Sheaffer 5-30
1928-30
About This Model
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.
About This Pen
The 5-30 (and 7-30; first number was price, second the years of its warranty) models were full-sized, fully appointed pens, with very large nibs. While these were not the Lifetimes, with their White Dots, the pens matched their quality. This pen, a full-size ringtop 5-30, 4.6″ long capped and almost .6″ across, is a pleasure to hold and an even greater pleasure to write with. With one nick in the edge of the base, and a smallest bit of swelling on its 94-year old body, it is an unusually nice example. The gold trim is clean and unmarked. The 5-30 imprint at the top of the cap and the barrel imprint are complete. It fills well and holds a tremendous quantity of ink (size 20 sac!). The treasure, however, is the nib, gold and simply marked “Sheaffer 5-30”, which writes a perfectly firm fine/medium line, fast, wet and surprisingly smooth. This is a treasure for the writer who likes a full-girth pen.
Price: $95 Sold