Sheaffer Lifetime two-tone vs one-tone

[Johnny Appleseed]

I recently picked up a Sheaffer Lifetime White-dot desk pen with a solid 14K Lifetime nib. It got me looking around at the balances in my collection and pictures on the web, and got me to wondering when did Sheaffer switch to a two-tone nib for the lifetime models?

 

Any suggestions for dating this pen? The pen and base are black with a single gold band on the body and on the cap/holder. The white-dot is a larger white dot, and the imprint reads:

 

W.A. SHEAFFER PEN CO

PAT AUG.25.08.FORT MADISON IA.USA

DEC.10.12-JAN.27-OCT20-NOV.24.14

 

Nib reads:

SHEAFFER'S

LIFETIME

REG.US PAT OFC

MADE IN U.S.A.

5821600

 

I know the white-dot means after 1924. There is a slight taper to the body, so I think it may be a balance, but with a desk-pen it is harder to tell. Based on the ads on Jim's website it looks like the black desk pens all looked basically the same from 1928 to the 1940s. My guess is the nib will help narrow it down.

 

Any thoughts?

[Maja]

Hi Laridae and welcome to FPN

 

Ok, on this FPN page here (click here for link) you can see a regular single-tone gold Lifetime nib (the earliest type; introduced in 1924, I believe) as well as a Feathertouch two-tone Lifetime nib introduced in 1931. On the following FPN page is a two-tone Triumph Lifetime nib....Which one is on your desk pen?

 

(sorry I am not a Sheaffer desk pen expert by any stretch of the imagination.... )

Edited April 29, 2005 by Maja

[Johnny Appleseed]

Thanks Maja

 

What a great quiz that was! My pen has the earlier single-tone Lifetime nib, so I think we are looking at 1924-1931 as the range (assuming an orginal factory nib).

 

- John

[Maja]

Thanks Maja

 

What a great quiz that was! My pen has the earlier single-tone Lifetime nib, so I think we are looking at 1924-1931 as the range (assuming an orginal factory nib).

 

- John

Thanks, John! It was a great quiz (even if I did lose in the tie-breaker ). Jim's Sheaffer quizzes are very informative as well as fun to play...

 

Now re: your question....I dug around a bit more online and found some more info here on Richard Binder's site: page on Sheaffer flat-tops and their nibs

In 1926, the "Lifetime" nib imprint was changed to a five-line version, which is I think how you described your desk pen's nib in your first post.

 

I am not sure if there if the single-tone "Lifetime" nib was discontinued when the two-tone "Feathertouch" nibs were introduced, though. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than I am on this subject (which won't be difficut ) can shed some light on that........

 

(last paragraph edited for clarification; took out line re: original "Lifetime" nib from 1920 since it was not on White Dot pens and John's desk pen has a WD on it)

Edited May 3, 2005 by Maja

[Johnny Appleseed]

Thanks for the link Maja. For some reason I did not think to look at Richard's flat-top article - I had my mind on "Balance" and did not think to look at the flat-tops.

 

But Richards article raises another question - my pen has a stramlined "spear" feed with serrations on the sides of the feed, but not a full comb all the way around. Richard says that the serrated spear feed came out in 1938, with the full comb style coming out a around year later.

 

I also have a lovely little Sheaffer Balance Jr in Grey Pearl, which Richard dates from 1934-1936, with a serrated spear feed, which dates to 1938. Also, the single-tone nib on my desk pen points to something earlier than 1938. Did the serrated spear feed actually come out earlier, but did not get consistantly applied until 1938? Or can I assume that my pens have had their feeds replaced (both of which are completely feasable)? Or did the single-tone lifetime continue to get used well into the 1930s?

 

We really need that Sheaffer book - with a chapter on feeds.

 

Thanks for the info all.

 

John