Ladies and Gentlemen.....I , your humble Pelikan addict, after deciding to give American vintage pens a try have finally purchased my first Sheaffer.

I bought an early 1930's jade green Slender Balance. The green color is just superb so I am having a clear sac installed to allow me to enjoy the pen without having that beautiful jade color become discolored.

Well, I have tried Wahl (which I really like) and I have tried Esterbrook and Parker and now at long last in a few days I will test that legendary Sheaffer nib .

If i like it as much as I think i will, i might add a few more Balances to my collection. After all, am lacking a good American pen collection to provide some contrast my extensive German fountain pen collection and I have a feeling that Wahl and Sheaffer might just be what the doctor ordered!

Congrats... i think. But, hey, make sure you get it and THEN like it before you sing its praises At least if its a dud, you can send it back.

-d

I know David, but then again, it was the same with Pelikan. I knew I was going to like it before I got my first one based on all the addicts in the forum that swore by them. Now am a Pelikan addict myself

Something about the Sheaffer Balance calls out to me. Hopefuly my hunch is right because like I said, i could really use a solid and classic collection of American pens to counterbalance my sleak and perfectly engeneered German pens.

CounterBALANCE ????

Heck the Balance is more sleek and the lever filler is more reliable than those ol' pistons. Perfectly engineered,
indeed

d

Dr. Ozzie, Scheaffer Balances are great pens, but I suggest you try Parker Vacumatics too

Erick

Please post a review of your Balance when you receive it.

I find reviews of vintage pens to be quite interesting and I suspect that others do, also.

I have an azure vacumatic junior, wouldn't trade it for anything! I do want to build a vacumatic collection in the near future.

It was hard deciding whether to first start a Sheaffer Balance or a Vac collection, but the jade green Balance was just too beautiful to pass up, so it tipped the scales in Sheaffer's favor (so much for being "balanced").

I won't neglect the Vacs though, all in good time

Will do a review with lot of pictures when the pen arrives, maybe I'll do a multi-review and compare it against my Parker Vac.

Dr. Ozzie, I like the way you think!

Erick

Congrats Doc! Good choice.

I believe you will find the Sheaffer Balance to be a superb pen. I prefer the OS to the Slender, but that's personal choice. I have a Slender Jade Balance with a factory stub nib that is a wonderful pen. IMHO the vintage Balance may be the best fp around - of course that hasn't stopped me from accumulating a bunch of others!

You won't regret it. I never met a Sheaffer I didn't like!

And... there is something to be said for clean jade

If only i can manage to be awake when the Post Office is open...

-d

UPDATE: I decided to upgrade to the standard Jade Balance.

I will review it when it arrives.