Black Sheaffer Balance Admiral - Vacuum-Fil - fine nib

A mirror polished black pen that reflects every nearby object is a thing of beauty.

The Sheaffer Balance Admiral may be my favorite vintage fountain pen. It isn't the largest Balance - a bit shorter and more slender than the vaunted Premier or OS. I believe the Admiral is a better pen because it has a Feather Touch 5 nib - one of the best vintage nibs. Not flexible or even semi-flexible yet with enough softness and bounce to produce beautiful line variation under normal writing pressure. Better than a truly flexible nib because it can be used every day for all sorts of writing or drawing. 

This pen was made between 1938 and 1941 since it has a price code of 500 ($5) stamped on the barrel beneath the manufacturer's imprint. My guess is the date is probably closer to 1940 since the original filler rod was celluloid covered carbon steel rather than stainless steel. Sheaffer seems to have reverted to this earlier filler rod for some pens produced in the wartime years. Perhaps stainless steel was not always readily available. The rod had rusted badly and the celluloid cover cracked. I've replaced it with a custom made rod from black oxide coated stainless steel. It will last for many years to come as will the restored filler seals. The only maintenance is an occasional dab of pure silicone grease on the filler rod.

The pen is nearly flawless. The plating is intact and there are no notable marks in the celluloid. The only criticism is the barrel has turned red and darkened a bit compared to the clear green of a new pen. The transparency is still good as can be seen in the video.

Length
Capped - 136 mm (5.13)
Uncapped - 114 mm (4.5”)
Posted - 158 mm (6.2”).
Diameter
Cap - 13.3 mm (0.53”)
Barrel - 11.5 mm (0.45”)

Filler
Vacuum-Fil

Nib
Bouncy Fine