As noted in another thread...

Balance is my second most collected series, following Vacumatic.

Unlike the Vac, i don't hunt Balance with... completist... goals, but I do like adding high-cachet and-- better still-- anomalous pens.

This one i found right here on FPN. Not of sky-high value but still very interesting and not of small value

A Sheaffer oversized Balance first-year/first-type in black Celluloid... with a twist!

regards

david

What is the blind cap for on this one?

NB

A phone dialer.

I'm not convinced on this one. The phone dialers are longer than conventional butt end of Balances. This one is same size as long "first year" OS Balance.

Believe it is the "convertable" end that one removes to put on the phone dialer. Quite interesting in its own right if that is so, especially as a stickered pen. I need to see if can make out any of the model code to see if differs from conventional Balance code.

regards
david

Nice pen and thanks for posting these, David.

When I got my first OS from ebay, I was outraged that there were two small holes by the lever.
Later, I found that it was a staked lever from earliest production years.

When did Sheaffer do away with that type lever?

And to think that these (this one and the Ebonized peal) were hiding under my nose this last little while. I need to have a chat with the pens previous owner and get some dibs on his cool pens.

Cheers,
Sean

David;

Should be stickered 74TCD as a convertible but I've seen labels that don't correspond to catalogues before (1930 catalogue).

As to the pin retained switching over to ring retained levers that is supossed to be fourth quarter 1930 (internal Sheaffer memo at that time).

Roger W.

Thanks, Roger.

Where can I see those catalogs online?

There aren't any catalogues online. Eventually they might be but, not any time soon.

Roger W.

Was/is that a convertible desk pen?

Click to view attachment

Do you suppose this one was a phone dialer? The taper threads fit the back of the pen but it isn't original. It isn't the same diameter... the taper and end of the pen are not the same size.

It does have the look...

regards

david

What's the length of the barrel/barrel imprint/nib imprint?

--Daniel

If it weren't for the taper at the end of the barrel, I might guess that it was used to turn a combo into a single purpose FP, but I think the taper implies a phone dialer.