Last Friday my Father's Day present from my daughter arrived; a Red Veined Gray Pearl Balance! My absolute number one most wanted pen. It's the 'Thin Standard' size, 5-3/8" X 13/32" non-white dot with a short round ball humped clip. I'm guessing '33 or '34 manufacture... a year or two after my Grandparents got married. Dipped it's a beautiful writer. I'm thrilled!

So anyway, the pressure bar was shot. It wasn't the 'J-Bar' type, but rather an open brass ring about a quarter inch wide with a slotted extension attached to about an inch and a half long pressure bar with a tiny rivet. The brass strip was broken right where it was riveted to the pressure bar, the victim of 50 year old ink corrosion. Once I got the stupid ring out (after a day and a half!) I put in a J-Bar from a donor pen (late 30's early 40's Sheaffer Jr).

Everything would be peachy now but for one thing: the nipple is broken off the section!

So what are my odds of finding another section that will fit this pen?

Tim
(wishing I could use my new pen)

Tim;

There are very few different sizes of Sheaffers diameter wise (though sections will vary a bit). Therefore, it won't be that hard to find a replacement. If your width is the barrel this should be a #3 nib which is the cheaper pen and many #3 nib and sections will fit. Should be able to find a bad pen with a good nib and section on ebay.

I'm not sure you're describing the double bar that well. It has a J at the end which might have corroded as you say the double bar corroded apart as well. The ring is primarily how the lever is connected after they quit using the pin thru the barrel.

Roger W.

Should not be too hard. Too, El Zorno perhaps can resleeve your section.

In fact, he might have some new old stock sections that would work, too.
-david

Thanks guys. For what it's worth, my old Sheaffer's Repair Manual refers to the bar assembly as "the two piece bar with collar" and sys "The two piece bar with collar is used in all flat end barrels and Streamlined Balance barrels with solid ends." I found this kind of interesting, since this pen has neither.

It does have a #3 nib, which writes beautifully (dipped, of course). It also has the longest feed I've yet seen. If the nipple was still there it would reach to the end of it. Hopefully I'll track down a section soon; I'm really anxious to use this jewel.

As soon as I can manage to do it, I'll post some pictures of it. The poor eBay picture that is my current avatar just doesn't cut it.

Tim

This is OT but I first noticed it with Sheaffer gray and red pens. Is it my luck, imagination or is there another explaination why some pens have darker colors than others.

It seems that blue vacumatics and red gray Sheaffer balances, especially, have less bright colors on the thicker pens. The smaller ones seem to have brighter colors.