16 replies to this topic

[david i]

Sheaffer's Balance revolutionized the look of the fountain pen with its release in 1929. The early group of colors-- as seen in the first Balance catalogue, from 1930-- includes Jade, Black, Black-and-Pearl and Marine Green (mottled).

But, Marine Green seemingly was not manufactured with the early extra-long barrel seen on Lifetime variants of the other three colors. Early pens have slightly shorter caps, short gripping sections and perhaps a couple more nuanced tweaks I won't address now.

Here's a shot of all three colors found for the extra-long first style oversized Balance. Nice examples of the pens, too

regards

David

[jonro]

Super nice examples, Dave. I can only imagine how the public reacted to these new tapered pens -- and what the competition at Parker said when they first saw this radical new Sheaffer design.

[Pedro]

I always thought that Black, Jade & Black and Pearl were the original colours from 1929, and that Marine Green was introduced in 1930.
Here's some early pens:

[snorkelcc]

This is the example of Marine Green (I believe it should be H8TC) as shown in 1930 catalog although the color is not good.

CC

Attached Files

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[snorkelcc]

This is the example of Marine Green (I believe it should be H8TC) as shown in 1930 catalog although the color is not good.

CC

Sorry that this is my first post with picture, I am learning how to do it in the right way

CC

[Pedro]

Don't worry, I am still using photbucket.

H8TC BALIC OS Marine Green $10 -from 1930 Catalog

[Roger W.]

Don't worry, I am still using photbucket.

H8TC BALIC OS Marine Green $10 -from 1930 Catalog

Pedro;

Don't quote the telegraph code, might lead to another level of "what does it mean?"

Roger W.

[Admin]

Don't worry, I am still using photbucket.

SNIP

Hello Pedro and Snorkcc.

I'm not up on all the details of all the free photo hosting services, but one problem we've seen with some of these, is that after time or usage, images have to be purged. It's a shame to have a good thread here with nice images, and have those images gone a year later, because the photo-host purged it.

With GALLERY, this is not likely to happen (at least not with 25MB hosting offered).

Note to SnorkelCC, the thumbnail images are fine and they do expand with a click, but it seems you are using the upload feature to the individual post. Problem with that is that storage is capped at 500kb. Once you've done couple images, you will have to remove some to keep adding future shots. Again, we'll be left with missing images in threads.

I invite you to go to the GALLERY tab at top of page, which moves you away from FORUM (indeed, ot might be best to have two windows open, one for your post and another for the GALLERY effort). In Gallery you can upload images for permanent storage, with 25MB hosting provided. Once the image is there (either in one of our pre-made Albums or in a personal Album you can open) at the right side of image will be a "share image" section. By copying the entire single line of "BBC Code" you can put your image anywhere. Just paste it into a post. Since the BBC code incorporates the special tags that normally are placed by hitting the photo icon in the postt/text area, you DON'T need to hit that photo icon. Just paste the BBC code into your post and a photo will appear when you post or when you hit "preview".

Might take ten minutes to learn, but will give you great power in posting here for the next fifty years

[Pedro]

Don't worry, I am still using photbucket.

H8TC BALIC OS Marine Green $10 -from 1930 Catalog

Pedro;

Don't quote the telegraph code, might lead to another level of "what does it mean?"

Roger W.

You mean that I didn't have to memorize those? Now you tell me?!?!

I had it on a document that way, easy to copy and paste.

[snorkelcc]

Don't worry, I am still using photbucket.

SNIP

Hello Pedro and Snorkcc.

I'm not up on all the details of all the free photo hosting services, but one problem we've seen with some of these, is that after time or usage, images have to be purged. It's a shame to have a good thread here with nice images, and have those images gone a year later, because the photo-host purged it.

With GALLERY, this is not likely to happen (at least not with 25MB hosting offered).

Note to SnorkelCC, the thumbnail images are fine and they do expand with a click, but it seems you are using the upload feature to the individual post. Problem with that is that storage is capped at 500kb. Once you've done couple images, you will have to remove some to keep adding future shots. Again, we'll be left with missing images in threads.

I invite you to go to the GALLERY tab at top of page, which moves you away from FORUM (indeed, ot might be best to have two windows open, one for your post and another for the GALLERY effort). In Gallery you can upload images for permanent storage, with 25MB hosting provided. Once the image is there (either in one of our pre-made Albums or in a personal Album you can open) at the right side of image will be a "share image" section. By copying the entire single line of "BBC Code" you can put your image anywhere. Just paste it into a post. Since the BBC code incorporates the special tags that normally are placed by hitting the photo icon in the postt/text area, you DON'T need to hit that photo icon. Just paste the BBC code into your post and a photo will appear when you post or when you hit "preview".

Might take ten minutes to learn, but will give you great power in posting here for the next fifty years

Great !, Thanks for your help, I will make sure to spend 10 mins to learn how to use to Gallery

CC

[Teej47]

Love the patterning on the Jade pen; very reminiscent of a nice lapis. What a stunner it would have been had they made 'em in blue!

Tim

[ticoun]

Love the patterning on the Jade pen; very reminiscent of a nice lapis. What a stunner it would have been had they made 'em in blue!

Tim

there were blue balances, but for one year only, and only on non white dot pens. but it's true that a lapis with the same pattern as jade would have been stunning.

[david i]

there were blue balances, but for one year only, and only on non white dot pens. but it's true that a lapis with the same pattern as jade would have been stunning.

Hello ticoun, et al.

Yep. The documented Sheaffer Balance in blue is a neat thing, though-- as you suggest-- it pulls us away from both first style pens and from OS pens. It might have been made more than a year, but it was not a long production color and it was offered as Balance only as third tier long-slender and petite sizes. I agree too with an earlier note that a Lapis Blue along lines of Parker's Duofold or Wahl's "Deco Band" would have been something grand in an OS extra-long first style Balance.


Too, there is a striped blue Balance (presumably mid-late 1930's) part of a prototype collection I've seen. That pen might be in Lambrou's FPOTW as well.

We've had a couple killer threads on Blue Balance here at FPB. Those who are interested I refer to:

3 page discussion of blue Balance showing all pens and pencils, showing the scarce blue truncated non-Balance Sheaffer Junior, and showing rarely seen (not in catalogues) Sheaffer documentation for the pen LINK:

Balance Blue Eye Candy Link

regards

David

[ticoun]

there were blue balances, but for one year only, and only on non white dot pens. but it's true that a lapis with the same pattern as jade would have been stunning.

Hello ticoun, et al.

Yep. The documented Sheaffer Balance in blue is a neat thing, though-- as you suggest-- it pulls us away from both first style pens and from OS pens. It might have been made more than a year, but it was not a long production color and it was offered as Balance only as third tier long-slender and petite sizes. I agree too with an earlier note that a Lapis Blue along lines of Parker's Duofold or Wahl's "Deco Band" would have been something grand in an OS extra-long first style Balance.


Too, there is a striped blue Balance (presumably mid-late 1930's) part of a prototype collection I've seen. That pen might be in Lambrou's FPOTW as well.

We've had a couple killer threads on Blue Balance here at FPB. Those who are interested I refer to:

3 page discussion of blue Balance showing all pens and pencils, showing the scarce blue truncated non-Balance Sheaffer Junior, and showing rarely seen (not in catalogues) Sheaffer documentation for the pen LINK:

Balance Blue Eye Candy

regards

David

the Sheaffer museum also has a taper top prototype in a blue and white swirl celluloid that would have been very nice on the balance and later pens. (Pedro has posted the pic on FPN)

BTW, your link doesn't work.

[david i]

the Sheaffer museum also has a taper top prototype in a blue and white swirl celluloid that would have been very nice on the balance and later pens. (Pedro has posted the pic on FPN)

BTW, your link doesn't work.

Link corrected above. Thanks for the heads up.

Pedo did post at least part of his museum tour here.


Sheaffer Pen Museum Link



But I didn't notice any taper top blues. There was one sort of truncated Balance shown. Not sure if we describe the same pen, as "taper top" might not mean same thing to each of us.

regards

David

[Pedro]

Is this the prototype:


There's a marbled blue with white streaks pen with truncated ends on the left,
a jade green golf pencil with a red tail,
and a marbled blue/jade green rod

The pic is on the Sheaffer Pen Museum thread on this board.

Edited by Pedro, 07 January 2012 - 03:31 AM.

[ticoun]

Is this the prototype:


There's a marbled blue with white streaks pen with truncated ends on the left,
a jade green golf pencil with a red tail,
and a marbled blue/jade green rod

The pic is on the Sheaffer Pen Museum thread on this board.

thanks Pedro, it's the pen i was talking about. that celluloid would have been gorgeous on a Balance imo.