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Sheafer Balance Fountain Pen?

KrazedCritter

By KrazedCritter
in Fountain & Dip Pens - First Stop

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KrazedCritter New

KrazedCritter

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Greetings everyone!

 

I started getting into the fountain pen world about 2 months ago for sketching and have enjoyed it. I went from one pen to six pens!!!

 

I need a little help though...Yesterday I bought a fountain pen at an antique store, that I don't know how to use. It has a lever on it.

 

So I don't know how to use it or if it is broken or if it is worth anything of value.

 

I think its a Shaefer Balance (not sure about the 275 model or something else. Any assistance would be appreciated.

 

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jar Ancient Artifact

jar

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The 275 was the price code; it sold for $2.75. The model is a Balance and the color was Ebonized Pearl. It almost certainly need a new sac and that's one I'd send to Danny Fudge at the WritePen for a spa day.

 

http://www.fototime.com/C0F3328C3304E0C/medium800.jpg

Welcome home. Pull up a stump and set a spell.

 

 

 

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AAAndrew Antique

AAAndrew

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Welcome! Very nice start. Yeah, get it professionally fixed up. It’s a beauty.

 

There are a bunch of pages out there to help you identify Sheaffers. My go-to site is here.

 

http://dirck.delint.ca/beta/?page_id=6959

 

Andrew

 

“When the historians of education do equal and exact justice to all who have contributed toward educational progress, they will devote several pages to those revolutionists who invented steel pens and blackboards.” V.T. Thayer, 1928

Check out my Steel Pen Blog. 

"No one is exempt from talking nonsense; the mistake is to do it solemnly."

-Montaigne

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KrazedCritter New

KrazedCritter

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Thank you so much! I had no idea there were people out there that could fix these up! This new found addiction does not do well for my recreational money. :D

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Bo Bo Olson Ancient Artifact

Bo Bo Olson

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:W2FPN:

Your liver will thank you in the long run.

 

It is one of the 'must have' pens.......which I don't and won't have. Living in Germany I collect mostly piston pens. I do have a Sheaffer New Balance clone, a MB 146 :).

 

Other US 'must have' pens, the Parker Vac, P-51, P-75. Sheaffer Touchdown, Snorkel and Targra. Inlaid nibbed Sheaffer Imperial. (My inlaid nibbed pen is a German '60-70's Geha 725) Nothing says you have to do that today.

A 1930 Conklin; best pen then, but the company died by not advertising during the Depression, a 1902 Paul Wirt.....then the best pen in the world. Waterman pens of course.

Esterbrooks....pre and just after the war Wearever.............and the list goes on and on.

 

Vintage pens are light and nimble with great balance. They had to have the great balance, in folks wrote 8 hours a day with them and did not buy ill balanced pens....not like today's Large pen note makers.

I post my vintage pens; which is why they had/have great balance, and if you fear mars, wax it with Renascence wax, or a Carnauba was with no petroleum products added.

 

Noobies often think they can get by with 10 pens and 12 inks. :lticaptd: :bunny01: :happyberet:

 

 

The Golden Rule of fountain pens, is take your time; you have decades to collect in, nothing that had to be done yesterday.................besides you need good to better paper and fine inks.

I suggest getting a good to better paper for every three inks you order. That way you won't be behind the power curve as I was.

 

Writing is 1/3 nib width/flex, 1/3 paper and 1/3 ink, and in that order. Paper is the dance floor,on which the nib tango's with the ink.

 

Have you been to Richard Binder's site? It is the bible of fountain pens, block three days for a first read. Fountain pen nib shapes, feeds, filling systems; good advice on inks.....and so, so many :drool: :puddle: vintage pens.

Once 96.7% of all I knew about fountain pens came from Richard. Now, only 92%. After all one should learn something in a decade. :happyberet:

Edited by Bo Bo Olson

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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KrazedCritter New

KrazedCritter

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Welcome! Very nice start. Yeah, get it professionally fixed up. It’s a beauty.

 

There are a bunch of pages out there to help you identify Sheaffers. My go-to site is here.

 

http://dirck.delint.ca/beta/?page_id=6959

 

Andrew

 

For real?!?!

 

I went digging through the site you referred me too, which led me to another page that showed my exact model. They are selling a refurbished one for $70. I picked this up for $18. WOWSERS! I cant wait to bring it in for repair today to see how it feels after its in working order!

 

When I bought it I was just thinking it was a nice sized pen, looked nice, and had an old vibe to it for a nice addition to my pen choices. I didn't know I found a "real" fp that had a "real" value in the marketplace and that it was made in the 1930's (goes with my out of control fedora collection thanks to my love of Noir art). This is a great little Friday treat! WooHoo!

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AAAndrew Antique

AAAndrew

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yeah, you got yourself a real beauty for a steal. Nice first deal!

 

to go with the fedoras, now you need to start looking at desk pens. [ducking and running because that is another very slippery slope]

 

“When the historians of education do equal and exact justice to all who have contributed toward educational progress, they will devote several pages to those revolutionists who invented steel pens and blackboards.” V.T. Thayer, 1928

Check out my Steel Pen Blog. 

"No one is exempt from talking nonsense; the mistake is to do it solemnly."

-Montaigne

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jar Ancient Artifact

jar

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For real?!?!

 

I went digging through the site you referred me too, which led me to another page that showed my exact model. They are selling a refurbished one for $70. I picked this up for $18. WOWSERS! I cant wait to bring it in for repair today to see how it feels after its in working order!

 

When I bought it I was just thinking it was a nice sized pen, looked nice, and had an old vibe to it for a nice addition to my pen choices. I didn't know I found a "real" fp that had a "real" value in the marketplace and that it was made in the 1930's (goes with my out of control fedora collection thanks to my love of Noir art). This is a great little Friday treat! WooHoo!

You need to remember that at the time your pen was one of the entry level Sheaffer pens. But $2.75 was still a chunk of change when you could buy fountain pens for $0.50. Sheaffer made absolutely superb fountain pens.

 

 

 

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Runnin_Ute Museum Piece

Runnin_Ute

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yeah, you got yourself a real beauty for a steal. Nice first deal!

 

to go with the fedoras, now you need to start looking at desk pens. [ducking and running because that is another very slippery slope]

voice of experience there a bit Andrew? ;)

Brad

"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind" - Rudyard Kipling
"None of us can have as many virtues as the fountain-pen, or half its cussedness; but we can try." - Mark Twain

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AAAndrew Antique

AAAndrew

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voice of experience there a bit Andrew? ;)

 

Have no idea what you're talking about. :rolleyes:

 

I only have two Sheaffer desk pens.

 

Now, Esterbrooks, that's another matter... But I won't bring those into a Sheaffer forum.

 

“When the historians of education do equal and exact justice to all who have contributed toward educational progress, they will devote several pages to those revolutionists who invented steel pens and blackboards.” V.T. Thayer, 1928

Check out my Steel Pen Blog. 

"No one is exempt from talking nonsense; the mistake is to do it solemnly."

-Montaigne

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bogiesan Vintage

bogiesan

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For real?!?! I went digging through the site you referred me too, which led me to another page that showed my exact model. They are selling a refurbished one for $70. I picked this up for $18. WOWSERS! I cant wait to bring it in for repair today to see how it feels after its in working order!

 

Welcome to the family. Be aware your lovely new/old Balance may cost $50 to get it completely ready to use: new sac, tweak the nib, thorough pro cleaning, maybe some lube, Might need a new feed.

I ride a recumbent, I play go, I use Macintosh so of course I use a fountain pen.

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