A Very Early Sheaffer?

[Vintagepens]

I've had this pen for some time, but have only just got around to photographing it. It is well-worn, and what immediately jumps out is the placement of the lever, very close to the end of the barrel.

 

 

This placement is characteristic of the earliest Sheaffers, in particular, those equipped with the unsprung "single-bar" pressure bar. This pen has the later "double-bar", familiar to all as the standard sprung bar for virtually all Sheaffer production -- but I think it possible that it began life as a single-bar pen, and was later retrofitted with the more reliable sprung bar assembly. Though the overlay is silver (marked "STERLING*" on both cap and barrel), the lever is nickel-plated. The overlay itself looks to have been adapted, as well: note that the floral engraving was done before the cutting of the lever slot.

 

 

The pen has a #2 Self Filling nib, and a narrow feed. I am rather puzzled by the Sheaffer imprint on the edge of the barrel overlay, however, as it would appear to be of later form, with the "S" at both beginning and end larger than the other letters.

 

[George]

David,

 

So do you think this pen started out a a bhr ringtop, and then was converted by Sheaffer into a sterling overlay, or do you think it left the factory this way, possibly out of old stock? If the latter, it probably wouldn't have been a retail pen, given the old style feed, but it is possible.

 

Regards,

George

[Newb]

Old as in early 1920s?

[Roger W.]

Old as in early 1920s?

 

David is thinking old as in 1912 prior to incorporation when the single bar was still in use (up to March 1913 per Sheaffer testimony so up to a few months into the new incorporation).

 

David - I'm going to say that it does not have significantly low placement based on the proportions of your picture compared to other ringtops that I have as several of them come very close. I think that the overly is a little different but, I've mislaid my Sterling ring tops (find them shortly).

 

Roger W.

[Roger W.]

David;

 

Looking further at what I have available (a picture of Reppert's 1912) proportionantely it looks like the lever should be half the distance to the base yet to be a single bar lever pen. Found my sterling ringtops (I don't have the match to yours) and a couple of those are in range proportionate to your picture one being the typical floral overly (though uncommon).

 

Roger W.

[falarcon]

I have two very early Sheaffer (I believe at least they are very early models) based on the logo on both. They have the date of the Aug. 25, 1908 patent and the Dec. 10, 1912 patent is indicated as pending. See the first attached picture.

 

 

 

They both have a very narrow feed like the silver clad sheaffer (see second picture below).

 

 

 

I also have an "early Sheaffer with a different logo with two big S's that includes patent dates from Jan 27, Nov14 and Oct. 20, 1914 (and Fort Madison).

Third picture below, but the logo is not as clear on my picture .

 

 

This third Sheaffer does not have the very narrow feed (see fourth picture below) .

 

 

 

The last attached picture is from the two early Sheaffer's showing the position of the lever filler.

 

 

 

 

Incidentally there is a difference between the two early ones, one has a little hand showing the direction to turn to unscrew and an arrow on the cap and one does not (visible on the second picture).

 

I will let Roger weigh in and hope this helps rather than add to the uncertainty.

 

 

[falarcon]

I just thought this last picture might be helpful for a comparison of the positions of the levers. It shows one of the two early Sheaffers, (first) and the not so early one behind. The lever is a bit lower in the earlier model.

 

 

 

[Roger W.]

The oval imprint is the first double bar imprint - I have 18 of those - they are early 1913 thru 1914. At some point we get the "S" with the pen thru it which is uncommon (I've 3 of these). That imprint goes 2nd or 3rd depending on where the big "S-S's" fall (your second pen - I have 13). Dating the intermediate imprints has yet to be done and I'm not sure it can be done without the possiblity of some info from the Sheaffer archives. The 1912 pen was proported in the case to have had 35,000 made. While Sheaffer claimed they were perfectly useable it seems clear that Sheaffer replaced as many as they could find and I bet they searched agressively.

 

Roger W.

 

http://www.sheafferflattops.com/images/1912%20Sheaffer5.jpg

1912 Sheaffer from Dan Reppert's collection.

 

http://www.sheafferflattops.com/images/1912%20Sheaffer6.jpg

Close up of tail spacing on the lever. Note the threads for the cap to thread on the back of the pen.

[Vintagepens]

Yes, upon consideration, it seems that the single-bar lever should be REALLY close to the barrel end. The overlay on my pen is still quite interesting, and I'll have to drag out some of my comparanda for further examination (this is why I am currently trying to catalog and photograph my collection systematically).

 

Note that the oval imprint (which is sometimes also called the 1913 imprint) does mention patents pending, but in reference to the double-bar patent awarded in 1914, not to the 1912 patent (which would not be listed by date if the application were indeed still pending).

Edited August 8, 2010 by Vintagepens

[Vintagepens]

Now that I've been able to look at more of my other Sheaffer overlays, I can see that the lever is anomalous in length as well as position. It is significantly longer than any lever on a short-model pen, and if it is not as radically close to the end as on Dan's 1912 pen, it is still closer to the end than the lever on any other of my Sheaffers by a couple of millimeters at least.

 

By the way, those interested in the early history of Sheaffer should read this article; note that there is a picture accompanying the article of a single-bar pen recycled by Sheaffer as a cutaway demonstrator, with a double-bar pressure bar installed. That pen does not have the lever nearly as close to the barrel end as the pen with the threaded posting end.

 

Other articles on early Sheaffer history here and here.

Edited August 8, 2010 by Vintagepens

[Roger W.]

David;

 

I wish you had posted measurements. The lowest lever I have on an overlay is about 10.5mm from the bottom. The longest lever is about 20mm. This style lever does seem different to many of the shorter style and it seems to be on the mid 1920's pens as oppossed to the earlier models (I'm looking at about 32 ring tops).

 

Roger W.

[falarcon]

Thanks for the information and links to the other articles.

[Vintagepens]

The lever is 21.5 mm long. Its end is 10 mm from the end of the barrel (measured from the edge, as opposed to the slightly-domed center of the end disk).

[Roger W.]

The lever is 21.5 mm long. Its end is 10 mm from the end of the barrel (measured from the edge, as opposed to the slightly-domed center of the end disk).

 

David;

 

So we are real close to what I would say Sheaffer was doing with levers on overlays in the mid 20's. This also fits into what was happening with the 20 series and 46's which would be from that same era and this is on the short clip and ring top pens. I can't comment on your overlay but, might guess that either it is a special order or jewelers overlay as it is not a typical Sheaffer overlay. Sterling is so uncommon just a notch above solid 14K Sheaffers.

 

This does raise an interesting find. Going back to 1913 hard rubber levers are in the 21mm range but the earlier overlays have a special 17.5mm (approx.) length. I'm on hard rubber Sheaffer's now so this is a great conversation to have.

 

Roger W.