Sheaffer models are particularly vexing to identify, since not only do they not imprint the pen itself with a name, but the differences between contemporary models can be quite small.
These pictures are arranged in historical order. They don’t represent every pen Sheaffer ever made, just the ones I’ve had a chance to examine. There is a similar resource, of slightly greater breadth if of rather more commercial thrust, available through Peyton Street Pens; if you can’t find what you seek here, you may well find it there.
Flat tops (1913 – c. 1929; hard rubber until 1924, celluloid after that date)
Balance (1929 – c. 1942)
Tuckaway (1940 – c. 1949)
Late model shown; earliest version differs substantially
Triumph(1942 – c. 1948)
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- Triumph (the original model)
Late example, contemporary with “Fat” Touchdowns
Late production; point and band change
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- Valiant (note: two band widths; clip is hidden in second image, but is present)
Early Touchdown (so-called fat models) (1949 – 1950)
“Thin Model” Touchdown (1950 – 1951)
Section same as Valiant
“Thin Model” Snorkel (1952-1959)
Notice colour-matched section; this may or may not appear in any given individual
Section the same as that in Valiant model of Snorkel
Section the same as that in Valiant
Out of scale on this view; if images opened at 100%, will be to scale with others.
TipDip (1953 – c.1963)
Canadian and Australian variant; US version looks like Cadet with metal cap
PFM (1959 – 1968)
Cartridge (1955 – c.1997)
Skripsert (1955 – ?) (Not so much a model name as a description of the filler)
Stylpoint (c. 1957 – ?) (General descriptive also, referring to semi-hooded appearance)
Target (1960 – 1961)
Compact (1961 – 1962)
This image not to scale with others
Imperial and all its lineal descendants (1961 – 1998)
“Dolphin” (1962 – 1964)
Image not to scale with others
Lifetime(1963 – 1964)
Lifetime 1250: Same as Imperial IV with branded clip and point
Lifetime 1500: Same as Imperial VI with branded clip and point
Lifetime 3000: Same as Imperial Triumph, with branded clip and point
Stylist (1966 – c. 1968) Also appears with small Triumph point– see Imperial II above for example
NoNonsense (1969 – c. 2003)
Targa (1976 – 1998)
S-Range (Early to mid-1980s)
Targa Slimline (1982 – 1998)
Sentinel (c. 1989)
Fashion (1990 – 2002)
Award (1995 – c. 2003)
Legacy (1995 – present)
School (c.2000 – present?)
Javelin (2001 – c. 2009)
Agio (2002 – present)
Viewpoint (c. 2003 – present)
100 (c. 2009 – present)
300 (c. 2009 – present)
VFM (2011 – present)
Taranis (2013 – present)