Newest Acquisitions (Virtual "Show & Tell") ~ part 95

 From Andy's "Year of the Rat" PenBBS pen to René's Sheaffer "Dolphin" fountain pens!

(all photos courtesy of  René ~ please click in images to enlarge)

 Rene:"Sometimes included as part of the Sheaffer Imperial pens of the late 1950s - 60s, the so-called "dolphin" (not the official name) pens are pens of a rather odd design that does gain inspiration from the Imperial and PFM lines. They initially came out in 1962, after the Imperial line was released and lasted until 1964. "

"There were three models (see photo below) in the line, numbered after the base selling price point of the particular model (like most of the other "numbered" vintage Sheaffer models): The '500' cartridge model (plastic body, steel cap, steel nib) sold at $5.00, the '800' cartridge model was sold at $7.95, and the '1000' model sold as $10.00.  

Note that I omitted that $10 was the price of the cartridge 1000 model. This was because, while the 500 and 800 models also had Touchdown versions (which sold at $1 higher than the cartridge versions), the top of the line 1000 model oddly did not."

(Photo above, top to bottom: the '1000' model, the '800' model, and the '500' model)

"Some time ago I obtained a (cartridge) Sheaffer 500 from VPCer Jerred, but recently came across an '800' and a '1000' and couldn't resist completing the series. The difference between the two is that the '800' has a plastic cap with a metal cap ring, while the ' 1000' has a gold-filled cap." 

 

"Unlike the '500', the dolphin nibs of the '800' and '1000' are 14-karat gold. The "diamond" inlay in the plastic isn't actually part of (or connected to) the nib, but a decoration meant to look like the Imperial/PFM nibs. The '800' I got is a (functional) Touchdown model, while the '1000', of course, is the correct cartridge model. The bodies of the 800 and 1000 are otherwise identical and would be interchangeable."

 

 (the eponymous dolphin's head profile of the pen's nib section)

Love the shape of that nib-section unit! Many thanks to René for another great contribution to our virtual "show & tell" :)