Sheaffer Intrigue

[tonybelding]

I was digging through some old pen boxes today, expecting to find them all empty. One was not. . . It held a blue Sheaffer Intrigue! OK, puzzle time. I vaguely remember getting this pen, but I don't remember why I packed it away. I only know I was disappointed with it for some reason. . . . It sure wasn't because of the looks, because it's very sleek, and a rich deep blue, and has nice heft also. Very pretty!

 

So, I read the manual and figured out how to ink it. (It's one of the more complicated pens to operate that I've seen.) And lo, I was immediately unhappy! It's a very wet M-nib, which is not to my liking. It seems flabby and imprecise, and the amount of ink it gushes forth makes for slow drying, not to mention trying to bleed through anything but the very best paper.

 

I'm sure there must be somebody out there who adores wet medium nibs and would love this pen, so that is arguably just a matter of personal preference. However, the other thing I couldn't abide is that it often skips on the first stroke when it touches paper. That's just not right.

 

What should I do with this pen? It's a White Dot pen, so in theory I could send it back to Sheaffer and see what they do with it. Is that worth trying? Is there somebody else who might do a better job of adjusting it to my liking? Or should I. . . unload it on somebody?

 

I really don't like unloading problem pens. But keeping it packed away in a box from now on is not doing any good either.

Edited November 24, 2009 by tonybelding

[Glenn-SC]

Gee, I have an Intrigue with a Fine nib that also skips on the first downstroke.

 

I haven't used mine in a long time either.

[Koyote]

Have you tried a good soaking of the nib section? It may have some old dried ink stuck in the feed. Also try some different inks.

 

If the above doesn't work, then Sheaffer does give good customer service, and quick, too. You could send it in and see what happens. Be forewarned, though: I had some skipping problems with my old Targa, and their efforts at tweaking the nib had no noticeable effect.

 

Might have better luck sending it to a respected nibmeister, but that takes longer and costs money - so I still recommend Fort Madison first.

[Bobby Check]

I have always loved Sheaffer inlaid nibs.

 

Why send it to Maddison unless you are sure they will make you happy.

 

Richard Binder has done some great work on Sheaffer inlaid nibs.

 

An excellent nibmeister like him will make you happy. Make sure you tell him how you wish the nib adjusted.

 

He takes a while and the wait is worth it. His fees are very fair.

 

I remind myself that my problem pens had been out of rotation for over a year and what is another 19 weeks.

 

Bobby

[davefoe]

I agree that this pen tended to have some skipping issues on the first stroke. For that reason it wasn't one of my favorite Sheaffer models. Heavy to hold, too-wet a line, skipping and an overly complicated filling system did this pen in. Not a success for Sheaffer, though striking in looks.

 

Dave

[DRP]

I agree this is not a problem which you should be having with a Sheaffer inlaid nib.

 

I also agree with the suggestion to soak and clean the pen thoroughly. Try a different ink (though with an inlaid nib that shouldn't make any difference).

 

If those simple fixes aren't successful, send it to Fort Madison. These are good pens and should deliver excellent performance. Expect no less.

[jonro]

I agree with DRP. Those pens are still under warranty and they will repair them. I have one that had a broken filling knob and they graciously repaired and sent it back within a week.

[tonybelding]

I agree with DRP. Those pens are still under warranty and they will repair them. I have one that had a broken filling knob and they graciously repaired and sent it back within a week.

 

I got a call from Sheaffer today, they will send my pen to the "repair station" for adjustment. . . for $28.

 

So much for the fabled white dot lifetime warranty.

 

Incidentally, I was looking through my records and found that this pen has already been replaced once under warranty. Back when I first bought one, it didn't work at all.

 

It'll be worth the $28 anyhow if the problem is actually fixed. I've got my fingers crossed.

[hawki]

If you get tired of it, send me a PM I'm looking for one in the blue.

[tonybelding]

quick update. . .

 

The pen came back in the mail this morning. The invoice reads: "Re-aligned & smoothed nib, test wrote". It was $18 plus $10 S&H -- which apparently breaks down to $2.64 for shipping and $7.36 for "handling", based on the stamps on the package!

 

And the results? Well. . . They seem to have cured the problem of skipping on the first downstroke. I tested it and found it tried to skip just a little, just a couple times, but it was like nothing compared to the problem before I mailed it out.

 

It still writes Quite Wet. And of course, the M nib still writes like a BM. And of course, I'm still not fond of flabby-and-wet nibs. Which is another way of saying. . . I'm still not thrilled with it, but it doesn't seem all that unusual for a modern Sheaffer. When I bought it, I got the M nib because I was figuring on using it with blue ink as a signature pen -- and I guess it would still be a good choice for that. It does make a vivid signature with Texas Blue Bonnet.

 

"I can't complain, but sometimes I still do."

[Koyote]

Maybe you have tried this, but consider a dryer (slower-flowing) ink such as Pelikan Brilliant Black (same as Cross black). Might make a large difference.

[satrap]

This thread made me pull out my Intrigue, a gift from another collector. I am mad all over again. Convertor does not load, so I don't know if another convertor would solve the problem. The convertor I have did come with the pen, but the cut is not right; it is a bit too long to load in the chamber.

 

Ok now I am really ticked off. /off