August 1937 Oversize Grey Pearl Lever Pen P8T REZBY

Richard Binder lists the Grey Pearl as having been available from 1934 to 1938 but I don't have a catalog for either 1934 or 1938

Regards,

PeteWK

Hi Roger. Did they ever make that pen in a Junior configuration?

PeteWK

Hi Pete, I don't believe that the grey pearl listed in the 1937 catalogue is marbled. I think it is referring to the Grey striated pattern.
The earliest clip configuration that I have come across for the Grey Marbled pen is the set that I posted in this thread. That clip (flat ball humped, short clip) was first introduced in 1935.

I am reasonably confident based on catalogue information and pens in my posession that the grey marbled colour was produced for 2 years only. 1935 and 1936.

Certainly it was dropped from the August 1937 catalogue, It could of course, have been produced in the first half of 1937.

One of the rarer colours (particularly in OS). Of that there is no doubt.

Those catalog pics are amazing! Thanks for sharing that with us! Man, I'd do a lot to pull one of those pens out of the catalog! *goes to work on time machine more*

Evan

Congratulations Sarj, this really looks an awesome set !
Francis

Thanks for posting the catalog pages. The 1935 M8TC is red-veined Grey Pearl, and the 1937 P8T is striated Gray Pearl. So as I stated, only the 1936 catalog lists the marbled Grey pearl oversized lever-filler.

--Daniel

Hi Daniel,

The 1935 Catalogue - Page 4 part number A8W - WABYB sure looks like a grey pearl to me.
In fact, I always took that pen to be the same one as I have.

Can you assert what makes you say that is is the red veined version?
It sure doesn't have any red veins in the photo.
Plus, I can't recall ever having seen a red veined pen which was a vac fil ?

Daniel is correct on the gray pearl in question. The red vein variety is much more common (as uncommon as it is) as it is carried in more of the catalogues. You really have to be mindful of the codes used for gray pearl in these catalogues as to what is really going on. The casual observer will often get the worng impression as to when "gray pearl" was available versus gray pearl, red veined.

The blue in a junior exists, I've seen it many times, though it is not documented on the circa 1932 price sheet which is what I was answering to.

Roger W.

I didn't say model A8W was the red veined version; I stated that the M8TC is red veined. We're specifically discussing the lever-filled OS pen.

--Daniel

Thanks for the clarification.
So we can reasonably assert that the grey pearl marbled (without red veins) was first made available in 1935 but in Vac fil only. The first mention of the grey pearl in lever fill was the 1936 catalogue - yes?

This makes sense now as I have only seen the lever fill pens with the later (radius) clip style.

I'll buy the 1937 color but why would Sheaffer slip an unillustrated color under their already shown Grey Pearl (non-red veined) Vac-Fil A8W pen? That illustration is in color and the A8W is obviously not a red-veined pen. It should follow that the other's listed would be the same color. Given the evidence I'll give up 1937 and stick with 35 and 36.

Also, I have to ask. How is it that when you think it prudent you claim a pen doesn't follow the catalog as per date of manufacture but other times you insist on following it religiously? I could dredge up countless arguments you've made that you can't trust the catalogs and that various pens, though you have no proof, were made for years.

PeteWK

Hi Roger. As you know simply saying it doesn't make it so. Do you have any documentation you can share? Photos, scans etc showing the pens in question (1935 especially) as being red veined opposed to the grey pearl without veins. I'm a bit dubious that Sheaffer would list an obviously non-red veined pen in the same color listing as a red veined model.

PeteWK

Hi Sarj. I thought you'd enjoy this scan from page three of the 1935 catalog. Edit here - almost forgot the closeup.

PeteWK

I don't know what you mean about slipping a color under the A8W pen; there's nothing under that pen. There is a sample set of pens shown, and under that is a table of all the offerings in that line.

'A' is the color code for marbled Grey Pearl. 'M' is the color code for red-veined Grey Pearl. There are lots of red-veined Grey Pearl pens illustrated in the catalog (though none on the four color pages).

M8TC is a red-veined pen.


The embedded statements made here are false. I present evidence that points to a conclusion; I don't follow catalogs 'religiously'; as in the present case, I simply lay out what they say, and I qualify my assertions accordingly, as I have clearly done here.


No you can't, as I have not done as you have claimed, and you will be unable to provide any support for your claim, so there is no need to address it.

--Daniel

Just for grins, here's a pic of an OS lever filler gray pearl. Clip shows typical incipient corrosion, which is why it's hard to find clean white trim pens. The cap band is perfectly clean, but to my eyes it appears to be a different finish from the clip and lever. The band looks more satin (nickel perhaps?) while the clip and lever look like chrome. Click to view attachment

Nice pen. Also a non-catalog pen. Very interesting.

PeteWK

Pete;

You have to study the catalogues as Daniel and I have done. Daniel concluded and I agreed some time ago that the "A" designated a gray pearl no red veins and the "M" designated one with red veins. It is clear when following the liturature as we were concerned about the pictures and what they illustrated and Daniel determined quite correctly that it is in the code as to which were gray pearl and which were gray pearl red veined. So you are correct, saying it doesn't make it so but the evidence supports the conclusion that I was making.

Quoting Richard's web site is far from evidence as he refines his information as additional data is found. It is an attempt to be definitive limited by the information at hand so it is by no means entirely conclusive. It's very nature of updating for new information puts it leaps and bounds ahead of the book available on the subject.

Roger W.

Cataloged as model A8T on page 4 of the 1936 catalog. See your own scan here.

--Daniel

No you can't, as I have not done as you have claimed, and you will be unable to provide any support for your claim, so there is no need to address it.

--Daniel


Your memory is shot. Just one recent example is my solid gold 1934 Sheaffer Balance that you swear was probably made in what, the early 1940s? Your data? You don't have any? Is there any evidence that supports you claim? No. On the contrary, all the evidence that can't be manipulated (clip, cap, body etc) supports an earlier date.

I'm not surprised you don't think there's any need to address this issue, though. Its at the heart of what makes your input suspect and inconsistent.

Pete;

Jan's pen is clearly catalogued as A8T in the 1936 issue - visualated $10 (page 4).

Roger W.

Thanks for the clarification.
So we can reasonably assert that the grey pearl marbled (without red veins) was first made available in 1935 but in Vac fil only. The first mention of the grey pearl in lever fill was the 1936 catalogue - yes?

This makes sense now as I have only seen the lever fill pens with the later (radius) clip style.
[/quote]

Sarj,

Don't want to throw a wrench into your thoughts on the clips but I have a lever fill pen with the same clip as yours.
By the way your vac set is stunning! I have a vac as well but yours is certaily better, and I don't have the pencil!

Pearce.

Just another quick not to thank Sarj, Roger, and Daniel for posting some more info on this colour and size of pen. As I just mentioned in a post above I have a Sr in both Vac and Lever fill models, I had actually considered selling the lever fill model a while ago but finally decided against it, I had no idea as Daniel commented that the lever fill models were more scarce. You do see so few of them on Ebay these days, and between battling with several of you on the other rare Sheaffer pens that do surface I haven't really added an incredible piece in a while, (the roseglow that just went off went for much more then I could afford for example).

Thanks again for the info and I will certainly continue to follow this thread!

Pearce.

Pearce;

Is your lever fill a white dot? That would make a difference.

Roger W.

Grey Pearl marbled was first made available in 1934 in Vacuum-Fil only (non-Lifetime) as far as I know. First mention in lever fill was, as you say, in the '36 catalog.

Occasionally a lever fill OS Grey Pearl marbled pen will show up with a flat ball clip. I have at least one in that configuration. Difficult to date precisely, but not unreasonable to assume it replaced the red-veined version sometime between the '35 and '36 catalogs.

--Daniel

Flat ball clip dates to at least as early as 1934, as does the Grey Pearl marbled color, per ads, etc.

--Daniel

Yes Roger, both of mine, the lever fill and vac fill are both white dot pens.

Pearce.

First things first. Has the truth found you on the question of which Sheaffer catalogs list the Grey Pearl marbled pen in a lever-filler? I said just 1936; you first claimed 1935, 1936, 1937, then just 1935 and 1936.

Let's put that issue to bed, and then we can move on to the matter raised in your post above.

--Daniel

Daniel;

I would venture to say that grey pearl dates to '33 as the brochure for "New profitable items for 1934" is dated January of 1934 and ebonized pearl is brand new and grey pearl is just a regular offering suggesting that it had debued some time before.

Pearce;

A flat ball clip on a lever could be transition from '35 to '36 as Daniel states. The '36 catalogue actually came out in July of that year.

Roger W.