Pen Model: Sheaffer 5-30

Sheaffer pen sales were always designed to reach a wide variety of buyers. Although Balances dominanted marketing and sales from 1930 until after World War II, they kept other models available. One of these was the 5-30. The 5-30, a flat-topped pen of various lengths and widths, had actually exited the official Sheaffer catalog by 1930 or so, when Balances became the main sellers. Before then, the flat-topped models were known by their numbers (34,46), and their model lines (Secretary, Regular). After 1930, when Balance and Lifetime naming took over, these models became 5-30 and 3-25, indicating their price and the length of guarantee. They were kept in the lineup because customers still wanted them, and to use up the inventory. But, in Jade and Jet Black Radite, with the clip positioned near the top of the cap to minimize reach above a pocket, these were steady sellers.