Lady Sheaffer Long Clip White Dot Fountain Pens c. 1968–1971

by Jim Mamoulides, December 13, 2024

Lady Sheaffer 902 “scalloped” fountain pen c. 1968–1971

Return of the White Dot

The Sheaffer ‘S’ logo, introduced on the clips of Sheaffer Stylist pens in early 1966, had a short life, with Sheaffer returning to the White Dot in the fall of 1968. This would also affect the appearance of the Sheaffer 'S' logo clip Lady Sheaffer pen models introduced in the fall of 1967. In the fall of 1968, Lady Sheaffer pen clips would be adorned with the White Dot in place of the ‘S’ logo and would have a short conical nib in place of the Stylist type. It’s not clear how many of the original four models were updated, but two can be confirmed.

The Lady Sheaffer XI Black and Gold Tulle is shown in late 1968 advertisements with a White Dot clip and a short palladium silver conical nib. There is an example of each of the Lady Sheaffer XIV Red and Gold Tulle and the XI Black and Gold Tulle shown below. That accounts for two “converted” ‘S’ logo clip pens.

Lady Sheaffer 901 “satin silver with wave band” fountain pen and ballpoint pen c. 1968–1971

The 1971 Sheaffer (England) Service Price List shows exchange and replacement parts pricing for all four ‘S’ logo clip models, described as “old style,” but makes no distinction on what the nib replacement would be, Stylist type or short conical type. The price is the same regardless of the model. It’s possible that whatever point the dealer sent in it would be replaced like for like until the Stylist points ran out. The Stylist and the short conical points are interchangeable on the ‘S’ logo clip Lady Sheaffer pen sections as they simply unscrew.

Lady Sheaffer 903 “golden moiré” fountain pen c. 1968–1971

Because the advertisements showing Lady Sheaffer XI Black and Gold Tulle pens consistently with palladium silver nibs and the 1971 Sheaffer (England) Service Price List shows the replacement prices the same across all four ‘S’ logo clip Lady Sheaffer models, I think it’s reasonable that all four ‘S’ logo clip Lady Sheaffer finishes were updated to White Dot clips and short conical palladium silver nib units sometime in the fall of 1968.

At some time between 1970 and 1972 Sheaffer redesigned the entire Lady Sheaffer line. Most of the finishes shown here were dropped. The cap, barrel, clip, and nib section were changed. This is a topic for a future article! The Lady Sheaffer IV Black and Gold Paisley finish was continued on an updated model 904 with a shorter bar style clip with a White Dot at the top.

Lady Sheaffer XI Black and Gold Tulle fountain pen with 14 karat gold conical nib c. 1968–1971

In addition to updating the four ‘S’ logo clip Lady Sheaffer models, Sheaffer introduced three new finishes in 1968 with three digit model numbers. These were the Lady Sheaffer 901, 902, and 903. In addition, each of these new finishes was offered as a fountain pen, ballpoint pen, or a mechanical pencil.

Identification Guide and Features:

Left to right: Lady Sheaffer XI Black and Gold Tulle, XIV Red and Gold Tulle, 901 “satin silver with wave band,” 902 “scalloped,” and 903 “golden moiré”

These Lady Sheaffers reflect the long, slender, tapered shape of the earlier 1966-1968 Stylist, with a long spring loaded clip. The cartridge fill fountain pens have a cap and barrel with rounded flat ends. They also return to the short conical nib featured on the original 1958-1966 Lady Sheaffer pens. In addition, Sheaffer introduced three new finishes to the Lady Sheaffer line, described in advertisements as “satin silver with wave band,” “scalloped,” and “golden moiré.” These new finishes introduced a change in model numbering from Roman numerals to three digit numbers. Each finish is described in detail below. Two are unconfirmed, but I believe all four were made, especially since two certainly exist, and the Lady Sheaffer IV Black and Gold Paisley finish was continued after the next Lady Sheaffer redesign as model 904.

What about examples inconsistent with the information below? Pens with "incorrect" nibs and nib sections? The only consistent elements are the cap and barrel, which identify the finish. If the cap has a White Dot on top of a long clip, then it is one of these models from this period. The nib sections and nibs themselves are easy to swap, leading to pens being found with palladium silver nib units when they are described in the limited available information as having 14 karat gold nibs and different color nib sections for the same reason. At this time there just isn’t enough Sheaffer catalog or price list information to clear that up, so this is the best information available as of this writing. If more becomes available, this will be updated.

• Brass cap and barrel with different finishes per model, each described below
• Black or red plastic nib section, depending on model
• Gold filled clip with White Dot mounted near the top
• Cartridge filler with optional converter
• Pull off cap
• 14 karat gold or palladium silver short conical nib unit, depending on model
• Available with fine, medium, or broad nibs
• About 5 7/16 inches long capped and 6 inches posted
• US retail prices for these pens shown where known
• Packaged in clamshell box with Lady Sheaffer logo
• Roman numeral models available with matching ballpoint pen, three digit numbered models available with matching ballpoint pen and/or mechanical pencil

Model numbers and pattern names:

The following models will have a fountain pen with a black nib section and a palladium silver short conical nib. These four were available as a fountain pen or ballpoint pen only. Unfortunately I did not have samples of the first two finishes discussed below. The finish can be seen with the 'S' logo clip in the article Lady Sheaffer ‘S’ Logo Long Clip Fountain Pens c. 1967–1968.

Lady Sheaffer IV Black and Gold Paisley (unconfirmed): As on the earlier, clipless Lady Sheaffer IV Paisley fountain pen c. 1958–66, the pattern is named for paisley, a woolen fabric woven with a pattern of colorful and minutely detailed figures, rendered as a dense, repeating etched gold wave pattern on a Jet enamel finish.

Lady Sheaffer X Ivory and Gold Tulle (unconfirmed): This pattern is very similar to the Lady Sheaffer X Tulle fountain pen c. 1958–66. The pattern is named for tulle, a thin, fine net named for Tulle, France, where the fabric was first made. The pen has an etched gold net-like pattern on an Ivory enamel finish.

Lady Sheaffer XI Black and Gold Tulle: The pattern is very similar to the Lady Sheaffer XI Tulle c. 1958–66 with an engraved gold net pattern on a Jet enamel finish.

Lady Sheaffer XIV Red and Gold Tulle: The pattern is very similar to the Lady Sheaffer XIV Tulle c. 1958–66 with an engraved gold net pattern on a Mandarin Red enamel finish.

The following models will have a fountain pen with a black or red nib section and a 14 karat gold or palladium silver short conical nib. I was not able to obtain catalog or pricing information that shows the specific model names, so descriptive names used in advertisemments are shown in quotes. Available as a fountain pen, ballpoint pen or mechanical pencil.

Lady Sheaffer 901: The cap and barrel have a “satin silver” finish, and the cap has a gold color fill wave band. The "correct" nib was probably palladium silver with a red section. Retail prices were $10 for the fountain pen and $5 each for the matching ballpoint and mechanical pencil.

Lady Sheaffer 902: The cap and barrel have a brushed rolled silver finish with an engraved "scalloped" pattern. Available as fountain pen, ballpoint pen, and mechanical pencil. The "correct" nib was probably palladium silver with a red section. Retail prices were $12.50 for the fountain pen and $7.50 each for the matching ballpoint and mechanical pencil.

Lady Sheaffer 903: This finish is called “Golden Moiré” in a 1972 retailer advertisement, and is a brushed gold-plated moiré finish with an engraved filigree pattern band on the cap. The "correct" nib was probably 14 karat gold with a black section. Retail prices were $15 for the fountain pen and $7.50 each for the matching ballpoint and mechanical pencil.

Performance

Since the pens shown in this article were on loan to be photographed for a Pennant article, I was not able to try any of them out. I did have an example of my own with a short conical palladium silver nib that I could test, so the writing test reflects that pen.

All Sheaffer short conical nibs are very firm, and my test pen's nib is no exception. It writes an even smooth line with a slightly pencil-like feel on paper. My impression is these are pens for note takers not expressive writers.

Lady Sheaffer XIV Red and Gold Tulle fountain pen c. 1968–1971

Like all earlier Lady Sheaffer pens, I’m going to repeat that the engraved surfaces of are very tactile, but many suffer from less than perfect execution of the finish and can show chipped paint or plating loss. Examples that initially look very clean may on close inspection show sloppy plating and color fill or tiny bubbles in the paint. They were not made with high precision given the premium price at the time.

The spring loaded clip is the same as on the Stylist, and like a clothespin, very secure in the pocket. The new finishes on the 901, 902, and 903 models are complimentary to the earlier Lady Sheaffers.

I would probably use one of these pens with Sheaffer Skrip cartridges. The “Skrip” plunger converter available at the time is not very reliable and is more a collector’s item than useful.

Model 902, with the brushed rolled silver finish with an engraved "scalloped" pattern and model XI Black and Gold Tulle appear to be the most commonly found examples and were the most frequently advertised. The rest of the models will be a challenge to obtain, so if you are interested in collecting these pens, you have some work ahead. The ballpoint pens and pencils are very uncommon regardless of finish. Another consideration is getting fountain pens with the “correct” nibs and sections. As can be seen here, because parts can be easily swapped, a pen found may not reflect the original production configuration.

The good news is that Lady Sheaffers do not command high prices. There are only a small number of collectors that focus on these pens. If you are up for a challenge, go for it!

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Acknowledgement

Thanks to Gary Ellison for providing pens to photograph and much of the known information on these pens. His website sheaffertarga.com is an essential resource for Sheaffer collectors.

Reference Article on PenHero.com:

Lady Sheaffer ‘S’ Logo Long Clip Fountain Pens c. 1967–1968, by Jim Mamoulides, December 6, 2024

Reference Article in the fall 2022 Pennant:

"Late Production Lady Sheaffer Pens c. 1967-1989" by Gary Ellison, Pennant, the magazine of the Pen Collectors of America, fall 2022

References

Advertisement, Honolulu Star Bulletin, Honolulu, Hawaii, December 22, 1968, page C-5

Advertisement, Honolulu Star Bulletin, Honolulu, Hawaii, May 16, 1969, page C-2

Advertisement, The Daily Telegraph, London, Greater London, England, December 6, 1968, page 70

Advertisement, The Honolulu Advertiser, Honolulu, Hawaii, December 21, 1968, page A-14

Advertisement, The Honolulu Advertiser, Honolulu, Hawaii, December 21, 1969, page C-10

Advertisement, The Lexington Herald, Lexington, Kentucky, November 26, 1970, page 44

Advertisement, The Montreal Star, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, May 16, 1970, page 17

Advertisement, The Montreal Star, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, December 5, 1970, page XX

Advertisement, Vancouver Sun, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, December 6, 1969, page 27

Sheaffer brochure, undated, England, 1967

Sheaffer catalog, May 1966

Sheaffer catalog, undated, August 1967

Sheaffer price list, England, July, 1967

Sheaffer Service Price List 1971, England