1936-42 Sheaffer Balance 875 *SOLD* ($160 US)

THIS PEN HAS BEEN SOLD!

Hello there. Welcome to Inkquiring Minds. My name is Doug, returning with another Pen Resurrection Sunday video.

I had planned to restore a 1937 first-generation Parker Vacumatic in silver pearl this week—a beautiful pen—but I set it aside until next week. Instead, I am restoring a 1936 Sheaffer Balance. I moved this model forward because Sheaffer recently released a new version called the Balance 3.

In 1929, Sheaffer transformed the industry with a streamlined, tapered celluloid design, continuing the Balance line until 1942. This pen belongs to the final generation, the Sheaffer Balance 1 from roughly 1936 to 1942, and it uses a lever filler, though vacuum fillers were also available. To honour the original, Sheaffer introduced the Balance 2 in 1997; this one is not mine but Murray’s, in a striking crushed ice burgundy acrylic. It pays homage to the famous Sheaffer Balance One while modernizing the design with a cartridge converter.

The Sheaffer cartridge converter features a concave section with gold rings at the top and bottom and a two-toned 18-karat gold nib. Shortly after the 1997 release, Sheaffer sold the business to the French company Bic Pens. Shortly after the original factory in Fort Madison, Iowa, was demolished, Sheaffer was acquired by the Indian stationery firm William Penn.

The company’s CEO, Nikhil Ranjan, is a dedicated fan of the brand. Around 2022 or 2023, one of his goals in securing the name was to restore its standing among fountain pen enthusiasts. Sheaffer had struggled after 1997 and before the 2000s. Ranjan vowed to bring back classic models, including one released a couple of years ago: the impressive Sheaffer Legacy, based on the PFM with its striking imperial inlaid nib. This is a fine pen. Although it uses a steel nib, Ranjan promised a 14-karat gold version soon, and I hope to try one.

Within the past week, I saw that Sheaffer released the Balance 3. I contacted my friend Joost Appleboom at Appleboom Pens and asked to review a Balance 3 once it arrived. They have just come in; I received a notice this morning that Joost is sending one, and I should have it by Wednesday. I plan to review it and offer a history lesson comparing the Balance 1, Balance 2, and the new Balance 3.

The original pen shifted from a lever filler to a vacuum filler, while the reissue adopted a modernized design with cartridges and a converter. The Sheaffer Balance 3 uses a piston filler and includes an ink window, which I find intriguing. I am eager for that pen to arrive by mail. Meanwhile, I must restore this 1936 Sheaffer Balance so it functions for the review. Let us triage this beautiful 1930s Sheaffer Balance in golden brown striated celluloid and determine what it needs to return to writing life.

So, what do I think about this pen’s revival? I am quite pleased with the result. Lever fillers are generally straightforward to restore unless the nib demands attention. This nib was in excellent condition, requiring only minor polishing, and it produces a fine, fluid line. It is the standard slender balance model, though this size matched a typical pen in the 1930s. A 1945 Parker vacuumatic sits beside it for scale; they share a similar length, but the vacuumatic is thicker. All gold hardware polished up well. I preserved the palladium plating on the nib, which looks striking.

The section is more translucent than before. The lever shows some corrosion, which is expected for a 90-year-old pen. I removed several gouges from it. Our name appears in print: Henry W., which I first called Sprencer, but the letter is a G—Sprenger. Research on Mr. Sprenger shows he was from Iowa, born in 1890 and deceased in 1975. Since the pen comes from Iowa—Birmingham, Iowa—I believe this Henry pen belongs to Henry W. Sprenger.

If you wish to buy this golden-brown striated celluloid fountain pen, I am offering it for $160 US plus shipping. Members may purchase it early with a 10 or 20% discount before the regular viewers see it on Sunday, but you must wait until I review the balance one, two, and three. I expect the Balance III tomorrow, and I will place the three pens together for what I expect will be an engaging history overview from 1929, the birth of the Sheaffer Balance, to 2026, the rebirth of Sheaffer and the Sheaffer Balance 3, which will include an ink window but use a piston filler.

If you wish to purchase this pen, please email inquiringminds@gmail.com with your name, address, and YouTube name so I can calculate your discount as a member; I will then send instructions for paying via PayPal.

If you enjoyed this video, please like and subscribe, and remember to ring the bell for instant alerts when new content appears. As noted, you can join my channel for 99 cents a month, gaining cool emojis, badges, sneak peek unboxing videos, and immediate access to posts. Regular members receive a 10% discount, while patron-level members at $5 a month obtain 20% off pen purchases like this one. Finally, thank you for watching.

And that's all, she wrote.