Sheaffer Triumph Masterpiece II c. 1945-1947

by Jim Mamoulides, October 11, 2024

Sheaffer Triumph Masterpiece II c. 1945-1947

Masterpiece, Too

Sheaffer revised the Triumph pen and pencil line in 1945, making it more rounded, changing to a new clip design, changing the section, and adding a spring loaded mechanism to the clip. The new look extended to the rest of the Sheaffer models, giving them a similar appearance across the line, whether fitted with Triumph or open nibs, as Sheaffer did with the previous Balance pens and pencils. According to the Sheaffer “New Repair Parts Price List,” dated October 1, 1945, this new line went into production effective March 1, 1945. The update affected the model names of Sheaffer pens and pencils and in the 1946 Sheaffer Catalog are all followed with Roman numeral II, indicating that the new line is Triumph version II. Although the Roman numeral II is shown in catalogs and Sheaffer documents, it does not appear in advertisements, either by Sheaffer or Sheaffer retailers. For consistency, I’m going to refer to this pen as the Triumph Masterpiece II to distinguish it from the previous pen.

The update included a redesigned Triumph Masterpiece II pen and pencil shown in the 1946 catalog, with the fountain pen priced at $100 and the matching pencil priced at $50. A matching Masterpiece Stratowriter retractable ballpoint pen was introduced in 1947 and priced at $67.50. Advertisements for the Triumph Masterpiece II consistently show them in sets with the pencil or later in 1947 as triple sets with the pencil and Stratowriter retractable ballpoint pen. The Triumph II line sets the tone for an overall look of Sheaffer pens and pencils that continues through 1959, including the Touchdown, the TM Thin Model, and the Snorkel.

Sheaffer Triumph Masterpiece II c. 1945-1947

The earliest advertisement I could find for the Triumph Masterpiece II is in the September 23, 1945 Washington, D.C. Evening Star. Though the image is a line drawing it does look like the updated design for the Triumph Masterpiece II pen and pencil set, and the set is priced at $150, $25 more than the c. 1942-1944 Triumph Masterpiece set that sold for $125, and clearly states that the price does not include 20% Federal tax. I have not been able to find a 1945 Sheaffer catalog, if it even existed, but there are many advertisements for the Triumph Masterpiece II, mostly by retailers, and a wave of advertisements for it begin appearing in 1946.

Advertisement in the November 18, 1946 issue of Life magazine

There are dozens of retailer advertisements for the Triumph Masterpiece II pen and pencil set in 1946 and 1947, starting with ads for pen and pencil sets and then “threesome” sets including the Masterpiece Stratowriter retractable ballpoint pen appearing as early as October, 1946. Sheaffer nationally advertised the Triumph Masterpiece II full page and full color on the inside front cover of the November 18, 1946 issue of Life magazine. Taglines in ads emphasized the cachet of the Triumph Masterpiece II, including “Designed For the Truly Discriminating,” “Symbol of Impeccable Taste,” "Masterpiece - for Presentation," and “World’s Three Finest Writing Instruments.” Getting someone, and that would be a wealthy someone, to part with $150 to $217.50, not including tax, would have to be an appeal to some higher calling! The advertising effort in 1946 and 1947 makes me wonder if Sheaffer had quite a bit of gold they wanted to unload!

The Triumph Masterpiece II was sold into 1948, with the latest advertisement I could find for the threesome with the Masterpiece Stratowriter retractable ballpoint pen appearing in the June 8, 1948 Greenville, Ohio Greenville Daily Advocate. There are retailer advertisements for Triumph Masterpiece II pen and pencil sets that can be found as late as 1951, but they are few and appear to be aimed at selling off inventory, as is typical when models transition. Some changes were coming in 1948 that to me, marks the transition from the Triumph Masterpiece II to a new Masterpiece.

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Sheaffer began to make changes to production and design of their pens in 1948. The first, internally announced in the January, 1948 Sheaffer’s Review, describes the change from making pens and pencils from Radite celluloid to molded Forticel plastic. The second change, more impactful for the Triumph Masterpiece II, affected the visual appearance of the pen, pencil, and Stratowriter. Metal cap Sheaffer pens previously did not have the Sheaffer White Dot inlaid or inserted above the clip as Sheaffer had not yet solved how to make it secure and stay in place.

Sheaffer Triumph Masterpiece II c. 1945-1947

Lynn Martin, Manager of the Development Department at Sheaffer described how they solved the problem in the March 1948 Sheaffer’s Review, “We did it the hard way just to make sure it’ll stick. … A gold filled eyelet is first pushed through a hole in the metal cap and crimped underneath. Then the plastic white dot is inserted, heated from the inner side of the cap, and mushroomed to form a tight, positive fit.” The story goes on to say, “Martin has promised he will personally eat every white dot that falls out of a metal cap.” Because of this, the White Dot “will soon be inserted in all solid gold, gold filled, and Mastermetal pen and pencil caps.” The Stratowriter retractable ballpoint pen was also redesigned giving it a removable threaded cap, and an appearance more like the fountain pen, and of course, the White Dot on the cap.

These changes preceded the 1949 introduction of the Sheaffer Touchdown line, which included a White Dot cap, lever-filled Masterpiece fountain pen, pencil, and threaded cap Stratowriter ballpoint pen. The Masterpiece fountain pen shown in the 1949 catalog, no longer using any Roman numeral, was only available as a lever-filler.

Identification guide and features:

Sheaffer Triumph Masterpiece II c. 1945-1947

The Sheaffer Triumph Masterpiece II pen and pencil set appear in the 1946 Sheaffer catalog and the Masterpiece Stratowriter ballpoint pen is added in the 1947 catalog. I don't have a definite date, but the Triumph Masterpiece II in this form continued until Sheaffer began to install the White Dot in the cap and/or the Touchdown line was introduced.

• 14 karat gold cap, barrel, clip, and lever. All except lever are hallmarked 14K.
• Repeating three line linear chasing on the cap and barrel with a blank cartouche on the barrel for engraving
• Cap has a ¼ inch plain band at the cap lip for engraving
• Cap lip stamped with "SHEAFFER"S" and "MADE IN U.S.A."
• Threaded cap
• 14 karat gold nib stamped SHEAFFER'S over LIFETIME over REG. U.S. PAT. OFF. over MADE IN U.S.A. over 14K
• 16 standard nib sizes
• Lever-fill mechanism
• Ribbed visualated section
• 5 1/4 inches long capped, 5 15/16 inches long with the cap posted on the end of the barrel
• The fountain pen was $100, the matching pencil was $50, and the matching Stratowriter retractable ballpoint pen, introduced in 1947, was $67.50

Performance

The Sheaffer Triumph Masterpiece II is a little shorter and less ornate than its predecessor. The cap is more rounded, complemented by a more rounded, spring loaded clip. The barrel end is a bit more pointed than the cap, but the overall appearance is cigar shaped, but not the same as the previous Sheaffer Balance pens. Though this particular Triumph Masterpiece II has seen some hard use, the fit and finish is still excellent, and the wear and tear make it more inviting as a daily user pen. The chasing pattern is much more subtle than on the previous Masterpiece, but is very nice, with the triplets of longitudinal lines extending from the barrel end to the cap top with the center line a bit longer.

Sheaffer Triumph Masterpiece II c. 1945-1947

The pen is average size for a mid to late 1940s pen at 5 1/4 inches long and just under 6 inches long posted. I’m not fond of posting gold or any all metal pens because I don’t want to scuff the finish. The barrel is plenty long for writing without posting the cap.

It’s a Sheaffer lever filler, so it’s easy to fill. Dip the nib in ink, flip the lever and count to twenty. Wipe the nib and you are ready to write. The extra fine Triumph nib on this pen is very firm but writes nicely with good feedback. It would be great for note taking. The spring loaded clip is an improvement. It’s easier to pocket the pen and it stays put.

Any Sheaffer Masterpiece pen will be very uncommon and pricey. This particular version seems to be a little less scarce than the previous Triumph Masterpiece and I’ve noticed prices are slightly lower. The price of gold has been driving up the value of all 14 karat gold pens and pristine examples will be the most expensive. As these are all metal pens, they will be prone to dings and scratches. There are user grade 14 karat gold examples like the one shown in this article that can be had for a bit less. A definite defect is the poor attempt to remove the personalization from the cap band. A well restored Sheaffer Masterpiece pen will bring great Sheaffer writing quality in a beautiful gleaming package.

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References

Advertisement, Evening Star, Washington, D.C., September 23, 1945, page B-7

Advertisement, Ledger-Enquirer, Columbus, Georgia, November 24, 1946, page 10-C

Advertisement, LIFE, November 18, 1946, inside back cover

Advertisement, Press of Atlantic City, December 06, 1946, page 3

Advertisement, The Akron Beacon Journal, December 15, 1946, page 11-A

Advertisement, The Daily Times, Davenport, Iowa, October 17, 1946, page 2

Advertisement, The Greenville Daily Advocate, Greenville, Ohio, June 8, 1948, page 10

Advertisement, The Kane Republican,, Kane, Pennsylvania, December 07, 1946, page 4

Advertisement, The Wichita Eagle, December 20, 1945, page 5

“New Molding Department Streamlines Production” Sheaffer’s Review, January 1948, page 2

Sheaffer repair parts price list, dated October 1, 1945

Sheaffer Catalog, 1946

Sheaffer Catalog, 1947, dated June, 1947

Sheaffer Catalog, 1949, page 4

“White Dot In Metal Caps” Sheaffer’s Review, March 1948, page 8