Photo Credit: Peyton Street Pens
Vintage Sheaffer Imperial 826 Fountain Pen in Sterling Silver
Pros:
-This is a vintage Sheaffer Imperial 826 fountain pen that was made in the U.S. in 1972. The barrel of the pen is made out of solid sterling silver while the inlaid nib is solid 14 karat gold. The pen’s clip is gold plated.
-The Sheaffer Pen Corporation, founded in 1912 in Fort Madison, Iowa, was one of the major U.S. pen manufacturers of the mid 20th century along with competitors Waterman, Parker and Wahl/Eversharp.
-The Sheaffer Imperial line of fountain pens was produced from the early 1960s until 1976. There were a lot of variations in Imperial models over this time period. The Sheaffer Imperial 826 was a higher-end dress model from the early 1970s that was intended as a direct competitor to the wildly successful sterling silver Parker 75 fountain pen.
-The sterling silver barrel of this vintage Sheaffer Imperial 826 fountain pen has an attractive, cross-hatched “barleycorn” design. Textured gold or silver surfaces were very popular in jewelry, wristwatches and other luxury goods in the 1970s and are a great representation of the stylistic zeitgeist of the era.
-The solid karat gold nibs of high quality vintage fountain pens are perennially in high demand. The flexibility of these vintage solid gold nibs allows writing to flow beautifully and effortlessly, in contrast to modern ballpoint pens.
-This vintage Sheaffer Imperial 826 is in perfect condition with no dents, scratches, or dings. This is undoubtedly because the pen is new-old-stock. New-old-stock fountain pens were shipped to retailers but never sold. As a result, they have usually been in storage for many decades, but are nearly always pristine. New-old-stock is a very desirable attribute for a vintage fountain pen.
–Vintage fountain pens are one of those inexplicably overlooked areas of the antique market. They not only look great, but are also usable if you so desire! In my opinion, higher-end, mid 20th century examples with solid gold, gold-filled or sterling silver trim are particularly desirable.
-This particular vintage Sheaffer Imperial 826 fountain pen is a great alternative investment at only $240. The seller currently has 9 examples in stock, but once they are sold you will have little chance of finding similar new-old-stock specimens for the same price.
Cons:
-While Sheaffer is a respected name in vintage fountain pens, Waterman and Montblanc are widely considered to have produced the best of the best. However, vintage Waterman and Montblanc fountain pens are priced significantly higher to match their perceived status.
-There are really almost no negatives to this vintage Sheaffer Imperial 826 fountain pen. Vintage luxury goods from the 1970s and 1980s are becoming increasingly desirable as they approach the half-century mark and vintage fountain pens are a great way to ride the trend.
