1946-7 Gray Pearl Sheaffer Triumph Valiant fountain pen

There are four generations of Sheaffer Triumph. Each has interesting characteristics that differentiate it from the others. Yet they are obviously a family rooted together by the Triumph nib and, for most pens, the vacuum filler.

This is a third generation pen. It marks Sheaffer's foray into injection molding. The grip section and inner barrel are a single unit of transparent, injection molded plastic. The cap and  outer barrel - or binde if you're a Pelikan fan - are celluloid. It may seem like an odd mix of old and new but I like it. In 1924 Sheaffer was one of the first to use celluloid. I can imagine it was a difficult decision to shift away from that legacy. Sheaffer did abandon celluloid entirely in 1948.

The Valiant was Sheaffer's top of the line pen. I've seen Oversize Triumph used in descriptions. That seems odd to me since Sheaffer made only 2 diameters of Triumph pen. It is not a large pen by modern standards. It is comparable to a Parker "51" or a modern Pelikan M600. I have large hands and find no difficulty in using the pen unposted. The cap does post if desired.

This pen is in very good condition. The transparent grip section clearly shows the feed extension and the end of the plunger. It will easily show the ink level, too. The celluloid is flawless; there is not a mark, scratch or fault. The only thing notable is thinning of the nickel plating. There is no plating loss, but it plating is not pristine.

The nib is amazing. It is wet, smooth and so nice. It is a vintage fine-medium or medium. Vintage Sheaffer point sizes are closely equivalent to modern Japanese sizes. So, it is like a modern, western fine.

The Vacuum-Fil system guaranteed for at least 1 year. It is best to avoid permanent (e.g. Noodler's) or high alkaline (e.g. Japanese) inks. They tend to ruin the rubber in filling systems and stain plastic and celluloid.

Length
Capped - 132 mm (5.2”)
Uncapped - 113 mm (4.7”)
Posted - 150 mm (5.9”).

Diameter
Cap - 13 mm (0.51”)
Barrel - 12.2 mm (0.48”)

Filler
Vacuum-Fil

Nib
Firm, Modern, Western Fine (Japanese medium)