39 replies to this topic

[Pedro]

Thanks to all for your kind words, you are all most welcome.

[Pedro]

These first two are from inside Old Fort Madison:



This desk was owned by Hon. Beck from the Iowa State Supreme Court and was used by Abraham Lincoln:


A Mechanical Pencil Cutaway:


A Sheaffer Advertisement with real pens pictured:




Again, I want to extend a heartfelt thanks to all those involved with the Sheaffer Pen Museum.
Please support the museum by visiting, donating, volunteering, or by purchasing items from their store

The Sheaffer Pen Museum is at 627 Avenue G, in Fort Madison.
If you wish to make a donation, write them at PO Box 392, Fort Madison, IA 52627-0392.

[PatM]

Pedro -

Thanks for the great photos. I was disappointed that I couldn't be there for opening weekend but your pics helped cover it . They make me want to plan a trip to Fort D in the near future. Thanks again.

Pat

[Pedro]

You are welcome, Pat. If you're ever in the area, let me know.
Next year I'll be going to the Raleigh Pen Show and visit Asheville too.

[Pedro]

Well, heres a couple more nice pics:

Sterling Silver



Gold and Gold-Filled

[Pedro]

Here is a sampling of Sheaffer's sub-brand pens:




WASP:














CRAIG:






UNIVER:

[david i]

Here is a sampling of Sheaffer's sub-brand pens:

SNIP

UNIVER:

My eye is drawn in particular to the seemingly large red/black and blue/black in particular. I've tweaked your Univer image in Photoshop (I can do more with that if you get me the high resolution original image) . Let's take a look...

I don't have a perfect sense of definite scale in this shot. It is possible the twist fill pens at left all are slender/shorter variatns. But, the two big Univer pens have an "oversized" flavor to them. If they are OS they would be the first OS streamlined Univer pens I've ever seen. Indeed, all the Univer pens I see that have this sort of color, not only were not OS but were not even standard girth, slender even if full length. Hmmm. this might need to be a new thread

Do you know offhand if those two were OS pens, at least by eye?

Also note the black/pearl set to left of black/red pens. I see cream/black (non pearlescent) Univer but have not seen true Sheaffer-proper pearl/black. This set looks to be pearl/black. Of course I've seen re-badged Jade Sheaffer pens as Univer, so this could be essentially a rebadged black/pearl Sheaffer set relesaed late or what have you. All the cream/black Univer sets I've seen are slender. This one again looking standard girth

regards

David

[Pedro]

Quote: "Do you know offhand if those two were OS pens, at least by eye?"

I was indeed surprised by their size as compared to the normal-sized pens on the same tray. However, I am not an expert, just a newbie.
As for the high resolution original images, please see your PM's.

A few more photos will be posted soon.

[David Nishimura]

I have a few examples of these unusual oversized Univers. It should also be noted that they are made from black and pearl stock that has been coated with a transparent colored lacquer: red, for the pens illustrated, and blue. Same process used for other colored Univers, by the way.

Very rare and cool pens. I'll try to get some shots of mine later this week.

[George]

Thanks David N for the information about the colored Univers. I have a jade univer that is... red jade but green jade at the wear points (posting ring and by the threads).

Regards,
George

[David Nishimura]

Yes, it's the wear points that tell the tale!

I think pen collectors have an unconscious revulsion to the idea of painting pens, but penmakers did do so rather routinely in the old days -- though usually only components, and for special purposes. Examples would include sections with clear ink windows, which were often made from clear celluloid with the front portion painted black, Sheaffer demonstrators where the glue holding the cap liners in place was hidden under a coat of black paint applied to the exterior, and German piston-fillers with ink windows, whose barrels were fully transparent but painted black behind the ink window to hide the filling mechanism.

Incidentally, this paint was applied to the exterior, no matter what so many German collectors claim. Even without closely examining actual examples, it is obvious that the paint could not have been applied inside their barrels. If applied to the interior, the only place the paint would show any wear-through would be where rubbed by the piston, and the filler threads at the end of the barrel would be readily visible from the exterior. In fact, the wear-through is from wear and polishing over the years (just as it is for Snorkel and PFM demonstrators), and is very commonly found on Montblancs from the '30s into the early '60s. The paint was of course applied very thinly and smoothly, surely some sort of spray-applied celluloid lacquer, of a glossiness and hardness that fooled collectors into concluding their barrels had to have been reverse-painted.

[matt]

Is this what a red painted jade Univer looks like when worn? I thought it was deteriorating celluloid.

http://cgi.ebay.com/6612862805

[Pedro]

I have a few examples of these unusual oversized Univers. It should also be noted that they are made from black and pearl stock that has been coated with a transparent colored lacquer: red, for the pens illustrated, and blue. Same process used for other colored Univers, by the way.

Very rare and cool pens. I'll try to get some shots of mine later this week.

Looks like they also used green lacquer too! I never knew of any pen manufacturer using lacquer or paints on their pens. You would think they had to realize that the original colour would show on wear areas or the paint may peel or wear off.

[Dances with Pens]

Wow! What a great trip.

[David Nishimura]

Is this what a red painted jade Univer looks like when worn? I thought it was deteriorating celluloid.

It's possible the celluloid is deteriorating as well, but that is most certainly a case of worn lacquer -- right at the end, where it is easy to lean into the buffing wheel and put a lot of concentrated pressure.

You would think they had to realize that the original colour would show on wear areas or the paint may peel or wear off.

The lacquer's held up pretty well, I'll have to say -- almost entirely intact on most specimens, 80 years later! Celluloid-based lacquer won't peel off, since it will bond to a celluloid pen like a first skin. And Sheaffer obviously made certain that the coat applied was thick enough to take a lot of wear.

[Pedro]

David N:
Thanks for your great information.

[Pedro]

Among the Sheaffer Pen Museum exhibits are several items for pen manufacturing:


Nib Punch press to cut nibs from gold strips and to impart their curve




Nib Welder attaches iridium to nib point



Microscope, tools and gauges atop a crate used to transport pens to conventions and shows




MGP (Machine Ground Point) machine built by Sheaffer's Tool & Die division to grind, shape and polish the iridium nib points to perfect shape as per their specs.

[Hugh]

Thanks Pedro, clearly you had a great Time!!

Regards
Hugh

[Pedro]

The Fort Madison visit was part of my Father's Day weekend with my family and truly was a treat for me. We visited historical towns in Illinois and Iowa, with Fort Madison as the pen mecca, and took an Air Show with the Blue Angels, Spooky - a Vietnam era DC-3? with twin Vulcan machine guns, P40 Warhawk, and many more. The air show's highlight for me was standing by a P51 Mustang, talking to the old pilot and hearing that glorious Rolls Royce Merlin 12 cylinder engine roar. Back home one of my friends invited me to his farm to shoot at a Cadillac with a blown engine. 45ACP goes through doors and windshields, AR15 .223's do not like intermediary obstacles, and shotgun slugs are the only ones that go through the thick C-pillars. I am still smiling from all that fun.

[brando090]

Wow! Thanks so much for these very information photo's!