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Sheaffer's Balance meets Dr. Who. Curse of the Black Spot.


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#1 david i

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Posted 20 January 2014 - 02:25 PM

Always nice to find an ultra-rare off-catalogue  1930's Sheaffer Balance. One wonders if it provided inspiration for the reboot Season-5 Doctor Who tale...

 

sheaffer_curse_blackdot700a.jpg

 

 

regards

 

David


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#2 gweddig

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Posted 20 January 2014 - 03:11 PM

Have been rewatching the new series myself, I think you meant series 6. But how the world would be different if white was the off-catalog... parallel universe one might say.

Would you like a jelly baby?

--greg

 

Edited to add that I acknowledge it's too early in the morning to really combine two arcane(ish) interests, clarify a fanboy fact and correct the owner of this forum.


Edited by gweddig, 20 January 2014 - 04:07 PM.


#3 david i

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Posted 20 January 2014 - 04:01 PM

Correct. Season 6. That's what I get for posting on no sleep.

 

I like Jelly Babies...

 

-d


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#4 david i

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Posted 21 January 2014 - 05:14 AM

The pen. Thoughts?

 

sheaffer_curse_blackdot700b.jpg

 

regards

 

David


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#5 Roger W.

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Posted 21 January 2014 - 05:41 AM

Un-white dotted - not much mystery.  But, how do you undot this color?  A grey dot might have been better.

 

Roger W.



#6 david i

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Posted 21 January 2014 - 05:51 AM

Roger posts vaguely. Assuming it indeed was un-white-dotted, who did? Why?  When?

 

Da daaah duuuummmm.....

 

-d


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#7 Roger W.

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Posted 21 January 2014 - 06:27 AM

You already posted the answer but, it goes back, of course, to the third doctor.  It was a gift for the black guardian.

 

Roger W.



#8 david i

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Posted 21 January 2014 - 06:37 AM

I liked the Black Guardian.

 

Still, this thing is factory original, with all sorts of interesting features.

 

That it turned out to be an oversized pen, despite looking standard in the ebay ad, that it sold for nearly nothing... did I mention the interesting features?

 

regards

 

d


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#9 Widget

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Posted 21 January 2014 - 09:23 AM

I think you need my magic machine on that pocket clip.  Bring it up a treat!!!



#10 gweddig

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Posted 21 January 2014 - 02:25 PM

Going out on a branch to suggest the clip may be gold plated silver (vermeil? which I usually equate with wartime). Do I see black chunks in the cap?

--greg

#11 david i

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Posted 21 January 2014 - 03:07 PM

Hi Greg,

 

No black in the plastic. We're just seeing different angles on the pearlescent gray.

 

I share your observation about hobby views of pens with blue/black tarnish on clips. There has been discussion that Vermeil (gold filled silver) does this more readily than typical gold-filled-on-brass. We see 1940's Sheaffers with blue/black clip tarnish, sometimes with cap-band still showing mostly gold tone. This pen should date to about 1935 ,which would not match the war-era Vermeil thing. The pen does have couple other neat features. I will add more pics later today

 

regards

 

david


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#12 david i

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Posted 22 January 2014 - 06:18 AM

Time to up the ante...

 

So,  we have an off catalogue bizarro Sheaffer Balance oversize,  sold with somewhat weak pics on ebay, such that it didn't even look OS and with the dot not well highlighted.  Did the darkened dot mark special intention by Sheaffer for what would otherwise be a Lifetime high line pen?

 

Perhaps.

 

Here be the  nib.

 

 

sheaffer_curse_blackdot750c.jpg

 

 

Also of interest is the feed.

 

 

sheaffer_curse_blackdot750d.jpg

 

 

regards

 

David


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#13 david i

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Posted 22 January 2014 - 06:34 AM

Have been rewatching the new series myself, I think you meant series 6. But how the world would be different if white was the off-catalog... parallel universe one might say.

Would you like a jelly baby?

--greg

 

Edited to add that I acknowledge it's too early in the morning to really combine two arcane(ish) interests, clarify a fanboy fact and correct the owner of this forum.

 

Correcting the forum owner is one reason the owner created the forum.  Getting info solid is a good thing :)

 

-d


David R. Isaacson MD. Website: VACUMANIA.com for quality old pens with full warranty.
Email: isaacson@frontiernet.net

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#14 JonSzanto

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Posted 22 January 2014 - 09:34 AM

Righteous find, doctor. I'll continue to follow this for my education, but I'd have that mole looked at.



#15 Luciano

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Posted 22 January 2014 - 11:38 AM

It looks line this because it's a Sheaffer Balance Tardis!

#16 david i

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Posted 22 January 2014 - 12:18 PM

Note too that I could easily polish the clip to normal look.   I just like the stealth look, black dot with black clip. How the clip started out, I cannot say.

 

regards

 

david


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#17 ljwahl

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Posted 22 January 2014 - 01:06 PM

A number SEVEN Feather Touch nib? Didn't know such a creature existed. Black dot is really odd, but a Feather Touch nib should not have a white dot, so... just can't figure out why there is a dot there at all.

In general, what do we know about non-Lifetime oversize pens? Were they standard offerings? Just seems like "oversize", even then, most often went along with "deluxe", including the best features of a particular line. Is this corect?

The white feed is an odd duck, but a known duck just the same from this period.

Looking forward to any more insight you can provide...

Larry

#18 david i

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Posted 22 January 2014 - 01:27 PM

Hi Larry,

 

Here's a good place to start:

 

Link-- Fountain Pen Board's Discussion of Non White Dot (no dot) OS Balances with FT #7 and (earlier) 5-30 Nibs-- Link

 

Note thereis a nib even  funkier than Feather Touch #7... the Feather Touch #8

 

We have some fun threads here.

Regards

 

David


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#19 matt

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Posted 22 January 2014 - 03:39 PM

Looks like a WWII vermeil clip. They often get that tarnished silver look.

#20 david i

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Posted 22 January 2014 - 03:42 PM

Looks like a WWII vermeil clip. They often get that tarnished silver look.

 

Indeed.

 

And the white feed tends to turn up on striped pens including military-clip pens, later than the suggested issue date of 1934-5 for this pen...

 

regards

 

d


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