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. When the Prelude initially appeared on the market in 1997 Sheaffer advertised the prelude collection as a'classic design' with a'pleasurable writing experience'. The prelude range was in keeping with the Sheaffer tradition for quality design and effortless use. Prelude fountain pens were originally made up of five different finishes: Magnificent Gold, Luminous Lacquers, Luxurious Metals, Distinctive Mattes and Classic Chromes. On offer is a Sheaffer Prelude fountain pen and pencil set (model reference 366) in a copper finish accentuated with gold plated trim.
This model of pen has a classic cigar shape that provides a substantive feel in hand and writes beautifully. The clips are also in a gold plated trim and sport the iconic Sheaffer white dot of quality assurance, with both finials in a matching gold plated trim and white pearlised insert. The nib on the fountain pen is a two tone medium nib, with "Sheaffer's" indented on it. The matching pencil pen has the same trim and features as the fountain pen. The fountain pen comes with a converter and the pencil has leads and eraser. Both the pen and pencil are in overall excellent age appropriate aesthetic condition and in good working order. There are no appreciable dents, dings, scratches or personalisation on this pen, although as with all vintage pens there are some micro sign of use. Micro signs of use are minimal. This set is presented in a Sheaffer box, shows some signs of wear. Please refer to the photographs as they form an integral part of the description. Thank you for taking the time to consider this pen. I also have other pens that for sale that may be of interest to you.