Reviews Sheaffer Balance Oversize Black Pearl Fountain Pen

I've mentioned it earlier, just it's worth repeating – I have a soft spot in my heart when it comes to Sheaffers, and I become weak-kneed when-ever I meet a Sheaffer Balance Oversize from the 1930s. And so, when this fountain pen became available from a trusted seller, it was an insta-purchase, fifty-fifty though it was at the high end of what I was willing to pay. Who am I kidding? For a vintage Balance Oversize, I have no high finish. The simply question is if I tin spare the coin.

This is a vacuum-filler. Although I do I prefer lever-fillers since they are easier to repair. Mitigating this drawback is that this i was recently restored by Sherrell Tyree, and so I'll be worry-free for the next several years. I bought the pen from Anderson Pens, and Brian added a note about who did the restoration.

While grayness may not be a pop color, I've ever liked it, and I'grand currently going through another grey stage, with many recent purchases picking greyness every bit the colour. The pen has a greyness marble design, also called Grey Pearl, with good transparency. The barrel has a sharp gray pattern with some subtle color variation. The transparent areas have a ruby red colour. I'1000 not familiar plenty with these pens to know whether the ruby is original or the result of historic period. At least information technology's compatible and looks like it could be the original colour. Although my guess would be it is not, especially since in the correct (or wrong) calorie-free, the edges of the grey tin wait brownish due to the reddish transparency below information technology. The cap has the aforementioned greyness design, only information technology's on an opaque black base rather than the transparent red ruddy.

Thats ink and reflections on the nib, it's really in great shape.

It has a 14K gold two-tone nib. I'm non a fan of gold-colored nibs, preferring silverish, but the expect of these nibs is my favorite. It's stamped "Sheaffer'due south Lifetime" along with the patent info. Any neb size identifier is cached beneath the section if it exists at all. It'southward the size Sheaffer nib I honey and consider a medium/fine. It's every bit slim as, or thinner than, many modern western fine nibs. It'south non labeled every bit a Feather-Touch neb, but the menses is excellent. I need to do some research to meet if the Lifetime nibs were the same equally plumage-touch on nibs, with the Lifetime moniker being used on higher-end pens.

The pen is a white dot model, which still signified a lifetime warranty at the fourth dimension the pen was sold. The clip is the hump style with a flat-topped ball. The clip and pen cloth dates the pen from around 1935. Equally mentioned, it's a vacuum-filler, not a lever-filler. The bullheaded-cap that controls the plunger is solid black. The plunger works smoothly, and I was able to get a proper fill with one plunge. Juggling the ink bottle while trying not to boom the bill into the bottom of the bottle made me a bit timid, which afflicted the amount of ink that flowed into the pen. I don't dubiety that a canteen with enough ink to cover the bill while the bottle is on a flat, stable surface would result in a completely filled pen.

I expect great things from this nib, and like all vac-fillers, the pen tin can be tedious to clean. I wanted an ink that would menstruation well and be piece of cake to clean. Or even meliorate, refilled with the aforementioned ink without cleaning. I picked Rohrer & Klingner Blau-Schwarz LE ink. It'due south a polish flowing blue-black ink that'due south already proven it can be used for 18 direct problem fee months in a fountain pen. The only drawback is that I'll soon run out of this express edition ink.

The Balance Oversize gets along well with the ink. The flow has been perfect, with no skipping. There oasis't been any hard starts, but since I've used the pen every day, the neb hasn't had the risk to dry out.

The Sheaffer Remainder Oversize Grey Marble is about to be written dry out. I picked the ink since it is piece of cake to flush out of a pen. In this case, it volition exist a quick refill so that the pen can remain in agile apply. A nifty addition to my Sheaffer collection, which now has the stardom of being a cadre pen.

It'southward been awhile since I flushed a fountain pen of ink earlier I've written information technology dry. I've been writing them dry out unless they become annoying to apply. My vintage Sheaffer PFM I with its fine pecker and Montblanc's new Lucky Orangish ink became that annoying pen and ink combination.

Other reviewers have mentioned that Lucky Orange has a tendency to dry out out on the nib but it did OK in my Sailor King of Pen so I decided to give it a attempt in a thinner nib. The PFM I would exist dry out after spending the night stored neb upwardly. But then gravity would quickly bring ink to the tip and the pen would write perfectly the residual of the day. And then it wasn't abrasive or especially unusual.

The Sheaffer PFM I was in employ for a couple of weeks, during which I enjoyed using it. The find neb and bright line meant it got used every day, even if it wasn't a lot of use. Typically short notes or marking up a certificate. Then it spent a couple days flat on my desk and needed more than gravity to get going.

Dried ink clogging the feed

I could see the dried, crusty ink between the bill and the feed. A dry towel wasn't plenty to get things going. A lilliputian water would have fixed information technology, I'm sure. Only I put the pen aside and picked another. When I did bring the pen to h2o it was to affluent it out. I take niggling patience for finicky fountain pens these days. A problem that makes me become up from my desk to resolve is unforgivable.

As expected, cleaning the pen was a pain. This pen is a hurting to clean fifty-fifty with the easiest to flush ink. In this case information technology was made worse because at that place was all the same plenty of ink in the pen. Staining wasn't a problem and the crusty ink done away quickly. Merely the orange dye remained, and remained. Once I got almost of the ink out I started filling it with water and leaving it nib down in a tissue for several hours, so repeating whenever I get effectually to it.

I like the Montblanc Lucky Orange ink and will utilise information technology in some other pen, although I'll choice one that's easy to clean and has a wet pecker. The Sheaffer PFM I remains a favorite writer. The bill and size are ideal for me. I'll stick to known well-behaved inks.

My 2d pen purchase at the 2016 DC Pen Prove occurred Friday afternoon and gave me my vintage fix. Information technology is a Sheaffer Rest Oversize c. 1934–1935 from Sarj Minhas.

I didn't take whatsoever specific vintage pens in mind equally I walked around the prove. I like Parker Vacumatics and the Maxima is the model I can employ regularly. The materials and nibs of vintage Sheaffers always depict me to them and the Balance Oversize is the model I can use regularly. These were the ii most likely to describe my attending.

I view vintage pens differently than modern pens. While whatsoever new vintage would take to be a pen I could expect to use regularly, I'grand unable to sell off vintage pens I know I won't utilise. Information technology feels like I'm selling a piece of history. Simply this made me adamant to only buy one vintage pen and to make information technology ane I knew I would use. Fifty-fifty though I'm a user and not a collector I wanted a pen as close to pristine every bit I could notice and and was reliable. So even though Sarj's pens are at the high end of the cost spectrum I was willing to pay the price if I could find one.

I've always liked the pearl grey with red vein celluloid. This was the only Rest Oversize I saw in this material during my browsing on Friday. At least in a condition that was this good. It was besides the but vintage pen I saw that I wanted. And then despite the toll I decided to get it. The pen is difficult to photographs as the gray in the pen changes depending on the low-cal. This also makes it easy for the pen to mesmerize me equally the color changes, often looking as dissimilar as green and ruby.

Since all my available inks were new to me I didn't want to endeavor them in a vintage sac filler, so the pen remained uninked on Friday. And then on Sabbatum I plant some vintage (well, 1980–90'southward) Sheaffer Sheaffer Peacock Blue in the yellow box/characterization. I had the dark ruddy bottle version of this ink so it wasn't entirely new to me and they would exist a similar, if non identical formula. The ink seemed fine despite information technology's historic period so I bought it and filled the pen later that day.

The pen is comfy in my hand, equally expected and the nib is great, also as expected. The nib is unlabeled but it's approximately a fine. Writing is shine with a good menses. Information technology's non a gushing writer yet the ink does noticeably puddle a petty bit betwixt the bill and feed. Some ink also creeps out the heart cutout that's above the pecker slit. After writing a couple A5 pages a drop of ink did drop onto the newspaper while writing. Since then I've been more censor of it and accept dabbed the nib on a tissue if I see ink haemorrhage from the heart afterwards a couple of pages. Carrying the pen effectually doesn't result in whatsoever ink dripping or spatter and neither does moving the pen around commonly like reaching for a paper or turning a page with pen in manus. So I won't really call information technology a leak and the ink could be a contributing factor. Information technology's something I can live with and it won't prevent me from taking the pen with me if I become to a java shop to do some writing. I wouldn't bring it to a meeting to take notes, but I don't use vintage pens in this state of affairs anyway.

Information technology's a good performing pen and I beloved the material. The Sheaffer Balance Oversize in Pearl Gray/Cherry Veins joins my Marine Green Residual Oversize as one of my favorite vintage fountain pens, and it has a bill I'll employ more than the stub on the Marine Green.

Exposed for the writing sample, terrible photograph of pen.

This is a postal service about the 2016 Washington DC Pen Show. My prove summary and links to other show posts are here.

Information technology's been just over vi months since I last updated my Favorite v Vintage Fountain Pens. As I mentioned when I updated my Favorite five Modern Fountain Pens, I accept instituted a new rule – to be considered the pen must have been used since I last published my favorite five list. In this case this made picking the pens a non-outcome, I only used 5 vintage pens since October. I do grouping my Esterbrook J'southward and nibs together which does reduce the overall number. A vintage pen is whatever pen manufactured before I was born. Here'southward my current list.

1. Parker Vacumatic Maxima (1942) Argent Pearl with Nickel Trim

This moves all the way up from the fifth position 6 months ago. I love this item finish, it seems I'm attracted to black and gray finishes, and even though the end is worn through utilise, that merely enhances its dazzler.

The bill is very smash-like just that's what I like. It'due south functioning never disappoints me.

2. Esterbrook J (any of them)

This is certainly my nigh used vintage model. Information technology's a rare day when at least 1 Esterbrook isn't inked. I'd adopt a bigger pen but like my modern KarasKustoms Ink this pen makes the list thanks to its variety. No real review of the pen but the nibs are indexed hither with links to their reviews.

3. Esterbrook Dip-Less with #7550 beak

Esterbrook Dip-less in an empty #407 inkwell

This has been inked, and so to speak, since August 2014 and I utilise it virtually every mean solar day, at least for a few words. Office of the attraction is that the pen is dissimilar. Just I do enjoy writing with it. Review

4. Sheaffer PFM I

This is borderline vintage. Since well-nigh were sold before my birth I choose to believe my specific pens were manufactured earlier I was built-in. This is the low end trim for the PFM line but it works well for me. The photo and the review are of my first PFM which was blue. I bought a second PFM I in greenish which is my color preference. The pens are identical in every way except color. Fifty-fifty the bill performance is identical, at least equally much equally I tin can tell. Review

5. Parker Duofold Senior c1928 "Big Red"

This has e'er been the classic fountain for me so this makes the list based strictly on emotion, and the fact that is was one of only v vintage pens I used since October. This pen has a tendency to leak a bit from the pecker into the cap when being bounced around in my bag, then it tends to stick around the house. While it'south never really leaked I also hesitate to bear it in my shirt pocket since information technology is i of the few vintage pens I have where I am paranoid about it leaking. Review

Wrapping Up

I was a piddling surprised that I just used five vintage fountain pens in the last six months. I have a couple that could accept challenged these if I had used them. The Duofold certainly has the a tenuous grip on the list which is no surprise since it's been on the list and then dropped in the past.

What'southward your favorite vintage pen?

It's been over a year since my Favorite 5 Vintage Fountain Pens list changed. I revisited the listing half-dozen months agone but decided there weren't whatever changes. In the last six months I've been most all modern. Because of this, picking a favorite five was a bit easier since by definition (at to the lowest degree my definition) a favorite pen should exist ane that is used. So I didn't take to decide from among my entire vintage accumulation. A vintage pen is any pen manufactured before I was born. Here'due south my current list.

1. Esterbrook J (whatsoever of them)

I moved the Esterbrook J to the top spot since it was easily the virtually used vintage pen these by six months. Perchance it's a crook since I used several barrels and many unlike nibs, but that'due south what makes the Estie J a favorite. Now that I've run through all my nibs (although there are many I don't have) maybe I can narrow it down to a favorite nib or two (or six) for the next update. No real review of the pen simply the nibs are indexed here with links to their reviews.

ii. Sheaffer Residue Lifetime Oversize c1935

This pen gets used and so often considering of it'south looks. The custom stub nib is a smooth writer. While the stub is far wider than my typical fine or extra fine preference my horizons are expanding and I've grown to love this nib. It was a coin toss between this and the Esterbrooks for the top slot. The Esterbrooks won on volume. I was surprised to see I haven't reviewed this pen. At the very to the lowest degree I need to practice a photo post.

3. Sheaffer PFM I

This is borderline vintage. Since most were sold before my birth I choose to believe mine were manufactured before I was born. This is the low terminate trim for the PFM line just it works well for me. The photo and the review are of my first PFM which was bluish. I bought a second PFM I in greenish which is my color preference. Review

4. Sheaffer Balance Junior c1931 with custom stub neb

This ugly pen used to acme my Fav 5 listing. It's yet a smooth stub neb that I beloved, just I've used information technology less over the last six months. Review.

5. Parker Vacumatic Maxima (1942) Silver Pearl with Nickel Trim

This was 2d vintage pen (an Esterbrook $1 was my first) and it'south still a favorite. I love the vintage Vacumatic finishes and this one is in pretty skillful shape. I haven't used it recently but since this article jogged my memory I'll be inking it upward.

Wrapping Up

The Parker Duofold Senior c1928 (Large Ruby-red) is a sentimental favorite but it was reluctantly dropped from the listing in favor of the Sheaffer PFM I. Big Red leaks a scrap around the nib which has kept me from using it. But I take to acknowledge, sentiment aside I'd accept to option the PFM over Big Crimson fifty-fifty if it didn't leak. The other four pens were on my get-go Fav five list although they've swapped positions around. What'due south your favorite vintage pen?

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Source: https://fpquest.com/tag/vintage/

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