Wednesday, November 4, 2020

Newest Acquisitions (Virtual "Show & Tell") ~ part 100

For post #100, I thought it'd be nice to feature a pen belonging to the person who suggested our pen club's ongoing virtual "show & tell"-- René!
The pen in question? His Sheaffer '330' fountain pen....


(all photos by René ~ click on images to enlarge)

(photo above : Sheaffer '330' fountain pen)

 René: "Not long ago I acquired a Sheaffer 440 from VPCer Jerred. The 440 is what is called a "quasi-Imperial" pen from Sheaffer, from the 1970s, inspired by the successful Imperial line, several models of which came with the elegant and beautiful inlaid diamond-shaped nib. The 440 is called "quasi-imperial" because it also has the diamond-shaped inlaid nib, but a shorter one and is made of steel, instead of gold."

"While the 440 model has a plastic body and brushed steel cap, the 330 has the same body, but with a plastic cap with a metal cap ring, reminiscent of the Imperial IV cap."

 


  "As it shares the same nib section as the 440, the 330 is also a lovely writer, but the cap is a bit more difficult to post securely for some reason. 

 

 "Still, it's a beautiful pen that is cheaper than one of the Imperials but has the same elegant look, an underrated vintage pen."

 

"For comparison, here is a picture of the 330/44x quasi-imperials. From the top, the 444 (steel cap and body), the 440 (steel cap, plastic body), and the 330 (plastic cap and body)."

Love the short inlaid nibs on those 70s Sheaffers! For a nice article on this nib and its cousins, check out this article on Penhero.com - The Evolution of the Sheaffer Inlaid Nib 1959-Present

To René and all the VPC members who have contributed to our virtual show & tell --Thank you so much!

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