Sheaffer Target 1960-1961

by Jim Mamoulides, December 18, 2005, updated March 20, 2023

Sheaffer Target Green pen and pencil set with box c. 1960-1961

What's In a Name?

The Sheaffer Target is something of an enigma. It appears to have been a herald of things to come from Sheaffer, a precursor to the slimming down of the PFM shape to the Imperial size that would happen by early 1961. The Target is first mentioned, though not named, in an article in the April / May 1960 Sheaffer’s Review, the internal company employee magazine. E. P. Reavey, Marketing Director and Greg Rouleau, Advertising and Merchandising Manager outline a specialization strategy for Sheaffer that includes separating “prestige writing instruments” from “popular priced writing instruments” with distinctive packaging, advertising and point of sale displays. They talk about how important point of sale displays are to attract customers and show the value and features of each high end writing instrument. They also discuss how Sheaffer dealers want specific programs that are tailored to their account, whether “commercial stationers, jewelers, department stores, [and] drug stores.” At the end of this high level overview, they announce a “new Touchdown pen selling at $8.75 which answers the need for a lower-priced item with the prestige features and design of more expensive pens.” In the June 1960 Sheaffer’s Review the new Target is named and announced, described as “similar to the styling of our PFM pen but . . . standard in size.”

Advertisements, left, Richmond Times Dispatch November 25, 1960, page 37, right, Salt Lake Tribune, November 18, 1960, page 8B

The first advertisements for the new Target appear in November 1960. The earliest known mention appears in a page of local retailer announcements in the November 6, 1960, Orlando Sentinel. The new Target is described in a short paragraph, but there are no images or official Sheaffer ad copy. The first known ad that uses Sheaffer provided copy appears in the November 18, 1960, Salt Lake Tribune with the headline “Compare Sheaffer’s new ‘Target II’ fountain pen with others costing twice as much!” and interestingly introduces a new Sheaffer Target II at a price point of $10, not the $8.75 price point revealed in the Sheaffer’s Review announcements nor in any advertisements that show the pen simply as the Sheaffer Target. Searches for Target II advertisements show identical advertisements only appearing in the Salt Lake Tribune in November and December 1960. The wording and design of the “Target II” ads is verbatim with the “Compare…” ads that ran at the same time showing the new $8.75 Target with one exception: in the “Target II” ad the cap band shown on the Target II pen is wider, more like the band that is on the later Imperial VI, but otherwise identical to the Target cap. Was this Target II pen a test market trial in Salt Lake City? I’ve never seen any pen marked “Target II” and none of the later Imperials have this cap style, so it’s presently a mystery.

Sheaffer Target Green pen and pencil set with box c. 1960-1961

An interesting aspect of the November/December 1960 “Compare…” ads is the ‘O’ in compare in the headline is a target! These ads and the June 1960 Sheaffer’s Review image show an open gift box that looks exactly like an open 1960 PFM gift box. The few Target pen and pencil sets I’ve seen in original boxes are of this type, with the new Inlaid nib as a logo on the top even though the Target has a conical nib. The design and packaging of this pen leads to wondering where the Target sits in the development of Shaeffer’s late 1950s to early 1960s pen lines.

Advertisement, Ottawa Citizen, December 3, 1960, page 37

The Target appears to be a true transitional pen for Sheaffer. Sheaffer instruction insert A241 c. 1960-1961, refers to both Target and Imperial Touchdown pens, likely the earlier streamlined c. 1958-1960 Touchdown Imperial AS9 which itself appears to be a revised 1951-1952 ‘TM’ Thin Model Touchdown pen but now having the recently introduced short conical nib. The Target is like a mashup of the nib, section, and filling unit of the Imperial AS9 and then swapping onto it a more angular cap and barrel shape, introduced with the PFM, and continued on the later 1961 Imperial line. By the release of the 1961 Sheaffer Catalog in late 1961, the Target finally becomes the Imperial III, alongside a greatly expanded line of new Imperials from the January 1961 market introduction. So how do you know if you have a Target or an Imperial III? The only way to tell is if the pen is screen printed with the Target name, as shown on the examples in this article.

The last advertisement found using Sheaffer copy, still describing the pen as new, appears in the Iowa City Press Citizen on December 18, 1962. Probably a dealer still selling their original stock. By January 30, 1963, the first ad showing Targets on $6.99 closeout appears in the Lansing State Journal.

Identification Guide and Features

Sheaffer Target Green fountain pen c. 1960-1961

The Target is not a White Dot pen. Sheaffer reserved this distinction for its top models, and as with the PFM line, only for 14 karat gold nib pens. For a pen priced less than the $10.00 of the non-White Dot PFM I, this comes as no surprise. The Target shares the bar-shaped clip introduced on the PFM, but it is a cheaper ear mounted clip rather than a spring loaded one. The clip is also stamped "SHEAFFER'S", a style reserved for lower end Snorkel models, as the Target is, relative to the PFM. This positioning continues when the Target becomes the Imperial III, placed in the lower non-White Dot spectrum of the new Imperial line introduced in 1961. The Target, like early and later Imperials, uses the Touchdown filling system. Finally, the Target is fitted with a short conical two-tone gold nib of unspecified gold content described in the 1962 Sheaffer’s Service Manual as gold and palladium silver, probably the same C9W nib used on the early Imperials.

• Molded plastic cap and barrel in solid colors including Black, Navy Blue, Evergreen Green, Dark Bluish Grey, and Burgundy
• Barrel color plastic nib section
• Gold filled 1/4 inch cap band
• Gold filled ear clip stamped "SHEAFFER'S"
• Nib section has three mounting points for the cap
• Cap pulls off
• Short conical two-tone gold nib, stamped "SHEAFFER'S" over "MADE IN U.S.A."
• Nib grades probably included fine, medium, broad, stub, and shorthand
• Touchdown filling system
• About 5 3/8 inches long capped
• Retail price for the fountain pen was $8.75, matching twist action pencil $4.00, and ensemble fountain pen and pencil set $12.75

Performance

The Target, like its Imperial brethren, is a very lightweight pen, tipping the scale at just under one ounce. It's a full length pen, at 5 3/8 inches long capped and 5 5/8 inches posted, but more slender than its contemporary, the wide body PFM. The cap posts deeply and securely on the end of the barrel but is light enough that it really doesn't make much difference in writing, capped or posted. It's a nice size and a slender pen. As with most Imperials, it's a big contrast from heavy all-metal modern pens.

Sheaffer Target Green fountain pen with plunger extended c. 1960-1961

The fit and finish is excellent, no different from the more expensive Imperial models or the PFM pens. There's little doubt that the entire mid and upper range Sheaffer pens from the early 1960s were made at the same quality standard, with the principal differences in trim and features. There are some cost cutting elements, such as the ear-type fixed clip, a less elegant and cheaper clip than the spring loaded type, and thus more prone to being sprung. I have examples with that problem. On the other hand, the Touchdown filling system and entire barrel assembly are no different than any other Touchdown Imperial, save the very cheap Imperial I, a poor cut-corner attempt at a Touchdown pen that did not last.

As with all other Imperials, the Touchdown filling system is simple to use, and the pen fills very easily with one downstroke. It's a fun pen to fill and use, even though the pen needs to be wiped after filling.

Sheaffer Target gift box c. 1960-1961

The test Target was black and had a very sweet, wet medium nib that was exceptionally smooth and wrote with a nice, even line. The short conical nib has the classic upturned tip that delivers a nice sweet spot. It's very firm, like Triumph nibs, and I doubt this nib was offered any other way.

Imperials in general are great everyday user pens and are plentiful enough that a nice collection can made without a huge investment. Many people pass over them, and a number found in the field are cap and barrel mismatch Frankenpens, which actually can be a fun diversion and a source for the damaged cap or barrel needed to complete a collectible pen.

Touchdown pens are very easy to repair but look for cracks the barrel. Cracks will make the Touchdown filling system ineffective, as the force needed to collapse the sac will rush out the crack and not allow the pen to fill properly.

The biggest trick to collecting the Target will be identification. Since there's no visual difference between the Target and its successor, the Imperial III, unless the pen and pencil have the Target name screened on them, you won't really know! Collecting a set of authentic Targets could be a real challenge!

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References

Lansing State Journal, January 30, 1963, page A20

Iowa City Press Citizen, December 18, 1962, page 11

“New Products” Sheaffer’s Review, June 1960, p. 3

Orlando Sentinel, November 6, 1960, page 12C

Ottawa Citizen, December 3, 1960, page 37

Richmond Times Dispatch November 25, 1960, page 37

“Retail Division...Specialization is Requirement In Quality Pen Field” by E. P. Reavey and Greg Rouleau Sheaffer’s Review, April-May 1960, p. 4

Salt Lake Tribune, November 18, 1960, page 8B

Salt Lake Tribune, December 13, 1960, page 18

Sheaffer Catalog, 1961

Sheaffer’s Service Manual, 1962