Product Description
Type Vintage pen and pencil set in excellent working condition.
Product Name Balance Lifetime 1000 fountain pen and 400 pencil. Both pieces have the model numbers marked on the barrel. The pen is a White Dot model. This is not the super fat oversized Balance sometimes marked 1000, it is a full size pen.
Manufacturer and Year Sheaffer, USA - circa 1936-42 (those were the years of production in this color and clip style).
Length Fountain pen is 5-3/8" long, and pencil is 5-1/4" and very slender.
Filling System Lever filler. We've restored the filling system with a new sac and it's working perfectly. Pencil takes 0.9mm "thin" leads, which extend and retract by twisting the top half of the pencil.
Color Golden Brown striated with gold filled trim. "Radius" clip is the flattened style, and it's got a medium sized 1/8" single cap band.
Nib FINE two-tone 14k Sheaffer Lifetime nib, verging on the extra fine. It's very firm and smooth.
Condition Excellent condition for both pieces. The fountain pen has handwear and microscratches. The ball end of the clip has brassing and plating loss, as does the side of the clip. The cap band looks good, very little brassing, but it does have a couple of tiny dents. Close inspection reveals scratches on the cap and barrel, but the pen retains a nice shiny quality. Ink viewing window is clear. No cracks or chips, the imprint is crisp and readable. The pencil is in similar condition, with microscratching and handwear. The clip is in fantastic shape, with no brassing or plating loss. Trim ring and nose cone are also quite nice, with just slight plating wear along the upper and lower edges.