Sheaffer Radite Flat Top Photo Thread

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks!

 

Thought I would start a new thread focusing on Sheaffer Flattop pens made from Radite. I don't personally have a lot of them, but would like to see YOURS.

This is a Sheaffer J5-30SC Jade Green Short lever-fill fountain pen c. 1928. It’s about 4 1/2 inches long and sold for $5.00. The clip and cap bands are gold filled. The gold nib is stamped SHEAFFER'S over 5-30. Sheaffer called their celluloid unbreakable Radite. The 30 in the model number meant the pen was guaranteed for 30 years "if not misused." The black cap top is a band and has 5-30 stamped to the right of the clip. The barrel end cap is solid black. Sheaffer offered the pen with semi-manifold nibs in extra fine, fine, medium, coarse (broad), stub, bookkeeper, oblique, and T. U. Flexible nibs were available on request.

http://www.penhero.com/Temp/Sheaffer530JadeShort_1280_01.jpg

Thanks!

[Roger W.]

Sheaffer really wanted color and they started with green (jade) in 1924 - this one is later - post 1931. Cherry red was added in 1925 and DeLuxe Pearl and black was 1928.

 

Roger W.

 

[bass1193]

Wow I can't wait to see what other beauties follow in this thread!

[bass1193]

Sheaffer really wanted color and they started with green (jade) in 1924 - this one is later - post 1931. Cherry red was added in 1925 and DeLuxe Pearl and black was 1928.

 

Roger W.

These strongly demonstrate that Sheaffer was really going back to their roots with their way later no nonsense pens! Kaweco's rebirth is one of the scant few who also did this as well. Oh, and Syd

[Roger W.]

Here is the complete line of 5-30's. In Sheaffer fashion there is a regular clip, short clip and ringtop. The open slot is a "dummy" or sales sample. A larger 7-30 is on the left.

 

Roger W.

[Roger W.]

I really like Secretary's and this is two full lines.

 

Three of these are mint.

 

Roger W.

[bass1193]

I really like Secretary's and this is two full lines.

 

Three of these are mint.

 

Roger W.

Wow those chalk marks are so distinct! Or did they use something better back then?

[Roger W.]

I really love this one. Pigmy's - yes, with an "i". The radite models (cherry red and royal blue) used a "1" nib and the earlier metal one's used a "2" nib. They are the only Sheaffer's you will see with a tabbed lever.

 

Roger W.

[Roger W.]

Wow those chalk marks are so distinct! Or did they use something better back then?

These are paper labels.

[bass1193]

These are paper labels.

That makes a lot more sense

[Roger W.]

Slab of radite -

This is a model 112 of jade green radite.

It was an inexpensive base that used the small 3-25 jade desk pen.

 

Roger W.

[Roger W.]

Secretary ringtop next to the pigmy ringtop.

 

Roger W.

 

[doggle2]

Probably being stupid, but by tabbed lever, do you mean the flattening of the lever at the end that is rotated?

[Roger W.]

Probably being stupid, but by tabbed lever, do you mean the flattening of the lever at the end that is rotated?

Right, on the little one the end is flattened. All other Sheaffer's terminate - well they just end don't they.

 

Roger W.

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks,

Thought I would start a thread on the Sheaffer Radite celluloid flat top pens. I'll start with an unusual one.

This is a Sheaffer Lifetime De Luxe fountain pen in Black and Pearl Radite c. 1930s. This 4 7/16 inch long lever filling pen may look like the 1928 model K74SC but it has some key differences. First, the clip is a flat ball type with a hump in the middle. Clips like this started to appear on the Sheaffer Balance models in 1934 or 1935. Second, the cap is not made from rod stock, but has a seam running top to bottom on the back, indicating it’s made from sheet celluloid that was rolled into a tube. The cap top has the Sheaffer White Dot inlay. The trim is gold filled. It has a firm gold nib stamped SHEAFFER over LIFETIME over REG. U.S. PAT. OFF. over MADE IN U.S.A. The barrel is stamped W. A. SHEAFFER PEN CO. over PAT. AUG. 25 08 FORT MADISON, IA. U.S.A over DEC. 10 12 JAN. 27 - OCT 20 - NOV. 24 14. The barrel shows typical darker discoloration than the cap.

http://www.penhero.com/Temp/SheafferLifetimeDeLuxe_1280_01.jpg

Thanks!

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks,

 

This is a Sheaffer 3-25 fountain pen in Jade Radite c. 1930s, made in Canada. It’s a 4 3/8 inch long lever filling pen with gold filled trim. It has a firm gold nib stamped SHEAFFER’S over 3-25 over MADE IN CANADA. The barrel is stamped W. A. SHEAFFER PEN CO. over (OF CANADA LTD.) TORONTO ONT. PAT. Over DEC. 10 12 JAN. 27 - OCT 20 - NOV. 24 14. In the US a similar 1930 model sold for $3.50.

 

http://www.penhero.com/Temp/Sheaffer325Jade_1280_01.jpg

Thanks!

[Roger W.]

I have around 100+ radite flattops. I've got some pics in my archives so I will start there. Radite was first in use in late 1924. Sheaffer sourced this material from DuPont, Celluloid Corp. and Fiberloid Corp. and this sourcing was marked on the bottom of barrels as D, C, or F. Decoding this was a collaborative effort between Daniel Kirchheimer and myself. It was pretty clear that it started late 1924 with the introduction of Radite but, how do we know when it ended? Thankfully I like the whole line because you can't know from the lifetimes. It was the 46's that had the answer. Jade was reserved for the large pens and would be again for the 3-25's later. So a jade 46 was not available until late 1926 and none of these are source marked. So "First Year" (everybody loves first year) radite has to be source stamped.

 

Roger W.

 

Coral 46's - 3 Duponts and a Fiberloid.

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks,

This is a Sheaffer Lifetime oversize fountain pen in unbreakable Jade Green Radite c. 1930-1931. It’s a 5 5/8 inch long lever filling pen with gold filled trim. It has a firm gold nib stamped SHEAFFER’S over LIFETIME over REG. U.S. PAT. OFF. over MADE IN U.S.A. over a number. The barrel is stamped W. A. SHEAFFER PEN CO. over PAT. AUG. 25 08 FORT MADISON, IA. U.S.A over DEC. 10 12 JAN. 27 - OCT 20 - NOV. 24 14. The humped ball clip with a round top is similar to clips on c. 1930-1931 Balance pens, helping to date this pen. This model does not show in the 1930 catalog but sold for $7.50 in the 1928 catalog. Matching propel-repel-expel pencils were $4.25 in 1928. Note the barrel is a little darker than the cap, a common discoloration.

 

http://www.penhero.com/Temp/SheafferLifetimeJade_1280_01a.jpg

 

Thanks!

[PAKMAN]

Beautiful examples!

[oldoaktree]

Nice!

Edited November 25, 2019 by oldoaktree