FP Newbie

An American Tradition… well, a company that used to be an American tradition that is now owned by an Indian company.

For my first post I chose the Sheaffer 300. I chose this pen because no one that I know of is attached to this pen emotionally, so I can express my opinions about it without worrying about offending people or making a complete fool of myself. Although, if I’ve learned anything at all about the FP community, it’s that people love to poke holes in any opinion or theory, especially authoritative statements. So, I will clarify that I am just stating my opinion. You can decide what that’s worth.

So, here goes. I bought this pen new online for a total of $23.95, including shipping costs. I was initially surprised that an inexpensive pen would look nice, have a solid feel, and come with ink converter and two cartridges – the type of service I would expect from a luxury pen company. However, once I started writing with the pen, it didn’t take long for me to realize that it is not a luxury pen.

W. A. Sheaffer Pen Company was founded in 1912 in Fort Madison, Iowa. They were bought by Bic Pens in 1997, closed the Fort Madison offices down in 2008 and moved production to a third party manufacturer in China. Administrative tasks were moved to Slovakia. They were sold again in 2014 to Cross, and in August of this year (2022) they were purchased by William Penn Pvt. Ltd from India. Evidently, they are going for the Ernest Hemingway Award for World Travel.

This pen kind of grows on you. Not like a fungus, I mean in a good way. The weight and finish are nice and it feels good in your hand. When you start writing with it, it’s slightly scratchy and the nib is rigid. However, for journal writing it’s precise and moves along the page well. It’s not stingy with ink at all and there is no skipping or false starts. Even though my mindset of this pen is that it’s a “cheap” pen, I pick it up every few days and enjoy writing with it.

In conclusion, if you are looking for an affordable pen that looks professional and writes pretty well, I would recommend the Sheaffer 300. If you’re looking for craftsmanship, tradition, or an amazing writing experience, keep looking. Buy Here