Sheaffer Service is back in Fort Madison

[pengoddess]

Just an FYI! The Sheaffer Service Department has moved back to Fort Madison, Iowa, the birthplace of Sheaffer Pen. New contact info is below:

 

Sheaffer Division of BIC USA

Service Department

2623 Avenue L

Fort Madison, IA 52627

PH: 800-FINE-PEN

PH: 319-372-7444

http://www.sheaffer.com/service/

 

 

Good Collecting! Sam

http://www.pendemonium.com

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[Univer]

Thanks, Sam, for posting that interesting development. Is this is a new location (as opposed to a return to the service department's previous quarters)?

 

A general question: am I right in thinking that this department handles service for current-production instruments only?

 

Cheers,

 

Jon

 

PS I guess it's too much to hope that Sheaffer might hire back some of the wonderful folks from the old service department....

[FredRydr]

I guess it's too much to hope that Sheaffer might hire back some of the wonderful folks from the old service department....

I do believe that's the very reason, hence the location.

 

Fred

[morleron]

This is wonderful news. Now we can only hope that the bean-counters at BIC will realize that quality is cheaper in the long run than is building schlok that only comes back for service, or, worse, results in no future sales. Maybe they'll decide to reopen the factory now that the dollar is lower, the economy weaker, and overall costs probably coming down.

 

Just my $.02,

Ron

[Ondina]

Correct, I got a mail yesterday about one of my serviced pens and it included that info. I'm not sure thought that Hamptom Dampton is out either. It may be great news for the very skilled people at Fort Madison. Sometimes light shines in the most unexpected places, doesn't it?

[Univer]

Wonderful news indeed.

 

Naming no names, I truly hope that some of the remarkably kind, immensely knowledgeable people I've dealt with over the years have the opportunity to return.

 

Cheers,

 

Jon

[pengoddess]

Thanks, Sam, for posting that interesting development. Is this is a new location (as opposed to a return to the service department's previous quarters)?

 

A general question: am I right in thinking that this department handles service for current-production instruments only?

 

Cheers,

 

Jon

 

PS I guess it's too much to hope that Sheaffer might hire back some of the wonderful folks from the old service department....

 

The old Sheaffer facilities were sold several years ago and all Sheaffer operations ended there in the Spring of this year. Sheaffer has had offices here since that time and that is where the service center is set up.

 

I certainly can't speak for Sheaffer, but I think the service department will continue to handle warranty repairs just as they did in the past and HH did most recently. I didn't realize it until recently, but that white dot meant a lot of different things over the years. The "Lifetime Guarantee" as many of us think of it changed many times to cover certain parts of pens, different lengths of time for different pen models, but it's always been for the original owner.

 

Sam

[pengoddess]

This is wonderful news. Now we can only hope that the bean-counters at BIC will realize that quality is cheaper in the long run than is building schlok that only comes back for service, or, worse, results in no future sales. Maybe they'll decide to reopen the factory now that the dollar is lower, the economy weaker, and overall costs probably coming down.

 

Just my $.02,

Ron

 

Re-opening the factory, at least as it was isn't even an option since Sheaffer/BIC no longer own that facility.

 

I was not happy when Sheaffer announced that production would go off shore. As a pen person, it meant losing another US pen company. As a resident of Fort Madison, it meant a big hole in the local economy and loss of jobs. But it isn't the first time Sheaffer has partnered with manufacturers outside the US, Sheaffers made by Sailor in the 80s were quite popular and I don't recall anyone complaining about those, they're now winding their way into the collectible market. I also wasn't happy when Parker pulled most of their operations out of Janesville. Thus far, most of the pens made for Sheaffer (and Parker for that matter) outside the US have been of good quality, it's something that I watch for more than I ever did before. In a perfect world, we'd still have lots of pen makers in the US, but there isn't enough of a market for fine pens anymore to allow them to thrive, or at least make some profit, something they must do to stay in business. Bottom line - I'd rather see fine pens produced somewhere, rather than nowhere! Those of us who are into pens enough to read FPN are a very tiny group in the big picture, our new pen purchases are not going to grow these companies, at best they will only minorly contribute to their well being. And in our current economic climate, it's going to be survival of the fittest. I'm not sure where fine writing instruments fall into that, but I don't think it's near the top!

 

Sam

[Koyote]

Yup, Sheaffer service is in Fort Madison, Iowa, and it is fantastic! I have had several interactions with them over the past few months and they have been outstanding.

[Niskayuna55]

Thanks for posting this information!

[RUGMAN]

Hello,

 

I've purchased parts for my Connaiseur and the Classic Targa.

[Legrosbisson]

I'm a little shocked. Sheaffers used to be made in Canada, Australia, Argentina, as well as in USA. I can accept that they are not made in Australia (where I type) any more - this is a sad side-effect of lowering tariff barriers, its-the-economy-stupid, and various other things. But evidently from comments above, if I turned up to a stationer in Main Street USA, seeking a straightforward, unpretentious FP and asked for a Sheaffer, I'm likely to end up with something made outside USA.

 

Change that. I accept the starter kiddie pens might be made anywhere.

 

I'll try to explore this as best I can, through a hypothetical I have been working at for some time. Imagine:

(a) you have a collection of X number of FPs

( you have a beautiful storage box which holds exactly the number of FPs you own. Your partner bought this for you in return for a promise that this is the end of the addiction, you will not add to the number of FPs you have at home.

© you are an American, staying for a short period in the second city of one of the American States

(d) something has gone wrong with the FP or FPs you brought with you on the trip

(e) you need to take notes, and must have a FP for this. You'll have to buy one in Main Street. But you will not be able to take it home with you.

(f) you are not prepared to buy a bubble-wrapped Chinese FP in the $1 store. You found some cash in your jacket you had forgottten was there, you are prepared to buy something decent to use these few days, on the basis that you will give it away to some kind stranger before you go back home. Accordingly you are going to buy a Sheaffer of some description.

 

Am I to understand from the chain above that the reasonable FP one might find to fit this purpose, would be made outside the U.S.A.? If so, where are these low to mid range Sheaffers made?

[sdonahue]

This is wonderful news. Now we can only hope that the bean-counters at BIC will realize that quality is cheaper in the long run than is building schlok that only comes back for service, or, worse, results in no future sales. Maybe they'll decide to reopen the factory now that the dollar is lower, the economy weaker, and overall costs probably coming down.

 

Just my $.02,

Ron

 

 

And that's exactly what they make---shlock.

[Dr.Octor]

I'm a little shocked. Sheaffers used to be made in Canada, Australia, Argentina, as well as in USA. I can accept that they are not made in Australia (where I type) any more - this is a sad side-effect of lowering tariff barriers, its-the-economy-stupid, and various other things. But evidently from comments above, if I turned up to a stationer in Main Street USA, seeking a straightforward, unpretentious FP and asked for a Sheaffer, I'm likely to end up with something made outside USA.

 

Change that. I accept the starter kiddie pens might be made anywhere.

 

I'll try to explore this as best I can, through a hypothetical I have been working at for some time. Imagine:

(a) you have a collection of X number of FPs

( you have a beautiful storage box which holds exactly the number of FPs you own. Your partner bought this for you in return for a promise that this is the end of the addiction, you will not add to the number of FPs you have at home.

© you are an American, staying for a short period in the second city of one of the American States

(d) something has gone wrong with the FP or FPs you brought with you on the trip

(e) you need to take notes, and must have a FP for this. You'll have to buy one in Main Street. But you will not be able to take it home with you.

(f) you are not prepared to buy a bubble-wrapped Chinese FP in the $1 store. You found some cash in your jacket you had forgottten was there, you are prepared to buy something decent to use these few days, on the basis that you will give it away to some kind stranger before you go back home. Accordingly you are going to buy a Sheaffer of some description.

 

Am I to understand from the chain above that the reasonable FP one might find to fit this purpose, would be made outside the U.S.A.? If so, where are these low to mid range Sheaffers made?

SHEAFFERS WERE MADE IN AUSTRALIA?!?!?!1?!!!?

Seriously were can I get some? The "Free-market" pfft, free to the richest and the most corrupt...

b"%%$%^%^%ds!

 

(I know this thread is mega old, but I had to just peep up there, sorry for my profanities folks!)

Edited July 9, 2011 by Dr.Octor

[Sam119911]

Yep, there were Australian Sheaffers!

They're what I prefer to collect, so if I have the choice between an American or Australian I'll always pick the Australian made Sheaffer (Adelaide is my home town)

 

I've found quite a few Australian made Sheaffers here in the UK. I read the UK imported a lot of them.

I only have a few Australians, but my Australian Sheaffers are 2 Snorkels(Statesman and Sentinel), two black Cadet 23s, and an No-Nonsense. My other Sheaffers are American.

Edited July 9, 2011 by Sam119911

[Dr.Octor]

I'm Googling this now, It just goes to show how much terrible and misguided the world is now, instead of national pride and self-sufficiency, with logical economic choices, politicians and businessmen have made it the other way around, in which greed rules, (It has always ruled, but it seemingly paramount now)and illogical economic, social, and societal decisions and structures are accepted as logical fair. Reactionary was once a trait that will throw a decent country into chaos, now it is prided, and is a widely accepted method of politic.

 

In other words; the "free-market" has made the World into a Crapsack World

 

Sorry, again for my ramblings, but I am truly thinking that one of the many Mayan calendars is right, the world is about to end; in a symbolic way.

[rogerzilla]

I have three Australian Sheaffers: an Imperial IV, a Saratoga Snorkel and something that looks like a cross between a Cadet and a Craftsman (it has a solid 14k gold nib but a thick cap band) and was probably never produced for the US market.

 

They are, as mentioned above, quite common in the UK. All are marked "Australia" or "Aust" on the nib and the Saratoga is also engraved "W A SHEAFFER PEN COMPANY MADE IN AUSTRALIA" on the barrel.

 

http://www.peeble.com/snork2.jpg

Edited March 26, 2012 by rogerzilla

[captain_snorkel]

Recently Apple announced that it is bringing back manufacturing of one line (the Mac Mini, probably because it involves less complex fabrication and therefore less investment) to the US. It has the feel of 'toe in the water' and it is bittersweet news in that it says something about labour costs in a global recession, but hey.

 

So maybe Sheaffers…

 

Best wishes

Arthur Battram

 

This is wonderful news. Now we can only hope that the bean-counters at BIC will realize that quality is cheaper in the long run than is building schlok that only comes back for service, or, worse, results in no future sales. Maybe they'll decide to reopen the factory now that the dollar is lower, the economy weaker, and overall costs probably coming down.

 

Just my $.02,

Ron

[Nathaniel Harter]

Maybe when BIC decides to sell Sheaffer to a better company that will bring it back to Ft. Madison.

[JeanManuel]

Collect money at Fort Madison and make a new company