N.o.s Sheaffer Imperial 777

[ianmedium]

This is a review of my latest acquisition, a Sheaffer Imperial 777 with medium nib.

 

This pen was purchased from Teri and Peyton Street Pens in Santa Cruz California. The pen is one of her New Old Stock seconds and cost a very reasonable $75. The only marks on the pen were a couple of small chips in the gold fill on the clip which in a way is quite handy as it shows how deep the gold fill is, which is quite deep! No worries of this ones gold fading over time. Also there was a slight wear ring on the plastic section but that came out with a product called "Polywatch" which I use to take scratches out of the plastic crystals on my vintage watches. It worked a treat on the section! So anyone worried about buying seconds from Teri need not. It is still a brand new pen and to be honest the marks on mine would have come with my every day use anyway. Kind of helps in a way as one is not so concerned about keeping the new baby pristine but instead get on with its intended destiny.

 

I purchased this pen as it is the exact model that was my first fountain pen experience 47 years ago. It took me a while but at last I now own a version of my own. The pen is slimmer than I remember (after all, to a seven year old's hands this thing must have seemed like a solid thick,long gold bar!) and lighter but the nib is exactly as I remembered it. To me, the most beautiful nib ever made, even beating my beloved 149's for character and shape but what are the looks of a nib if the performance is below par? Thankfully this nib is one of the best I have ever written with. When I first got it there was a small amount of tooth, very nice though.

 

Now, after probably 50 pages in my Leuchtturm journal (If you like the shade of moleskin but have been disappointed in the reduction of paper quality this one is the one to go for!) the "new nib" phase has passed and the nib is smooth but still with enough feel to make writing enjoyable. Ink flow is on the wetter side of average and that and the medium nib that writes more like a fine gives the ideal writing experience for me.

 

This nib gives it all and leaves nothing wanting I feel. I was surprised at the amount of flex in the nib. All the Sheaffers I have tried have been as firm as a nail but not this nib, it has spring and the tines part quite easily. In no way would I call this a flexible nib though, think more Mercedes Benz springiness rather than Cadillac! The flex that is there though probably contributes to this nib being a wetter writer and also why writing is such a pleasure. It truly is just about the perfect combination of requirements for daily writing and for people, such as myself who frequently fill 20 pages a day in their journal.

 

The pen is a thing of beauty. I love the gold fill, much better than plate as it literally is a thin layer of Gold fused to a base metal rather than plate which is much more prone to wear. I have vintage watches that are Gold filled and much older than this pen and the fill shows no sign of wear even after 60 years. As you can see though it is not impenetrable by the two small chips on the clip. But I think with normal use, even posting as I do the gold fill will outlast my life quite easily.

 

Negatives, hmm, well this is nitpicking. The way the body screws on to the section is grainy and does not represent the quality of the rest of the pen but other than that everything else is just as I remember as a wide eyed child being handed this precious pen by my teacher to try.

The gold is deep and shiny, the 14k nib a thing of beauty and perfect function, the filling system the simplest I have ever used, one squeeze on the converter bar and your good to go! The famed white dot on the clip, the engraving work on the gold, the way the nib fits perfectly in the section, the balance of the pen, the shape, the way the pen makes you feel like a millionaire using it.

 

This all adds up to the Sheaffer toppling my Duofold senior special as my favourite writer.

 

Sometimes when one meets a childhood hero in adult life the experience leaves one feeling lacklustre or disappointed. The hero is not what you remember them to be. But in this case, this particular hero, the pen that started the road to better handwriting which led to a greater interest in learning certainly lives up to those memories.

 

I have found a long lost friend and mentor and it is still all that I remember it to be!

 

Here are some pictures. My advice, if you have always wanted one of these grab one of the ones Teri has for sale A.S.A.P as there are only a few left from what I can see.

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm225/ianmedium/L1000638.jpg

 

 

The mark at the top of the nib is a bit of lint!

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm225/ianmedium/L1000639.jpg

 

 

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm225/ianmedium/L1000642.jpg

 

 

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm225/ianmedium/L1000648.jpg

 

 

The only real flaw in this "seconds" N.O.S pen, two small chips in the gold fill on the clip. when you think that this wonderful pen is all gold fill, 14k gold nib and brand new all for $75 the chips are nothing compared to the bargain of a top flight fountain pen experience for bargain basement prices!

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm225/ianmedium/L1000652.jpg

 

 

One last one with a sample of how it writes.

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm225/ianmedium/L1000640.jpg

Edited February 13, 2012 by ianmedium

[watch_art]

Beautiful pen. Beautiful handwriting. Wow.

[Gojira]

The pen is gorgeous. One of my ex-colleagues gave me his as the broad nib was damaged. Never got around to having it repaired but the pen is treasured for its sentimental value. The colleague retired several years ago but one can never forget the kindness he showed to a young upstart government officer at his first posting.

 

The pen is gorgeous...but I must say that the handwriting is even more so! If only my chicken-scrawl looked half as good.

[ianmedium]

Thank you so much for your kind replies and also the comments on my handwriting. This is the pen that managed to turn scrawl into something that could be read. When I was seven I had some learning difficulties due to a traumatic early childhood. Those included terrible handwriting, Dyslexia, speech impediment (stuttering) and slow reading.

I am not kidding when I say that my teacher giving me the fountain pen to use was the turning point for me. It showed me that I was not stupid or slow, just had a few issues that needed help. Mr Roberts was his name and I wish I could meet up with him now as I have a lot to thank him for!

 

Now part of what I do for a living is write and contribute to books by other authors and truly it started with this pen. I am overjoyed to own it at long last!

 

Thank you once again for your kindness.

[ianmedium]

The pen is gorgeous. One of my ex-colleagues gave me his as the broad nib was damaged. Never got around to having it repaired but the pen is treasured for its sentimental value. The colleague retired several years ago but one can never forget the kindness he showed to a young upstart government officer at his first posting.

 

The pen is gorgeous...but I must say that the handwriting is even more so! If only my chicken-scrawl looked half as good.

 

This might help you get that wonderful pen with such good memories back to work. Teri has a number of nibs for sale on her site!

 

http://www.peytonstreetpens.com/servlet/the-Cursive-Italic-Pens-%26-Nibs/Categories

[lovemy51]

nice review of a nice pen, sir!

[breaker]

nice review and pics!

thanks!

[Gojira]

The pen is gorgeous. One of my ex-colleagues gave me his as the broad nib was damaged. Never got around to having it repaired but the pen is treasured for its sentimental value. The colleague retired several years ago but one can never forget the kindness he showed to a young upstart government officer at his first posting.

 

The pen is gorgeous...but I must say that the handwriting is even more so! If only my chicken-scrawl looked half as good.

 

This might help you get that wonderful pen with such good memories back to work. Teri has a number of nibs for sale on her site!

 

http://www.peytonstr...Nibs/Categories

 

Thanks for the link. I'm aware of Teri's pens...bought one of my first Targas from her. I already have several Imperials, hence no need for another. On the other hand...she does have some cursive italic Imperial nibs for sale...now those...hmm...let me check my wallet!

[akrishna59]

what a wonderful story and pen. and such a well written review too, it is because it comes from the heart that it is so nice. i am young and life may have so many trails ahead of me but when i read about such stories of courage and persistence my spirits get elevated. i can read such reviews a hundred times without being bored. such stories are to be read when we feel low in life, they buoy us up.

 

and sheaffer was my childhood hero too.

 

rgds.

 

krishna.

[Inkwisitor]

Very fine review - it is contributions of this quality that keep me coming back to this fascinating forum. Oh yes, the handwriting impresses too!

[ianmedium]

Thank you Krishna and Inkwisiter, your kind thoughts are much appreciated.

 

Here is another photo. This time it is the end of the cap. I took this one as it shows how thick the Gold fill is, you can see the base metal then the ring of gold which shows the overall thickness of gold. Plate would not really show but as I said before gold fill is a thin sheet of gold fused to a base metal and can easily last a lifetime and more.

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm225/ianmedium/L1000660.jpg

 

 

When you think that the whole pen is covered in this layer it makes the $75 an even bigger bargain I feel!

Edited February 13, 2012 by ianmedium

[hologram]

Great review, thanks

A Sheaffer with flex, now that's something to savour.

[ianmedium]

Thank you, as I said, it has flex but is not flexible, just a wonderful writing experience, I have not stopped all day writing with it!

[CaiusMerlynBrittanicus]

Why are inlaid nibs so beautiful?

[IWantThat]

I think that sometimes we're so busy chasing after the next new pen that we forget the old favorites. So glad you found yours Enjoy it in good health.

[Mark Mck]

Thank you for a very nice review.

[akrishna59]

Why are inlaid nibs so beautiful?

 

well, that is a difficult question to answer objectively. you see the inlaid nibs are so pleasing both to the eye and the hand to an extent that no other nib can come close to it, when you combine both these aspects.

 

the sheaffer inlaid nib is the pen with the most brand recall in asia and perhaps also in europe, the americas etc.

 

rgds.

 

krishna.

[Earl Pitts]

This is a review of my latest acquisition, a Sheaffer Imperial 777 with medium nib.

 

This pen was purchased from Teri and Peyton Street Pens in Santa Cruz California. The pen is one of her New Old Stock seconds and cost a very reasonable $75. The only marks on the pen were a couple of small chips in the gold fill on the clip which in a way is quite handy as it shows how deep the gold fill is, which is quite deep! No worries of this ones gold fading over time. Also there was a slight wear ring on the plastic section but that came out with a product called "Polywatch" which I use to take scratches out of the plastic crystals on my vintage watches. It worked a treat on the section! So anyone worried about buying seconds from Teri need not. It is still a brand new pen and to be honest the marks on mine would have come with my every day use anyway. Kind of helps in a way as one is not so concerned about keeping the new baby pristine but instead get on with its intended destiny.

 

I purchased this pen as it is the exact model that was my first fountain pen experience 47 years ago. It took me a while but at last I now own a version of my own. The pen is slimmer than I remember (after all, to a seven year old's hands this thing must have seemed like a solid thick,long gold bar!) and lighter but the nib is exactly as I remembered it. To me, the most beautiful nib ever made, even beating my beloved 149's for character and shape but what are the looks of a nib if the performance is below par? Thankfully this nib is one of the best I have ever written with. When I first got it there was a small amount of tooth, very nice though.

 

Now, after probably 50 pages in my Leuchtturm journal (If you like the shade of moleskin but have been disappointed in the reduction of paper quality this one is the one to go for!) the "new nib" phase has passed and the nib is smooth but still with enough feel to make writing enjoyable. Ink flow is on the wetter side of average and that and the medium nib that writes more like a fine gives the ideal writing experience for me.

 

This nib gives it all and leaves nothing wanting I feel. I was surprised at the amount of flex in the nib. All the Sheaffers I have tried have been as firm as a nail but not this nib, it has spring and the tines part quite easily. In no way would I call this a flexible nib though, think more Mercedes Benz springiness rather than Cadillac! The flex that is there though probably contributes to this nib being a wetter writer and also why writing is such a pleasure. It truly is just about the perfect combination of requirements for daily writing and for people, such as myself who frequently fill 20 pages a day in their journal.

 

The pen is a thing of beauty. I love the gold fill, much better than plate as it literally is a thin layer of Gold fused to a base metal rather than plate which is much more prone to wear. I have vintage watches that are Gold filled and much older than this pen and the fill shows no sign of wear even after 60 years. As you can see though it is not impenetrable by the two small chips on the clip. But I think with normal use, even posting as I do the gold fill will outlast my life quite easily.

 

Negatives, hmm, well this is nitpicking. The way the body screws on to the section is grainy and does not represent the quality of the rest of the pen but other than that everything else is just as I remember as a wide eyed child being handed this precious pen by my teacher to try.

The gold is deep and shiny, the 14k nib a thing of beauty and perfect function, the filling system the simplest I have ever used, one squeeze on the converter bar and your good to go! The famed white dot on the clip, the engraving work on the gold, the way the nib fits perfectly in the section, the balance of the pen, the shape, the way the pen makes you feel like a millionaire using it.

 

This all adds up to the Sheaffer toppling my Duofold senior special as my favourite writer.

 

Sometimes when one meets a childhood hero in adult life the experience leaves one feeling lacklustre or disappointed. The hero is not what you remember them to be. But in this case, this particular hero, the pen that started the road to better handwriting which led to a greater interest in learning certainly lives up to those memories.

 

I have found a long lost friend and mentor and it is still all that I remember it to be!

 

Here are some pictures. My advice, if you have always wanted one of these grab one of the ones Teri has for sale A.S.A.P as there are only a few left from what I can see.

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm225/ianmedium/L1000638.jpg

 

 

The mark at the top of the nib is a bit of lint!

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm225/ianmedium/L1000639.jpg

 

 

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm225/ianmedium/L1000642.jpg

 

 

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm225/ianmedium/L1000648.jpg

 

 

The only real flaw in this "seconds" N.O.S pen, two small chips in the gold fill on the clip. when you think that this wonderful pen is all gold fill, 14k gold nib and brand new all for $75 the chips are nothing compared to the bargain of a top flight fountain pen experience for bargain basement prices!

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm225/ianmedium/L1000652.jpg

 

 

One last one with a sample of how it writes.

http://i297.photobucket.com/albums/mm225/ianmedium/L1000640.jpg