Sheaffer 300 Pen — Glossy Black with Gold Trim

The Sheaffer 300 in glossy black with gold-tone trim is the dress version of the line — black lacquer polished to a shine, with the slotted Sheaffer clip, the wide cap band and the gold-tone furniture that reads as a senior pen rather than a first one. It is offered here as a fountain pen with a fine or medium steel nib, as a rollerball, and as a ballpoint, all from the same barrel.

Black and gold is the oldest combination in the business, and the one an older partner will recognise from across a conference table. Sheaffer has made writing instruments since 1913, when Walter A. Sheaffer, a jeweler in Fort Madison, Iowa, patented a lever filler so a pen could be refilled without the mess of a dip. This is the 300 we would choose for a swearing-in gift, or for the associate who wants one good pen and does not intend to buy another for a decade. It arrives ready to write.

Specifications

• Maker: Sheaffer, founded in Fort Madison, Iowa, 1913
• Model: Sheaffer 300, finish 9325
• This listing: Fountain pen (fine or medium nib), rollerball, or ballpoint
• Nib: Stainless steel — dual-tone in fine, gold-tone in medium
• Filling: Sheaffer Skrip Classic cartridge, or the Sheaffer 96700 piston converter for bottled ink
• Refills: Sheaffer Classic rollerball refill (97335 black, 97325 blue); Sheaffer K-style ballpoint refill (99335 black, 99325 blue)
• Body: Glossy black lacquer
• Trim: Gold-tone
• In the box: Ready to write — the fountain pen with a black and a blue Skrip cartridge, the rollerball and ballpoint with their standard refill fitted; black Sheaffer box with sleeve
• Origin: Made in India
• Warranty: Two years from Sheaffer, plus our Thirty-Day Assurance

We stock all three forms in this finish, and the fountain pen in both nib widths. It is the dearest of our four 300s, and the one most often bought as a gift.

Questions we are asked

Fountain pen, rollerball or ballpoint? The fountain pen for the signature and the long memo; the rollerball for the same ink feel with nothing to clean; the ballpoint for carbonless forms, exhibit stickers and a jacket pocket. The Field Guide below argues all three.

Fine or Medium? Fine for margin notes and redlines, medium for the signature block. On this finish the fine nib is dual-tone steel and the medium is gold-tone steel; both write the same, and the difference is what the nib looks like against the gold trim.

Why is this one more than the matte black? The gold-tone trim and nib finish cost more to make, and Sheaffer prices it higher. We hold every Sheaffer at one price and never discount it.

Does the fountain pen take bottled ink? Yes, with the Sheaffer 96700 piston converter, which replaces the cartridge and draws from a bottle. The pen ships with cartridges fitted, so it writes the day it arrives either way.

Where is it made? Made in India. Sheaffer is an American brand, founded in Iowa in 1913; its pens are currently manufactured in India.

Is the Sheaffer warranty valid in the United States? Yes. Sheaffer's mechanical guarantee runs two years from the date of purchase from an authorized retailer, covers defects in manufacturing and materials, and is international, with no geographical restriction. A defective component is replaced at Sheaffer's option. Claims go through us as the retailer, and the details are in our Warranty Policy.

Fountain, rollerball, or ballpoint — which one signs? Read Fountain, Rollerball, or Ballpoint?, and for the nib, Fine Nib, or Medium?

Choosing between the glossy black 300 and the rest of the line: this is the formal one. For the same pen without the shine or the gold, see the Sheaffer 300 in matte black; for gold trim against an engraved barrel and a chrome cap, the engraved Sheaffer 300.

See the rest of our fountain pens for lawyers, or the full Writing Instruments collection.

Barrister & Bespoke Curated Collection — hand-selected from Sheaffer, the Iowa house that has made writing instruments since 1913, for its craftsmanship and fit within our world. Curated pieces carry their maker's own identity rather than ours; our house collection, designed and branded exclusively for Barrister & Bespoke, is marked separately throughout the shop.

Warranty. This Product carries Sheaffer's two-year international mechanical guarantee against defects in manufacturing and materials, and Barrister & Bespoke's own Thirty-Day Assurance for the first thirty days after delivery. Full terms, including how to make a claim, are stated in our Warranty Policy.

Returns. A pen may be returned within thirty days if it is unused and in its original packaging. Once a fountain pen has been inked it is Final Sale and cannot be returned or exchanged, except where it arrives damaged, defective, or materially different from its description. Fill it after you have decided to keep it. Full terms are in our Returns & Exchanges Policy.