Golden Brown Sheaffer Balance Statesman - Extra-Fine point

This pen is in such nice condition. Not perfect, but ever so nice. The celluloid has no flaws apart a bit of darkening to the barrel transparency. Not at all opaque, but not the light green it was when new. See the photo to details. The only other flaw is some lost plating on the end of the clip revealing silver base metal. Not unexpected for a pen of this vintage.

The nib is wet and smooth despite it's diminutive point size. It makes me rethink my preference for larger points.

Since Sheaffer did not use date codes on their pens, like Parker, I find it interesting and fun to do my best to narrow down the range of manufacture dates. This pen has a price code of 1000 ($10) stamped on the barrel beneath the manufacturer's imprint. Sheaffer started that with the 1938 catalog when they also gave each model a name (Statesman) rather than just a # (C74 KABRI). But, pens from that era have a "new style" plunger knob that is tapered rather than mushroom shaped. And a stainless steel plunger rod. Except when they don't.

Conjecture follows...

I believe that wartime Balance pens (~1939-1941) occasionally were made with the "old style", mushroom shaped filler knob and celluloid covered, carbon steel rods. Otherwise, we wouldn't see these pens with 1938-onward price code stamps.

Furthermore, evidence shows that Sheaffer used silver (coin silver?) base metal rather than brass during wartime. This since brass was used exclusively for more important wartime applications rather than pens.

So I'm quite certain this is a wartime pen though I don't have enough information to narrow down a wartime range of dates. The last Sheaffer catalog featuring the Balance was published in 1941. Reasonable evidence shows the Balance line was replace with the Triumph line in 1942. However, it is unknown if Sheaffer continued to make Balance pens after 1941. That results in lots of speculation. 

Length
Capped - 135 mm (5.4”)
Uncapped - 117 mm (4.6”)
Posted - 159 mm (6.3”)
Diameter
Cap - 13.3 mm (0.53”)
Barrel - 11.5 mm (0.45”)

Filler
Vacuum-Fil

Nib
Fine-Medium