Thanks for the history. Where do you read about the history of the companies?
My own recall of Sheaffer from childhood was reading the warranty for my grandfather’s pen, and learning that the ‘white dot’ symbolised the company’s commitment to a lifetime warranty. My father also carried a Sheaffer Sentinel ballpoint for years… kinda like a clone of the Parker Jotter.
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Books about writing instruments provide most of the information. I started with fountain pens and inkwells and expanded from there. I was also a member of some clubs with their own publications. Today there’s the Pen Collectors of America in the USA, and the Writing Equipment Society in the UK.
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Sheaffer had two periods with white dots. If your grandfather’s pen was a fountain pen it could be from either period. If it’s a ballpoint, it’s from the second period.
In the 1930s, if memory serves, the big guns introduced lifetime warranties for their fountain pens. There were Sheaffer’s white dot, Parker’s blue diamond on their arrow clip, and Wahl Eversharp’s double check mark badge. (I don’t recall whether Waterman followed suit.) The warranties were eventually invalidated by the courts, and the marks were discontinued. Sheaffer brought the white dot back more recently as a homage to the original use.
EDIT: A self-filling fountain pen (fills from an ink bottle) is from the first period of white dots. A cartridge fountain pen is from the second.
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A bit of an odd one this week. SOG, typically known for knives, had the Baton series in the late Twenty-Teens. This is the Q1 which featured a pen with a pen with a D1 refill. On the other end, there is a bottle opener and flathead screwdriver that folds out like a Swiss Army knife tool. The main attraction of this model was when you pulled the body, end from end, it would reveal a pair of mini scissors. Once revealed, they can be folded to cut with. Others in the Baton series had other tools like pliers to a flashlight and even a knife blade. I appreciate the non-offensiveness of the Q1.
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That wood type from the S20 was a perfect choice for making the S15. Looks really sharp.
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Back to work today after a long summer vacation.
Thought I’d try the Variable out for the week. After receiving this with the tip bent and the regulator mechanism out of calibration, the hype died down considerably. Hopefully this week’s time with it will help me warm back up to it.
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Can you list a few of your favorite reference books?
Wow… did you receive it with those flaws disclosed? I assume you were able to straighten the lead pipe. How do you calibrate the mechanism regulator?
No, but there was nothing I could do because I didn’t pay for inspection or any additional services on Buyee.
Luckily I was able to bend the lead pipe back in place. I think I did a decent job of it too, because I can’t observe any bend or misalignment.
Regarding calibration, I disassembled it and adjusted the spring and tightened it back up. It’s been a minute, so I can’t remember exactly what I did. It still may not be perfect, but at least it works now.
We’re getting a bit far afield from what’s on our desks. Message on the way.
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Added the ALTDRAW to my little menagerie of pens that have knurling on the knock. Left out the Alpha-matics as they are deep in storage.
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There’s a whole thread about it here. It isn’t the pencil that people ususally refer to as h-1005 around here, however since Pilot is known for its haphazard naming conventions the name may have been used twice.
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Fantastic lineup. The knurling pattern looks so very close across all of them. Great photo composition, too!
Could you name them? 
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The black pen and grey pencil are unknowns that I picked up from eBay Spain many years ago. The 2 Staedtler clones are made for Rambold, another defunct German brand.
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The pen has an interesting finish to the body… crinkle effect? Really like the clip on that grey pencil.
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