What Sheaffer Imperial Is This?

[mitto]

Got this Sheaffer cartridge pen. It is in near mint condition. Takes no converter. Seems as if there is something inside the barel end that prevent the barel to go up the section when the pen is fitted with a converter. What model it might be and if anything could be done so the pen takes a converter. The pen says on the barel SheafferS only. On the nib it says SheafferS 14k , R (in circle) and USA .

[mitto]

As can be seen in the last picture , the pen has no feed like on all the Imperials that I own.

 

Help sought please.

[jar]

Have you tried the old Sheaffer squeeze converter?

[mitto]

Have you tried the old Sheaffer squeeze converter?

Yes , Jar. The old squeeze as well as the modern piston comverter fits perfectly but the barrel wouldnt go up the section after a certan point. I have looked inside the barel and there seems to be some machanism there at the end of the barrel that is inserted so as to keep the cartridge pushed upward when the barrel is threaded into the section. I think removing this mysterious object would solve the ptoblem.

 

Jar , what model the pen might be?

[Roger W.]

It is likely a 2555. If it started off life as a roller ball it has a spring in the bottom of the barrel. It can be removed (just did one) but it is harder than removing one from a targa. I put a sharp bend on a paperclip, catch the spring and pull. Though the squeeze converter I have works with the spring in place,

 

Roger W.

[mitto]

No. It is something like a stopper for the cartridge so that it remains firmly fitted to the nipple. A rather sophisticated mechanism firmly lodged in the end of the barrel. I have seen this thing for the first time in a Sheaffer pen.

[graystranger]

I have a Sheaffer Lifetime Pen from 1965, part of a pen/pencil set given to me for high school graduation. It looks exactly like your pen except it has a shiny silver colored metal cap and the gold band is not as wide. The modern converter will not fit because the barrel tapers down too much. It does not have a "mechanism" in the barrel, but a geometry at the back end. If you drop a new cartridge in the barrel and screw the section down on the barrel, the cartridge is pierced and seated automatically onto the nipple. It was made to simplify inserting a new cartridge.

 

Remove the cartridge, drop it in the barrel, screw the section back in place. Remove the barrel the cartridge will be seated properly on to the section. It does not leave any room for any converter I have, however Sheaffer may have made one back in the day the does fit. I don't know.

 

I have a 1997 Sheaffer Prelude that can use the modern converter. It does not seat the cartridge like my vintage Sheaffer does.

[Roger W.]

No. It is something like a stopper for the cartridge so that it remains firmly fitted to the nipple. A rather sophisticated mechanism firmly lodged in the end of the barrel. I have seen this thing for the first time in a Sheaffer pen.

Yes, there is the cartridge stop and then a tapers inset for a rollerball or the converter I have will fit. I'm not sure if you have something else jammed in there. I don't have a feed that looks like yours either though out of 10 IV's/VI's that I have.

 

Roger W.

[mitto]

Yes, there is the cartridge stop and then a tapers inset for a rollerball or the converter I have will fit. I'm not sure if you have something else jammed in there. I don't have a feed that looks like yours either though out of 10 IV's/VI's that I have.

 

Roger W.

Very difficult to understand the Sheaffers. I too have a number of IVs VIs ,444s , 440s and 4442s. None have the feed like this one.

[Happy Harry]

It's an Imperial IV cartridge pen. The feed is one of two used and less common. The button converter may fit but some of these earlier cartridge pens where cartridge only as mentioned. Basically it's the Lifetime Imperial IV but a later model with the Lifetime removed from the clip. While these do look a lot like the late model Triumph Imperials those didn't come with a solid gold nib ( gold plated or steel) and the cartridge fits into the section rather than sitting on the end.

[mitto]

Yes , it looks Imperial IV. The button converters ,too ,doesn't fit. More correctly , any Sheaffer converter would fit in the section nipple but the barrel wouldn't screw up the section after a certain point when you fit a converter.

[Roger W.]

Going by what Harry relates then this fits into Gary's http://www.sheaffertarga.com/Imperial%20and%20Triumph/Imp%20Triumph%20Ref%20List.html right after the Lifetime models and have no assigned model numbers (predates the 2555). So when I have one of these it may only take cartridges. Learning more about new Sheaffers all the time.

 

Roger W.

[Happy Harry]

It's possible it's a mix as well, maybe a Lifetime barrel with a regular Imperial IV cap. I'm thinking the Imperial IV cartridge pen would take a converter being a late '60's incarnation.

[mitto]

It's possible it's a mix as well, maybe a Lifetime barrel with a regular Imperial IV cap. I'm thinking the Imperial IV cartridge pen would take a converter being a late '60's incarnation.

After reading your post I tried the barrel of one of my regular Imperials and it too did not go up the section when the pen was fitted with a converuter. I think the problem lies in the design of the pen. There is no sleeve for the converter so when you fit the converter it does not go deep inside the section as in other c/c Imperials and as such the length of the section+converter surpasses the capacity of the barrel. Just to illustrate the point here is a picture showing sections of a regular Imperial and this cartridge pen side by side with converters fitted in both.

Edited April 6, 2015 by mitto

[mitto]

Mystry solved. Or hasn't it as yet? Right now I am making a shorter converter for the pen. Will come back when I am done.

[mitto]

Here we go:

 

A squeeze converter cut to size :

Edited April 6, 2015 by mitto

[bsenn]

Mitto - Nice work! Good thinking outside of the box.

 

Brian

[mitto]

Really? Thank you , Brian.

The pen is complete now with 'mitto made' converter fiited into it. Filled with Pelikan 4001 royal blue. Gonna take it tommorrow to ofice too. Lol.

Edited April 6, 2015 by mitto

[sexauerw]

I have an Imperial IV that looks very much like the OP's pen, but with a different feed. Mine will accept neither a squeeze converter nor a piston converter, but it will take a button converter. I just tried one and test filled it with water and screwed the barrel back on to check to make sure it didn't push the button. No water was expelled so the button converter was a good fit.

[mitto]

I have an Imperial IV that looks very much like the OP's pen, but with a different feed. Mine will not accept neither a squeeze converter nor a piston converter, but it will take a button converter. I just tried one and test filled it with water and screwed the barrel back on to check to make sure it didn't push the button. No water was expelled so the button converter was a good fit.

 

 

I am afraid I haven't seen the button converter. would you please show me one?