Jump to content

Sheaffer Ball Point And Pencil With Grape Vine Pattern


sztainbok

Recommended Posts

Some time ago I came across two sets of ball pens with reminder clip and pencils, One gold filled and the other in solid sterling silver. They have a beautiful grape vine pattern engraved. I would like your help dating the sets. I am also interested on knowing if there ever was a matching fountain pen. The silver pen and pencil are marked STERLING SILVER SHEAFFER U.S.A. and there is also a crown. Tha gold filled ball point is marked 12K GF SHEAFFER U.S.A. and the gold filled pencil GF SHEAFFER U.S.A., there is also a crown on both. I saw a thin Targa in the sheaffertarga.com website with the same pattern, but I don't think these sets belong to the Targa family because the caps are tapered and Targas are square ended. On the other hand to be Imperials the top of the caps should be square. The ballpoints accept both the current refills and the older ones with the flattened plastic top. Thanks for your help.

 

Victor.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 18
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • sexauerw

    6

  • sztainbok

    5

  • ogopogo

    3

  • sarahdesmo

    2

IIRC that was called the "Vintage" series and I do not remember there being a fountain pen at all. They came in Sterling silver and Gold filled I believe.

 

My Website

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They seem to be from the 1970s Imperial family in that the clip shapes match. I too have never seen an FP in this grapes and leaves "Vintage" pattern .... pity, because it is really gorgeous.

 

On a side note, we got some NOS silver pencils, and the color/patina match from cap to barrel was atrocious. I think they used different types of coatings on the silver.

 

TERI

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've been calling these "Triumph Imperials". There is no fountain pen to match, just the MP/BP set. The Sterling silver is much less common and is more expensive than the gold-filled version.

 

The same pattern appears in the Targa line and does include the slim fountain pen, but not the full-size FP. The Targa had only the gold-filled version, not the Sterling silver one. But there were two versions of the gold-filled Targas, some had black backgrounds on the patterns and some had brown.

Bill Sexauer
http://bulk-share.slickpic.com/album/share/zyNIMDOgTcgMOO/5768697.0/org/p/PCA+++Logo+small.jpghttp://bulk-share.slickpic.com/album/share/zyNIMDOgTcgMOO/5768694.0/org/p/Blk+Pen+Society+Icon.jpghttp://bulk-share.slickpic.com/album/share/TE3TzMUAMMYyNM/8484890.0/300/p/CP04_Black_Legend%2C_Small.jpg
PCA Member since 2006

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bill--Actually there is at least one Targa Classic fp with the grape and leaves design. I have it in my collection and according to Gary Ellison (who has seen it), it's authentic). A few years ago Richard Binder and I did a trade in which that pen came to me, and a beloved Parker 51 Nassau went to live with him. Both of us are "happy guardians."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, I know about those. But they are prototypes and I don't count those because they never made it into production.

Bill Sexauer
http://bulk-share.slickpic.com/album/share/zyNIMDOgTcgMOO/5768697.0/org/p/PCA+++Logo+small.jpghttp://bulk-share.slickpic.com/album/share/zyNIMDOgTcgMOO/5768694.0/org/p/Blk+Pen+Society+Icon.jpghttp://bulk-share.slickpic.com/album/share/TE3TzMUAMMYyNM/8484890.0/300/p/CP04_Black_Legend%2C_Small.jpg
PCA Member since 2006

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks everybody for the input. It appears that I will never find a matching fountain pen. Can you give me some guidance as to the value of these mechanical pencils and ballpoints? I will probably sell the gold filled set.

 

Thanks again,

 

Victor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bill--Actually there is at least one Targa Classic fp with the grape and leaves design. I have it in my collection and according to Gary Ellison (who has seen it), it's authentic). A few years ago Richard Binder and I did a trade in which that pen came to me, and a beloved Parker 51 Nassau went to live with him. Both of us are "happy guardians."

 

I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT! I have these pens in my collection and have been looking all over to see what the FP might look like (if there is one). Please share a pic :) Pretty please?

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/606/letterji9.png
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks everybody for the input. It appears that I will never find a matching fountain pen. Can you give me some guidance as to the value of these mechanical pencils and ballpoints? I will probably sell the gold filled set.

 

Thanks again,

 

Victor.

 

A lot depends on their condition.

If they have wear and plating missing, maybe $50.00 for the silver and $75.00 for the gold. If they are in really good shape and everything is working well and all pieces are there and shiny then upwards of $100+. That is what I have been seeing on ebay. I paid less for mine, but they aren't preistine (the silver pen on mine is missing the white dot - just have a hole on the clip where it was supposed to be).

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/606/letterji9.png
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bill--Actually there is at least one Targa Classic fp with the grape and leaves design. I have it in my collection and according to Gary Ellison (who has seen it), it's authentic). A few years ago Richard Binder and I did a trade in which that pen came to me, and a beloved Parker 51 Nassau went to live with him. Both of us are "happy guardians."

 

I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT! I have these pens in my collection and have been looking all over to see what the FP might look like (if there is one). Please share a pic :) Pretty please?

 

You can see a thin Targa with this pattern follwing this link Targa

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't have any current data, but I bought a silver and two gold-filled sets on eBay in 2007-2008. I paid $77 for the silver set, $26 for one gold-filled set and $68 for the other gold-filled set. Both gold-filled sets were in excellent condition, possibly NOS. The silver set turned out to have been horribly over-polished by some previous owner, but its auction still attracted enough buyers to push its price higher than either gold set.

 

Here are pictures of the Targas and Triumph Imperials together:

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j66/sexauerw/Pentrace%20Sundays/TargaandImperialVintages.jpg

Bill Sexauer
http://bulk-share.slickpic.com/album/share/zyNIMDOgTcgMOO/5768697.0/org/p/PCA+++Logo+small.jpghttp://bulk-share.slickpic.com/album/share/zyNIMDOgTcgMOO/5768694.0/org/p/Blk+Pen+Society+Icon.jpghttp://bulk-share.slickpic.com/album/share/TE3TzMUAMMYyNM/8484890.0/300/p/CP04_Black_Legend%2C_Small.jpg
PCA Member since 2006

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you Bill, beautiful pictures. The top Targa seems to be a fountain pen. This kind of pattern is really beautiful and not seen very much on lower cost modern pens.

 

Victor.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Victor,

Yes, the top Targa is the slim version of the fountain pen. I've made a point of collecting this pattern because it reminds me of my Mom. She had a gold-filled ballpoint/pencil set of the Triumph Imperial that she kept on the living room table and used for phone messages, crossword puzzles, grocery lists, etc. After Mom and Dad had both passed away and my brother and I were clearing out the house, I had set that set aside for me to keep, but somehow in the confusion it got away and ended up in the garage sale. So I replaced it with a set from eBay, then found that there was a silver version, and a Targa version so I had to have those too. Every time I use any of them they remind me of Mom.

Bill Sexauer
http://bulk-share.slickpic.com/album/share/zyNIMDOgTcgMOO/5768697.0/org/p/PCA+++Logo+small.jpghttp://bulk-share.slickpic.com/album/share/zyNIMDOgTcgMOO/5768694.0/org/p/Blk+Pen+Society+Icon.jpghttp://bulk-share.slickpic.com/album/share/TE3TzMUAMMYyNM/8484890.0/300/p/CP04_Black_Legend%2C_Small.jpg
PCA Member since 2006

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bill,

 

It is moving how warm and cherished memories are asociated to pens. It makes you wonder what pens will mean to those growing up today. I still keep the Parker 51 my father used to write checks with.

I think there is a Targa pencil to complete your "Vintage" collection.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't have any current data, but I bought a silver and two gold-filled sets on eBay in 2007-2008. I paid $77 for the silver set, $26 for one gold-filled set and $68 for the other gold-filled set. Both gold-filled sets were in excellent condition, possibly NOS. The silver set turned out to have been horribly over-polished by some previous owner, but its auction still attracted enough buyers to push its price higher than either gold set.

 

Here are pictures of the Targas and Triumph Imperials together:

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j66/sexauerw/Pentrace%20Sundays/TargaandImperialVintages.jpg

Thank you for sharing your pictures. They are truly beautiful pens.

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/606/letterji9.png
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bill,

 

It is moving how warm and cherished memories are asociated to pens. It makes you wonder what pens will mean to those growing up today. I still keep the Parker 51 my father used to write checks with.

I think there is a Targa pencil to complete your "Vintage" collection.

 

I have a number of catalogs and Sheaffer price lists. They show pencils for those models where pencils were available; none show a "Vintage" pencil. I don't believe there ever was a "Vintage" Targa pencil, at least not a production version. But it wouldn't suprise me a bit to find out that some prototypes exist. :)

 

And I still have the matte black Targa that my Dad wrote his checks with. That's the pen that rekindled my interest in fountain pens and got me started in collecting them. I didn't start out intending to collect them, I just wanted another pretty fountain pen with a different nib, and so on. After a while I had a collection. Then I found the Zoss list, then FPN, then Pentrace. Oops, then eBay! Now I have 367 fountain pens, 150 of which are Targas. Another 70 are other Sheaffer models.

 

Here's Dad's Targa. Quite a bit of the matte finish has been worn to a nice glossy polish by his hands using it over the years.

http://i77.photobucket.com/albums/j66/sexauerw/DadsTarga.jpg

Bill Sexauer
http://bulk-share.slickpic.com/album/share/zyNIMDOgTcgMOO/5768697.0/org/p/PCA+++Logo+small.jpghttp://bulk-share.slickpic.com/album/share/zyNIMDOgTcgMOO/5768694.0/org/p/Blk+Pen+Society+Icon.jpghttp://bulk-share.slickpic.com/album/share/TE3TzMUAMMYyNM/8484890.0/300/p/CP04_Black_Legend%2C_Small.jpg
PCA Member since 2006

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 years later...

Hi, I'm new to this forum. A point to add to the discussion. I own the sterling siver ballpoint pen, in the "grapes and leaves" series, and in the mid-'70s bought my father a SOLID 14K GOLD ballpoint pen in the same "grapes and leaves" design. It's a beautiful design, and was hoping to find out from this forum that Sheaffer made a desk fountain pen as well. From what I've read, I guess that's not in the cards. Many thanks for your help.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I need to make a correction to what I have said previously in this thread. The Triumph Imperial Vintage ballpoint and pencil did come in both Sterling silver and gold-electroplated versions. But the Slim Targa Vintage fountain pen and ballpoint only came in brass, not gold-plated. And I'm not aware of a solid 14K gold version of the Triumph Imperial either, although that doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. I would love to see a photo of it if that's at all possible, Sarahdesmo.

Bill Sexauer
http://bulk-share.slickpic.com/album/share/zyNIMDOgTcgMOO/5768697.0/org/p/PCA+++Logo+small.jpghttp://bulk-share.slickpic.com/album/share/zyNIMDOgTcgMOO/5768694.0/org/p/Blk+Pen+Society+Icon.jpghttp://bulk-share.slickpic.com/album/share/TE3TzMUAMMYyNM/8484890.0/300/p/CP04_Black_Legend%2C_Small.jpg
PCA Member since 2006

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am currently trying to obtain the pen from my father's widow. I do know that it was rare, and made sure it was SOLID 14K GOLD before I bought it, believe it or not, from a discount store in Houlton, Maine. As far as the fountain pen version goes, this is a quote from an ebay seller:

Type: Ballpoint and mechanical pencil set
Product Name: "Vintage" aka Grapes and Leaves is from the Imperial line of pens based on the clip style. They only made ballpoints and pencils, as far as we know, in this pattern. (When they re-used it for the Targa line, they did make slim fountain pen.)
Manufacturer and Year: Sheaffer, USA, 1970s
Length: 5-1/16"
Filling System: Ballpoint takes Sheaffer style refills*, still made. Pencil takes .9mm lead (also called "Thin" lead by Sheaffer).
Color: Gold filled 12k with a lovely tooled or engraved look to the design of grapes and leaves.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33494
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26624
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...