Jump to content

So Tell Me, Honestly... New Vs Vintage Sheaffer...?


TheDutchGuy

Recommended Posts

...how would a modern Sheaffer compare to my '59 PFM-III medium, my ca. '85 Targa medium and my ca. '85 Targa Slim fine...? Quality-wise? Writing wise? The only gold-nibbed modern pens I can find seem to be the Legacy Heritage range, wich is mighty pricey, retailing for over 500 euros. The rest seem to be steel-nibbed pens retailing between 50 and 90 euros.

 

Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 48
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • TheDutchGuy

    10

  • JonSzanto

    6

  • pajaro

    5

  • AL01

    5

I prefer my Legacy 1 from the early '90s to my PFM III. I have a number of truly vintage Sheaffer pens. It is hard to imagine that any of the modern ones would be more enjoyable than the oversize Balance or a nice Flat Top that can be found at a fraction of the price. Also, many TDs are incredibly cheap with good looks and are awesome writers. I like modern pens too, but not when it comes to Sheaffers and Parkers.

 

 

Dave

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Unfortunately, I think Sheaffer is finished as a pen company. However, their legacy (no pun intended) pens from the 40s to 90s are without equal and still easily available at a reasonable cost. Parker fares somewhat better imo.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think modern Sheaffers have Bock nibs in them.

 

This is rather unfortunate, because they don't have that unique quality older Sheaffer nibs have.

 

The only ones that really stick out in the modern range are the Legacy Heritage and the Prelude.

 

The Legacy Heritage is a nice writer and also has a nice weight to it.

 

The Prelude is not a bad pen.... Kinda like Sheaffer's Version of the Sonnet.

 

HOWEVER, the Prelude does have a pretty crappy section that turns grey over the years.

 

Because of that, my Prelude just lives in its box now.

 

If ya wanna be impressed by a Sheaffer nib, try a '50s School pen.

 

You WILL be impressed!

 

- Hope that helps...

 

EDITS: Baddest grammar in the world.

Edited by AL01
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gotta love those vintage Sheaffers!

PAKMAN

minibanner.gif                                    Vanness-world-final.png.c1b120b90855ce70a8fd70dd342ebc00.png

                         My Favorite Pen Restorer                                             My Favorite Pen Store

                                                                                                                                Vanness Pens - Selling Online!

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When it comes to vintage vs modern for the big pen companies of the past like Parker, Shaeffer and Waterman, I'd take vintage over modern every time. Not that every vintage pen is going be a good one, but for me the older pens from these companies have a character entirely missing form their modern counterparts.

=====================================
Mario Mirabile
Melbourne, Australia

www.miralightimaging.com

=====================================
Link to comment
Share on other sites

When it comes to vintage vs modern for the big pen companies of the past like Parker, Shaeffer and Waterman, I'd take vintage over modern every time. Not that every vintage pen is going be a good one, but for me the older pens from these companies have a character entirely missing form their modern counterparts.

 

Well said. And I agree.

The nibs' writing character and the innovative filling system put vintage Sheaffers into another different class compared to their modern ones.

- Will
Restored Pens and Sketches on Instagram @redeempens

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's pretty unanimous input :-) . Thanks! I will definitely seek out more vintage Sheaffers, with a liberal interpretation of "vintage".

 

I've made a mental U-turn about Sheaffer since my FP hobby really took off. The brand never appealed to me. Until my old mid-'80s Targa found its way back to me. A very wet pen which makes every ink look amazing on paper. And which improves my handwriting... *a lot*. It's my go-to diary pen, it lets me write page after page after page at high speed, effortlessly. From a pure sensation perspective I prefer my Sailors, but the Sheaffers might be the better writers. The '59 PFM-III I bought a few weeks ago has had a rough life and lots of battle scars, but no pen makes my writing look this good. And the little Targa Slim that I was graciously given this week is also an amazing writer - line width is about the same as my Custom 823 F (which is very, very fine) but in all fairness the Slim's nib is much, much better. The 823F is cold, stiff and feedbacky. The Slim's... wow. That's 3 great pens out of 3.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

When it comes to vintage vs modern for the big pen companies of the past like Parker, Shaeffer and Waterman, I'd take vintage over modern every time. Not that every vintage pen is going be a good one, but for me the older pens from these companies have a character entirely missing form their modern counterparts.

 

INMHO, Parker and Waterman are better off than Sheaffer at the moment.

 

Waterman does have the Carene and other nice models, while Parker does have the Sonnet, Duofold, etc.

 

I still think that there are modern Watermans/Parkers worth buying today.

 

However, I can't say the same for Sheaffer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I held one of those Cross-made Sheaffers yesterday. Not a bad pen, but nothing to distinguish it either. Makes me wonder if they still make the Legacy Heritage pens themselvers... I mean how many of those would they sell each year and can they afford to run a dedicated production line for that?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have a modern Sheaffer VFM which I think is a VERY nice pen for the price I got it (it was selling for $10 here last year, though I'm not sure they are available locally anymore) - it looks nice and feels good in the hand (for short periods at least; the step is a bit much) and mine has a very nice nib (well, it writes very nicely; the nib slit is actually cut a bit off-center, but that doesn't seem to have caused any issues). What's more, it was very resistant to drying out. I did have a bit of an issue with the inner cap coming loose, and it doesn't work with converters unless you modify a Monteverde mini converter by slimming down the piston knob a bit.

 

I bought a new Sheaffer 300 recently because I absolutely loved how it felt in my hand: the weight and balance felt great, it's probably the nicest pen I have to hold. It looks pretty good to me, and the snap cap is surprisingly pleasing to use. The nib turned out to be mediocre however, even after I did a bit of tweaking (another 300 I used had a better nib, but probably still not as good as my VFM). To make things worse it was not very good at resisting drying out, which is something that I cannot tolerate.

 

 

So... I guess my experience is that you can get good new pens from Sheaffer, but don't count on it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have many vintage Sheaffer's pens. Flat tops, Balances, a Cadet, and various generations of school pens. They're great and all have amazing character.

 

Loving these pens made me curious how their modern Chinese-made pens compare. My first was a 300, followed by a Sagaris, then a Taranis, and finally a VFM that I got for practically free. I was surprised every time how well the modern ones write! They're buttery smooth and very wet. Too smooth for my taste, but the wetness is divine and even makes modern Skrip blue-black look complex and interesting -- something I didn't think possible! I wouldn't dismiss the modern ones out of hand, but look for sales because they are overpriced at MSRP.

 

Edited to fix typos 😅

Edited by bass1193
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think most young people see new Sheaffer as just another niche brand from somewhere in Germany. You have to hit this joint to even know that Sheaffer had an illustrious past and thrived somewhere in the vast expanse of American corn country. The only thing I don´t like about old sheaffer is the quality of the plastics. Had they used better metals, I think their pens would last even longer.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I prefer more the vintage Sheaffers, though the Heritage is very good and the Taranis is surprisingly good if it didn't leak where the converter enters the nib section.

 

Sheaffers are known for their great balance and that makes them some of the most comfortable pens to write with.

 

Erick

Using right now:

Visconti Voyager 30 "M" nib running Birmingham Streetcar

Jinhao 9019 "EF" nib running Birmingham Railroad Spike

Stipula Adagio "F" nib running Birmingham Violet Sea Snail

Sailor Profit "B" nib running Van Dieman's Night - Shooting Star

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have to agree with Erick, I have two of the Taranis fountain models (and some ballpoints!) and not only are they visually stunning, they write fairly well (I tuned/tweaked my nibs a little, I'll admit), AND moderately seem to resist drying out after a few days of rest. I read somewhere that flushing them with some pen flush really well before writing is a good idea -- the flow of one of mine started to hang up when I slammed ink into it out of the box, but after a good flush the problem has not returned.

 

Yes, the Legacy/Heritage line is pricey, but -- hunting down your favorite (simply go to sheaffertarga.com for a complete list of the universe) and investing can result in a stunning pen that is a pleasure to use and will likely last a lifetime. I have the deep-cut palladium/palladium trim myself, one of the last made in the US with "USA" printed on the side of the clip (thanks Robert!!) These have the lines and look of the PFMs, but are significantly heavier and can be cartridge fillers that allow easy flushing and changing of ink colors.

 

All that said, I'm reminded of some thoughts I had recently about vintage vs. modern fountain pens. Thinking about the PFM, for example, and when it was made, it strikes me that the pen was really the thing one used to do work -- write memos, sign things, write letters, etc. Since that was the case, all the functional considerations make sense -- you don't want to have to fill it multiple times a day, and if you're going to be writing a ton, making it rather light makes sense. Modern Sheaffer's are really heavy by comparison! Go to YouTube for some hilarious early PFM commercials -- phrases like "trimness in the pocket," "has some heft to it," and "massive capacity!" cause one to wonder what it was they were comparing it to... :lticaptd:

 

This was my dilemma when it comes to loving vintage pens but wanting to do the things modern pens are sometimes better at -- changing ink colors on a whim, and really *feeling* it -- weight, etc. -- when I use it.

 

All of THAT said, man, I have to believe that the quality of those old pens and materials (with rare exceptions) is just so much better in general than similar-priced-now modern pens.

 

 

 

Matt

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you're asking, that means you've found something interesting about their modern pens and I for one am curious. Nothing about them stands out to me, they look like all other generic cross pens.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

While it does seem that most of us think that the vintage Sheaffers are better than the new ones, I can't doubt the fact that the Legacy, (for example), is made out of a longer lasting plastic than the PFM.

 

I wish there was something that could be done with vintage Polystyrene pens, which is why I avoid them.

 

So maybe they both could be equally as good...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...how would a modern Sheaffer compare to...

 

What do you consider "modern"? If I assume "something in current production", I haven't seen a decent Sheaffer in the last 20 years. The Legacy were the last good pens they made, and I far prefer their pens from much earlier. I still love and use my Targas, but I'm far more apt to reach for a Snorkel/PFM or an OS Balance.

"When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick; and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

~ Benjamin Franklin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33501
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26627
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...