Howdy, Sheafferites - I've been thinking of picking up a relatively-inexpensive Sheaffer for my girlfriend, not so much as a gift per se but more for her to fiddle around with and see if she likes using fountain pens instead of ballpoints. I've just recently gotten into fountain pens myself and she's been eyeing the Lamy AL-Star I just picked up, but she used a Sheaffer in school and has a certain nostalgia. She dropped a hint that she wanted the Parker Reflex I picked up at Staples while I was waiting for the AL-Star to arrive, but now that holds a place of honor (I know, pretty high-falutin' for something I paid $7 for) as my First Fountain Pen and I'm not sure I want to part with it. =)

I'm thinking in the sub-$50 range and I've eyed Preludes, No Nonsenses (No Nonsensi?), and Javelins, but I'm not quite sure what would provide the best balance of price and writing experience.

Any particular recommendations?

I have about a half dozen Sheaffers, all vintage, all purchased under $50. Some need new sacs.

Yeah, I'm mostly seeking stuff that can be used more or less right away, but if it's not difficult/expensive to do and parts are readily available, I might look at Snorkels and such.

Sheaffer school pen. Done. Cheap as chips, easy to use.

Look on the FPN Marketplace board. You can get inexpensive Sheaffers there that are fully functional from the get-go, that cost less than $50 and that are vintage!

Erick

My first fountain pen is a Sheaffer Prelude, and I have 7 or 8 Preludes (lost count).

I would recommend getting a Prelude. I think it is the most underrated pen under $50. But for someone who has never used a fountain pen, he or she might find it on the heavier side (personally, I don't find it heavy). If so, maybe you can try getting a Javelin.

purpledog

I was lucky enough to get a couple of Targas on Ebay for under $50. In any case you should look at some of the wonderful vintage Balance pens. I have been buying lever fillers from the 30's for under $50. They are wonderful!

Good luck, you on the right track.

-Mario

Great - thanks for the suggestions. I'll see what I can get my hands on.

One more late nudge for the Javelin, and a great shove in the direction of vintage if you can track it in the desired price/condition state.



Good heavens, Preludes are HEAVIER than Javelins? Does your shirt need specially reinforced pockets?

My Prelude is one of my favorites. On the heavy side, yes, but un-capped not too bad and still quite balanced IMO, and probably the smoothest writing pen I have. I love it.

Get her a lady skripset. They're vintage, they were made for women so they're more decorative, they're cartridge fillers, they have great nibs, and they're cheap. Heres a link with some pics of them, I found it when I was trying to remember the models name.

http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...amp;#entry59827

As has been pointed out, vintage Sheaffers can be found for under $50. You might pay a bit more for a new Prelude, but they're an excellent pen. Some of the Imperials can be found for under $50.

The Sheaffer school pens have been mentioned, but you should know that the school pens, as well as the No Nonsense pens have untipped nibs. In other words, it's just a blob of steel at the end, which will wear rather quickly. The Prelude nibs OTOH have tipped nibs, so will last a good long time.

You might pick up a good used brushed stainless or chrome finish Targa at a reasonable price too......

The Sheaffer Award pen is alos easy to find and has a evry nice nib.

I just got a Touchdown and Snorkel for $20 and $25 respectively off of eBay both with gold nibs.

Doing the work on these pens requires an hour or two tops, and then they're absolutely grand.

You might look at the Sheaffer Fashion pen if you can find one - not the small ones, I think the larger ones are called Fashion II? A Fashion II is lighter than a Prelude and very sleek. That goes for the nib, too. But you'd have to find a used one or NOS.

They take standard Sheaffer converters or cartridges and aren't that hard to find. They come in a lot of lovely colors too.

I like my Preludes, but for a "girly pen", it has to be a Fashion.

Here's another voice in the din: my recommendation is a Sheaffer of the 1950-1980 era, namely a Touchdown, a Snorkel, an Imperial, or a Targa. In my opinion these pens are consistently of highest quality without being so old as to risk the frailties of age (even though many Sheaffers from the 1920's show no signs of slowing down). I recommend an open-nibbed Touchdown - great nib, cool filler, extremely well-made. The Targa is also another favorite of mine. Poke around a bit (the FPN marketplace is great) and you'll find a great Sheaffer!

Best,
Summer

Hi,

Apologies for belaboring a point (and for detouring the conversation), but I continue to be confused on the matter of the tipping, or lack thereof, on the NoNonsense/Cartridge Pen nibs.

Here are links to two FPN threads touching on this subject:

Thread #1

Thread #2

Whatever evidentiary weight one may give the sources cited in the first thread - online sources referring to these nibs as being tipped - the evidence cited in the second thread seems arguably harder to refute: package copy calling out the Cartridge Pen nib as a "strong, precious metal point."

I'm not offering any of this as conclusive proof...just passing it on for whatever it's worth. Maybe someone can locate a catalog or advertisement statement that bears on the question? (I wonder whether there might have been catalog copy calling out the features of a pen like the NoNonsense Old Timer, which, as I recall, sold in a fancy red Sheaffer box, converter included, at a price point far above what could be justified for an untipped-nib model.)

On a personal basis, I can attest to the fact that some of my Cartridge Pens have been in service for the better part of four decades, and their nibs do not seem to show signs of undue wear.

Cheers,

Jon

Whoa, the NN and Cartridge pens are untipped?
I recommend vintage flattops

Given your price range, a Balance II would be a good choice. It has vintage looks and cartridge convienience for a novice.

I would put in for the 1950's touchdowns too. I personally like the thick ones over the newer TM pens. Very simple to service, mostly just a new sac and an o-ring. Oddly, all mine have good sac's when bought.

I like the TM Touchdowns. I also have a nice Lady Sheaffer; both were well under $50.

Hi,

I'll join the chorus: I would probably go for a vintage Sheaffer. But "vintage" does not necessarily imply "elderly" or "temperamental." There are lots of newer-vintage Sheaffers that might be worth a look.

I definitely agree that the Touchdown models, for instance, offer tremendous value for money. They have smooth, non-fussy nibs; a reliable, easy-to-live-with, easy-to-repair filling system; and attractive designs. As a matter of personal preference, I also agree that the so-called "Fat" Touchdown, c. 1949, is the more attractive configuration.

My own view, after a few decades of unscientific analysis, is that vintage Sheaffers may be better represented in the sub-$50 range than any other brand. I have seen lots of wonderful Sheaffers sell in that price neighborhood: pristine 14K-nib Imperials, NOS Targas, lovely Touchdowns, even the odd Connaisseur. Just the other day, on good old eBay, there was a stickered brushed chrome 14K-nib Targa at a Buy-It-Now price of $25. One would be hard-pressed to find a heavily discounted Prelude at that price, and there's no comparison between the pens.

I think the key here may be patience. Good Sheaffers are plentiful. I would educate myself, target a few models, and practice watchful waiting. I don't think you'll need to watch or wait for very long.

Good luck!

Jon

my first sheaffer was a javelin. if i still have it, i'll send it to you for free. it is a cartridge pen.