Saw this on ebay.. any of you know what pen this is? I think it's an Imperial I... not sure though.

Ebay Vintage pen

Definitely not an Imperial. Perhaps a Skripset, I'm not sure.

No... doesn't look like a Skripset. Are you sure it's not an early Imperial?

I'm basing this off of a picture I found in Penhero

Early Imperial (4th picture from the top)

I wonder if it's one of these pens made under licence in Canada or Australia. Does it give a country of manufacture anywhere? Might be an idea to ask the seller. The cap looks particularly odd.

Do you think it's a Frankenpen? The seller pretty much says it's NOS ("new vintage", LOL), so I don't think it is. Can anyone give a positive ID on this pen?

That is an early 1960s Sheaffer Cartridge pen. Pretty common. The nib is similar to an Imperial I nib, also called a "Stylpoint" nib. The model is an AC18I.

Cheers,

Jim Mamoulides
www.PenHero.com

Hi All,

This is a legitimate model, not a Frankenpen. Unfortunately, it seems to be one whose proper designation is hard to pin down.

It's a regular 1960s entry-level cartridge pen, although I'm not sure whether it's a Cartridge Pen according to Sheaffer name conventions. The barrel is different from that of the "standard" Cartridge Pen, and the angled cap top is unique to this model. While it shares the nib design of the Imperial I, it's not an Imperial. For what it's worth, I've seen this semi-hooded nib configuration referred to as a "Stylpoint." (I've also seen that term used to refer to the pen itself, as a model, but I'm not sure that's correct either.) This nib style was also used on inexpensive cartridge desk pens.

Another term I've encountered, in conjunction with this particular pen, is "PEP." I've got a NOS example of this pen which is chalk marked with that name. Only thing is, I've also got a dealer box of a dozen screw-in open-nib units for the standard Cartridge Pens, and that box is printed "for PEP-Type Cartridge Pens." So "PEP" doesn't seem to refer exclusively to this odd little model.

In any event: it's a real Sheaffer, no question. If anyone has (or has seen) an example in its original packaging, I'd love to know its proper name.

Hope something in there is helpful!

Cheers,

Jon

PS Quick edit: thanks for the model info, Jim, and for the confirmation of the Stylpoint name. Have you run across the "PEP" designation, by any chance?

Problem solved. I've never seen one of these. Perhaps they didn't sell them in the UK.

Thanks for the info, Jim and Jon (Univer)!

For posterity's sake, there is an ad for the Sheaffer Skripsert model here:
http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...showtopic=11290
The bodies of the eBay pen and the Skripsert in the Ann-Margret ad look similar, but the eBay pen has that angled cap top.

Hello there Maja,

Thank you! It completely slipped my mind that there was also a flat-topped version of the cap. Since that was the first version, per the ad, the angled model must have been a running change.

For what it's worth, I seem to run across the angled-cap version much more often than the flattop.

Cheers,

Jon

Now that we've figured out what pen this is (thanks for all your input, everyone!), does anyone have any experience with it? Does it stack up to Sheaffer's current entry level pens? (e.g., school pen and javelin)

Hi,

I've had used and NOS examples, and my experience has been that these pens tend to be slightly less smooth than the contemporary entry-level Cartridge Pen (the "standard" Sheaffer chrome-cap/translucent-barrel model). Some of the Stylpoint nibs seem to curve downward a bit - maybe a function of the semi-hooded design? - and that might account for it. Writing that, I'm reminded of a comment made by Richard Binder in another thread, describing what he termed a "pushy" nib: http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...showtopic=14360

That said, the operative word is "slightly" - they're very close to the Cartridge Pen in writing quality. For me - acknowledging my general preference for vintage Sheaffers over recent ones - that would make them at least equal to, and probably a bit better than, the entry-level models you mention. They're close to the plastic School Pen in size and weight; significantly smaller and lighter than the Javelin.

Cheers,

Jon

My experience with an identical pen is that it is a bit finer and drier than the later cartridge pens. Also, it is relatively small -- a plus in my book, because it fits the shirt pocket nicely. Mine is a good pen -- no complaints -- but, with all the "nicer" pens I've acquired, I'm afraid I rarely use it.

Seconded-- a little finer, a tiny bit drier. I've got a flat and an angled top, and there is a lamentable sense of cheap plastic that comes off them on sight. Functional as all get out, and the two types of cap are entirely interchangible. I don't want to think about how to pull the feed, though-- the section totally encloses it, and it's got the familiar cartridge aft.