When I first took a look at photos of the Sheaffer Legacy II, I thought that they weren't that attractive. They look boring and clunky. But when I got a chance to purchase one at a good price, I gave it a try. And I've fallen in love with them.

I guess that they're very similar to the Sheaffer PFM. Until now I've not understood why the PFM was so popular, but now I do. A pen that initially looks clunky changes to 'solid' once you've held one. The pen has a strong masculine feel, and I wonder whether it would appeal to women. (The thickness of the pen is slightly thinner than a Pelikan M800, but almost exactly the same length.)

The finishes look quietly elegant, with brushed metals rather than shiny. This is not a pen that screams 'bling', but instead expresses quiet confidence. A nice touch is the raised Sheaffer white dot near the top of the clip.



There are also some very limited Legacy II's, manufactured for Jim Gaston. There is a glossy Cobalt Blue, a brushed light Copper, and one model with a matte black body and a gold cap. There were only 300 pens made for each of these special editions.

Sheaffer manufactured a 'Black Pearl' special edition, which is a rich dappled blue. Definitely a beautiful and unique pen.



The pen writes incredibly well, too, with a ready flow. I've let one sit capped for a week, and it wrote immediately on touching it to paper. I've tried writing upside down (which didn't work) and the ink flowed back to the nib in less than a second after inverting the pen to normal. The nib is smooth and even has a little flex to it, which surprised me given its inlaid design. I expected it to be very stiff, and it isn't.

If you've been considering purchasing one of these pens, you can still get some from either Jim Gaston or PenHero.com. I've already bought two more, and would buy more if my budget would allow. As it is, I'm going to have to get 'the look' from my husband when he brings in the mail.

coyote

The Sheaffer Legacy is a beautifully made pen and the quality of the nibs is second to none.

Their biggest drawback for me is that they are large and heavy pens, (especially in the lacquered versions) and I do not find then to be as pocket friendly due to this.

Other then that, I can find no fault with them at all.

Nice review, Ron! I too can definitely relate to getting "the look" from my husband when I get a pen in the mail
I don't own a Legacy but I have a PFM I and it's not too big for me,
simply because it is well-balanced and not heavy (but not light either).

I have put up some pics of the Legacy Green Lacquer Brush Gold Cap.

This is NOS. Not Legacy II but Legacy.

http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...st&p=452728

Data point: I had a Legacy Heritage, in the brushed palladium finish, and I loved the weight and solidity of it in my hand. It actually was the first pen that really caught my eye in a way that made me think, "I MUST have one!" and it was exactly the sort of pen I'd imagined it would be.

This really is one of the most underappreaciated pens around.

I had the good fortune in 1995 to win the first production Legacy off the line as part of an international Pen World contest (You had to send in your guess as to the number of parts in the pen).

In the issues preceding the actual contest, they discussed the PFM, and until then, I was just never really interested in it, but thought I would enter the contest anyway. I came home from a business trip, and my wife presented me with a package from Pen World. It is engraved 'Legacy One-Pen World 1995'.

I have inked it 3 or 4 times (I know that is a no no, but you have to enjoy your pens). I fell in love with the way it wrote. The only downside (at least for the first version of this pen) is that it tends to scratch easily, especially if you post the cap. This pen really does make me long for someone to rescue Sheaffer and bring it back to its former glory..

I've found most women know how to return 'the look' that makes desired purchases less of a problem.

Ron