Sheaffer's PFM Review

[@penkino1]

Great video. To fill the PFM it only needs one downward stroke and not a pushing and pulling movement.

[@paulmatthews7744]

Fancy meeting you in a post this old. Got my first PFM today. 😀

[@vijunair5298]

Hi David.. Good review and I appreciate you for selecting this vintage gem for reviewing. I have a couple and I really enjoy them. I just want to point out one thing. Some experts on Shaffer says it is wrong to move the piston up and down while immersing the snorkel in the ink. you should put the snorkel tube in the ink, push the piston down in one stroke and wait for 10 seconds and it is done. Just sharing an information.. Thanks for the review... kudos...

[@mgmmaze]

I have a Sheaffer Legacy, which was like the throw back to the PFM. I also have a snorkel statesmen. I wanted a PFM for a long time and finally found a deal on one that wasnt vastly over priced. Great review and I love seeing the old ads for pens. We wont comment on wording of the past though

[@margessw]

I love your history part and the white dot signification ! This is the kind of "anecdotes" that I love the most in brands history. About the snorkel, it seems convenient but also quite weird, like if the feed was throwing out an alien or something ! I don't know why but it freaks me out a little bit ! Love from France.

[@redskindan78]

I watched Snorkel TV commercials in the late 1950s. It made me think of mosquitoes, and anyone from Washington, DC, knew, and hated, mosquitoes.

[@WilliamG916]

David-Thank you for an excellent and careful presentation, as always! I am very pleased that you selected a PFM for your discussion. The PFM has a great reputation for quality as well as some innovations, particularly the inlaid nib. I must quibble with a small point, however. I own several PFMs, none of which has an injection molding "blem". I assume that, as the pen was the company's flagship in the day, Sheaffer buffed this out on the pens as they passed through the different stages of production. You make some interesting points about the white dot! Repeated thanks for bringing the PFM to the attention of your viewers.

[@shadesdragon]

All the information I can get about a little white dot is awesome. Thanks David! I have a PFM IV in blue and stainless steel with gold that belonged to my grandfather... it was the only pen he used (there is a long story there and yeah PFM was the reason he used it).

[@daleandrews367]

Excellent overall review and summary. I had one of these in maroon in the early '70's in college and got great service from it and many compliments. It served me well for almost a couple of years when I lost it from running in the rain through the dormitory parking lot. I went back to look for it after the raining stopped to try and find it to no avail. I didn't replace it because of cost...on a college student's budget. Your summary refreshed my memory. Thanks.

[@MrSpeedemon7777]

I watch your videos BECAUSE of all the extra information and history you provide. No one else does that...👍

[@ProfFrank]

Only one, quick downward stroke of the plunger is needed to fill the bladder. It works not by drawing ink in but by compressing the bladder inside the barrel, which then expands when the plunger reaches the bottom and releases the vacuum from the inside around the bladder. Properly filled, the pen will then not spurt any ink when the plunger knob is screwed back on.

[@explorerextraordinaire5472]

WOW you made me feel swell~ I thought I overpaid for mine today 1/15/2021 when I paid $65.64 bucks for it! THANK YOUUUUUUUU~✓!!! PLUS NOW I KNOW HOW TO OPERATE IT BELIEVE IT OR NOT I HAD NO IDEA HOW IT WORKED I FIGURED I WOULD FIGURE IT OUT... but now, I've got it down without even having touched it haha thank you = ) Pen won't arrive for a long time but I'm really glad I saw your video! I really appreciate you for taking the time to put this video together for the internet ❤️ Thanks again = )

[@explorerextraordinaire5472]

actually I forgot to mention I am genuinely super glad I saw your video because I had no idea IT was going to squirt ink out like that!!!! now I am prepared SUPER EXTRA MEGA THANK YOUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!

[@chrisrap52]

Interesting why a higher end pen would have an unfinished looked, gate stub not smoothed out. Also noticed other flaws in the pen (excellent HD video quality shows up what you may not see with the naked eye). I don't have any PFM's, have some Legacy's slightly smaller (same inlaid nib) & no snorkel, just the classic touch down filler, works same way. Next you might look at Sheaffer's from the 40's, when this design started. I like the lever fill models, easy to restore & keep clean.

[@inharmonik]

Also since the snorkel bypasses the front end of the pen you will find it takes a few minutes for the ink to saturate the feed after filling from a clean pen. (sorry, really into Sheaffers, Sheaffers are my bag and the majority of my collection)

[@brainsqueegee2]

Way cooler than my Admiral Snorkel. I'm jealous. Although I do have a Legacy to make up for it! Great video And I loved the historical tidbits. A little different from the other review vids on youtube. Thanks!

[@creativewatercolor]

I live in Slovakia and I was surprised to hear that most of Sheaffer's operation is located here. I checked and indeed it seems to be the case. Interestingly enough, you don't see many Sheaffer pens around here...

[@redskindan78]

A note: the Snorkel is not the same as Sheaffer's Touchdown filling system. The Snork has that fiddly mechanism by which you twist off the blind cap to extend the ink-sucker. At the time, I thought of the Snorkel pens as working like a mosquito that sucks blood, and Sheaffer's TV commercials kept me thinking "mosquito". Of course, the Snorkel and the PFM were expensive pens for grownups, and we wrote with Sheaffer school pens or the Parker 45. With the Touchdown, you put the nib and section into ink. The Touchdown must have been simpler and cheaper to manufacture, because Sheaffer used it some of the Imperial models introduced just after the PFM. Sheaffer and Parker competed for the cleanest filling system, at least through the 1950s, the one that got the least ink on your fingers. That's why Sheaffer advertised the Snorkel as "takes the dunk out of filling". Parker's competitor was the Parker 61, with the capillary filler that "fills itself".

[@eh86055]

Interesting comment. Thank you.

[@kswaminathan5439]

Excellent information. Should it read Sheaffer's competitor was Parker 61, and not Parker's competitor was Parker 61? Do let me know. Thanks.

[@redskindan78]

Good catch! Yes, Sheaffer has the Snork competitor to the great Parker 51; in the later '50s, Parker released the P-61 and Sheaffer released its ultimate fountain pen, the PFM.@@kswaminathan5439

[@redskindan78]

@@kswaminathan5439 Yes, that's a typo. Sheaffer competed with the great Parker 51 by issuing the Snorkel, their top line pen throughout the 1950s. The PFM and the Parker 61 were then end-of-the-line fountain pens. Sheaffer used their snorkel filling system in the PFM, while Parker created a new filling system, the capillary. I'd say that no pen company has tried to invent a new filling system since. I got a Parker 45 in 1960, and used it until I graduated in 1966. The cartridge/converter has been designed into nearly all fountain pens, except for MB, Pelikan, and the Lamy 2000.

[@4pointedstar]

My Dad gave me his PFM III when I started Junior High School. I treasured it. Sadly it was stolen by some jerk one day in gym class. 43 years ago and I think of that beautiful pen all the time. Got a Parker to replace it, but it just wasn't the same. I've used a Waterman for about for about 25 years. It isn't bad but I would trade a gross of them to have my PFM back. I've thought about buying another but for some reason I haven't done so. Anyway I sure enjoyed your presentation!

[@4pointedstar]

Should have added that I keep a beautiful vintage pre-touchdown Sheaffer double desk set on my desk , both are fine point.

[@kdrussaw]

I appreciate your willingness to share your research findings here.

[@GlennHigley]

Thank you for the history of the brand and the evolution of the white dot, David - I greatly appreciate your detailed research and succinct presentation. I enjoy the unique filling system of snorkels but find them difficult to thoroughly clean. It's the most intricate of pen filling systems, which makes it quite interesting as well as prone to repair issues. I love my 1930/40's touchdown Sheaffer's and the inlaid nibs on my Targa's, so the PFM is appealing though likely large for my hand. This hasn't deterred me in the past, so I expect to acquire one at some point. BTW, I love the Trinity case that you recommended. It's just what I needed to sort my pen supply mess and does so quite attractively. I hate to be a total copycat, but now I'm tempted to get the Ikea Alex too. Keep up the fine work, Sir.

[@FigbootonPens]

Thanks for watching. I'm glad you like the Trinity case. The Ikea Alex is a good compliment.

[@GlennHigley]

I like the novelty of the snorkel filling system, but I find it adds a significant amount of difficulty in cleaning. Were all PFM's snorkel fillers? I'd be quite interested in the PFM otherwise.

[@FigbootonPens]

I believe all of the PFM's used the tornado filling system.

[@GlennHigley]

Thanks, David. Perhaps with a single ink choice, cleaning becomes less of an issue. It seems that many PFM owners use theirs as daily writers (an excellent recommendation for any pen) and one of the reasons the PFM is so popular.

[@senior_ranger]

Interesting historical stuff -- thanks!!

[@kswaminathan5439]

Sir, a beautiful pen and excellent information on how to use the pen. However, you have said that total weight of the pen is 12gms, while the cap weighs 9gms and barrel 14 gms. So, the total weight of the pen should be 23 gms. Am I right? Now, Sheaffer Pen Company has been purchased from A T Cross by an Indian pen maker called William Penn.

[@AnzanHoshinRoshi]

Thank you, David. The white dot information was great. Do you know anything about how it relates to the Dunhill white dot mark?

[@thomasbudi2000]

Great info, I am thirsty for more info so the white dot info is invaluable.

[@randyattwood]

I have a Lady Shaeffer 5 Skripsert gold plated pen. Fine nib that writes pretty scratchy.

[@Kurazaybo]

wait wait wait, that's word by word sbrebrown's intro. I don't know who said it first but it's weird. I like that you use Vivian Vance's pronunciation of "Sheaffer". Btw Snorkel and Touchdown are two different, although closely related filling systems. The latter being identical save for the omission of the snorkel mechanism. Curiously the snorkel is also part of the feed, so a snorkel pen with the snorkel removed or replaced with the wrong one will not work properly. For all the history you mentioned, I think the Inlaid nib deserved a few seconds more of background, being the unique piece of fountain pen history that it is. Fun fact: it has been available in yellow gold, steel and Palladium Silver (and white gold in modern pens). The first and last were the only options for the PFM. I kinda wish rose gold was available in the Valor, specially when the nib was still made in Fort Madison. Sadly there was never a bicolor inlaid nib in the golden days, only a limited edition of the Intrige ever featured a bicolor inlaid. I personally think a black and (rose) gold inlaid nib (as seen on the Lamy Imporium) would melt faces. In the end this was a good review, thank you. The size comparison was actually revealing, I thought the PFM was considerably bigger than the Imperials, seems like it's not the case. I like reviews of vintage pens and you have barely reviewed Sheaffer's, so I suggest the Targa as a follow up to this one. A comparison of the steel vs gold nibs in the Targa would be nice and is something I don't think I have ever seen on video.

[@ruilacerdamagalhaes4976]

he actually, in one of the early videos, talks about how he likes Brown's format. He went on to state that he will stick with it.

[@mrigoo]

Are there any modern pens in production that come with a snorkel mechanism ?

[@kellyadair921]

To fill the Sheaffer PFM, one should twist the blind cap to extend the snorkel tube until it clicks. Dip just the snorkel tube into the ink; then push the plunger tube down all of the way and wait approximately ten seconds. THERE SHOULD BE NO REASON TO WIPE ANYTHING.

[@nickturner2813]

PFM blind caps do not click when being turned out! Filling just using the snorkel was the idea but it is awkward if you want to keep the nib clean as the tube only extends two or three millimetres past the nib. If you fill from an original Sheaffer bottle with the small reservoir it is easy.

[@MrAndrew1953]

A very unique pen with its own PFM providence.

[@inharmonik]

I'll hope you take this in the spirit it is intended: You are filling it a little wrong. Extend the tube and pull the filler out with the filler tube outside of the ink, dunk, plunge quickly. Wait 5~10 seconds for the sac to recover. If you feel like you didn't get a good fill (in time you get a feel for it) you can redo the dance but again pull the filler out out of the ink (but over the ink bottle as it will expel ink) and then plunge and wait for the sac to recover. If you pull the filler out when the snorkel is submerged you could (though likely won't) break the seal or pull ink into places you shouldn't. FYI. REALLY NICE TO SEE A SHEAFFER!!!! ON YOUR PAGE!!!!

[@michelewhite1956]

Is that nib called a triumph? There are so many varieties of Sheaffer that it makes me dizzy lol. I bought one as a lot of odds and ends and I am waiting for it to be delivered now. It's a tuckaway with the plastic cap with a wide band. I'm hoping it has more features that will help me ID it.

[@nickturner2813]

No, the PFM is not a Triumph, nor does it have a Triumph nib.

[@mlkrborn]

Thnx

[@redskindan78]

Here is the TV commercial that Sheaffer ran on the Jimmy Durante Show about 1959 or 1960. Price was $10, or about $15 for the set with pencil. Maybe the PFM was $20, as "Figboot" says, in 1968, but it was priced about the same as the Parker 51 and Parker 51 when it was released. kzbin.info/www/bejne/m3aaqZSBj8tse9k

[@iankunx]

I have that exact model of PFM. It's really a great pen.

[@paulmatthews7744]

Got my first PFM today. 😀

[@DarshanSingh-eo2no]

Hi David how U .where i can get this pen and. What is the cost

[@FigbootonPens]

This pen is no longer manufactured. You would only be able to find it on the secondary market.

[@BN-ts3oy]

I want to get my mother a calligraphy pen. Like those pen's you write with and they turn like old century stylized writing where you can see the width of the strokes of the letters, it looks flaring and magical. This sheaffer looks like normal pen writing to be honest, the external looks good though, but I need those calligraphy type writing instruments where the letters have definition and character. I hope this makes sense. Would you know of one or two?

[@ASecretToEveryone]

The Pen For Men label bothers me much less than the fact that the Lady Sheaffer is a friggin C/C.

[@FigbootonPens]

How can you be expected to have time to operate such a complex mechanism when you're so busy cooking your man his dinner? I'm glad I live now, rather than back then...

[@roguequill]

Ah that's some cringe worthy advertising campaign on a good looking pen. These older fountain pen designs have so much considerations given to them - so different from modern trend of sticking an off-the-shelf nib on a plastic feed and calling it a day.

[@am7265]

The skip was most likely due to the oil on the paper from your hand :)

[@bieberninja1]

you can watch a commercial for this pen on youtube and the stated price is $10 and $14.95 if you bought the pen and pencil set, i wonder how this pen does when it is dipped, i heard there are very few people who know how to repair the snorkel filler, i have a sheaffer intrigue blue whale shark fountain pen and it has the weirdest and dumbest filling system of all time, i can't even begin to describe it, the nib writes like a dream, it's an italic

[@nickturner2813]

Renovating the PFMs is not difficult, it's a bit fiddly but anyone who's not guessing how to do it can repair them. I'm no pen expert but some of the PFMs that I bought needed repair and I was able to do it all myself.

[@aeliascent1174]

Can you demonstrate how it shoots ink? (Maybe with water instead?)

[@nickturner2813]

Jesus...

[@markcollins2876]

Bic really messed up Sheaffer, and Cross has been even worse.

[@redskindan78]

And another PFM commercial: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o5C0nWWKiZmjd7c

[@Tycho343]

Why "Total weight" (12 g) is less than barrel only (14 g) ? See 10:08

[@nickturner2813]

Why did you think? _Obviously_ , it was an error but, if it helps you, the total weight would have been 9g + 14g = 23g.

[@efecanl1492]

The cap is 9 grams, the barrel is 14 grams but the pen is 12 grams. How could this happen?

[@nickturner2813]

How do you think? He made a small error, obviously.

[@chriscadillac8448]

I do not find the advertising as "sexist"; which is a derogatory, inflammatory term,... it merely reflects its era,... which, btw, was much better than today's.

[@sajjadhusain4146]

I love the fact that it was called the Pen For Men. Nothing wrong with it whatsoever. It was a clever, funny and appropriate moniker for the classic beauty that the PFM was. Back when men weren’t effeminate, and desperate to toe some ‘pc’ line. There have been Lady Sheaffer pens too. Nobody complains or moans about that being ‘sexist’. 🙄

[@chriscadillac8448]

@@sajjadhusain4146 Exactly.

[@vikasbargale]

Hi, very nice in detail pen review. Specially of Classic Pen LB5. But one very sincere request. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE change the background music of the start of your videos. All others like Brian Goblet and Matt Armstrong have very nice sounding audios at the start of their videos. So please try something like that. I think you can find a lots of non-copy righted tunes on net. Regards, Vikas

[@GlennHigley]

You can always skip ahead a few seconds if you don't care for David's intro music, but is a reviewers choice of an excellent classical guitar and very brief intro music worth your criticism? You who used "Goblet" instead of "Goulet"? Perhaps you need to focus on the content of David's excellent and well researched reviews.

[@nickturner2813]

Do you pay to watch these videos or is it free entertainment for you that you're complaining about? When you produce your own videos you can dictate what music is used.

[@thanhalaipple6684]

Doesn’t look like it writes very well

[@solstar4778]

What does “ PFM” stand for? Pens for men? Pens for masses? What?

[@FigbootonPens]

Pen for Men

[@nickturner2813]

Did you watch the video muted?