Newest Acquisitions (Virtual "Show & Tell") ~ part 113

Earlier this month, we featured René's Sheaffer 'Imperial II' Deluxe fountain pens in our virtual "show & tell". Today, we're shining a spotlight on some later Sheaffer Imperials, also recently acquired by  Rene....

René: "The Sheaffer Imperial series was a follow up to the PFM (Pen for Men) series from (mostly) the 60s, and the white dot part of the series (Imperial IV to Imperial VIII, the Imperial Triumph and Masterpiece) even carry over the same nib design from the PFM. "

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

 

 "The Imperial III (shown above & below), however, was not a white dot model and did not have the iconic diamond "Imperial" nib, but, instead, a silver-palladium small Triumph (conical) nib with partial gold plating. It shares a body design with the Imperial II, but the Imp II doesn't have the partial nib plating and has a metal cap, instead of plastic with a metal cap ring." 

 

"As I'm trying to complete the Sheaffer Imperial series (except maybe the solid gold Masterpiece, which would be too painful for the pocket book), I ran into this Imperial III pen and pencil set for a good price. It's basic black in colour, but the gold plating on the nib really makes the pen look very elegant indeed."

 

 "It's a touchdown filler, is in good shape, and is (mostly) functional. Oddly it only draws water/ink consistently when the piston is in one particular rotation position - but at least it does work."

 

 "The pencil works also, and the case is in excellent shape."

"The Imperial III essentially resembles the Imperial IV, except for the lack of the white dot on the cap and the different nib.

I also acquired a later model Imperial VIII (in photo below), which is essentially an Imperial IV with a gold tone cap. As I understand it the early Imperial VIIIs (pre-1964?) have gold-filled caps, while later ones are just gold-plated. Mine is gold plated and has some plating loss which isn't really easy to see, as well as a few small dents."

 

"The Imperial pens I have so far, all are Touchdown fillers. (Photo above- from top to bottom): Imperial Triumph (I got from Jerred), Imperial VIII,  Imperial IV, Imperial III, and Imperial II Deluxe.

 I'm still looking for an Imperial I (all plastic, including the Touchdown shaft, with a "Skripsert" nib), and an Imperial VI (like the Imperial IV, but with a steel cap and gold-tone clip). Imperials V and VII don't exist for some reason."

For more information on the early Sheaffer Imperial lineup, René recommends this article on PenHero.com: Early Sheaffer Imperials 1961-1962.

For a comprehensive reference list of all the Sheaffer Imperial models made, go to The Sheaffer Imperial Family of Fountain Pens article on the excellent SheafferTarga.com website.

What a handsome collection of Imperials! Many thanks to René for the excellent photos and informative writeup on these classic Sheaffer fountain pens :)