Sheaffer Triumph Imperial Deluxe

Whereas the last Sheaffer I wrote about was too opulent for my personal use, I would have happily gone into a shop and bought this one. The 12 carat gold filled cap isn’t too much and it works with the blue barrel wonderfully.

There are those for whom a flexible nib is the be-all and end-all and this pen wouldn’t do for them because though it has a certain softness it isn’t flexible. For myself, I love a flexible pen but I also love a smooth firm nib that lays down a good line of ink. That’s what these Sheaffers were made to do and they do it so unfailingly well.

This is the cartridge/converter version which succeeded the Touchdown fillers of the sixties. I prefer it because it holds more ink and you don’t want a stingy ink supply to service as generous a nib as this.

The fact that Sheaffer reused both names and styles can make pen identification quite confusing. On the other hand, this makes for boundless scope for the collector.

Sheaffer Imperial Sovereign

I find Sheaffers, especially post-war ones, hard to identify. So many models, so little difference between them! I bought a couple of these cartridge/converter Imperial pens this week and my researches tell me that this one is a Sheaffer Imperial Sovereign. If I’ve got that wrong I expect someone will be along to tell me. Similarly, it was difficult to find a reliable date for this pen’s introduction. It’s variously stated as “late 60s” and 1972. Take your pick; I’m none the wiser!

I don’t think I would have gone into a shop and bought this pen for myself – it’s too blingy for me. It is a very pretty pen, though, and the diamond-cut finish makes it glitter and reflect movement near it in an interesting way. It’s quite a big pen at 13.2 cm but it isn’t heavy. The chiselled finish prevents fingerprints, often an annoyance with metal pens. The slip-on cap grips firmly. The inlaid nib is a beautiful thing and the shiny black section contrasts with the gold.

It’s a nice writer – the nib with its round bead of tipping material is very smooth. In the usual Sheaffer way, it’s firm. Not especially my style, but it’s so comfortable in the hand and the nib glides over the paper so effortlessly that I could write with this pen all day.

It came in a box, a very nice brown leather look one and it was accompanied by a Sheaffer cartridge and a squeeze converter, indications that this pen has been hardly used. The box is quite wide and it may be that the pen was accompanied by another writing instrument: a ballpoint pen, a rollerball or a mechanical pencil.

Several of the more modern Sheaffers have been a disappointment, but this, it seems to me, is a traditionally well-made Sheaffer of the kind that we expected to see until recently. It all fits together with admirable precision. As it is a “white-dot” pen we have learned to expect that it should be a superior model. This one is.

Today’s Upload

Twenty-one pens uploaded to the sales site today. All brands, many low prices, some flex, some rarities.

A Different Leverless

I think I’d better start by saying that this isn’t my pen. Once again thanks are due to
Paul Leclercq for the opportunity to show and write about this beautiful pen.

I see so many black Leverless Swans that I almost forget that they can come in other
colours, but here’s a fine reminder. I believe this colour was known as Brown/Amber. It
closely resembles the Tigers Eye gemstone and I think this too, would be a fair name for
it. Whatever it’s called, it’s very beautiful.

Pens are practical instruments, too, and must write. This one performs extremely well.
The number three nib is very elegant and in this case it’s flexible too. It’s an absolute
joy to write with. In recent years Leverlesses have lost popularity because so many of
them were being re-sacced as if they were lever fillers. Restored that way, Leverlesses
just don’t work. Properly repaired, as this one is, with a sac that completely fills the
barrel, a Leverless will hold its own with any other pen of a similar size. This pen holds
a lot of ink!

For those who take an interest in such matters, this particular pen had an exceptionally
thick peg to fit the sac on. This meant that straight sac could be used instead of a
necked one. It’s a pity that all the Leverlesses were not made in that way.

There is no code on the barrel end; all there is is “L3” on the section. If we were to
extrapolate from this to the full code I believe it would be L3064, the last two digits
being the code for Brown/Amber.

This pen is a considerable rarity. I’ve never seen one before and I’m grateful for the
opportunity to record it here. I’ll also be copying it to John Brindle for the Swan list.

A Different Swan 2060

Here’s another of those magnificent war–time 2060 Leverless pens. This one has something that I’ve never seen before, but that should not have been unexpected: a replacement number six size Phillips nib. It’s a handsome nib, medium and not without some flexibility.

We can date these pens fairly closely by the central Swan image which appeared during the war and might have continued as late as 1948. This one’s in good condition apart from the cap rings. They have lost most of their gold plating and they move, though they are in no danger of coming off.

There was a time when I could be confident that I would see one or two of these mighty beasts every month. Those days are gone I’m afraid. They appear much less frequently, and when they do they cost rather more than they did. Perhaps that’s justified and it’s only now that these pens are reaching their true value, but it does seem a shame that they are beginning to be priced out of the reach of many who would wish to own and use one.

These pens appeal to me because of their girth. A thick pen is more comfortable for someone with arthritis. I’m also very fond of Leverlesses. Despite the state of the rings this one has a glorious gloss. I wonder what happened to it. Probably it took a nosedive into a concrete floor at some point, which would be enough to destroy even the massive Swan number six nib. The Philips replacement makes it quite special, to my mind.

Excuse the dust in the photographs, particularly in the one of the barrel imprint. Dust is the bane of my photographic life.

Moaning And Griping

I still suffer from the recurrent problem of sellers not disclosing faults in the pens that they offer for sale, but eBay has finally begun to see sense. Sellers may say that they will take no returns but eBay now adds the rider that sellers may be forced to accept returns if their items are not as described. That’s a major victory, and I think that I, probably along with many other buyers, can take some credit for that.

My biggest gripe has always been that I ended up out of pocket to the tune of the cost of sending defective items back to sellers. When sometimes there are two or three “not as described” items in a week and they have to be returned by a signed for service, this is not an insignificant cost. I had taken, in my boilerplate claim to sellers, to adding the phrase, “I will require a full refund including return postage as there is no reason why I should be out of pocket over an item that was not correctly described.” EBay seems to have taken some note of that as well. Whereas at one time they made it clear that sellers would not be responsible for postage costs for returned items, that has now disappeared and in one or two instances eBay administrators have actually made a refund of postage to me themselves!

This does reduce my loss over these defective items but it does not address the problem of the time wasted in making and pursuing claims. Some sellers make it as difficult as they can for the buyer to be compensated, arguing about the facts of the case and using time-wasting tactics in the hope of wearing the buyer out. Though with great reluctance, I have taken to giving negative feedback to sellers who have not been cooperative. I’m not sure that this does anything to address the issue and I believe it remains a gaping hole in eBay’s feedback system. Perhaps there should be a penalty for inaccurate listing. In many cases, I have no doubt that the deficient listing is unintentional, but even there a penalty would encourage greater attention to the condition of the item they wish to sell. In many other instances the damage is so blatantly obvious that there can be no doubt that the seller has taken a chance in full knowledge and in the hope that a buyer will accept the item despite its defects.

A penalty which formed part of the feedback report and was visible to all would be likely to have a beneficial effect in reducing the number of defective items offered for sale. Either that, or we hang, draw and quarter them and place their heads on a pike as a warning to the rest.

The Burnham No 65

Here’s another Burnham today, but a rather more expensive example than the one I showed last. This is the Burnham No 65, a post-war pen probably dating to around 1950. I’ve heard it said that this pen was made to compete with the Conway Stewart No 60. The much better plating on the clip, broad cap band and straight lever suggest that that may be so as does the use of a gold nib rather than a plated one.

I haven’t seen all the colours used for this model but going by the present example, Burnham used a more muted (dare I say more tasteful) colour scheme than in the cheaper pens. I believe this is a casein pen. There is a commendable attention to detail, exemplified by the “b” on the rivet that holds the clip and the deep cut “Burnham” on the clip.

It’s a standard sized pen, comfortable in the hand and pleasant to write with. Burnham gold nibs are invariably good.

Was the No 65 a success? I believe it was, because these pens appear quite frequently. Did Conway Stewart sell less No 60s because of this pen? Probably not. The 56 is a good pen, a quality pen, but I don’t think it stands up to close comparison with the Conway Stewart No 60. Doubtless Burnham had their adherents just as Conway Stewart did and it was probably from their ranks that the buyers of this pen came, particularly among those trading up from Burnham school pens.

The Jinhao 15

Well, I’m becoming shameless and blatant about it now because today it’s yet another new pen.

This is a Jinhao 15, a most peculiar but quite attractive beast. People say that it’s a knock-off of the Waterman Serenite and to some degree it is. Obviously they didn’t extend the copying to what’s under the cap, as the unmistakable Serenite nib is replaced by a hooded affair. In any case it lacks the curve of the Serenite. I don’t think anyone’s going to be fooled by it so we have to assess the pen in its own right.

It comes in several colours. I bought three, red blue and black, because it was quite a good deal and postage was free. I’m not sure how the colours are produced – they appear metallic and seem to be a sort of lacquer. Decidedly attractive, anyway. The clip seems strong and quite springy. The top of the cap is mirror finish metal and the base of the barrel is black plastic – to which we will return. The cap is heavy in comparison with the rest of the pen. I assume it’s brass. I’m not sure about the barrel which is quite light. Given the shape of the pen I didn’t expect that it would post but it does! It slides in over that plastic end that I mentioned before. The cap requires a bit of effort to remove and replace as a raised lip slides over the plastic inner cap. I expect that will loosen a little with time but hopefully not too much. Inside there is a very cheap but quite useful slide-type converter.

You are often advised to flush Chinese pens with warm soapy water before the first fill. I didn’t do that, I just filled it. It began writing right away with no slow starting or skipping. In fact I would describe the flow as very good for a fine nib. I don’t know if they’re all the same but the nib on the one that I have used is a European fine not that hairline fine that you get on some Chinese pens. The plastic of the section is quite slippery as it’s very polished, but it’s a grip I could get used to. As an aside there is no substitute for black hard rubber for sections. Considering how much trouble Jinhao went to to ensure that the pen would post, it isn’t really something that most of us would want to do considering the weight of that cap. It throws the pen out of balance as there’s just too much weight at the end. Perhaps it might work better for someone with larger hands.

Quality? Actually it’s surprisingly good. All the parts fit together as they should, it writes well and there are no obvious failings apart from the niggling irritant of the overweight cap. Chinese pens have come on a long way since they first started appearing in this country. These pens cost £3 each. I don’t know how they do it. If you know it’s perhaps best if you don’t tell me because I suspect that it may involve legions of eight-year-olds working on assembly lines. Being a moral coward I prefer not to think about that.

The Paul Smith Cross Pen

What! I hear you say, yet another modern pen! What is this vintage pens blog coming to?

I’m sorry. I couldn’t help myself. I mean, look at it!

This is, I think, the first of the pens that Cross made for Paul Smith, the British designer. This one’s in Midnight Blue and the alternative is Cherry Red. Paul Smith’s designs are described as “classics with a twist” hence the twist in the clip I suppose. That’s in danger of being a cheap visual pun but despite that, taken in isolation, it’s impressive and original. I haven’t seen a clip like that before. I haven’t seen the Cherry Red pen in the flesh (as it were) but the silver trim certainly works with this dark blue.

So how does it perform? Pretty well, actually. The beautifully engraved section provides quite a decent grip. I’m not fond of metal sections but the depth of the engraving reduces the cold and slippery feel of the metal. It’s well-balanced and would be quite comfortable in the hand were it not for the weight. It’s a full 34 g which is a bit heavy for my taste. Unless you had bionic assistance, you would find this tiring after a page or so. It’s resin over brass, the usual method for giving a spurious sense of quality through excessive weight. That aside, it’s a pretty good pen to use in short bursts. The stainless steel nib is medium, firm and very smooth indeed.

I believe there was originally a converter though it’s not there now. There are some cartridges in the box. Unscrewing and refitting the barrel to replace a cartridge is a pleasure. It’s a fine piece of engineering as you would expect from Cross. The cap snaps onto the barrel with a pleasing click.

It comes in a large and well-made box that clearly was not intended to be throwaway packaging. It seems that originally there was another pen in there and I believe that both ballpoint and rollerball were available. I suppose it’s a slight detraction that the other pen is not there now but really I am only interested in the fountain pen.

So it’s a modern pen and one that I would be happy to have and use were it not for the foolish addition of unnecessary weight to an instrument that works best when it weighs least. But, boy is it pretty!

Burnham B 48

I usually don’t buy Burnhams because of the problem with surface cracking or worse affecting the casein. However, if you get a good Burnham you get a good pen. This blue marbled Burnham arrived as part of a lot I had bought. I struck lucky – it was a good one!

Though they had more expensive pens, by the mid-50s Burnham was beginning to develop its economy and school range, of which the B 48 is an example. It has a screw in nib which can be changed for any one of a range of nib styles. At 13.1 cm it is a full-sized pen which feels quite solid. Its major fault is the quality of the gold plating which is little more than a gold wash. Though it has survived on the lever and the cap ring, it has almost completely disappeared from the clip.

The best point about Burnhams of this period is the plastic from which they are made. The colour patterns are glorious, rivalled only by the best of Conway Stewart. This one is completely free of the deterioration which so often affects casein. Having survived so long in good condition this pen is unlikely to deteriorate unless it’s soaked.

The nib is a plated steel one with a folded tip. One of the cheaper ways of making a nib, it is generally assumed that such a nib is deficient in some way. While it has a shorter life than a tipped nib, it will last for a considerable time particularly at today’s rate of usage. It would take a great deal of writing to wear this nib out and in the meantime it will write as well as any tipped nib. There is also the advantage that other styles of Burnham nib may be fitted. In addition Osmiroid and Esterbrook nibs will fit this pen

This raises an interesting issue about nibs: traditionally there were gold nibs, plated nibs, steel nibs and, off to one side screw in nib and feed units like this one. Gold obviously was the most costly, followed by plated and steel. Nowadays even very expensive pens often have steel nibs plated or not and the price does not seem to be determined by the value of the materials any more.

In parenthesis, perhaps the best aid for the arthritic is Dragon NaturallySpeaking with which this was done. It only took me about four times as long to write this as it would have done on the keyboard, but doubtless Dragon and I will get faster in time.

Goodwriterspens's Blog

Fountain Pen Obsession

Month: May 2014