Maker: Sheaffer.
This page refers to the Balance model using this name.
This is a slightly shorter version of the Craftsman, a slender version of the Balance that was aimed at the feminine market. I have to admit that the very slight difference in length does not cry out to me “girl’s pen!” but apparently to the Sheaffer product naming brigade it did so quite loudly. The cap band is narrower on this model than on the white-dotted equivalent Lady Sheaffer.
I’m a little unclear on how much connection there is between the naming of the pen and the beauty pageant. My very brief look around the internet for information regarding the latter indicates that it began in 1926 but after 1935 underwent a depression/war related haitus and didn’t restart until 1953 under an entirely different aegis, so this may be a mere coincidence.
Production Run: 1938 – 1942 (this line was lost in the Triumph era).
Cost When New: $3.50 (for modern value, try this calculator).
Size: 12.3 cm long capped, 14.6 cm posted, 10.7 cm uncapped.
Point: 14k gold.
Body: Celluloid.
Filler: Lever, capacity approx. 0.8ml or vacuum filler, capacity approx. 1.3 ml .
Sheaffer Miss Universe, gold pearl striated. The loss of plating on the shoulder of the clip shows what certainly looks like silver, which is usually thought of as an indicator of wartime production; a 1942 (or later) model?
If you are relying on the preceding information to win a bet or impress a teacher, you should read the site’s scholarly caveat. Remember, this is the internet, and it’s full of bad information.