Sheaffer is one of the great American pen brands -- a name with over a century of history and a number of genuinely significant innovations to its name. Here is a brief history of the company and how it has changed hands in recent years.
The Early Years
Sheaffer was established in 1913, a year after Walter Sheaffer began making pens in the back room of his jewellery shop in Fort Madison, Iowa. By the 1930s, the company was producing lever-filled fountain pens advertised as filling "instantly from any inkwell, with one touch of a finger" -- a significant practical advance at the time.
Innovation
In 1949, Sheaffer introduced their "Touchdown" pneumatic filling mechanism on higher-end pens, followed by the "Snorkel" filler -- a small extending tube that allowed the pen to fill without submerging the nib in the inkwell, resulting in a cleaner, more convenient process.
1959 brought two further milestones: the introduction of the trademark inlaid nib, which has remained a feature of Sheaffer's top-end pens ever since, and the transition of nearly all Sheaffer fountain pens to the cartridge/converter filling system. The 1970s saw the launch of two more celebrated models -- the Targa and the No Nonsense.
All Sheaffer pens carry the trademark white dot, which originated as a quality control mark. Walter Sheaffer would inspect each pen personally and apply a small dot of white paint to indicate it had passed his assessment.
Ownership Changes
In 1997, Sheaffer was sold to the French pen company BIC. The original factory in Fort Madison, Iowa was closed in 2004, with manufacturing moved to China and administration to Eastern Europe.
In 2014, after 17 years under BIC, Sheaffer was acquired by A.T. Cross, who ran the brand alongside their own pen range with a focus on more accessible price points, introducing new models including the Ion and Pop.
In 2022, ownership passed to Indian pen retailer and distributor William Penn, who have streamlined the range and relaunched new finishes across the best-selling models.
For a full overview of the current Sheaffer range and buying guidance, see our Sheaffer Brand Guide or browse the Sheaffer range at Pure Pens.