I noticed that one was 2 tone and the other not in a couple of photos. What other differences?

I have never seen a Feathertouch #3 but always more to see i guess

monotone gold nib pens with #3 generally are found in lower price point pens than are #5 Feathertouch (two tone) nibs. An example would be the Balance series. The #3 pens were cheaper and had less fancy trim (thinner cap ring). To my eye the #3 nibs are smaller than the Feathertouch, which would only make sense.
david

Thanks. Went back and read the description (correctly this time) and it didn't say feathertouch by the #3 nib.

The important thing to remember is that even non-Lifetime nibs in the lower price ranges often had quality writing ability to offer. I have a 3-25 Sheaffer that outperforms all but one or two of my Lifetime nibs. Just because nib A was of lower cost than nib B doesn't mean A was automatically a better writing nib. It's one of those things you find out by messing around with these pens- but people buying their first old Sheaffer pen sometimes make the mistake of assuming more expensive means better.

#3 nibs and the Feathertouch nibs have much to offer and are often nice to write with.

"writing" and "quality" offer quirks of definition.

A feather quill can write magnificently, but i might opt not to jam one in the front of my OS Balance

Writing has to do mostly with smoothness of the tip of pen, and the interaction of the Nib with feed for ink-flow etc. A steel nib, or feather quill can write well.

But, in terms of price point (then, and sometimes now) and market niche... size, weight, thickness (geez, is this pens or...) played (play) a key role.

regards
david

Different issues, I think. Ray is talking about the quality of the writing experience, and making the point that a smooth FT5 nib may perform as well as a lifetime when the nib hits the paper. A smooth #3 nib may perform as well as an oversize lifetime nib. Of course, the #3 would be on a smaller pen, and that might or might not work as well for a particular users hand.

That the larger nib, and the lifetime, would have a higher price-point and collector cachet is not disputed. The point is that you can have a pen that is an excellent writer without having to pony up for a lifetime balance in perfect condition.

Standard Size balances in the later striated colors are nearly identical between the Lifetime 1000 price code version and the non-lifetime 875 price-code, except for trim and the FT5 nib vs the Lifetime nib. The non-lifetime will sell for a bit less, but may write just as well, all other things being equal. The Lifetime has more collector value. I just depends on what you are looking for.




There are exceptions. I should post a pic of the #3 size Ebonized Pearl, non-white dot balance I have with a fishscale band. . .

John

Exactly- collection cachet aside, the writing experience from these lower price point nibs is often every bit as good as a Lifetime. You pay more for the Lifetime now, as you did then, but that doesn't mean it actually writes better. At least this is true from the use standpoint.

Hell, I've had some great Sheaffer steel points too.

I'm not disagreeing with Ray. Just pointing out and agreeing that many nibs down to plated "warrantied" can be nice writers. But in terms of the request for difference between #3 and Feathertouch (or for that matter cheaper-than-#3 Sheaffer Junior nbis) Sheaffer didn't place different nibs to give different levels of writing experience, but to give different levels of cachet.

regards

d

Ah, but fishscale is off catalogue. We don't know its price point for any pen. And, Would be curious to see remainder of trim on such pen, as- for example- the fancier (and priced up) vertically milled band (Jeweler's Band) can be found in all four levels of trim, including number 3 and Junior, so would not shock me that the rare Fishy band would be so found too.

I do like Fishscale though



d

Thank you for posting this information. I was going to make a separate post on #3 Balance nibs, and what their size and construction was like in comparison to the two-tone nibs. This more than answers my question.

Just to clarify, the Sheaffer range went from..
Jr to FT3 to FT5 and then lifetime/white dot? Or am I missing one in between?
And were all lines avail in all sizes?

I believe the Balance Range is primarily:
Sheaffer Jr. imprinted (does not appear throughout the range - mainly on the EB-pearl, Grey-pearl era?)
#3 (not FT - the #3 nibs were never two-tone and thus never FeatherTouch).
FeatherTouch 5
Lifetime small (technically the 2-tone lifetime nibs are Feathertouch Lifetime)
Lifetime large

However, early balances can be found with 3-25 nibs and possible 5-30?, and I think I once saw a Feathertouch 8, though that might belong more correctly on a flat-top. Early Lifetime nibs are single-tone, later ones are 2-tone. I am not sure exactly about what happens with the Jr line, but I think later Jr.s use a #3 nib. The smaller Lifetime nib appears on the slender white-dot pens - they are the same diameter as the #3 size pens, but the lifetime nib is larger.

There are others, but those are the main ones that you see - at least as I recall. I am sure that Daniel or David I will step in and correct my errors (and any corrections are welcome!)

John

Part of the challenge is that the trim and nibs did evolve over the years.

Perhaps best to start with a digestible bit. During the striated era, ignoring Autograph (catalogued, i believe, only in black) and ignoring uncatalogued cap-bands, Balance could be had in four trim levels. They are shown below, high to low left to right. The pack, respectively, Lifetime, Feather touch, #3, and Junior nib.

regards

david

Hi all,

Not sure about the Feathertouch 8, but there was definitely a Feathertouch 7. They don't seem to turn up often, but I'm not sure I'd class them as "uncommon." And I believe - working from memory here - that my examples all occur on Balances.

Cheers,

Jon

So the higher level pens didn't have "Sheaffer" on the clip? Or is that a generation thing?
And you could have lifetimes in non gold (rhodium?) finish?

So was the Junior trim level usually accompanied by a Junior nib? Or did Junior trim ever get used with a #3? Is a #3 automatically not a junior (ignoring possible nib-swaps).

I can see some room for confusion with a #3 size grey-striated (with NP trim in both junior and #3?).



Maybe the FT7 is what I am thinking about. I know (from Kirche's Pennant articles) the Lifetime in it's earliest creation was essentially an 8-something. And wasn't the Lifetime Flexible a replacement for a flexible 8-50 or FT8? (Daniel?)



As a general rule, Sheaffers from the balance - Snorkel (1930s to 1950s) have smooth clips on the top-line pens and "Sheaffer's" clips on the lower-line pens.

Grey Pearl (David's Grey-with-black chunks) and Grey Pearl striated were generally available in Nickel-plated trim - they thought it went better with the Grey. I am not sure about Grey Pearl with red veins.

John

Junior Trim had Junior Nib. Junior nib preceded appearance of Junior Balance, as it appeared in the first of the white-trimmed Juniors, which was sort of a truncated Balance, what around 1934 or so.



The trim does appear quite similar between the third tier (coincidentally-?- with #3 nib) and fourth Tier (Junior) save for price imprint (when it appears on pens 350 for #3, 275 for Junior), nib (#3 vs Junior) and color- white trim on Juniors of all colors and White only on graystripe pens for #3 line.




Careful with general rules. Sheaffer Balance high line before the radius clip had imprinted clips. Flat tops too.

Now hafta check if the Balance Jr line has "Jr' on clip or not.

d

Oh and these nibs are gold, correct?
Thanks!

I'll second that. I have a slender Balance with a 3-25 nib, and oh, what a nib it is. It's a flexy oblique broad -- all the things Sheaffer nibs are not supposed to be. I'm not sure if that nib started life in the condition that i found it, but it's so much fun to write with that i don't worry about that. In contrast, my OS Balance has a horrid, scratchy thing masquerading as a nib. Yuck. When i find another nib that fits, it's going to get swapped out.