Circa 1985 Sheaffer Targa Slim "gold Electroplated" - ?

[TheDutchGuy]

A very, very nice surprise waiting for me today when I came home from work. A friend had dropped off his old Sheaffer Targa Slim as a gift to me. His hands are too big for the pen and he can't find any cartridges that will fit the pen.

 

 

I'd say this is a circa 1985 Targa Slim. 14k nib. The cap band is inscribed "Sheaffer USA Gold Electroplated" and there is a crown after the text.

 

Question: does this mean that the pen is actually gold-plated...? Or is it just a phrase?

 

Getting it inked up had me scratching my head for a while, since nothing fits into this pen. Except, that is, for a small Kaweco converter that's made for their Classic Sport series pens. This fits perfectly and allowed me to determine that the pen writes like an absolute dream. This is my 3rd Sheaffer, and I value their nibs very highly indeed (only Sailor suits me better, and only slightly so). The nib in this Slim seems to be an F and writes beautifully smooth while still giving me lots of texture and nuance. The line is wet yet thin. Just awesome.

 

 

It's inked with Noodler's Burgundy, which I was very kindly given a bottle of this week by fellow FPN member Wim.

 

Life can be pretty darn good sometimes.

[blueboy]

You need the Slim converter, harder to find and sometimes unreasonably expensive!

[TheDutchGuy]

You need the Slim converter, harder to find and sometimes unreasonably expensive!

If I ever cross paths with one, I might consider it. In the mean time, that little Kaweco converter works just fine.

[TheDutchGuy]

Two days later. This is one nice pen. I'm in awe. The nib is extraordinary. It's significantly narrower than most Western Fines. None of my three Sheaffers seem to have any nib size indicator stamped into them, just the usual 14k 585 Sheaffer markings.

[TheDutchGuy]

Just had to make a better photo of this marvellous little pen.

 

[mitto]

Congrats. Enjoy your pen.

[TheDutchGuy]

[BaronWulfraed]

Two days later. This is one nice pen. I'm in awe. The nib is extraordinary. It's significantly narrower than most Western Fines. None of my three Sheaffers seem to have any nib size indicator stamped into them, just the usual 14k 585 Sheaffer markings.

 

Nib size for most Sheaffers in the 70s+ time period is a gold tone (silk screen) marking on the /section/ when viewed from the bottom. It often wears off.

[TheDutchGuy]

Nib size for most Sheaffers in the 70s+ time period is a gold tone (silk screen) marking on the /section/ when viewed from the bottom. It often wears off.

No trace left of it on mine. Lots of craftsmanship went into this nib - it's very small/narrow/fine but still writes like a dream. Nib size is comparable to my Custom 823F, but this little Slim is running circles around it.

[mitto]

No trace left of it on mine. Lots of craftsmanship went into this nib - it's very small/narrow/fine but still writes like a dream. Nib size is comparable to my Custom 823F, but this little Slim is running circles around it.

See the section marked F in goldtone. It is on a Targa full size, though.

 

 

 

Sorry for the fuzzy night time photo.

Edited October 19, 2018 by mitto

[TheDutchGuy]

Thanks, I found it now. You can actually see it in the photo that's in the 5th post from the top. But it's in a different place: between the section ring and the barrel. Here's a close-up:

 

[TheDutchGuy]

A year later and this little pen has become one of my personal favourites. It never disappoints. Somehow this little pen makes me write better and I love its stylish, classic design, which somehow seems more appropriate in a small-sized pen. The pen gets lots of use and it’s always a pleasure to pick it up.

Edited November 29, 2019 by TheDutchGuy

[Ron Z]

Its nice to have a pen that delights every time you pick it up, isn't it?

[TheDutchGuy]

Its nice to have a pen that delights every time you pick it up, isn't it?

 

 

It is! I’m fortunate to have a few like that, but it’s rare. I tend to go through phases where I temporarily favour certain pens and only about five pens are always in use. This Targa Slim is definitely one of them.