Anyone used a Sheaffer Prelude?

[ladyambrosia]

While looking around to sooth myself after the loss of the Waterman Carene...heh I came upon this pen. Its mid ground (around $50) in my opinion. Pretty and purple. Anyone here used one?

[carlc]

Personally I don't think they're anywhere near the same league as a carene - save your pennies and get a carene.

 

I had a Prelude - to be fair they're a perfectly decent pen but I didn't get on with the shaped section.

 

I can't remember what the standard nib was like because I had a custom ground 0.9mm CI from Pendemonium.

 

Size wise I would say they're similar to a Parker Sonnet.

 

I'm sure others will come and sing the praises of the Prelude - I remember previous users being very positive about them and I had no problems with mine except that dashed section.

 

Carl

[ladyambrosia]

Heh well I know they wont compare to the Carene. I am just impatient and wanna sneak in another pen the hub won't notice. LOL.. :embarrassed_smile:

[rwilsonedn]

A prelude was my main working pen for a year or two. It is still around, though not in the rotation at the moment. I remember it as a very reliable writer, pretty much bullet-proof. I also didn't care for the shaped section, but I just kind of ignored the shape and it was comfortable anyway.

ron

[carlc]

wanna sneak in another pen the hub won't notice.

 

Understood.

[Paddler]

I bought a set (BP and FP) of Preludes for my wife. She likes them; carries them everywhere in her purse. I tried the FP. It is a medium nib (a real medium) and is not flexible at all. It is a smooth writer, but is slightly toothy on coarse paper.

 

Paddler

[Rabbit]

The Preludes aren't too bad really. Mine is a glossy black verson. It's an average size pen, but is pretty heavy. I bought it because it reminds me of a Parker Sonnet, yet didn't cost as much. It writes well and it used to be pretty easy to find replacement nib/section units if you want to try a different nib, but I don't know if that is still true. I'm not a big fan of the appearance of the section though--it's not the most attractive plastic ever and seems to look cheaper than the rest of the pen. The section is the main feature that loses points in my opinion. I haven't used mine recently, but if I remember, the steel nibs are pretty firm, so if you want something a little bit springy, there might be better choices out there. I personaly don't mind the firmness.

 

--Stephen

[Velma]

For a few years, Preludes were my basic fountain pen. They're reasonably priced, durable, and the extra-fine nibs -- which were what I used -- were, in general, good right out of the box. Nothing special, but a good basic workhorse pen, worthy of respect and use, I still have two or three (or four or five) around, because I might want to go back to them.

[cuza]

I concur with "rabbit". I have a white Prelude that I got for $30.00 which seems an appropriate price. I consider them in the same group as my Safari, my Retro 51 Tornados and my Waterman Phileas. Dependable, but nothing to write home about.

 

-- cuza

[Sandy1]

Hi,

• I have a Prelude in brushed stainless. I agree with prior comments: bulletproof, good daily writer, nib widths are no surprize (B generates a line width of 0.8 mm).
• And it was the first pen I loaded with Noodler's Bay State Blue - [insert bare-naked dancing bunny] - so that's some kind of endorsement of what I perceive its bulletproof qualities to be: robust. It is a 'white dot' Sheaffer after all.
• The nibs are straightforward steel affairs, no quirks or quarks. (Perhaps gold ones are out there, but I'd have no use for them.)
• Ergonomics are very good: girth at the grip is fine, the contoured grip is certainly not prescriptive as say the Safari. Balance is interesting: I tend to hold the pen at 30 degrees of arc to the page, so I prefer to run unposted; but if one holds the pen closer to the normal 45 degrees, posting the cap is very comfy.
• The clip is very secure & strong.
• The cap is a slip-/clip-on, no threads to screw with. Tight with virtually no wobble.
• The converter is a rigid, screw-type plunger with good ink capacity. Proprietary Sheaffer, though widely available in the civilised world. No idea how common cartridges are in the wild, or the quality of ink in those cartridges, or array of colours. (This would be minus a half-point if scoring.)
• I recall paying about $40 for an unused one on eB*y, so IMHO a Prelude blows away many other pens in terms of value for money.
• Oh, it isn't a 'screamer' which attracts attention, so your hub likely wont notice the pen - just the glint in your eyes.

Best Regards,

Sandy1

[Stylo]

Moved from WI.

[QM2]

The Prelude was one of my first fountain pens and as others have said, it is a good, reliable writer. Even if you get more pens later that are nicer, it will be nice keeping it around as a "beater pen". Having said that, you can probably find one in near-new condition for sale on FPN for much less than retail.

[PenTieRun]

I own 3 Preludes and like the new finishes out there that I may add another in the near future. Very dependable pens, sturdy brass body, and the section works well for me--it provides a firm grip for the fingers; alas, it ain't the prettiest with some of the finishes like Chrome G/T. You really can't go wrong with the pen.

[ladyambrosia]

Thanks for all the thoughts on them I think I am going to Ninja the purple one I spotted in the house hehe.

[Jeff E]

Wow, what's left to say. The prelude is a workhorse. I have two, both medium nibs that run true to size. Don't pay MSRP. There should be deals to be had bringing the price to somewhere around a Safari with the converter. It's the kind of pen you can use and abuse and won't cry (at least not too much) if it's lost or stolen.

[ladyambrosia]

With all the writing I do a workhorse is a good thing

[The penner]

I have a prelude, and even though I have other higher-end pens, it is my favorite. The nib is as smooth as it gets, and it is a pretty thing.

[sotto2]

I just got a Sheaffer Prelude in brushed chrome with a fine nib. Kind of a modern-day Parker 51 Flighter, which I also have. Very solid pen that feels very good in my hand and is a very nice writer. I'm using it with a cartridge which fits very snugly in the barrel.

[Iain]

I have three Preludes all bought in a whirr at a close out Christmas sale from Sleuth and Statesman in Toronto. One leaked in the grip section almost immediately. Turned out later that there was a hairline crack in it. The shop sent it back under guarantee but charged me 30,00 for postage and handling which I thought wasn't good practice. Now to the pens: apart from that slight hitch with the stunning cobalt blue bright chrome (vanadium?) one, I've found that the other two, one marbled brown lacquer and the other teal blue both with black clips and bands and the white dot, they are fabulous. The brown marbled one has a fine italic nib which is excellent. The others both have broad italic nibs and gold coloured/silver two tone medium nibs. I've got many other pens but these for weight and reliability are up there with the Parker 51 (and much cheaper). For a regular pen, they can be excellent and, if you don't pay, MSRP, great value....just watch for hair lines.

[chad.trent]

I have a Prelude that I really like. It has a metal body/cap. I believe they call it the dark chrome or something. It's slightly small for my tastes, but it fits in my pocket nicely, so it sees a lot of use.