Sheaffer Valor review

[dumdummuoi]

This review (or its "first draft," at least) has been living on my LJ for a week or so, and now that the initial excitement has died down a little, I finally feel impartial enough to edit it and post it here for you all. Here goes.

 

(Sorry for the bad photos. My dorm room's lighting is terrible for photography.)

 

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: 4.5/5

 

The pen came in several layers of packaging, not counting the shipping box from the seller. That just made unpacking it that much more enjoyable. I could've died in suspense. It has an outer cardboard sleeve, which is standard. Then a cardboard box with the Sheaffer logo on it, also standard. Underneath, a thin layer of foamy packing paper to protect the REAL presentation box inside. Then, a painted rosewood box, lined with an off-white material that feels like leather. It was, overall, above average presentation, and (IMHO) nicer than, say, the box my Visconti Millennium Arc LE came in, but nothing that'll make you ooh and aah with amazement, probably, if you're accustomed to flashy LE boxes. Under the lining/main compartment there was the usual paperwork, and 4 Skrip cartridges, 2 black and 2 blue. I probably won't be using the cartridges, since I already have the perfect ink for this pen--a 1:1 mix of Private Reserve Burgundy Mist and water, whose color matches the pen beautifully.

 

http://www.lawrence.edu/stu/thuongl/valor/IMG_0241.jpg

 

APPEARANCE AND FINISH: 5/5

 

I fell in love with this pen first by looking at it--the 5,000 or so pixels that emulated this pen on screen cried out to me to make it mine, so obviously seeing the pen itself before my very eyes is enough to give me a major heart attack. The barrel and cap are a dark burgundy-colored acrylic with streaks of iridescent pink-ish dark red (similar to the burgundy color, but lighter, and shimmery). Silver-colored cap band and tassie ring, and black ends. The top of the cap has an angle to it that goes more or less parallel to the ring that extends into the pocket clip. All of it together is very... well, drool-worthy, I think.

 

http://www.lawrence.edu/stu/thuongl/valor/IMG_0242.jpg

 

http://www.lawrence.edu/stu/thuongl/valor/IMG_0243.jpg

 

http://www.lawrence.edu/stu/thuongl/valor/IMG_0244.jpg

 

DESIGN/SIZE/WEIGHT: 5/5

 

If I had to pick *something* about the design this pen to complain about, it's the smell of the acrylic material. But I'm used to that by now, since the smell is much more noticeable in my Bexley Simplicity, which I've had and loved for about a month. This one, you can only smell if you put it to your nose--and who does that with a fountain pen, really? My boyfriend was sitting with me as I opened the package, and I kept turning the pen this way and that, admiring its elegant design for so long that he had to prompt me to uncap it. lols.

 

As far as size goes... well, it's a long pen, as other reviewers have stated. But its girth is pretty slim relative to its length, so it's a very proportionally balanced-looking package and doesn't make you go, "wow, that's a really long pen!" I was actually thinking, "hey, it doesn't seem as long as people make it out to be," until I compared it side-by-side with my other pens. And sure enough, it was noticeably longer than anything else I have. And all things considered, it's pretty lightweight, and the heft and balance is perfect (for me) when unposted. It's still quite excellent posted (which is how I prefer to write), but might be top-heavy if you like to hold your pen low on the section (close to the nib).

 

I don't have the tools on hand to measure/weigh the pen (though the figures can be found in the other reviews I've linked above), so here are some size comparison photos so you can get a sense of its approximate size. The pens in the first two photos are, from top to bottom, Pelikan M400, Sailor Professional Gear, Lamy Studio, and Sheaffer Valor. In the third photo, from top to bottom, are: Parker Sonnet, Parker 51, Lamy Safari, Waterman Carene, and Sheaffer Valor. Same pens in the fourth photo but in a different order, I'm sure you'll figure it out

 

http://www.lawrence.edu/stu/thuongl/valor/IMG_0252.jpg

 

http://www.lawrence.edu/stu/thuongl/valor/IMG_0253.jpg

 

http://www.lawrence.edu/stu/thuongl/valor/IMG_0254.jpg

 

http://www.lawrence.edu/stu/thuongl/valor/IMG_0256.jpg

 

NIB DESIGN AND PERFORMANCE: 4.5/5

 

Unlike a lot of people who hesitate to ink their drool pen when they first get their hands on it, or those who have the patience to flush and soak their new pen and wait for it to dry before inking, I went ahead and loaded the converter in this baby right off the bat (but only after dip-testing it to make sure it wasn't obviously defective). I just HAD to see how it feels to write with what I've facetiously labeled my "drool pen." After waiting weeks and weeks, what more could you expect of me?

 

The nib is, of course, Sheaffer's hallmark inlaid nib, a rhodium-plated 14K semi-flex affair that blew me away. It writes a smooth, juicy line that's really quite lovely. It's wetter than any of my other Fine nibs, I think (maybe 8/10?), and if it's not THE wettest, then it's second only to the 18K Visconti nib. I tried it on the burgundy ink mix mentioned above, and the ink came out as dark as the unmixed version comes out of my Carene's F nib. Perhaps it's a tad wetter than I'd like, but the wetness means you need not fear skipping when you spread the tines for a bit of line variation. One thing I've noticed is that it seems to be wetter when you first uncap it to write. After a period of writing (maybe 5-10 minutes), the flow adjusts to be a bit drier.

 

This is my first semi-flex nib, so I don't really know how it compares to vintage semi-flexibles, but I can say that it's incredibly fun to write with. I'll be practicing with it a lot in the next few days, I think. Right now, it takes me forever to write a word, but at least slowing down makes my handwriting look nicer.

 

The nib, not surprisingly, dries out a little if I leave the pen uncapped for a few minutes, but it starts again fairly quickly (probably takes 0.5 to 1 down stroke to get it going), and considering all but one of my 20-something pens dry out like that, and most take longer to start up again, I can forgive the Valor for it.

 

http://www.lawrence.edu/stu/thuongl/valor/IMG_0251.jpg

 

FILLING SYSTEM: 4.5/5

 

As you may or may not already know, this is a cartridge/converter filler. Now, I know that is a turn-off for a lot of people, especially in a higher-end pen, but personally I don't mind that much. I happen to like the option of being able to use cartridges if I ever decide that I wanted to. Sure, I'd appreciate a more exotic filling system just as much as the next FP addict, but not if it increases the cost of the pen! Anyway, the converter holds a pretty good amount of ink, as far as converters go. I'd say enough for 7-10 college-ruled letter-sized pages, though YMMV.

 

COST/VALUE: 4/5

 

Like so many have mentioned before me, the MSRP of $300 is too high--but who ever buys anything at MSRP anymore, anyway? It can be had for $200 from online sources like isellpens.com, which I think is pretty reasonable, considering the other pens in that price range. In any case, I didn't buy the pen myself, so I haven't got much to complain about in this respect. All it cost me was a tiny bit of indignity put into begging my mom for it

 

CONCLUSION: (27.5/30)

 

Unlike the other pens that are very popular and often recommended (e.g., Pelikan Souveran or Lamy 2000, etc.), I had to do my research on this pen, so there was little to no hype for it to live up to. For the pen itself, that's probably a major advantage. It was everything I expected it to be, if not more. So in case I forgot to mention: I LOVE IT!

Edited May 11, 2008 by dumdummuoi

[goodguy]

I have really enjoyed your review.

Its great fun to read a review that has Soooo much positive energy and obvious love to his pen.

Your pictures are also fantastic and I had to clean my mouth from all the drooling.

This pen is STUNNING.I think you got yourself a pen that is both a looker and a great writer.

I always had a thing for Sheaffer inlaid nib and its good to see Sheaffer still know how to make good pen.

Thank you and enjoy the pen

Edited May 11, 2008 by goodguy

[bossy]

Thanks. Nice review, and those 14.4MB of pics loaded fast with my slow connection.

Edited May 12, 2008 by bossy

[dumdummuoi]

Thanks. Nice review, and those 14.4MB of pics loaded fast with my slow connection.

 

Good to know my school's web server works well. I'm trying to get as much as I can out of it before I graduate

[tbfalsename]

oooh,a burgundy Sheaffer me wants, me wants!

 

I'm a Sheaffer and Parker man, myself, and all of my, non clear, Sheaffers are either Burgandy or Purple.

 

I've only got 5 Sheaffer pens but I've found that the only FP I have which will write on the paper they sell in our local shop is a cheap little Sheaffer Skripsert which had an MSRP of $2.95 when new. All my other pens, mostly Parkers, put way too much ink down and it bleeds into the paper quite severely.

[FrankB]

This is a good review. Thank you. I was looking forward to the review after your initial burst of enthusiasm about the pen. In my middle age, I just cannot get that excited over much these days and it was fun to share your excitement vicariously.

 

I will admit to a prejudice. The Valor as a " ... German designed, Italian made ... " pen just does not strike me as a "real" Sheaffer. It is a "branded" pen. I had initially refused to buy one, and I still resist. Your review does make me pause and reconsider my emotional block against the pen. I will reread this review some more over time. Who knows? I might crack and try one, but, as you said, not at full MSRP.

[dumdummuoi]

I will admit to a prejudice. The Valor as a " ... German designed, Italian made ... " pen just does not strike me as a "real" Sheaffer. It is a "branded" pen. I had initially refused to buy one, and I still resist. Your review does make me pause and reconsider my emotional block against the pen. I will reread this review some more over time. Who knows? I might crack and try one, but, as you said, not at full MSRP.

 

The "German designed, Italian made" bit sounded kind of dodgy to me, too, and it definitely turned me off the Valor line, until I saw one in burgundy. But I've heard the nib is (or was?) still a true Fort Madison product, so my hesitance disappeared pretty shortly thereafter

[Lefthander]

This is definitely a beauty! I love the inlaid nibs. I don't have a red pen of any shade and after looking at that finish on the Burgundy I must admit I'm tempted! Thanks for the great review and enjoy your beautiful pen.

[Desert Rider]

I know this is years after the review, but I'm new to FPs and just getting started and am reading a ton of reviews in this new hobby.

In the review you mention the LAMY 2000 (I think you have a photo comparison), and the 2000 is one of the pens I have my eye on for a next purchase. Could you compare the Valor to the 2000, just briefly on 1) overall impressions, and 2) value to price.

thanks