Imperial Variation Clarification ?

[RayCornett]

I have only owned one other Imperial and traded it off because I didn't like the color. So, I really know very little about the Imperial line. I have looked through Pen Hero and other websites and am still a bit confused. Which two models are these? Adding to my confusion is these seem to be shorter clips than usual.........

[HughC]

I suspect the wrong caps, gold nib =gold plated clip generally in the '70's/80's version. With a gold nib the plastic one should have either a plastic gold trim cap or gold plated/filled cap.

Regards
Hugh

[stub]

if you ever get all the names and variations of the Sheaffer Imperial line sorted out you will be the first one ever to do so. In a brand where name & model confusion runs exceedingly high, the Imperial line is especially maddening if not as completely insane as the naming of billions of distinct pens 'Balance.'
I am not sure why Sheaffer recycled names so often. You'd think they were looking into the future and just messing with us.

Making stuff worse: Often you get pens with mismatched caps, leading you to think you have a pen you actually don't or giving you a pen that is literally not in any Sheaffer catalog. I have a NOS Imperial Lifetime that for years I could not identify. I know now that it has to have shipped with the wrong NOS cap, it is the only way it makes any sense.

Hard to believe but it could be worse. WATERMAN (<that way lies madness).

[jar]

Hard to believe but it could be worse. WATERMAN (<that way lies madness).

Or Parker Duofold?

[pajaro]

Or Parker 51?

[stub]

meh. I don't see what is so hard about '51. There are vac, aeros, demis, specials. Not that hard to get straight in your head. Sheaffer's naming system is bonkers and is several orders of magnitude more screwed up than anything Parker did. And Sheaffer did it over and over. How many pens called Balance? Statesman? Triumph? It will make you crazy.