Mystery Imperial

[ink-syringe]

What the heck is this thing? My word.

I have tried to figure out precisely what this pen is and you can go by the nib shape, cap and placement of the imprint and the type of filling system and usually get to a precise model. But I can not for the life of me find another pen with this exact same set of characteristics.

It is an Imperial with a regular long V inlaid nib (not the short V or dolphin) but the nib (not the clip) actually says Sheaffer’s LIFETIME on it. It is a 14k nib and one of the ones with the USA on the lower part of V at the bottom of the section.

It has the three prong cap grabby thing. Confusingly the imprint is not right at the top of the barrel but down about a half a centimeter from where the section and barrel meet.

It is a touchdown filler. The cap has a white dot but no “LIFETIME” on the clip and is gold plated.

& here is the most baffling of all. The clip has grouped lines but not the usual thin five line groups. This has fatter three line groups.

I never never seen an Imperial that combines all these characteristics. I have googled endlessly. I am not sure why I care but I oddly want to know what the heck this pen is.

SHEAFFER IMPERIAL LIFETIME TOUCHDOWN HAMBERGER BALANCE SENTINAL DELUXE JR XXXVII

(The most confusing product line naming scheme in the history of capitalism, they might as well have individually named each pen as it came of the line)

The good news is that it is a super pen. Writes as well as my Targa but without the gaudy over the top 70s porno-tastic finishes, is maybe a tad thicker in the section (Targas are thicker than you think) and is kind of a PFM jr. Less girth, clean design, and no mosquito but also not a C/C pen.

In a weird way a kind of a nice convergence of the pfm-imperial-targa axis.

But what this is, I have no idea. As I said, I have never seen one that combines these specific characteristics.

[ink-syringe]

Here are some close ups. I am a horrid photographer and don't have a macro lens and idiotically waited till the sun went down to make this thread.

 

 

[ink-syringe]

http://www.sheaffertarga.com/Imperial%20and%20Triumph/Imp%20Triumph%20Ref%20List.html

 

http://www.rickconner.net/penspotters/sheaffer.imperial.html

 

http://www.penhero.com/PenGallery/Sheaffer/SheafferImperialsEarly.htm

 

 

etc. & co.

 

More questions than answers.

 

 

-k

 

ps. I just want to say that I love Shaeffer pens with all my heart. heh.

 

[Happy Harry]

Wrong cap. A mix I suspect.

Edited March 2, 2015 by Happy Harry

[ink-syringe]

It was purchased new old stock. It was never inked but seals and gaskets were redone. Awesome pen. Really enjoying it.

[kirchh]

I agree with Hugh. Wrong cap. I see plenty of "New Old Stock" pens that are put together (perhaps at the shop) from NOS parts.

 

--Daniel

[ink-syringe]

(though, I have never actually seen this cap anywhere, only the five liner that you see in those links above)

 

What would be the right cap?

[ink-syringe]

I embrace this frankenpen's uniqueness.

 

To be sure I plan to use like crazy as it is a very nice writer wrong cap and all. It's been lovingly restored, takes a full fill and makes a nice woosh sound and lays down a nice wet mark.

 

I am just curious to know as I am really just generally totally head over heels for Sheaffer these days and while I currently only have 2 Sheaffer pens, I have had many in the past and am looking to just generally get a better grasp of the models and maybe looking get a couple more of these old beauties (as well as some of the Triumph nibs).

 

Thanks,

k

 

(really want to own a PFM before I check out)

[ink-syringe]

so (riddles, riddles) all the other Imperials with LIFETIME nibs I am finding on the net have the imprint right where the barrel meets the section.... See this 14k Lifetime burgundy 1963 on http://www.rickconner.net/penspotters/sheaffer.imperial.html

[jar]

The Hamburgers owned west coast department stores and A. Hamburger & Sons Co was bought out by May Company. The LA store at least continued to be know as Hamburger's at least into the early 60s when I lived in LA.

 

It's possible that this was an exclusive design made for there stores.

[ink-syringe]

The cap is from a Sheaffer Imperial Triumph 770.

Now I just need to figure out what the pen is. heh.

 

[ink-syringe]

The imprint on the Barrel, and TD filler suggest the very earliest versions.

 

But the nib says Sheaffer's LIFETIME like the Model 1250- Sheaffer Lifetime Fountain Pen Blue G.T.

 

Therefore I can only conclude this is probably a frankenpen made from 3 different pens.