Review of Sheaffer award

[Harish N V]

There are some disclaimers before i start. I have done a circuit as the fountain pen obsession has gone. I have started off with vintage steel nibbed sheaffers, a few watermans a lot of gamas and a few parker 45s in my first year. Following this, i saved some money and started to purchase gold nibbed pens. I purchased a Lamy 2k as my first gold nibbed pen and followed up with 3776s, pilot ch92 and 823 and also purchased a few vintage pelikans, parkers and then more recently i have gone to collecting pens from Ranga supplemented with exploratory entry level workhorses from different brands and most recently i have been into also nib tuning. 

 

So currently Iam interested in a lot of entry level workhorse pens and the sheaffer award is no exception to that. I ordered this gem from William Penn and this came in a lovely matte red colored body along with two cartridges in a sheaffer gift box. 

 

PACKAGING AND SERVICE FROM RETAILER

 

The packaging was very good and the delivery time of 5-7 days was followed. The process was easy and the billing and processes henceforth were smoothly by the person in the customer care department. The box seems too luxurious compared to an entry level product. The pen is made in China although the cartridges say " SHEAFFER SLOVENIA".  

 

DESIGN AND APPEARANCE 

 

I really love the design of this pen. It is quite a short pen and has a very nice red colour to it. It also comes in other finishes and like black and chrome colours and i really took a liking towards this color. The clip is extremely functional has the white dot on top and is very springy and functional. The cap is shorter compared to the body and this really adds to the beauty of the pen. The top finial has the Sheaffer writing on it and the bottom has a plain finish. It is a metal body pen and it is quite light and well balanced to write with. 

 

    

 

The removal of the cap reveals a black rubberized writing section that is very comfortable and contrasting. The feed is the standard sheaffer feed. 

 

ERGONOMICS
 

When the pen is opened, the first thing that catches the eye is the rubberized grip section. It is extremely comfortable to hold and offers a good balance. The grip section is quite short and there is a step up to the barrel which is not the most comfortable. I have slighly broad fingers and this becomes a hindrance when i hold the pen. The pen is however very well balanced and can be used unposted also..

 

The cap does not sit very well while posting and falls of rather easily. So this pen is meant to be written unposted and offers good grip and balance. 

 

The pen comes with two cartridges and a warranty card. The converter is not included and it can be bought easily. 

 

The nib is proportionate to the size of the body and offers a really nice writing experience. It must be a # 5 nib i guess and is in M. 

 

SIZE COMPARISON

 

This pen is on the shorter and smaller side of pens. But has a very comfortable weight and balance. Here are some pictures. This is compared to a Hongdian Black Forest, Ranga Giant 9b and a Ranga model 8. 

 

   

 

THE WRITING

 

The nib was a top notch writer out of the box. I never expected this and it was a complete surprise. The nib is smooth, wet and lays a saturated line. It wrote right out of the box and did not require any tuning whatsoever.. No issues at all and is one of the best steel nibs that i have currently. This is a real value addition to this pen. 

 

This is quite a rigid nib. Does not offer any line variation.  

 

OVERALL

 

As an entry level workhorse, i really like this pen. This is specially for the way it writes. A lovely nib which is bang on. The pen is a robust pen and has a good rubberized grip. However the grip section is short and the pen does not post. The price point of this pen is really attractive and at this price, i would recommend this to people who want to have a somewhat cheap but sturdy and reliable workhorse pen.