On the slide into the
Second World War, Sheaffer was faced with a bit of a problem. The
regulations of the US military required any pen worn be of a shape that
allowed the flap of a pocket to lie undisturbed. Parker had this concept well in
hand (and had since well before
the clouds of war loomed), as did Waterman.
Sheaffer, on the other hand, made pens that might well have
attracted Freud's interest through their flauntingly out-of-pocket
nature. Some bright chap in Sheaffer's design wing came up with a
solution that was cheap and elegant all at once-- mount a fairly
mundane clip the wrong way up, then bend is back over the top of the
cap. Not only does it meet the regulation (in arguably a more
complete way than Parker's top jewels allowed), but it was striking and
allowed a separate line aimed directly at the military.
The Vigilant was the second-rank pen in Sheaffer's military line-up (at
least, in the 1941 catalogue), being a full length but slightly more
slender object than the top-rank Valiant (yes, another Sheaffer pen
with that name!). Apart from the military clip, it is not any
different from that year's Sovereign, which oddly enough was presented
in the catalogue as a woman's pen which is "equally preferred by many
men."
The point, a madly-smooth
Lifetime, is certainly as
good as any civilian model which I guess goes to show that Sheaffer was
not presuming upon the possibility of a military life-time being
dramatically shorter than a civilian one.
One final note-- there is some confusion in the world about military
clips and the Sheaffer "tuckaway" clip. Unlike Clark Kent and
Kal-El, they are not one and the same, which I can prove with
photographic evidence:
Specifications: Extra-fine
two-tone 14k gold
point. Vacuum filler. 13.2 cm long capped, 15.1 cm
posted.
Condition: The clear portions have taken on a true amber colour.
The body is free of all but the most subtle pocket-wear. A
few hard-to-shift spots of oxidation remain on the furniture, which is
otherwise in fine shape.
Repairs: Polished away black oxidation on clip and band (which
suggests wartime silver underpinnings), replaced piston seal. The
original tail seals are somehow still functional, as it fills fully now.
Location: My collection.
For sale?: Not
currently. I've one of a different colour to refit, which may
change my tune.
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