Ballpoints
Javelin
Legacy Heritage
Prelude MPI

Calligraphy Sets
Classic

The Sheaffer® story begins in 1907, with the invention of the lever filling fountain pen by Walter A. Sheaffer in Fort Madison, Iowa. The fountain pens of the day were cumbersome and messy to refill, requiring an eyedropper and a steady hand. Sheaffer's dissatisfaction with this inconvenience led him to seek a refilling method that would be simple and clean.

The result, the first practical lever filling fountain pen, earned Walter Sheaffer a U.S. patent in August of 1908. A single stroke of a slim metal lever filled the pen reservoir directly from the ink bottle. Local reception was so enthusiastic that Sheaffer decided to risk his life savings to establish the W.A. Sheaffer Pen Company in 1912.

Walter Sheaffer's pioneering spirit founded a company and a tradition of inventions, including Skrip® ink (1922), the Touchdown® filling mechanism (1949) and the Inlaid Nib™ (1959). New pen designs were introduced, including the Balance® Lifetime® (1929), PFM™ (1959), and NoNonsense® Models. These and other contributions by Sheaffer to the pen industry continue the tradition of innovation and quality set forth by our founder nearly a century ago.