Lady Sheaffer "Flammé" 1974-1976

by Jim Mamoulides, February 1, 2010, updated July 11, 2025

Lady Sheaffer 921 “Chevron Gold Plate” fountain pen c. 1974-1976

Taking a "Flammé" to old data

After completing the work on the article “Lady Sheaffer White Dot Short Clip Pens c. 1971–1989: A Gallery” I noticed how out of date this 2010 article was. What follows is an edited version with current information.

Sheaffer launched a new version of the Lady Sheaffer line in 1971 in the "Expressions by Sheaffer" advertising campaign. It was the third iteration of Lady Sheaffer pens with clips, continuing the tapered shape introduced in 1967 and changing to a short bar clip with the iconic Sheaffer White Dot affixed at the top. Sheaffer selected finishes and detailing on these pens to appeal to women, with one of the most interesting being the 620/630 models which have a raised engraved and antiqued "carved Florentine" cap band.

Lady Sheaffer 921 “Chevron Gold Plate” fountain pen c. 1974-1976

The earliest of the new cartridge / converter Lady Sheaffer fountain pens were given the same short conical nib found on the previous version. That early nib and section has a similar design as the one found on the 1961 Imperial III. Sheaffer very quickly, as early as 1973, began replacing the conical nib with a recessed nib section, as seen on this example. It is visually similar to the Stylpoint inset nib that first appeared on the 1961 Imperial I and 1962–66 Lady Sheaffer Balicon models, suggesting Sheaffer wanted another go at that nib section type. The cap is nearly as long as the barrel, giving the pen an interesting middle belt line and therefore a very long section.

This pen, model 921, was introduced in 1974 and does not have a formal name, but is described in the Sheaffer 1974 and 1976 catalogs and price lists as “heavily gold plated with chevron patterning.” Collectors dubbed the engraving pattern "Flammé" for its deeply engraved waves of flame flowing down the cap and barrel. Two versions of this pattern exist. The other, model 923 (1974-1976), is an all chrome plated pen where the engraved design is filled with contrasting gold plate. Although I like "Flammé," I think “Chevron gold plate” is a more accurate name.

Lady Sheaffer 921 “Chevron Gold Plate” fountain pen c. 1974-1976

Performance

This is a standard size, at 5 3/16 inches long with the cap on and 5 1/2 inches with the cap posted on the end of the barrel, yet light weight pen, weighing 0.6 ounce. I feel it's more comfortable writing with the cap posted, though I worry about scratching the finish. The nib is stamped SHEAFFER 585 14K U.S.A. The only other mark is "SHEAFFER" stamped below the front cap lip.

Lady Sheaffer 921 “Chevron Gold Plate” fountain pen c. 1974-1976

As the converter was really stuck firmly in the long section of this pen, I elected to bottle fill it. It's easy! Dunk the section in an ink bottle, squeeze the converter several times, give the section a quick wipe, and it’s ready to write. This recessed nib unit has a 14 karat gold fine nib that writes very nicely: firm, smooth, and slightly wet. The very long section has a blunt end and somewhat recalls an inverse Parker 51 section in look and feel. It’s a nice writer and would make a great everyday pen.

Lady Sheaffer 921 “Chevron Gold Plate” fountain pen c. 1974-197

I wasn't eager to pocket this pen for the day as I’m not a fan of the short clip, so I kept it at the desk and doodled with it as the urge to write came up. It may be called a Lady Sheaffer, but I don’t find this attractive engraved finish necessarily “feminine.” I find the pattern very appealing and wished Sheaffer also applied it to the Imperial line. Parker put a lot of interesting engraved patterns on the 75, so why not Sheaffer? That would have been a really cool pen. Many of Sheaffer's more interesting engraving patterns ended up on its pens targeted at women. I found this one to be a fun pen to have out for the day!

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PenHero Reference Article

More information on the 1971-1989 Lady Sheaffer pens is in the PenHero article Lady Sheaffer White Dot Short Clip Pens c. 1971–1989: A Gallery.

References

Sheaffer Retail Price List (UK) May 1974

Sheaffer Retail Price List (UK) May 1976