Sheaffer Desk Set of the Week #4

[AAAndrew]

I had no idea they made so many different models. I could get into these. I may be in trouble.

[Hanoi]

The majority of the desk sets I see on ebay have near identical jet black glass bases and when it comes in marble the same green or brown onyx. Just looking at old ads of Sheaffer desk sets posted on ebay tells me that the majority of the colorful/exotic bases in those ads rarely make it to auctions. For example, I still haven't seen a solid green colored Sheaffer desk pen on ebay at all. I see some "jade" color ones but not solid green.

 

 

At this point it is years and years of looking. Sometimes at shows but, most do come from EBay. While I have looked extensively for the past 15 years or better and EBay has uncovered items that would have taken a lifetime to uncover in the past I wonder how many more years it will take to try and find all of the bases? At this point I don't it is possible to find them all. I've identified 746 bases from 1924-1942. In that there are some Sheaffer duplication and renumbering of models still, I have found only about 300 models or not even half. Some I wonder may have only been made for the catalog and never actually sold. Others are the continued product of carefully locating ones I don't have so I add a few more every year and certainly not at the pace that I imagine they could have been found at. The thrill of the hunt still drives me on.

 

Roger W.

[Roger W.]

The majority of the desk sets I see on ebay have near identical jet black glass bases and when it comes in marble the same green or brown onyx. Just looking at old ads of Sheaffer desk sets posted on ebay tells me that the majority of the colorful/exotic bases in those ads rarely make it to auctions. For example, I still haven't seen a solid green colored Sheaffer desk pen on ebay at all. I see some "jade" color ones but not solid green.

 

Well those are rare bases from 1935 to 1936. Still, found most of those on EBay though, one or two maybe a year - maybe less. These are fun sets as the original base started our white and are an even tan today (check out the last pic of this "white" bakelite taken from the never exposed underside of a large piece). I think I have all three sets for you pictured below. Two of them cost $32 and the third cost $108 - likely all three EBay and I know I've had them quite a few years now.

 

Roger W.

 

http://www.sheafferflattops.com/images/C-126catdetail.jpg

The C-126

 

http://www.sheafferflattops.com/images/C-126%20full.jpg

C-126 Actual

 

http://www.sheafferflattops.com/images/F023a.jpg

F023

 

http://www.sheafferflattops.com/images/F073d.jpg

F073 - terrific pen and set condition! Even still the taper, disk, barrel and socket are not uniform in color today.

 

http://www.sheafferflattops.com/images/Bakelite%20white%20to%20brown.jpg

Note the exposed ends to the ever covered central white

[Lazard 20]

"The majority of the desk sets I see on ebay have near identical jet black glass bases and when it comes in marble the same green or brown onyx".

 

By association of ideas about green desk set, there are reasonable grounds that green Brazilian onyx was not from Brazil but from La Toma, San Luis, Argentina.

Edited May 18, 2014 by Lazard 20

[Lazard 20]

Furthermore, the brown "Spanish onyx" was not onyx. It was a material called "False Agate" -Falsa ágata in Spanish- and was not onyx but a speleothem that was extracted from inside caves not in quarries. Yesteryear it false agate was very used to terrazzo floors -yesteryear, because today is not allowed to take stalactites at home . Curiously remained in catalog for 1937 and 1938 during Spain´s Civil War. Despite having been marketed this material in Spain, in the Mediterranean area specially, I have not been able, although I have searched, to confirm irrefutably with a doc, invoice or export license its Spanish origin .

 

The stratification of the material confirms stalactite structure and not onyx structure.

 

http://s7.postimg.org/559wq4d4r/1_15_S_SHEAFFER_DESK_SET_caras.jpg

http://s1.postimg.org/xbfwcr0vj/15_S.jpg

http://s13.postimg.org/av7k32s7r/Spanish_Onix_Sheaffer_S.jpg

Edited May 18, 2014 by Lazard 20

[RMN]

Woah, that last double set was quite some gift, even if from Dean Rusk.....

Beautiful.

 

 

D.ick

[Hanoi]

your geological insight is greatly appreciated, so apparently, we have been misled by the mad men.

 

Furthermore, the brown "Spanish onyx" was not onyx. It was a material called "False Agate" -Falsa ágata in Spanish- and was not onyx but a speleothem that was extracted from inside caves not in quarries. Yesteryear it false agate was very used to terrazzo floors -yesteryear, because today is not allowed to take stalactites at home . Curiously remained in catalog for 1937 and 1938 during Spain´s Civil War. Despite having been marketed this material in Spain, in the Mediterranean area specially, I have not been able, although I have searched, to confirm irrefutably with a doc, invoice or export license its Spanish origin .

 

The stratification of the material confirms stalactite structure and not onyx structure.

 

http://s7.postimg.org/559wq4d4r/1_15_S_SHEAFFER_DESK_SET_caras.jpg

http://s1.postimg.org/xbfwcr0vj/15_S.jpg

http://s13.postimg.org/av7k32s7r/Spanish_Onix_Sheaffer_S.jpg

[Hanoi]

amazing effort. Do you hire someone to scan ebaydom for you? That's some serious dedication for a green sheaffer desk pen.

 

Well those are rare bases from 1935 to 1936. Still, found most of those on EBay though, one or two maybe a year - maybe less. These are fun sets as the original base started our white and are an even tan today (check out the last pic of this "white" bakelite taken from the never exposed underside of a large piece). I think I have all three sets for you pictured below. Two of them cost $32 and the third cost $108 - likely all three EBay and I know I've had them quite a few years now.

 

Roger W.

 

http://www.sheafferflattops.com/images/C-126catdetail.jpg

The C-126

 

http://www.sheafferflattops.com/images/C-126%20full.jpg

C-126 Actual

 

http://www.sheafferflattops.com/images/F023a.jpg

F023

 

http://www.sheafferflattops.com/images/F073d.jpg

F073 - terrific pen and set condition! Even still the taper, disk, barrel and socket are not uniform in color today.

 

http://www.sheafferflattops.com/images/Bakelite%20white%20to%20brown.jpg

Note the exposed ends to the ever covered central white

[RMN]

amazing effort. Do you hire someone to scan ebaydom for you? That's some serious dedication for a green sheaffer desk pen.

 

My guess is he did not have to ask someone to search the bay for those, but are pictures from a personal collection.

 

(saying that I cringe with jealousy......)

 

D.ick