Sheaffer Nononsense Question

[beachwalker]

My son-in-law gave me a Sheaffer Nononsense FP as a birthday gift - fine nib and a great writer. I'm enjoying it but have run through the two cartridges that came with it in almost no time. I'm assuming that they were 'starter' cartridges, with less than what would come in a regular cartridge. It came in a flexible clear package with black ends and looks like it might have been in a shop waiting for sale for some time - it had never been inked before, so I'm thinking that it's 'new' - but how new is not something I can tell. Can someone tell me if the Sheaffer Piston Converter will fit the Nononsene? Are the Nononsense pens still available as a production pen? I'd like to be able to use the pen without having to have a cartridge handy, and because it's such a decent writer - the fine nib is finer than my Lamy or Pelikan fine nibs - I'd like to get a broad/italic nib pen for 'fancier' writing. I know from going through the pen reviews that this pen will take to an eyedropper filling, but that is not something that I'd like to pursue at this point. I just want to be able to use the pen for more that a half dozen journal pages before running out of ink. Any words of advice or guidance will be appreciated.

[PenHero]

Welcome to FPN!

 

The Sheaffer piston converter will fit the NoNonsense. The pens have been out of production for about 10 years. You'll find the converter holds about the same amount of ink as one cartridge. You may be able to find other nibs through eBay and dealers who have leftovers. Some of the colors and types are quite collectible and they are pretty bulletproof pens, if the nib is not damaged.

[beachwalker]

Thanks much - I greatly appreciate the response so quickly. The pen is new, never been inked, and has no signs of any prior use, though it had been out of the box before - the ends of the box simply came off far too easily - no tape, etc. It's a non-distinct light tan, and the nib is in perfect condition. I'm very impressed with the way it writes and, like some of the reviewers for this model, may turn to it as an every day pen for an assortment of papers, including non-FP friendly stuff that seems to abound on my desk. It's a smooth writer and gives no feathering or bleedthrough, so, so far, no complaints, other than quickly running through the two initial cartridges. Will find a converter for it, and will pick up some cartridges as well as a bottle or two of Sheaffer and/or Parker inks, which seem to get decent reviews as 'dependable' for most all pens. Still, will seek out something a bit more exotic than black or blue/black in colors for my Pelikan and Lamy, my current 'every day' pens. Again, thanks much!

Edited February 13, 2012 by beachwalker

[mmahany]

I bought one of these for a quarter at a garage sale several months back. For what it is, it's actually a great writer. I let mine soak in water and haven't had to do anything since. It honestly writes better than my Mont Blanc Solitaire found in a similar situation.

[bogiesan]

Congratulations on your first SHeaffer. You must a prodigious writer! A full Sheaffer cartridge lasts me quite a while but I have two spares in my bag. There are numerous online sources for Sheaffer carts but you shoudl check your local stationers, if you have one left. Michael's, a national craft chain, has black, bue-black, and an assorted cartridge package for $5.00. Michael's is everywhere and you can find interesting coupons for 10-50% off if you look carefully.

Teri at Peyton Street Pens has probably the best collection of Sheaffer convertors in buttons and pistons and squeezers. You will also find several other No Nonsens pens if you get that bug.

 

Peyton Street Pens

[Harlequin]

Post some pics of it! LOVE my NNSes and I actually just got a clear one to turn into an eye dropper pen! Which nib does yours have? I know you said "fine nib", but I wasn't sure if that meant fine as in a good one, or fine as in the size ^_~.

[ANM]

I find the ink will evaporate from an unused cartridge over time. A pen that old may have come with full cartridges that have lost some ink over time.

[mhosea]

I find the ink will evaporate from an unused cartridge over time. A pen that old may have come with full cartridges that have lost some ink over time.

 

Yes, that's true, though the dye is all there, I think. If you remove the cartridge from the pen after inserting it the first time, then add water to restore the correct volume, the ink will be better behaved.

[Sasha Royale]

Those old Script cartridges are old and very cheaply made.

They started out full, but the evaporates over the years.

Still, you can shoot it full of bottle ink, using a syringe.

After a few times, though the seal will be very poor.

 

Check Ebay for converters to fit No-nonsense pens.

 

I like the large body of the pen, and it writes well.

 

Enjoy yours.

[crescentfiller]

I have found that the old cartridges hold up very well over extended periods when refilling with a syringe. In fact, they can last years without any problems sealing. It is a cheap alternative, and it allows one to enjoy an endless variety of inks.

[bogiesan]

I have found that the old cartridges hold up very well over extended periods when refilling with a syringe. In fact, they can last years without any problems sealing. It is a cheap alternative, and it allows one to enjoy an endless variety of inks.

 

Agreed. The carts will last many refills each.

However, do NOT squeeze the old cartridges! You will easily crack the plastic.

Rinse the carts with a syringe or infant bulb aspirator. I've refilled many of my old Sheaffer carts probably six times. A few did not survive the second filling but that was usually my fault.

ONe drawback to most of the convertors is they come with black sacs. No way to see how much ink is in the thing.

[bob_hayden]

A clue not mentioned here is that Sheaffer made Skrip ink in the USA until near the end of the last century, then the folks who bought the Sheaffer name outsourced their ink supply to Slovenia. If the pen in the OP had the USA cartridges, they would already have been at least a decade old, and are very likely to have lost some volume due to evaporation. The two types are easy to tell apart. The USA ones look exactly the same on their two ends, have "Skrip" and the ink color written on their sides, and are made of translucent plastic. The Slovenians ones look different on the two ends, have no writing on them, and are generally opaque in the color of the ink (more or less).

 

I have nothing against the Slovenian inks as inks. They have been trouble-free for me. In some cases I prefer the old colors, in others the new. But I very much doubt the two have anything in common. In particular, I doubt the Slovenian supplier is using the old Sheaffer recipes. I think the owners of the Sheaffer name just found some inks already in production or asked suppliers to submit sample replacements, then selected a new line of inks and put the Sheaffer name on them, with the name on the label being all they have in common. They are like the Studebakers sold as Packards or the Nashes sold as Hudsons in the 1960s. Hence I don't think data on the old inks is relevant to evaluating the new, though I am sure the folks selling the ink would like us to think that!-) (Why else would they pay money for the name?) By now, though, we do have some data on the new inks, and can evaluate them, though still people do not usually say which version of "Sheaffer" ink they evaluated.

[corgicoupe]

Hobby Lobby also carries these Slovene inks.