Sheaffer Tuckaway

List of Tuckaway Models (including with asterisk related non-Tucky post war short-version pens)

The pre-war and war-years pens make for relatively easy collecting.

The post-war celluloid era from 1945-7 is the most complicated zone, offering numerous trim levels often in many colors.

Some models came and went during the 2-3 year run. It is fair to include a couple non-Tucky models that occupy similar niche, just for sake of completeness.

Model spread settles a bit with the introduction of the injection-plastic pens in 1948.

This list does not address trim variants within a given model (eg. thinner and wider cap-band on Tuckaway Valiant), and does not address the potential for parts mixes, which can be considered separately.

Most of the post-celluloid pens starting in 1948 share model name with earlier pens.

Unlike the shift from pre-war to war-years or war-years to post-war models, the two phases of Injection plastic immediately post-celluloid pens and of Touchdown pens can be viewed as evolution of models rather than introduction of new models.

– feel free to offer corrections and mods—

Pre War: 1940-41 (Both have open nib. Both have no clip. Both have flush cap)

Tuckaway (all gold-filled, open nib, threaded tush)
Masterpiece Tuckaway (sold gold. style as per Tuckaway)

WWII-Era: all 1942-5

(All have Triumph nib. All have no clip. All have flush cap)

Triumph Tuckaway (plastic pen. Gold-filled very wide lip. All five colors)
Triumph Crest Tuckaway (plastic barrel. Gold-Filled Cap. Black and Brown barrels)
Triumph “Autograph” Tuckaway (plastic pen. Solid gold very wide cap lip. Black alone)

Post War Celluloid Era 1945-7. All have clasp type clip. Wide lip and bead band variants.

Tuckway Autograph (possibly done in all five colors. Solid gold trim. Plastic pen)
Tuckaway Crest (gold-filled cap on plastic barrel. Triumph nib)
Tuckaway Sentinel
Tuckaway Valiant
Tuckaway II (essentially a Statesman Tuckaway)
?Tuckaway Sovereign. Open nib full-lip pen. (? not shown in my 1947 catalogue)
Lady Sheaffer (bead band) (essentially a bead-band Sovereign Tuckaway)
Milady. (bead band) (? essentially a bead-band Admiral Tuckaway?)

Post War Celluloid Bead band Non-Tucky pens which match Tucky’s niche: 1945-7

Diana * (essentially a Lady Craftsman, a with-clip short pen)
Minerva* (essentially a Lady Cadet, a with-clip short pen)

Injection Plastic (Forticel) pre-Touchdown 1948 (evolution of some of the 1945-7 pens, rather than frankly fresh models)

Tuckaway For Your Autograph (Autograph Tuckaway):
Crest Tuckaway Deluxe
Sentinel Tuckaway
Valiant Tuckaway
? Sovereign type Tuckaway with open nib?

—– apparently the short bead band pens both Tuckaway and non-Tuckaway were discontinued by the end of the celluloid run.

Touchdown 1949-50

Tuckaway For Your Autograph (Autograph Tuckaway):
Crest Tuckaway Deluxe
Sentinel Tuckaway Deluxe
?? Valiant Tuckaway??? (not shown in one 1949 list)
Tuckaway (first use of simple Tuckaway name since 1941).

Essentially a Statesman Tuckaway with large open nib, noting “Statesman” as of 1949 is an open nib full size pen, instead of a slighly slender (vs Valiant) Triumph-nib pen.

Oops. Stratowriter Tuckaway gold-filled ball point. Almost forgot

Note that as of 1949 the only bead band pen is the third tier Craftsman. WHat had been the 2nd tier Admiral gains a conventional cap-band.

Up to 23 Tucky models are listed above, recognizing that the last ten or so really are evolutionary tweaks rather than wholly new models.

Still, with some of the models offered in five colors, there are many pens to hunt.

No doubt I’ll need to tweak the list both for names (“Crest Deluxe Tuckaway” vs “Crest Tuckaway Deluxe” and so forth) and for description.

I gave up pulling all colors for all models, but will play with that later.

Comments are invited.

regards

David

Tuckaway Tuckaway Maker: Sheaffer.

The Tuckaway is a very odd little object. It was introduced in 1940 as an apparent alternative to the ringtop pens which had all but vanished from most major makers’ catalogues; a short-bodied pen that stowed easily in vest pocket or purse. The name itself is descriptive of the act of putting it away after writing.

The first Tuckaway appeared as a single model, with a lever filler and metal body. It was not quite the same shape as the Balances it lived with, having a tail which was stepped and threaded to hold the cap while in use. This original form had no clip nor ring, and was indeed meant to be tucked away in the bottom of a pocket.

When the Triumph line appeared in 1942, the Tuckaway was somewhat subsumed within it. The body shape became much more like the full-size pens, and it developed several variants, some open- and some Triumph-pointed. These sometimes shared their name with the full-size pens of similar trim level, so one would see a Tuckaway Sovereign to match the regular-sized Sovereign, but there were frequently Tuckaway-only models like the Lady Sheaffer from 1945 through ’48, and occasional re-appearances of “Tuckaway” as the entirety of the name. The prices also matched the full-sized pens’ prices; I leave it for the reader to decide if that’s a bit of a rip-off, or a way of saving someone from buying a pen smaller than they really need just to save a little money.

They really aren’t anything alike

About 1945, the pens gained a small spring-loaded proto-clip which is technically known as a clasp. These are regularly mistaken for military clips, although the two are entirely different. The point of the clasp is to keep the pen from rattling around the bottom of the pocket, or more importantly from shooting out of the pocket when one bends to tie a loose shoe-lace.

The Tuckaways continued to appear in the line-up when Sheaffer made the change to Touchdown fillers, but were wrapped up shortly thereafter. In the 1951 catalogue, there is a single model shown, in Sentinel trim and still of the old pre-Thin Model dimensions; one suspects a running down of parts stock.

Production Run: 1940 – 1951.

Cost When New: Depends on trim level. The initial metal-bodied item cost $12.00 and the TD models cost $10.00 to $20.00; the Sentinel Tuckaway in the 1951 catalogue, for $15.00 (for modern value, try this calculator).

Size: Vacuum filler- 11.5 cm long capped, 13.3 cm posted, 9.6 cm uncapped. Touchdown- 11.9 cm long capped, 13.6 cm long posted, 10.0 cm long unposted.

Point: 14k gold open or triumph with platinum mask.

Body: Celluloid until 1947, then Forticel.

Filler: Vacuum, capacity approx. 1.0 ml; Touchdown, capacity approx. 0.6 ml; lever, capacity currently not known to me.