Sheaffer Valor 2006

by Jim Mamoulides, March, 31, 2006

Sheaffer's new international pen

The first completely new Sheaffer model since the Intrigue was introduced in 2000, the new Sheaffer Valor is a truly international pen that hints at Sheaffer's future, where more and more product manufacturing will be globally sourced. The Valor was designed in Germany to be a top of the line competitor to the top German marques. This intent is underlined by the Valor's worldwide launch at Paperworld in Frankfurt. The cap and barrel are highly polished machined acrylic, made in Italy, home to many top quality pen manufacturers. The nib unit comes from Fort Madison, Iowa, USA, home to Sheaffer since its founding in 1913.

Sheaffer Valor nib detail

The Valor is therefore a striking combination of new design and tradition. With the cap on, the pen has only one Sheaffer reference point, the oversized White Dot centered above its very large and unique clip. The White Dot is not flush to the cap, but projects out, mounted very similarly as on the Balance II line. Its raised crown matches the raised ring the cap band makes circling round the top of the cap, and from the front gives the clip the look of a loosened tie. The extra large clip starts as a basic bar shape, a Sheaffer theme since the 1959 PFM, but the wraparound top is a new idea, and carries the eye to the White Dot.

Sheaffer Valor P/T Fountain Pen 2006

The Valor is a very large pen. Capped, it's 5 7/8 inches long, noticeably longer than the Legacy Heritage. With the cap posted on the end of the barrel, it stretches out to 6 3/8 inches. It's also hefty for a plastic pen, weighing in at 1.5 ounces, slightly more than the Legacy Heritage, and similar in weight to a Cross Townsend.

Sheaffer Valor launch brochure 2006 - Front

Removing the cap brings out the second distinctive Sheaffer feature. The Valor is tipped with a classic Sheaffer Inlaid nib unit, a more slender unit than in the Legacy Heritage, more similar in size to the nib unit used in the Sheaffer Imperial. Unlike either pen, the Valor is a screw cap pen, and the cap threads are very quick, taking only one complete rotation to secure the cap to the barrel.

Sheaffer Valor P/T Fountain Pen 2006

For a large pen, the Valor has a slender feel from the section to the tip of the barrel. Using a narrower nib section encouraged a more elongated barrel, and side by side it makes the Legacy appear chunky by comparison. The cap is very large, and with the 1 7/8 inch long clip, is much more visually impacting than the Legacy Heritage cap. This pen strikes a more imposing look than the more traditional Legacy Heritage.

Sheaffer Valor launch brochure 2006 - back

The Valor is being launched in black machined acrylic with a choice of either 22 karat gold plate or palladium plated trim. This steers the pen toward the traditional market, where black pens are the best sellers. The launch models will be medium nib fountain pens and slim cartridge rollerball pens.

Valor G/T

Sheaffer Valor G/T Rollerball 2006

The Valor in black with 22 karat gold plate trim is the more traditional of the two launch models. Black and gold have long been associated with top of the line pens, and the Valor G/T model continues that tradition.

Identification guide and features:

• Black machined acrylic cap and barrel - Model 9350

• 3/16 inch wide 22 karat gold plated cap band stamped "SHEAFFER" around the front lip

• 22 karat gold plated washer type clip

• Solid 14 karat gold Inlaid nib hallmarked with Sheaffer jeweler's mark, "14K" and "585"

• Nib grade initially is medium only

• About 5 7/8 inches long capped and 6 3/8 inches posted

• Uses standard Sheaffer Skrip cartridges or fills from bottled ink with provided piston converter

• Retail price (2006) for the fountain pen is US $300.00, matching capped rollerball pen is US $250.00

• Packaged in large Sheaffer rosewood gift box

Valor P/T

Sheaffer Valor P/T Fountain Pen 2006

The Valor in black with palladium plate trim echoes the current trend to cooler tones. More fountain pen manufacturers are introducing pens with strong black and silver finishes, from plain to patterned. The polished machined acrylic cap and barrel are accented at the clip, cap band, section base, and barrel end with palladium plated furniture. The solid 14 karat gold nib is palladium plated to continue the black and silver theme.

Identification guide and features:

• Black machined acrylic cap and barrel - Model 9351

• 3/16 inch wide palladium plated cap band stamped "SHEAFFER" around the front lip

• Palladium plated washer type clip

• Palladium plated solid 14 karat gold Inlaid nib hallmarked with Sheaffer jeweler's mark, "14K" and "585"

• Nib grade initially is medium only

• About 5 7/8 inches long capped and 6 3/8 inches posted

• Uses standard Sheaffer Skrip cartridges or fills from bottled ink with provided piston converter

• Retail price (2006) for the fountain pen is US $300.00, matching capped rollerball pen is US $250.00

• Packaged in large Sheaffer rosewood gift box

Performance

The Valor P/T fountain pen and G/T rollerball pen arrived in mid March for a very short stay. I received a heads up from Sheaffer that they were coming overnight and had to scramble to make the studio ready for a shoot. Having only seen the Valor in photos, I was not sure what to expect. I opened the package and pulled out the two highly polished rosewood gift boxes and flipped them open. My first impression was, "these are big, serious looking pens."

The Valor looks all business, which fits the target market. Formal is a good word for them. I can picture these pens sitting on an executive's desk, as the images in the launch brochure suggest.

Sheaffer Valor cap and nib detail

The Valor is a departure from the all brass construction featured in most of the current Sheaffer White Dot line. The Valor has a different feel, a warmth, that a metal pen takes time to achieve. The extra large size of the Valor and heft of the thick acrylic material give the pen the weight and presence of an all metal pen, avoiding the cheap feel of a light molded plastic pen.

The cap is what defines the Valor, with its very large and distinctive clip that splits into a V at the top, The clip then wraps around the cap top, washer clip style. It's not flush, but bulges out as if flexing muscle. The cap top has a tab that fits into clip's V section and this serves to emphasize the look, leading the eye to the large White Dot. The White Dot itself pushes out from the cap top, not flush, as it might appear from the early photos of the pen. The final touch is the forward angled cut of the cap top, giving the pen a more serious look.

The trim is not ornate, keeping with the businesslike appearance of the pen. The only marking is the Sheaffer name stamped on the front of the cap band. Everything is snug and tight. The fit and finish overall is excellent.

Sheaffer Valor P/T and G/T with rosewood gift box

The Valor is a large and moderately heavy pen at 5 7/8 inches long capped and 6 3/8 inches with the cap posted on the end of the barrel. The cap has very large and fast threads that quickly and securely screw onto the section. Interestingly, the pre-release Sheaffer photos of the pen show a denser thread than the actual production model. Compare the Sheaffer photos at the left margin of this article and the shots we took and notice the bigger, fatter thread on the production pen. The production pens thread is quote fast.

For a large pen, the barrel has a more slender, tapered look than the Legacy Heritage. With the cap on, the pen visually widens steadily from the slender barrel end to the hefty cap. This is also seen comparing the slender band on the barrel end to the wide clip band. The cap has a lot of room inside and posts on the barrel very deeply, and the pen is well balanced, whether the cap is posted or not.

Because the clip is a washer type, it has less play than a typical Sheaffer innerspring clip. Its large size gives enough play to get it onto most pockets. It's a little tougher to get over thick material, but this is not a flannel shirt pen, anyway. It's really tall, so it rides high in the pocket and the clip and cap top will be very visible there.

Sheaffer Valor P/T and Sheaffer Legacy Heritage P/T shown for size comparison

I expected the Inlaid nib unit to be a good writer and I was not disappointed. I have lots of drive time with Sheaffer Inlaid nibs and they are consistently good writers. The Valor nib unit is very similar in size to the Imperial, a more slender nib unit than in the Legacy, but the same writing quality. The medium nib is firm, with some give and writes very well. The pen uses the standard Sheaffer piston fill converter or standard Sheaffer Skrip cartridges, giving Valor owners 11 ink colors to choose from.

Sheaffer is initially offering the Valor only with medium nibs. I think this is a mistake. The Valor is not a limited edition pen and most people use either a fine or a medium nib. There are also a hard core of writers who prefer broad, extra fine and stub nibs. For the Valor to really penetrate the executive / signature pen market, Sheaffer will need to add more nib choices to the line.

Sheaffer has placed the Valor in the flagship position in the line, above the Legacy Heritage. Its size, shape and initial color and trim choices position it as an executive pen. Because the Valor is an Italian made acrylic pen, Sheaffer has the opportunity to really jazz it up with an array of great colors. I personally would like to see this pen in the kind of classy acrylics seen on Auroras and Deltas. That would broaden interest and make the Valor a real winner.

Acknowledgement

Brochure and pre-production photos copyright Sheaffer pen corporation. All original photos copyright PenHero.com.

Comments on this article may be sent to the author, Jim Mamoulides
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