In 1907, Walter A. Sheaffer used his jewellery expertise to create a device which would allow users to fill a pen with ink much easier, cleaner and be more aesthetically-pleasing. In 1912, Sheaffer, dedicated his life savings to his idea of a pen-filling apparatus initiated by a lever system. By the 1930’s, Sheaffer pens had solidified itself as a leader in the luxury pen market. The fountain pens were advertised as the pen that “fills instantly from any ink-well, with one touch of a finger.” Instantly, Sheaffer became a household name and must-have product. On March 1st 1966 Sheaffer Pen Co became a division of Textron Inc and the 'Sheaffer's' logo was change to 'Sheaffer' on all merchandising and literature. Sheaffer have been innovators throughout their existence; pioneering different nib styles in the 1920 making them more reliable, they were one of the first pen manufacturers to move away from hard rubber materials to celluloid , they altered pen shapes and introduced innovations such as the snorkel filling system. Like so many innovative ideas the tip dip filling system was yet another from the Sheaffer company, designed to improve the overall writing and user experience of their pens. Sheaffer was a family owned company up until 1966 when the diversified Textron Conglomerate aquired control of the firm, becoming Sheaffer-Eaton.The Sheaffer Iowa plant was their main production plant, employing over 1000 people at its height shrinking to 550 in 1997 when they were bought by Bic for $50m. Under Bic’s tenure the Iowa plant was closed in March 2008 with production moving to China and operational aspects like purchasing, warehousing etc moving to Slovakia. In 2014 A T Cross acquired Sheaffer for $15m and was under their tenure until August 2022 when they sold the company to William Penn Pvt Ltd from India.

The Agio was initially designed to supersede the Sheaffer Fashion and first appeared in 2002. There are two distinct models of the Sheaffer Agio; the standard length version and the compact version. Sheaffer’s decades of experience with design means that the Agio point and feed is an incredibly reliable pen. The grip section provides an easy and comfortable feel when writing which is added too by the gravitas that the brass body offers the writer. Indeed the word Agio in Italian means ease or comfort which is particularly apt for this pen. The clip is merely a flat, bent piece of metal, a much simpler design than that of the Sheaffer Javelin, which was introduced to the market at the same time, or other spring loaded clips in the Sheaffer range. However, this gives the clip a resilience which allows the clip to pass over extremely thick cloth without danger or a loss of hold. Like most modern Sheaffer pens the Agio is manufactured in a range of different finishes and colours. The Agio, like most Sheaffer pens, is well manufactured and resilient. It is meant to compete for the same market demographic as the Waterman Hemisphere and is well equipped for the challenge.

On offer is an increasingly hard to find, unique and eye catching Sheaffer Agio Fountain pen in a rare rainbow plasma (titanium oxide) finish accentuated with 23ct gold plated trim. There are two distinct versions of the Agio ; the longer version initially introduced to the market in 2002 and the shorter compact version introduced to the market in 2004, both still in production. The finish on these pens where only produced for a short amount of time with the process proving somewhat difficult and expensive. The rainbow series is a special PVD colour process that looks like a burst of 4 different colours across a mirrored finish. It is somewhat unique in that no two RAINBOW finishes are alike. This longer version of the Agio fountain pen has a brass core to the body and caps, which give the pen a certain level of gravitas and heft when in hand. The barrel and cap are both finished in the stunning rainbow plasma finish. The cap has a long 23k gold plated clip sporting the iconic Sheaffer white dot symbol of quality with ‘Sheaffer’ indented at the base of the clip, a small gold plated ring at its base and a gold plated finial. The barrel has a gold plated finial at its base. The fountain pen has a medium open gold plated nib indented with “Sheaffer and M” which like most Sheaffer nibs is a smooth writer. The pen can be used with a Sheaffer converter for use with bottled ink (included) or Sheaffer ink cartridges if preferred (2 included) The fountain pen is in excellent aesthetic condition and in working order (no appreciable scratches, dents, dings or engravings). The pen are presented in a Sheaffer box (Please refer to pictures as they form an integral part of the description)

These pens are becoming increasingly rare.

This item will be despatched with Royal Mail 48 track post within two days of receiving full payment.

Thank you for taking the time to look at this item. I also have other pens for sale that may be of interest to you