Sheaffer 300 Black with Gold Trim Ballpoint (9325-2)

To each his own, but after years & years with Cross, Parker, Waterman & Montblanc products, I can say that this Sheaffer is the best working pen that I've found for day to day office tasks. It's got classic looks, it is significantly weightier than any of the others I've mentioned. If you'd like something equivalent that's smaller to the hand & heft I'd suggest the Prelude Ballpoint. This 300 is a big, hefty thing in a guy's hand & for me it feels & works great! It's good looking in the pocket & prompts me to feel my 'pen searching days' are over! I love it.

My only gripe is that the lacquer coating is not fully black. Sheaffer's Prelude model is also like this. You wouldn't notice unless you place it next to a better pen, but I have seen cheaper pens with better lacquer so it's not just a result of the price.OK, on to the rest. It's otherwise just about perfect.The twist mechanism is more similar to the one used in Sheaffer's higher-end pens like the Legacy, and older US-made pens like the Targa. It's a longer tube-shaped mechanism which threads inside the barrel threads (rather than a short stacked-between assembly, which I believe is the reason why Preludes often look very slightly crooked). All screw threads are metal, at both ends of the twist mechanism and inside both the barrel and "cap". It feels smooth and consistent (no rough spots).The pocket clip is a solid piece of metal (not sheet metal bent into a hollow shape, something even more expensive pens often perpetrate), mounted on an internal spring. The visible "clip" is completely solid, and the spring is hidden inside the pen. The clip tension is consistent, and clip movement is stopped at the end of its range by solid parts, not like most pens where a bendy clip bends out until it reaches its breaking point. I would have preferred the clip to be flush with the body, but they made it slightly raised all around so it looks intentional, not flawed. It's just strong enough to hold on, and does not risk destroying shirts.The twisting operation is mostly silent, thanks to the spring having enough room around it inside to avoid scraping against the inside of the barrel.The top and bottom halves of the pen are exactly the same thickness, and line up well. Unlike many ballpoints which try to look like the top half is a posted cap which is slightly larger, this looks like it was designed from the ground up to be a ballpoint. I can appreciate either design philosophy, but this one is under-represented and I am glad to see it here.Sheaffer "cheated" a bit on the alignment. It's very tough to make two halves of a twisty pen line up perfectly. Cross does a terrible job of it on their Century Classic (the US-made ones were good, Chinese not). This pen isn't perfect either, but they chose to make the pen split not between the cap band and the lower half as is typical, but rather it is split along what would otherwise be one of the grooves in the band. It's a trick, but it works.It's on the heavier end of pens, being made of lacquer-covered metal. The balance point is just above the band, which makes the center of weight rest right on top of my hand. I would prefer it be slightly lower, but it's a personal preference. The only balance point I find unacceptable is when it's above your hand trying to escape.The overall style is a nice balance of a simple shape which is pleasant to hold, with just enough unique aspects to not look quite like every other pen.

Great, it writes good

Very pleased with the pen.

This is a great pen if you like stockier barrels to hold. It is very well made, and works beautifully.

Sheaffer 300 Ballpoint Black with Gold Trim (9325-2) is one of the most beautiful and suitable pens I've seen. It can easily be compared to super expensive pens.

Excelent quality and building materials. Heavy pen, writes well.

It slips when writing. It did not write boldly enough. I have returned the pen for a credit.