Sheaffer Crest Pens 1937 To 1959

[3rdlakerobert]

 

Hi, Folks!

This is a Sheaffer Crest Golden Brown lever-fill fountain pen c1937-1941. The 5 1/2 inch long Crest first appears on page 1 of the 1937 catalog as an unnamed model 47 new metal capped lever-fill pen with a visulated section offered with a gold filled cap in Black and Golden Brown Radite and a sterling silver cap with Gray Pearl Radite for $13.75. A matching pencil was $5.00. The Crest name appears in the 1938 catalog. A Vacuum-Fil model was introduced in the 1941 catalog. Note that unlike Balance models, this pen's cap and barrel fit flush with each other when the pen is closed and the section threads are at the end of the section near the nib.

http://www.penhero.com/Temp/SheafferCrestGoldenBrown_1280_01.jpg

Thanks!

 

 

So this particular pen from 1937 was the ground-breaking design that presaged the Triumph in 1942 and the TM Touchdown and Snorkel of 10+ years later.

Edited October 11, 2017 by Robert111

[3rdlakerobert]

Here's a special crest. Found available as probably special order only from 1940-1941.

 

Roger W.

 

 

 

Everyone's grail pen! One of the rarest, if not the rarest, of Sheaffers.

[CS388]

Here's a special crest. Found available as probably special order only from 1940-1941.

 

Roger W.

 

 

What a beauty!

 

For those of us who don't know; Could you tell us what the text says, please? Or what it was 'In Honour of'?

 

Thanks.

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks!

This is a Sheaffer Triumph Crest Lifetime Vacuum-Fil in Black c1942-1944. Sheaffer announced the new Triumph line to dealers in January, 1942 after four years of development, introducing one of Sheaffer's iconic nibs, the Triumph sheath point, a conical 14 karat gold palladium plated two-tone nib. Because of World War II, production was limited as Sheaffer shifted much of its manufacturing to military parts to support the war effort. The Triumph line included two Crest models, the Crest Triumph and the clipless Crest Triumph Tuckaway. Note the windows in the barrel from the alternating black and translucent strips of celluloid. The pen is about 5 5/16 inches long capped and sold for $15.00 and the matching pencil sold for $6.00. The cap is 1/10 14 karat gold filled. Sheaffer offered these pens as either lever or Vacuum-fil types in Black or Golden Brown. Note the White Dot is on the end of the barrel.

http://www.penhero.com/Temp/SheafferTriumphCrestBlack_1280_01.jpg

Thanks!

[gregamckinney]

 

 

Ah! Fantastic! One of my grail pens! I've seen a couple on eBay in the last few years but they were in bad shape. How long have you had it and can you tell us how it happened to end up in your possession?

 

I picked up the grey striped/ sterling Crest three or four years ago at the LA Pen Show.

I knew about the pen and admired them, but wasn't looking for one at all. My shopping list for the show was already longer than my bank balance.

 

The Crest was my first purchase of the show, probably the third table I stopped at. It was priced incredibly well- much less even than what I'd expect to pay for the much more common brown stripe/ gf version.

I thought I got a good deal, but since I hadn't been shopping for one, I also hadn't been pricing them. I bought it because I prefer silver appointed pens to gold, and because of the wonderful engraving.

The price was not a sumgai by any means, but _everyone_ I showed it to at the show who knew what it was was stunned at what I got it for. I could have sold that pen for double the purchase price four or five times that day.

 

The pen is in really good shape, despite how the photo looks. The only real defect is that the clip is almost totally brassed. At the same show, I found a donor barrel with a pristine clip (not easy with the chrome trim.)

 

I'll sell it one day, just as I'll sell all my pens someday, but this is in my top 10 of "last to part with." Even if it wasn't so scarce, the engraving really appeals to me. I use it from time to time. It has a smooth XF nib and is nice to write with.

 

Best Regards, greg

[Roger W.]

Greg;

 

For more than a decade we only knew of the one that I had. A couple of years ago a pristine unmonogramed all gold set - pen and pencil, both special caps - sold for over $6,000 to David Isaacson. Mine says "Largest Sales Increase" "O.D.May" "1940".

 

Roger W.

[3rdlakerobert]

Thanks guys. These are wonderful stories and wonderful pens!

[FarmBoy]

 

I picked up the grey striped/ sterling Crest three or four years ago at the LA Pen Show.

I knew about the pen and admired them, but wasn't looking for one at all. My shopping list for the show was already longer than my bank balance.

 

The Crest was my first purchase of the show, probably the third table I stopped at. It was priced incredibly well- much less even than what I'd expect to pay for the much more common brown stripe/ gf version.

I thought I got a good deal, but since I hadn't been shopping for one, I also hadn't been pricing them. I bought it because I prefer silver appointed pens to gold, and because of the wonderful engraving.

The price was not a sumgai by any means, but _everyone_ I showed it to at the show who knew what it was was stunned at what I got it for. I could have sold that pen for double the purchase price four or five times that day.

 

The pen is in really good shape, despite how the photo looks. The only real defect is that the clip is almost totally brassed. At the same show, I found a donor barrel with a pristine clip (not easy with the chrome trim.)

 

I'll sell it one day, just as I'll sell all my pens someday, but this is in my top 10 of "last to part with." Even if it wasn't so scarce, the engraving really appeals to me. I use it from time to time. It has a smooth XF nib and is nice to write with.

 

Best Regards, greg

If you sell that pen keep the engraving for me, I'll transfer it to my cap which is unengraved...

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks!

 

This is a Sheaffer Triumph Crest Lifetime Vacuum-Fil in Golden Brown c1942-1944. Sheaffer announced the new Triumph line to dealers in January, 1942 after four years of development, introducing one of Sheaffer's iconic nibs, the Triumph sheath point, a conical 14 karat gold palladium plated two-tone nib. Because of World War II, production was limited as Sheaffer shifted much of its manufacturing to military parts to support the war effort. The Triumph line included two Crest models, the Crest Triumph and the clipless Crest Triumph Tuckaway. The pen is about 5 5/16 inches long capped and sold for $15.00 and the matching pencil sold for $6.00. The cap is 1/10 14 karat gold filled. Sheaffer offered these pens as either lever or Vacuum-fil types in Black or Golden Brown. The Sheaffer White Dot is on the end of the barrel.

 

 

Thanks!

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks!

This is a Sheaffer Crest II Triumph Lifetime Vacuum-Fil in Golden Brown c1945-1946. Sheaffer transitioned from the rather pointy ended Triumph pens made from 1942-1944 to the more streamlined post war pens in 1945. Ads begin to show the new line by August 1945. The pen is about 5 inches long capped and sold for $15.00 and the matching pencil sold for $6.00. The cap is 1/10 14 karat gold filled. Sheaffer offered these pens as either lever or Vacuum-fil types in Black or Vacuum-fil only in Golden Brown. The Sheaffer White Dot is on the end of the barrel.

http://www.penhero.com/Temp/SheafferCrestII1500_1280_01.jpg

Thanks!

[jmccarty3]

 

Hi, Folks!

This is a Sheaffer Snorkel Crest Black fountain pen ensemble c1952-1959. This new old stock set originally sold for $34.00. The 5 1/2 inch long pen sold seperately for $25.00 in 1954 and the matching pencil was $9.00. Crest pens had Triumph 14 karat two-tone gold nibs with a platinum mask, a gold-filled cap with a repeating pattern of four straight longitudinal engraved lines in a stepped grouping, a gold-filled clip, and a plastic barrel in black, burgundy, pastel gray, pastel blue (or aqua), pastel green, buckskin tan, or fern green. Early examples may have labels calling the pen "Crest Deluxe", likely a holdover from the TM line. This set literally could have been pulled off the shelf yesterday. It has the clip tags, stickers, cellophane bags and original outer box.

http://www.penhero.com/Temp/SheafferSnorkelCrest_1280_01.jpg

Thanks!

 

 

What a magnificent set. Are these very difficult to find in NOS condition like this?

[3rdlakerobert]

This Crest Masterpiece set from the 1945-46 era has a Vac-Fil pen with the the white dot on the blind cap. It belonged originally to Estelle Bloom of Indiana. I can't recall the city but I have it noted as the seller, who is from the same area, was able to tell me a little about her. He acquired the set some time ago at an estate sale.

 

The pen is a little out of the ordinary because it sports a broad stub. The set had very little use, but the case has suffered some wear and tear over the years.

 

[Edit to add: Note the difference in the caps between Jim's Crest of the same vintage (Post #30) and this Crest Masterpiece pen. This pen has a pattern alternating a single line with a set of three, and the lines are all the same length. Tomorrow I'll add some of my Snorkel Crests to this thread. One is pretty special.]

 

 

 

Edited October 16, 2017 by Robert111

[CS388]

The broad stub looks very nice!

 

I'm still a newcomer to the Triumph nibs - and most of my acquisitions, so far, have F to EF nibs.

This is not by design, it just happened that the ones I came across were this size.

I must try to get some broad tips into the collection!

 

Great set. Thanks for sharing.

[PenHero]

 

What a magnificent set. Are these very difficult to find in NOS condition like this?

 

I've actually only seen one Crest set complete with the cellophane pen slips.

[3rdlakerobert]

I need to find burgundy, pastel green, buckskin, and fern green. The black is a first year Canadian and came with nice flexible nib. Note that the usual engraved line between the plated and unplated parts is missing, which is typical with flexible nibs.

 

 

[Garageboy]

I love crests. I have a post war set with a gorgeous faux crocodile case with beautiful purple lining (sadly, the faux leather got stuck to a paper box and the surface got disfigured)

 

Anyone else have the cases they came in?

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks,

 

This is a Sheaffer Crest II brown striped celluloid fountain pen c. 1946. The barrel is translucent, so the ink level can be observed. This 4 15/16 inch long plunger fill fountain pen sold for $15.00 in 1946 and featured a 1/10 14 karat gold filled cap with a repeating four staggered lines pattern. The barrel is stamped W. A. SHEAFFER PEN CO. over FORT MADISON, IOWA, U.S.A. over MADE IN U.S.A. over 1500 (the price). The pen fills by unscrewing the cap at the end of the barrel, pulling out the plunger, inserting the nib in ink, and quickly pressing down once, creating a vacuum in the barrel that sucks in ink.

 

 

Thanks!

[3rdlakerobert]

Early Crest Masterpiece set:

 

 

 

 

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks,

 

This is a Sheaffer Crest II black striped celluloid fountain pen c. 1946. The barrel is translucent, so the ink level can be observed. This 4 15/16 inch long plunger fill fountain pen sold for $15.00 in 1946 and featured a 1/10 14 karat gold filled cap with a repeating four staggered lines pattern. The barrel is stamped W. A. SHEAFFER PEN CO. over FORT MADISON, IOWA, U.S.A. over MADE IN U.S.A. over 1500 (the price). The pen fills by unscrewing the cap at the end of the barrel, pulling out the plunger, inserting the nib in ink, and quickly pressing down once, creating a vacuum in the barrel that sucks in ink.

 

http://www.penhero.com/Temp/SheafferTriumphCrestBlack_1280_01a.jpg

 

Thanks!

[goodpens]

Can anybody here confirm what this is and the year of manufacture?

 

I believe it is a Touchdown Crest Deluxe. At a pen show I was told, though, that the deluxe line was lever fillers; this is a touchdown filler. Triumph nib. Evergreen body. Thin model. Nib unmarked (as far as I can tell) re: size, but prob a medium.

 

Great find at a thrift store years ago. I replaced the sac and it writes well, even with a misaligned nib (and bite marks).

Edited May 9, 2019 by goodpens