Hey all, I've been trolling around here for a few days now and thought I'd better introduce myself. I'm a physics major at Ohio Wesleyan University and was first really introduced to fountain pens when my father gave me a Parker Sonnet for my high school graduation (I vaguely recall playing with cartridges as a kid, and destroying a couch...). Recently I inherited an old Sheaffer from my grandmother, after a few days of digging around I think I've identified it as a Balance. The stamping on the body of the pen reads "W.A. Sheaffer Pen Co.;Fort Madison, Iowa, U.S.A.;Patented in U.S.A.;1000". I believe it was produced between 1937-45, based on the clip style and the color, marine green striated. First of all, did I identify it correctly and can anyone help narrow down the production date? Also, the pen is non-functional right now and I'm hoping someone could recommend a good restoration service.
TIA,
Christian
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Full Version: Introduction/Help IDing-Balance?
QUOTE (flcn43 @ Sep 17 2008, 12:22 AM) 
Hey all, I've been trolling around here for a few days now and thought I'd better introduce myself. I'm a physics major at Ohio Wesleyan University and was first really introduced to fountain pens when my father gave me a Parker Sonnet for my high school graduation (I vaguely recall playing with cartridges as a kid, and destroying a couch...). Recently I inherited an old Sheaffer from my grandmother, after a few days of digging around I think I've identified it as a Balance. The stamping on the body of the pen reads "W.A. Sheaffer Pen Co.;Fort Madison, Iowa, U.S.A.;Patented in U.S.A.;1000". I believe it was produced between 1937-45, based on the clip style and the color, marine green striated. First of all, did I identify it correctly and can anyone help narrow down the production date? Also, the pen is non-functional right now and I'm hoping someone could recommend a good restoration service.
TIA,
Christian
TIA,
Christian
1000 (or $10) was the price point for two Balances from that era, one of standard girth, one oversized. Yours looks like a standard at first glance. Nice pen, indeed. Having examined thousands of raw and restored Balances, I suspect your pen- under all that shmutz, is quite clean indeed, well worthy of a proper restoration.
Two guys on this list are certified vintage Sheaffer restorers (Ron Zorn at www.mainstreetpens.com and Richard Binder at www.richardspens.com). They will do grand work on this sort. Others on FPN of whom I'm aware who do fine restoration work include Sean Gosse, Tom Mullane, Danny Fudge and maybe Ron Meloche. Not sure Joel Hamilton plays on FPN, though he too does grand work.
Regards
david
QUOTE (flcn43 @ Sep 17 2008, 12:22 AM)
The stamping on the body of the pen reads "W.A. Sheaffer Pen Co.;Fort Madison, Iowa, U.S.A.;Patented in U.S.A.;1000". I believe it was produced between 1937-45, based on the clip style and the color, marine green striated. First of all, did I identify it correctly and can anyone help narrow down the production date?
Though I know of four all-plastic Balance-style models that bear the imprint on your pen, all indications are that your pen is a Statesman, model symbol E74T, and it was manufactured from 1942 to about 1945.
--Daniel
QUOTE
Not sure Joel Hamilton plays on FPN, though he too does grand work.
Joel does not play on FPN, and he generally does not do Sheaffer's. You have to ask Sherrel Tyree for that - and she is equally qualified. They can be found at Inkpen.com. Generally Joel does Parkers, Sherrel does Sheaffer's, and they both do just about everything else.
John
QUOTE (Johnny Appleseed @ Sep 17 2008, 01:25 PM)
QUOTE
Not sure Joel Hamilton plays on FPN, though he too does grand work.
Joel does not play on FPN, and he generally does not do Sheaffer's. You have to ask Sherrel Tyree for that - and she is equally qualified. They can be found at Inkpen.com. Generally Joel does Parkers, Sherrel does Sheaffer's, and they both do just about everything else.
John
They are a great team. I send all the pens in any given batch to Joel and he ships over the Sheaffers to Sherrell, but your point is well taken
d
Thanks for the replies, just noticed I didn't include a pic of the clip, using Richard's site as a reference my pen has the "radius" clip introduced in '35/'36. Haven't been able to find much information on the Statesman, anyone else care to chime in?
Seeing as how Richard will be at the Ohio Pen Show, which is just down the road from me, I think I'll just hand it to him there and maybe meet some of you guys!
Christian
Seeing as how Richard will be at the Ohio Pen Show, which is just down the road from me, I think I'll just hand it to him there and maybe meet some of you guys!
Christian
Just to add:
1) Johnny's link works, but Joel and Sherrell's web site is www.ink-pen.com (if you prefer to type it yourself)
2) Joel Hamilton and Sherrell Tyree are brother and sister, sending a pen to either will (eventually) get it to the right place. But Joel does the Parkers and Sherrell the Sheaffers.
3) All my pens in need of restoration I send to Joel or Sherrell. Great people, good work, good prices.
1) Johnny's link works, but Joel and Sherrell's web site is www.ink-pen.com (if you prefer to type it yourself)
2) Joel Hamilton and Sherrell Tyree are brother and sister, sending a pen to either will (eventually) get it to the right place. But Joel does the Parkers and Sherrell the Sheaffers.
3) All my pens in need of restoration I send to Joel or Sherrell. Great people, good work, good prices.
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