Sheaffer Touchdown Question

[corgicoupe]

I bought a sheaffer touchdown for my daughter today. I figured out how to fill the pen, but I noticed that the section can also be unscrewed from the barrel. Whats is the purpose for this?

The nib is what I think is called the triumph, and the cap and body are striated carmine red. Writes very nicely. From what I have read it is from about 1939. Is this correct? I'll post an image if that will help identification.

Edited November 12, 2015 by corgicoupe

[Happy Harry]

Your pen isn't a touchdown but a vac filler. Was it bought restored? I ask because normally the section is well sealed and not easy to unscrew, maybe the restored failed to reseal it. A picture always helps !!

[corgicoupe]

Your pen isn't a touchdown but a vac filler. Was it bought restored? I ask because normally the section is well sealed and not easy to unscrew, maybe the restored failed to reseal it. A picture always helps !!

What determines a touchdown versus a vac filler? You unscrew the blind cap, pull out the plunger, immerse in ink, push the plunger in and wait a few seconds. Yes, it has been restored. It is from an extensive collection belonging to Mrs Light, who started the Artlite store in Atlanta. They are thinning the herd and everything goes to their restorer first. Is it necessary to seal that barrel with a touch of shellac, or should I just leave it as-as? Here is a photo of the pen.

 

While I was buying this for my daughter, she secretly bought me the pen in the second image. What can you tell me about it?

[jar]

The second picture is a war time Military clip Sheaffer; either a Valiant (1000 price code) or Vigilant (875 price code). It's sometimes hard to tell proportions from isolated pictures but that looks like the slim Vigilant.

 

Vacfil plunger fillers have no sac. The TD pens simply compress a sac to fill. The plunger builds a vacuum on the downstroke and at the end of the stroke passes a gap to allow ink to get pushed in.

[corgicoupe]

It is engraved 875 on the barrel, so your 2nd suggestion would seem to be correct. Thank you for that.

Is there a way to tell whether the other one is a Vacfil or is a TD and has a sac? What is the vintage for each of these possibilities?

Edited November 13, 2015 by corgicoupe

[ac12]

The 2nd pen is a lever filler sac pen. If it was restored, you should be good for 10+ years with that sac.

 

BTW, I really like the red pen you bought for your daughter. NICE.

Edited November 13, 2015 by ac12

[jar]

It is engraved 875 on the barrel, so your 2nd suggestion would seem to be correct. Thank you for that.

Is there a way to tell whether the other one is a Vacfil or is a TD and has a sac? What is the vintage for each of these possibilities?

The first pen is a vacfill/plunger fill, not a TD. The TD is a tube, large enough to cover the sac and sac protector. The Vacfill pen has a slim rod.

 

The TD appears at the end of the 40s, after WWII.

[corgicoupe]

I understand. What is the probable date of the Vacfill? What about the pencil?

Edited November 13, 2015 by corgicoupe

[jar]

I would guess they are from around 1942 to 1948, probably closer to '47 than '42.

[Happy Harry]

It is engraved 875 on the barrel, so your 2nd suggestion would seem to be correct. Thank you for that.

Is there a way to tell whether the other one is a Vacfil or is a TD and has a sac? What is the vintage for each of these possibilities?

 

Touchdowns only came in solid colors, so all the stripped celluloids are vac fill which made this easy. Vac fill also came in solid colors from late '47 ( black of course was around a lot longer) and are more difficult to pick between the two filling systems, there are some visuals besides the plunger size. The TDs are very easy to restore, the vac fill much harder.

[Happy Harry]

Btw a bit of shellac would do just fine.

[corgicoupe]

Then I will add a drop before she takes it back to Chicago. I already had to extract the eraser that was stuck in the cap of the pencil.

[corgicoupe]

I presume the two filling systems and the two nib types overlapped during the late 30th and into the 40s. The best answer is probably not to sweat the details, but just enjoy writing with the pens you have...

[Happy Harry]

I presume the two filling systems and the two nib types overlapped during the late 30th and into the 40s. The best answer is probably not to sweat the details, but just enjoy writing with the pens you have...

 

The touchdown replaced the vac fill in 1949. Last vac fills 1948.

[3rdlakerobert]

I beieve your daughter's Carmine vacuum filler is a Statesman II from the period 1946-8. Sometimes they have a 1000 price code engraved below the Sheaffer imprint on the barrel.

 

I think the restorer should seal the pen for you, preferably with a resin sealer or the correct type of shellac, not just any.

 

edit to add:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/189548-sold-sheaffer-triumph-statesman-ii-92w-c1945/

Edited November 13, 2015 by Robert111

[corgicoupe]

Thanks for that link. The set looks just like that but is engraved 875. The pencil is engraved FA 400. That probably puts it down a size.

[Ernst Bitterman]

Unless the section on that carmine is REALLY loose, I'd just leave it. Shellac will make life difficult for a future restorer when it needs another refit, as will (to a lesser degree) rosin sealant. Unlike a TD, that seam's air tightness has no bearing on the pen's power of filling, and it the threads hold well enough in daily use, why mess with things?

[GG917]

The section does not unscrew on vac-fill "Triumph" pens. The nib unit does. What you probably have is a pen with the internal cartridge, onto which the external celluloid binde is screwed. unscrew the blind cap, pull the plunger and you'll be able to see more of the internal cartridge by "unscrewing the section". Do not shellac the binde onto the cartridge or the next restorer will curse you!

 

A "Triumph" pen with a price code "875" (Sovereign) does not match with the "400" price code pencil (correct for a Statesman, price code 1000). It can be a Sovereign II/Statesman cap swap. More info on the pen will help to identify it.

[corgicoupe]

The section does not unscrew on vac-fill "Triumph" pens. The nib unit does. What you probably have is a pen with the internal cartridge, onto which the external celluloid binde is screwed. unscrew the blind cap, pull the plunger and you'll be able to see more of the internal cartridge by "unscrewing the section". Do not shellac the binde onto the cartridge or the next restorer will curse you!

 

A "Triumph" pen with a price code "875" (Sovereign) does not match with the "400" price code pencil (correct for a Statesman, price code 1000). It can be a Sovereign II/Statesman cap swap. More info on the pen will help to identify it.

I stand corrected on the 875 engraving. That was from memory, but i was thinking of the other pen bought that day, the one with the military clip. In fact I could not find any engraving on the pen in the photo, but the pencil does have 400. So it must actually be the 1000 as suggested. Where is the price code on the statesman? Edited November 13, 2015 by corgicoupe

[GG917]

They are not always present on the pens. If present, they are usually located below the imprint.

 

Statesman in that configuration ran from 45 (after the WW2 "Triumph" were discontinued) to 47.