Hello everyone I've recently been worrying about Sheaffer the brand. I mean the company has been tossed around many times before it was acquired by Bic. But I would really like to know from your more expert opinion of the brand whether or not you think they will continue to prosper in the future or go out of business sooner or later?

Thanks
Brad

I don't know. But I'll bet both Walter Sheaffer and George Parker have turned over several times in their graves. I don't think either envisioned what came to pass.

My pen dealer has quit stocking Sheaffers and is working only with his old stock on hand. He says their customer / dealer service is very bad and feels that they will not be in business much longer.

This is really ashamed as I love my Sheaffer FPs and am a big fan.

I really like Sheaffer, too. I thought I started my pens "thing" with Waterman, but now I'm remembering that when I was 12, I bought a felt-tip Sheaffer -- a fat, silver pen with the White Dot.

I love my Connaisseurs.

I think it's too late for this kind of worrying. The sale to Bic and closure of the Ft. Madison factory have already come and gone.

I live in a Sheaffer hot spot. I don't know the reason for this; perhaps there was a real hot-shot Sheaffer salesman in this area. Looking at the numbers of pens for sale in estate sales, flea markets, yard sales, and antique shops, Sheaffer pens outnumber Parker, Waterman, and Eversharp by at least 12:1. The only pens that beat out Sheaffer around here were Wearevers and a whole range of no-name pens.

I have many old Sheaffer pens and they are all great writers and , with the exception of the school pens, are very easy to look at. I would hate to see the Sheaffer pen outfit go down the drain but, when a company ends up in the hands of bean counters who are willing to sell a brand's good name for money, its demise seems inevitable. The trick is knowing when the new owners have cheapened the products to the point where they are no longer reliable and attractive. So far, I have not seen this happen.

Paddler

Since this is the case then this really doesn't mean Sheaffer is the only company to find themselves in this position, considering Parker and Waterman are both owned by Sanford which is a division of Newell Rubbermaid?

Thanks
Brad

For what it's worth, I don't think Sheaffer is going the way of the dodo. The company may not be in Fort Madison come the summer solstice, but they're working on new models, and new service and support networks are being set up for MODERN AND VINTAGE products.

Service and support for vintage products? That's a novel idea. I hope it works. Sheaffer probably has more vintage stock in the hands of collectors than any other brand. If they can somehow leverage that base to help them produce pens for the future, then more power to them. However, I would contend that they NEED the accumulated knowledge of the remaining workforce at Fort Madison to pull that off.

In the absence of quality control found at Fort Madison, it won't make any difference what products Bic/Bich produces.

Bic/Bich spent too much money to completely dissemble the Sheaffer network but unless they can get this quality control & customer service problem under control, everything they spend on new products will be irrelevant.

Sheaffer is merely a label that can be stamped on a product. Sheaffer is rapidly ceasing to be a product in and of itself.

I can tell you first hand that Sheaffer will be fine. There are a few of us working with Sheaffer
that DO really care. Yes, there are pen enthusiasts working with pen companies. Imagine that!

That's good to hear. But please carry a message back to the folks with whom you're working. The vast majority of Sheaffer fans want to purchase real Sheaffer pens, i.e., made in a Sheaffer plant, not pens made from 100 percent outsourced components, with final assembly in another manufacturer's plant.

Charlie-

It's sad to say but it is not likely that Sheaffer Pens will ever be made in a single Sheaffer
owned factory as long as they are owned by a big company. The quality will still be good,
I've seen what the plants are producing and the product is still very good.

[quote name='Sheaffer USA' date='Feb 18 2008, 07:13 AM' post='517995']

Hi, Sheaffer USA!

Send my regards to Sidney (Sydney?) in Repairs! (I don't think she works in Repairs anymore, and I never met her or anything, but she was always very helpful and prompt with my Sheaffer matters.)

EDIT: OOPS! You're not Sheaffer Pen Company! Shoulda checked your profile before posting!

I have it on pretty good authority that Sheaffer is taking steps to assure its continued support n' presence here in the ol' USA.


d

Thanks for all your replies everyone. All that information was really helpful, hopefully sheaffer will launch new models soon as Richard posted, aren't they reintroducing the targa?

Thanks
Brad

Sydney is no longer in the Sheaffer Repair department. For the time being it is Michele Cornic and Lois.
Michele knows where everything is and Lois can repair nearly anything, they are fantastic. Lois trained
two of my guys in Philly to repair pens competently. Letta, the master nib adjuster/grinder at Sheaffer also spent
time with my guys as well as a couple other guests that I invited last minute.
We'll have things in place to make sure that vintage pens are repaired properly by highly qualified and
well supplied people.

I can't tell you how much work I've put in to make sure that Sheaffer customers will be happy for years to come.

Hello there,

I wish my Carpal Tunnel problems would relent long enough to permit me to write at greater length; this is a subject close to my heart. But I wanted to add a few random thoughts nonetheless.

It's immensely heartening to hear that there is a genuine commitment to maintaining the high standard of Sheaffer service - for vintage as well as new pens. In my view, excellent service is certainly one of the "piers" supporting the ongoing vitality of a brand. In light of the obvious (and much appreciated) passion for the Sheaffer heritage evident here, I want to believe that there exists, somewhere, a similar commitment to shoring up the other supports.

One of those supports - and this is so obvious as not to need much elaboration - is diversity of product offerings. I just now visited the Sheaffer website, and I was struck, once again, by the monotony of the line. Mousing over the finishes available for the Legacy is an exercise in tedium. Same for the Prelude. The Javelin - an entry-level price point should confer license to play a bit with color - comes in all of three shades. The Valor - well, it's nice to have three colors other than black, granted, but this is, speaking charitably, nothing more than a first step. Only in the Agio range is there any genuine color variation, and the hues are all pastels - not "core" colors.

Leaving color aside: Sheaffer seems - with the exception of the Valor - to have become a manufacturer of metal pens; an ironic twist for the company that introduced Radite to an ebonite-weary world. (At least Montegrappa had the excuse of having lost its stock of celluloid.) Diversity of material is as important as diversity of color. Everywhere in the fountain pen universe we see a renewed spirit of experimentation among materials. "Real" celluloid. Combinations of acrylic and celluloid. Stunning resins. Ebonite. Sheaffer is simply not playing here.

Another support: fundamental respect for the legacy (no pun intended) of the brand...evinced not in marketingspeak, but in real-world decisions that reflect some knowledge of - and sensitivity to - its history. If Parker can revive its black-and-cream and "True Blue" patterns, then why can't Sheaffer revive Ebonized Pearl or Roseglow? If Visconti can revive the crescent-filler and the "power filler" (which, interestingly, seems to work very much like the old Sheaffer vacuum filler), then why can't Sheaffer - inventor of the lever-filler - give us a lever model?

The current limited editions - whatever one may think of them as pure designs - show a shocking lack of contextual understanding. How do Egyptian motifs fit into the design ethic of the (arguably) most American of pen brands? (And anyone who would substitute a diamond for the White Dot cannot possibly understand Sheaffer's unique place in the fountain-pen universe.) Or, more tellingly: why engrave 1920s symbols onto a 1950s-inspired pen? It's not as if Sheaffer lacks a library of real 1920s designs to draw from. The Roaring Twenties pen should have been a limited-edition revival of the Connaisseur: a pen that successfully alluded to 1920s "flattop" design principles. (On the other hand, a Legacy-based limited edition featuring 1950s icons might also have been a very cool item.)

None of this is to suggest that Sheaffer should limit itself to neo-retro designs. Innovation (Radite, lever-filler, vacuum-filler, Triumph nib, Snorkel, Inlaid Nib) is also a cornerstone of the Sheaffer heritage. If Sheaffer wants to break out and introduce something wildly original, I will be among the first to stand and cheer.

Anyway...sorry for meandering off-topic. I am truly delighted to know that Sheaffer will continue to live up to its tradition of superlative service. I'm encouraged to learn that new products are in the pipeline. I really, really want to believe that the current stewards of the brand will lead it in a direction consistent with its heritage.

Cheers,

Jon

Good thoughts. I agree that service is so important, and Sheaffer has always excelled at that, along with great pens and a great writing experience.

I agree with Jon on most of his suggestions. I also think Sheaffer could better-utilize its Web site. For instance -- sections that explain the special features/advantages of each pen model, the "extras" that provide superior quality, the things that make them cool (beyond marketing-speak). A special section on ink, with ink color samples. A section with downloadable calligraphy guides, or a section on how to write with a fountain pen -- etc. It could be very useful and interesting for the novice user and the more-experienced.

There ought to be more choices offered in refills and colors, etc. Limited-edition inks, etc., as much as could be done and not break the bank. Get rid of the cheap, funky-looking packaging. Inks and refills can be cross-marketed on packaging.

Obviously, the luxury pen market has changed, but there is still a niche, and Sheaffer has many advantages that other names do not have. It is not taking advantage of this right now. The products, packaging and marketing need to get in line with this great heritage.

A final note: Sheaffer needs a few entry-level pens to re-introduce people to this name.

Dave

Thank you for your input. You have mentioned some very good ideas.

Jon, your ideas are wonderful. To correctly reintroduce the Triumph nib would be awesome. Seeing a new Vac-Fil would be awesome. What happened with these designs? It would seem as though the super reliable Vac-Fil would still be in use, but cartridges and converters have replaced them. Is it simply not practical to make a self filling pen anymore? I sure wish Sheaffer would look into reintroducing the Vac-Fil or Touchdown. Also, using Radite again would be excellent. Along with reintroducing the Vac-Fil or any other self filling design, to go the extra step and reprint the original instruction manual would be fantastic. I have a feeling recreating the original clamshell cases might break the bank, but that would also be so cool.

Evan

Hi All,

Not to belabor any of these points...

Lots of good ideas here. It would be awfully nice to see a new Triumph-nib pen, absolutely.

I also think there's great merit in the notion of limited-edition Skrip. Think about it: people are still seeking (and hoarding) NOS Skrip Burgundy, Gray and King's Gold. And when two different manufacturers have created a total of three inks intended to replicate Persian Rose, that's a fact worth noting. (I recently picked up a NOS bottle of Persian Rose, and I can attest: none of the "Roses" it has inspired quite m-anages to match it.) So...why not reintroduce limited-edition versions of these inks? If Noodler's and Private Reserve can sell faux Persian Rose, surely Sheaffer can sell a few bottles of the real thing.

And a new entry-level pen - that's a no-brainer. It could be done with minimal fuss, too: take the redesigned (and rather attractive) calligraphy pen - maybe in a solid black, minus the nib-width color-coding - and fit a non-Italic nib unit. Instant updated NoNonsense! Why should Sheaffer's only "$5 ambassador" - particularly in light of the company's history of building better-than-they-have-any-right-to-be school pens - be restricted to calligraphers?

Well, it's fun to play "what if," anyway.

Cheers,

Jon

Remember, for awhile Harley-Davidson was owned by AMF (yes, the BOWLING BALL company) and although those were dark, dark years, they freed themselves from that and came back stronger. Now they are more profitable with better quality than ever.
On the other hand, what was once the iconic American motorcycle is now almost a "boutique" brand for he most part.
So, I have hope for Sheaffer. There will always be a place for tradition and quality - the key is to have management that cares enough about those two things to actually be able sell them, and an ability to see past small, quick profits made from cost-cutting vs. large, longer-term profits made from making and selling a good product.

Okay then, all you pen enthusiast employs pool your finances and buy the company... turn it around, and blow the other modern pens out of the water.. Hey, it worked for Harley Davidson (just don't become too big for your britches and follow the same path after success).. AMF totally screwed it up, but the employee rescue not only made better bikes, but made them quite financially secure as well!

Now, if Sheaffer would be pen enthusiast owned... hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm what could be... what could be....

I would be on-board for this

Well, I will hopefully be sitting down with the marketing chaps at Bic NZ this coming week.
I hope to have an interesting chat with them (whomever is there) going over questions like this as well as what lines are made where, servicing etc etc. (Mind you, I don't expect them to have some global answers.. more like regional.. )


But, you have to give Sheaffer a hands up for their 'Intrigue'. Certainly a 'different' filling system. Just.. let down.

It was noted in an earlier post that, beginning in the 1970s, Sheaffer evolved into a maker of metal pens. For me, that was a good thing, because I'm very fond of the many different metal versions of the Targa, the Legacy, the Legacy II, and the Legacy Heritage. In fact, I rank Sheaffer second only to ST Dupont in the quality of their metalworking. I'd like to see the metal pens continue.

I strongly agree with what (Univer) Jon had to say. I admire Sheaffer for introducing some of the most innovative advances in fountain pen design. Their use of new materials, fillers, body and nib design made them a leader among peers. That is no longer the case. Most of today's Sheaffers seem to be brass filled shells with a pleasant coating. I would like to see Sheaffer reinterpret some of their past designs, but would also like to see new fountain pens for the 21st century, not just overpriced pens for collectors, but also reasonably priced pens for writers. Fountain pens will probably never regain their former ubiquity, but writing instruments are a huge market and there is plenty of opportunity to gain another 50 million fountain pen users.