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Thread: Nib grade on Targa?

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    Senior Member Laurie's Avatar
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    Default Nib grade on Targa?

    I have just purchased a USA Sheaffer Targa with a 14ct gold nib. I see the carat numbers on the right hand side but cant find any nib size marking. How do you tell what grade of nib on Sheaffer pens?
    BTW I just love the pen. It is beautifully balanced and I love the inlaid nib.
    So glad I got it. At least I can now say I have experienced a gold nib. I did have a little write with it and it feels like it maybe a fine nib. I can see it has some line variation which I havent experienced yet.
    “When once the itch of literature comes over a man, nothing can cure it but the scratching of a pen.

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    Senior Member Jon Szanto's Avatar
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    Default Re: Nib grade on Targa?

    It's a bit frustrating, Laurie - they don't all seem to be marked. In fact, I have no idea whether they commonly were, or weren't. You might need a bit of magnification and/or light, but if you look at the nib section, and turn it upside down (so you would be looking at the underside of the nib) - follow a straight line back to the barrel, and just before you leave the section, just before the gold band, you may very well see an F or M stamped (lightly) into the plastic.

    I pulled out the Targas I could easily get to: two of them were stamped, two were blank. Also, the nibs didn't all seem to be created equal, and while some of them are pretty much nails (stiff), many of the Targa inlaid nibs have some give to them. Rarely would I say that they could be called "flex" nibs, but certainly are like the "soft" nibs of many good Japanese pens.

    I'm glad you like it. Be careful: they were made in so many finishes, it is easy to get sucked into collecting them!

    And keep a bookmark to sheaffertarga.com handy...
    "When Men differ in Opinion, both Sides ought equally to have the Advantage of being heard by the Publick;
    and that when Truth and Error have fair Play, the former is always an overmatch for the latter."

    ~ Benjamin Franklin

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    jde (April 28th, 2015)

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    Senior Member Laurie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Nib grade on Targa?

    Thanks Jon for that info. It is night time here now so I will wait till I can get a bit of better light on it. It is a beautiful pen in my unexperienced opinion. I soaked the nib section in water and then forced some water through with an ear syringe. Will repeat it that process again as it looks like the pen has not been used very much. It is a ball point combination box and has the press sac (sorry if I didnt describe that correctly) in the box which appears never to have been used). Is there anything I should do to the sac. I am scared it may be a bit brittle if not used. Can you use any other converter on this pen?.
    “When once the itch of literature comes over a man, nothing can cure it but the scratching of a pen.

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    Default Re: Nib grade on Targa?

    You can buy the modern Sheaffer piston converter that fits, you could try Pen and Ink on the first floor of Australia Fair in Southport for one.

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    Senior Member Laurie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Nib grade on Targa?

    Thanks Hugh.
    I often go to Southport to buy some Korean (googuki?) from Dona Dona. Great Korean dish. It is right next to Pacific
    Fair so next time I will take the pen and give it a try. The pen also came with a ball point pen. Can you still buy refills for the Targa ball point?
    “When once the itch of literature comes over a man, nothing can cure it but the scratching of a pen.

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    Senior Member jar's Avatar
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    Default Re: Nib grade on Targa?

    The nib type was a gold colored chalk mark letter under the section IIRC and so likely wiped off. If you're lucky enought to find the original outer box it also was printed there I think.

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    Senior Member Laurie's Avatar
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    Default Re: Nib grade on Targa?

    Hi Hugh, I googled the modern piston converter and many of the ads say it only suits the modern Sheaffers and not the Targa and a few other models. But are they only referring to the Slim Targa?
    “When once the itch of literature comes over a man, nothing can cure it but the scratching of a pen.

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    Senior Member jar's Avatar
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    Default Re: Nib grade on Targa?

    Quote Originally Posted by Laurie View Post
    Hi Hugh, I googled the modern piston converter and many of the ads say it only suits the modern Sheaffers and not the Targa and a few other models. But are they only referring to the Slim Targa?
    The Sheaffer piston converter works fine with standard size Targas but is too fat to fit in the slim Targas.

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    Laurie (April 27th, 2015)

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    Default Re: Nib grade on Targa?

    One minor caution, Laurie. Don't try to flex that Targa nib. I haven't seen any that were designed to flex, and if they are forced to flex the nib may come loose from the section - and I'm not at all sure anyone fixes them. You would have to buy another nib/section to use the pen.

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    Laurie (April 28th, 2015)

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    Default Re: Nib grade on Targa?

    Some Targas are prone to is leaking around the nib. The ink will seep out from around the edges of the nib so you don't want to encourage that.

    I find my F Targas to be genuinely F and very slender and precise. The M is somewhat generous M and the B, is apparently for BEAST because that is what it is. A have a couple and they write like many BB nibs and they have an epic amount of tipping. GIANT BALLS OF IRIDIUM. heh.





    Quote Originally Posted by SteveE View Post
    One minor caution, Laurie. Don't try to flex that Targa nib. I haven't seen any that were designed to flex, and if they are forced to flex the nib may come loose from the section - and I'm not at all sure anyone fixes them. You would have to buy another nib/section to use the pen.

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    Senior Member jar's Avatar
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    Default Re: Nib grade on Targa?

    Quote Originally Posted by stub View Post
    Some Targas are prone to is leaking around the nib. The ink will seep out from around the edges of the nib so you don't want to encourage that.
    Should that happen, look for some Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack sealer but be careful applying it to make sure you do not also fill the feed channels.

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    Default Re: Nib grade on Targa?

    I have a Targa that is leaking a bit with more watery inks and it is an exceptionally good writer so I might go looking for some Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack (hahahaha hahah hahaha creeping crack hahaha) Sealer but I doubt I could get that here.

    I have had success taking Targas apart but I have once ruined a Targa by pushing the feed/collector back in too far and the collector pushed up on the nib spreading the tines too wide. I suppose it was not so terrible as this one had a broken feed and bad plating on it but that is the downside of these pens, unlike other Sheaffers nib work on them is difficult and sometimes impossible (depending on the problem).

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