Would you like another Sheaffer Balance? Of course you would!
People have been combining pens with pencils for *ages*. Even dip pens: you can find dip nib/pencil combos going back to the 1800s. So naturally there are fountain pens with the same gimmick.
High-end makers like Parker and Sheaffer didn't make a lot of combos. The extra complications made them more likely to fail, for one thing, and having a pencil in the barrel reduced ink capacity. So I feel lucky to have this one. It's a big pen, too: 6" long capped (15.2cm).
The 5-30 on the nib indicates that it's a size 5 nib with a 30-year warranty. The pencil end unscrews to reveal an ossified eraser - maybe I should try carving a new one. The lead extends/retracts when you twist the gold point.
The clip design indicates that this pen was made around 1930-31. The patent number is for Sheaffer's combo pen design.
Unfortunately this is another pen with disintegrating celluloid. Some of the green parts have lost chatoyancy and have a cracked, grainy texture. Which is a shame: otherwise this pen is in great shape for 95 years old!
