5. Sheaffer Pens - Current Stock

Sheaffer Pens - A Brief History

The Sheaffer pen Company was founded in 1912 by Walter A Sheaffer, a jeweller from Fort Madison, Iowa.  Sheaffer had an innovative idea for a lever filling fountain pen and filed a patent for his invention in 1908 and an improved system in 1912. Production began in earnest that same year and a sales office was established in Kansas City.

With the aid of an expensive advertising campaign the company expanded rapidly and in 1914 the jewellery business was sold so that they could move to larger premises in Front St.

Eventually the company settled in the premises of the Fort Madison Plow Company which was converted to a modern factory. The hard rubber products of the early years gave way to the new Celluloid pens of the 1920’s. Sheaffer’s Lifetime guarantee, in the form of the famous ‘White Dot’ pens, caught the imagination of the public and, despite their expense, were extremely successful.

A string of hugely successful writing instruments followed, including the Lifetime Flat Tops and the Balance series. Sheaffer are probably best known for their later models, the Imperial with its innovative touchdown filling system, the Snorkel and the prestigious PFM (Pen for Men).

Sheaffer also developed new variations on nib design (the Triumph and the Inlaid nibs) and their work on filling systems is legendary.

Now part of the Bic group, Sheaffer continue to provide high end, top quality writing instruments.