Hi to everyone, still new here and the fountain pen world. I just had to tell about my good luck. Yesterday, I went to visit a guy I had not talked to in quit awhile. I knew he collected fountain pens and watches. I was going to get his opinion on a few pens I had turned. Well, I told him of my new interest and he started pulling out cases and boxes one after the other. I was like a kid in a candy store. This man has been collecting since the 70's, he had quite the collection to say the least! It's nice to see someone who has devoted such a large amount of his time and life to fountain pens. He liked one of my pens and offered to trade me for one of his classics. Well, he went to one of the cases and pulled out a brown striated balance he had restored and said "you liked the military clip didn't you?" When I said yes, my voice cracked, I was so excited. Well, to make a long story shorter. I left his house with a beautiful Brown Striated Sheaffer Balance with a Military clip fully restored and it writes like a dream. Had to tell someone of my good luck.

Thanks, Keith...

congrats... i got myself a sheaffer tuckaway. it's a little gem i love...well i would say stick around him maybe you can get more stuff if not for free on a good price... he might have loads of amazing pens if he started the collection so early...
fpn is very addictive you have been warned...
there is a new emoticon in fpn... rather funny one. this one ---->

Congrats, what did you trade for it? Any pics? Welcome to FPN!

Congratulations! I have a brown striated Balance with military clip also. It is a wonderful pen. The nib is one of my favorites; it is a fine and writes very smoothly with just a touch of feedback (not toothiness). In general, I like smoothness in a nib, but this particular nib gives (for me) just the perfect amount of connection with the paper. One of my favorite pens.

I traded a Baron rollerball with buckeye burl and bone accents with chrome hardware. Here are few quick pics of my score.

Best regards, Keith

Pardon the picture quality, I have to head off to work, but the good part is I get to use my Balance all night long to chart with...

I don't have my wartime catalog in front of me, but I think this is a Valiant. The two lifetime models with a military clip were Valiant and Vigilant, the Valiant having more girth.

I have a Defender (thanks to ArtAddict), the non-lifetime equivalent, and a Vigilant that needs a new sac.

Your right, my mistake, the imprint on the side says:

W.A. SHEAFFER PEN CO.
FORT MADISON IOWA, USA
PATENTED IN U.S.A.
1000

The Nib Says:

SHEAFFER'S
LIFETIME
REG. U.S. PAT. OFF.
MADE IN U.S.A.

"Man Wrong Again!" That makes twice in one life time! No seriously thanks for steering me straight. So does that make the pen from 1941-1946. From what I could dig up on the internet it looks like the vigilant.

Thanks, Keith

Thats a beauty!