Sheaffer
Encyclopedia
Sheaffer is a pen
company that manufactures writing instruments including ballpoint, fountain and rollerball pens and mechanical pencils. It is famous for its “school” lineup of fountain pens, as well as calligraphy
sets.
Sheaffer is owned by the BIC Corporation; its trademark is a white dot. Sheaffer's fountain pen ink is called “Sheaffer Skrip”.
Many of Sheaffer's pen range are characterized by the classic Sheaffer inlaid nib. Sheaffer has developed several different filler systems for their fountain pen, such as the Touchdown Filler (introduced in 1949), and, in 1952, the Snorkel extending filler tube, both of which allow for bottled ink to be used without dismantling the pen.
, who designed in 1907 and patented in August 1908 a lever-activated pen filling apparatus. In 1912, Sheaffer used his life savings to start the Sheaffer company, which started with seven employees and operated in the back of a Fort Madison, IA jewelry store. On January 1, 1913, the W. A. Sheaffer Pen Company was incorporated with an initial investment of $35,000.
In 1922, the company introduced its own line of bottled inks for use with its fountain pens. Called Sheaffer Skrip ink, it was intended to flow more smoothly and blend more easily than other inks. In 1924 Sheaffer produced jade green pens made of a material Sheaffer called Radite
. Prior to that time most fountain pens were black hard rubber. The introduction of colored pens proved popular and by 1925 Sheaffer had captured 25 percent of the U.S. pen market. Sheaffer maintained this market share throughout the years of the Great Depression. The Sheaffer White Dot trademark first appeared in 1924 on the Jade Radite and Black Radite flat-top fountain pen.
With the end of the Second World War, the U.S. could dismantle its huge and efficient war machine and return to a civilian peacetime economy. Of course, this took a bit of time, and in any case no one was sure exactly how well that economy would do. Consequently, most manufacturers played it somewhat conservatively, and it is therefore no surprise that the Sheaffer pens of the postwar period looked quite a bit like those made before (and in limited numbers during) the war. Changes were, however, on the way.
The ever-faithful lever filler, the innovation that put Sheaffer on the map back in 1912, was also on its way out, although it would last into the early 1950s on a few models. The Vac-FIl system was getting a bit long in the tooth, and perhaps Sheaffer was getting too many warranty claims due to leaks and rotted pistons. In 1949, Sheaffer announced a new filling system, the Touchdown, which quickly replaced the Vac-Fil design.
The Touchdown was actually a sac pen; the conventional rubber sac was concealed inside a metal capsule with holes strategically punched through its end and around its base; over this assembly was a nickel-plated tube fitted with an O-ring for an airtight seal. When the tube was retracted from the back of the pen and then pushed back in, it created high pressure inside the pen that deflated the sac and forced out any ink remaining inside; then, as the pressure equalized, the sac returned to its normal shape and drew in a load of fresh ink.
In 1938 Sheaffer introduced the world's first pen with a plastic body and a fitted metal cap, a year later known as the Crest. Other well-known models include the Balance, the PFM, the Sheaffer Targa, the TRZ, the Connoisseur, the Prelude
, the Javelin, the Snorkel, the Touchdown, and the Nostalgia.
Pen
A pen is a device used to apply ink to a surface, usually paper, for writing or drawing. Historically, reed pens, quill pens, and dip pens were used, with a nib of some sort to be dipped in the ink. Ruling pens allow precise adjustment of line width, and still find a few specialized uses, but...
company that manufactures writing instruments including ballpoint, fountain and rollerball pens and mechanical pencils. It is famous for its “school” lineup of fountain pens, as well as calligraphy
Calligraphy
Calligraphy is a type of visual art. It is often called the art of fancy lettering . A contemporary definition of calligraphic practice is "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner"...
sets.
Sheaffer is owned by the BIC Corporation; its trademark is a white dot. Sheaffer's fountain pen ink is called “Sheaffer Skrip”.
Many of Sheaffer's pen range are characterized by the classic Sheaffer inlaid nib. Sheaffer has developed several different filler systems for their fountain pen, such as the Touchdown Filler (introduced in 1949), and, in 1952, the Snorkel extending filler tube, both of which allow for bottled ink to be used without dismantling the pen.
Early years
The company was founded by Walter A. SheafferWalter A. Sheaffer
Walter A. Sheaffer was an American inventor and businessman who developed the first commercially successful lever-filling fountain pen and founded the W.A. Sheaffer Pen Company....
, who designed in 1907 and patented in August 1908 a lever-activated pen filling apparatus. In 1912, Sheaffer used his life savings to start the Sheaffer company, which started with seven employees and operated in the back of a Fort Madison, IA jewelry store. On January 1, 1913, the W. A. Sheaffer Pen Company was incorporated with an initial investment of $35,000.
In 1922, the company introduced its own line of bottled inks for use with its fountain pens. Called Sheaffer Skrip ink, it was intended to flow more smoothly and blend more easily than other inks. In 1924 Sheaffer produced jade green pens made of a material Sheaffer called Radite
Radite
Radite is a trade name for an early plastic, formed of Pyroxylin - a partially nitrated cellulose - introduced by the Sheaffer Pen Company in the 1920s, when plastics were first used as a material for pen manufacture....
. Prior to that time most fountain pens were black hard rubber. The introduction of colored pens proved popular and by 1925 Sheaffer had captured 25 percent of the U.S. pen market. Sheaffer maintained this market share throughout the years of the Great Depression. The Sheaffer White Dot trademark first appeared in 1924 on the Jade Radite and Black Radite flat-top fountain pen.
With the end of the Second World War, the U.S. could dismantle its huge and efficient war machine and return to a civilian peacetime economy. Of course, this took a bit of time, and in any case no one was sure exactly how well that economy would do. Consequently, most manufacturers played it somewhat conservatively, and it is therefore no surprise that the Sheaffer pens of the postwar period looked quite a bit like those made before (and in limited numbers during) the war. Changes were, however, on the way.
Postwar innovations
In 1948, Sheaffer discontinued the use of Radite (celluloid) in favor of a new synthetic cast resin that they called "Fortical." This meant the end of the quaint stripes and swirls of old-fashioned celluloid, but the new material promised to be more durable and scratch-resistant, and was much less expensive to manufacture. Also, in my view at any rate, the new material worked much better with bright or pastel colors, a characteristic that Sheaffer would exploit in the years that followed.The ever-faithful lever filler, the innovation that put Sheaffer on the map back in 1912, was also on its way out, although it would last into the early 1950s on a few models. The Vac-FIl system was getting a bit long in the tooth, and perhaps Sheaffer was getting too many warranty claims due to leaks and rotted pistons. In 1949, Sheaffer announced a new filling system, the Touchdown, which quickly replaced the Vac-Fil design.
The Touchdown was actually a sac pen; the conventional rubber sac was concealed inside a metal capsule with holes strategically punched through its end and around its base; over this assembly was a nickel-plated tube fitted with an O-ring for an airtight seal. When the tube was retracted from the back of the pen and then pushed back in, it created high pressure inside the pen that deflated the sac and forced out any ink remaining inside; then, as the pressure equalized, the sac returned to its normal shape and drew in a load of fresh ink.
In 1938 Sheaffer introduced the world's first pen with a plastic body and a fitted metal cap, a year later known as the Crest. Other well-known models include the Balance, the PFM, the Sheaffer Targa, the TRZ, the Connoisseur, the Prelude
Prelude
Prelude may refer to:*Sheaffer Prelude, a series of fountain pens, ballpoints and rollerball pens made by the Sheaffer Pen company*Prelude , a musical form*Prelude , an English based folk band...
, the Javelin, the Snorkel, the Touchdown, and the Nostalgia.