In 1912, Walter Sheaffer, an Iowa jeweler, founded the Sheaffer Pen Company based on an innovation eliminating the need to use an eye dropper to fill fountain pens. Sheaffer created the first commercial lever-fill pen in 1913, and during the 1920s released the Sheaffer Vacuum Filler, which used a long plunger to fill the pen with ink.
In 1920, the company introduced its successful premium-priced “lifetime” pen, which guaranteed the gold nib for the life of the owner. And in 1924, Sheaffer introduced its signature “white dot” and the first successful mass-produced plastic pen, the Sheaffer Jade, made of Radite.
The Sheaffer Balance, released in 1929, started a trend toward streamlined pens. This highly collectible cigar-shaped pen was produced for almost 20 years, in an array of colors ...
The Sheaffer Snorkel, one of Sheaffer’s most popular pens, was produced in the 1950s, and had approximately 12 different versions with a wide array of available colors. The PFM (Pen For Men) was released in the late 1950s, and although many collectors think of it as one of Sheaffer’s finest pens, it was not very successful. The PFM introduced an inlaid nib, which lays on top of the nib section.
In the 1970s, Sheaffer released the Targa, which featured a 1920s-style cylindrical look and was named after the Targa Florio race and the Porsche Targa. It was discontinued in the 1990s and has been highly collectible ever since. Sheaffer was bought by Bic in 1997.
Interviews & Articles
The Pinnacle of Pens: Author Barry Gabay on Writing in Style and the Montblanc 149

In 1908, three guys in Hamburg, Germany, founded what would become Montblanc. In the beginning it was known as the Simplo Filler P… [more]
Vintage Sheaffer, Parker, Wahl, and Waterman Fountain Pens

When I got my first job out of college, I did what a lot of people do: I ran out and bought myself a Montblanc pen and fountain pe… [more]
Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)
Parker51.com

Ernesto Soler's extensive homage to one of the most popular pens ever produced, the Parker "51," introduced in 1941… [read review or visit site]
Penhero.com

Jim Mamoulides' vintage and modern pen-cyclopedia. Start at the main gallery, featuring detailed articles (with pho… [read review or visit site]
If These Shirts Could Talk: The Tantalizing Tales Behind Used Clothes
Jockeying for Position: How Boxers and Briefs Got Into Men's Pants
Gloriously Grotesque 19th-Century Pipes
In the Hot Seat: Is Your Antique Windsor a Fake?
Love at First Kite: How Pizza and Pente Led to One Oklahoman's High-Flying Obsession
Blood, Sweat, and Steel: My Afternoon with the Ace of Swords
'The Great Gatsby' Still Gets Flappers Wrong
Say Ahhh: An Oral Surgeon's Quest to Reimagine the Garage-Band Guitar
Forget TV Pickers, Meet the Real Mavericks of the Antiques World
Coveting The Craziest Cat-People Collectibles

by 

