Hello Sheaffer fans! I have a neat pen that I'm a bit curious about. It's a burgundy Target. Yes, I know that you can't tell a Target from an Imperial, but I KNOW that this one is a Target. "How?," you ask, because chalked on the barrel is, "TARGET, MEDIUM, $8.75." It's black and still in its case - original case I presume.

I've read PenHero's excellent article on these pens, and what I want to know is how rare a find is this? Is this something to hold on to, or should I just ink 'er up and use it. Please keep in mind I do NOT want to open up that whole can of worms. IMHO, I will not ink a rare, mint pen, but that's just me. If it's rare, I'll hold on to it or sell it, and get a very good condition user pen. Again, that's just me.

So, what do you think?


TIA, southpaw

Congrats, Southpaw!

I first heard about the Sheaffer Target about 2.5 years ago when I asked Jim a question about them on Pentrace (I kept the email as there was no article on them on PenHero.com yet). At that time, he wrote back to me: (quote) "They are pretty hard to find." ( Hope you don't mind me quoting you, Jim )

So, if Jim says they are that scare (edit: that should say "scarce"...not "scare"!) then I personally would hold on to it, if I were a Sheaffer fan (and I am ), and I don't think I would use the pen if it would result in the chalk marks being worn away. If it was NOS, I likely would hold off on inking it up altogether...just because it's somewhat difficult to find older pens with intact chalk marks on them...and the Target is an uncommon model to begin with (or perhaps there are a lot around with worn off chalk marks that people think are early Imperials )

get an anonymous Target/Imperial III that has already lost its chalkmarks as a writer, they aren't hard to find!

Thanks - that's kinda what I thought. Anyone else feel free to chime in, but for now, it's a keeper, but not a user (my first in that category).

I have a few chalkmarked sets that I badly want to ink, but I have resisted so far...it's easier when they are in a drawer away from my wandering gaze

I won one of these this week. I bid on it for the novelty of it, and they had described the pen as a Blackish Bluish/Grey color that sounded interesting to me. I knew I was bidding on a "user pen".

When it got here, it looks more of a Navy color that I just kind-of like. It looked to be in good shape though. So I thought I'd at least ink it up and see what that weird little Triumph nib was all about.

Lo and behold! It's a great writer. I don't even care it's not the color I wanted.

It's now in the main rotation with my best Vac. Valiant and my best Snorkel Valiant.

I have an Imperial III (might have started out life as a Target, but we'll never know) touchdown. It is a terrific writer. It is definitely in my rotation and inked more frequently than not. Targets/Imperial IIIs are excellent pens.

Laura

Yes, they are wonderful writers. I have the mint Target, two Target/Imperial IIIs, and two Imperial IVs (inlaid nibs - great writers also).

Hi Southpaw,

See my new thread here. Pics and review to be added soon.
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...topic=24318&hl=

As to your question I would take great pride in finding a mint nice pen and to use it. I may indeed be very choosy about how it is used and where it goes into my rotation but I would not let it languish in a cupboard or drawer!

Armchop

Actually, I now have enough Imperials that I don't even miss using the chalk mark ones (30+). They are wonderful pens!