1948 Persian blue Sheaffer Sovereign

  In 1948 Sheaffer began making their pens from Forticel which they called Radite II. That ended the Sheaffer celluloid (Radite) era that began in 1924. The Forticel pens were injection molded. This probably reduced production cost. The best thing about the switch to Forticel is Persian blue. I think it is one of the best looking, solid color vintage materials. Perhaps the best. I have difficulty passing up any Persian blue pen I find. Unfortunately, Sheaffer made Persian blue pens for only ~4 years. They switched plastic vendors for the pastel colors used in the 1952-9 Snorkel pens. This pen is in amazing condition. There are no defects in the plastics or plating. The ink view grip section is as clear as new with the original green tint. The nib is an unusual open (standard) nib. Sheaffer offered a few open nib pens during the Triumph era but they are uncommon. From smallest to largest the open nib pens are Craftsman (33 nib), Admiral (Feather Touch 5 nib), Sovereign & Statesman.