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What Snorkel Model Should I Get?


Nathaniel Harter

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So, I have been looking for a snorkel and find so many models. I was wondering if some write better or are better in some way. I would like a black, burgundy, or pastel red with full plastic and gold trim. I have found lots of them and was wondering which I should get. I would also love to get a set, but thats not priority.

Nathaniel Harter
Sheaffer Pen Museum Volunteer
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I've narrowed it down to these models: Admiral, Saratoga, Statesman, Valiant (Although I already have a TD version of this), or a Pastel Blue Sentinel (I have a matching pencil).

Nathaniel Harter
Sheaffer Pen Museum Volunteer
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Get the green one. They tend to be good writers.

San Francisco International Pen Show - The next “Funnest Pen Show” is on schedule for August 23-24-25, 2024.  Watch the show website for registration details. 
 

My PM box is usually full. Just email me: my last name at the google mail address.

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There's nothing wrong with a traditional open nib, but personally I'd prefer a sheath or "Triumph" nib if I'm acquiring a TM pen, either TD or Snorkel. I love the long thin Triumph nibs on the end of the TM pens--looks and feels inches longer that it is. Both palladium and gold are nice looking, and smooth writers, but since they're available in the Snorkel line, I think I'd opt for a palladium nib, just for something a little different.

 

They're a nice change of pace from thicker pens, but you know that if you have a Touchdown TM.

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Get the green one. They tend to be good writers.

I never mentioned a green one.

Nathaniel Harter
Sheaffer Pen Museum Volunteer
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I have three Snorkels -- two Valiants and a Statesman. Haven't tried the black Valiant since it's been worked on, but the other two work well. They're basically all the same size and length, and all have Triumph nibs but in different colors and nib widths. The best looking one is the Statesman, which is what I think is Aqua Blue, but it has an EF nib, which is a little finicky (this is the only time where I found that matching the brand of ink to the pen really worked -- the Statesman did not like Waterman Mysterious Blue, but did much better (although I'm still not overly enamored with EF nibs) with Skrip Purple. The best nib is the one on my first Valiant, the grey one -- I think, from the way it writes, that it's a medium.

SheafferKing, I think that it's going to be a matter of what color body and what style hardware and nib you like best.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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  • 3 weeks later...

My experience with the two tone open nibs from that era has been exelent. You probably can't go wrong so you should just pick whatever you like the look of the most.

Note to self: don't try to fix anything without the heat gun handy!

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I've only had a few of the snorkels, but I noticed that the Statesman I had seemed to be the best balanced and brought out the best in my handwriting.

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I have no experience with snorkels, but with the recent threads about them, I've decided to look a little closer. On Sunday, Rick Krantz is going to lay half a dozen or more of his restored snorkels in front of me to try and compare. I know what I like in vintage and modern pens, so it'll be interesting to see if I take one home. I'll be wanting a writer, not a collection of every color and variation. Triumph style nibs look cool, but I've never found one I liked as a writer. Perhaps I'll luck out!

 

Fred

Edited by FredRydr
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The Snorkel range amazes me. My current obsession. At the top you have the fancy pants stuff. Signature, Autograph, the all metal Snorkel Triumph and rarities like demonstrators, etc. These are hard to find and often overpriced and don't write any better than their white dot standard issue brothers and sisters. Great pens but often not bang for buck.

 

Then you have the regular White dot models, the Statesmen (Palladium-silver conical nib) and the Clipper which is like the Statesmen but with a polished stainless cap and pattern of 4 lines. The Valiant is a plastic cap like the Statesman but has a 2 two-tone nib (14 & platinum mask top) and its metal cap cousin the Sentinel (my personal favorite at the moment as I like metal caps) and the Crest, which is like the Valiant and the Sentinel but with a gold filled Cap. I like these too but the caps often seem to age less well than the steel caps with just the gold clips and bands. But if you find a clean one they are the handsomest of the bunch.

Then you move down to the Non-white dots starting with the Special. These are entry level. Open palladium silver nibs. They are the lowest rung on the ladder, but nice pens. I happen to not really like these that much because I have special LOVE for the Admiral. The Admiral is one of the great vintage bargains out there. Give me an Admiral over the Parker 45 any day of the week and twice on Sundays. This is Shaeffer’s second cheapest snorkel model and it still comes with a fantastic 14 k open nib. The Saratoga is the same as the Admiral but with two-tone nib (14 and platinum mask tops, they look a lot like the old "Feathertouch" nibs.) Also a great pen and the Sovereign is really just a Saratoga with with a Metal cap.
Snorkel range kills. Not a bad pen in the lot. I love the Triumph nibs but also really dig the open nibs and really love Admirals and Saratogas and you can still find these pretty cheap here and there.
The only thing I like more are the chubbier 1st gen of touchdown pens which are more comfortable in my hand. It is unfortunate that the whole Thin Model thing happened so quickly as there are not a lot of the fatter Touchdown filler pens out there and as much as I like the snorkel I think it the touchdown pens are simpler and work just as well. I actually think the tipdip idea was the best combining the simplicity of the TD filler with the cleanliness of the snorkel without the mechanical complexity. But the snorkel does get the wows.
Man, pick one. Not a bummer in the lot. I avoid the Special because usually for the same scratch you can get Admirals and Saratogas and they just look cooler but the whole line is a winner.
I know this is an old thread but I am absolutely Shaeffer crazy. I still dig the old vac pens (they hold much more ink I think) and they were what I most interested in (that carmine red with conical nib and "wire" filler SEXY!) and so I never go around to the later pens. I was talked out of snorkels and 50s pens for too long and the couple I had in the past I hated. I realize now they likely needed restoration and I didn't know that then.
I currently only have one working Shaeffer (I probably a couple at my mom's house from a long time ago). Hoping to change that soon.
( anyone have any kicking around in a draw they want to sell? :) )
P.S. Some of the above might be wrong. I am very new to the TD and Snorkel area.
Edited by ink-syringe

Looking for a cap for a Sheaffer Touchdown Sentinel Deluxe Fat version

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Note correct spelling of "Sheaffer".

 

--Daniel

"The greatest mental derangement is to believe things because we want them to be true, not because we observe that they are in effect." --Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet

Daniel Kirchheimer
Specialty Pen Restoration
Authorized Sheaffer/Parker/Waterman Vintage Repair Center
Purveyor of the iCroScope digital loupe

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Note correct spelling of "Sheaffer".

 

--Daniel

 

 

 

God lord. I know. I did a global find and replace to capitalize that replicated my typo across my whole message and did not see it.

You are an amazing guy with amazing knowledge and you are very generous with it but the "Note the correct spelling of Shaeffer" thing you do eats at me and I try to be very careful and here I am getting my hand smacked. I wish I could delete my whole message now. Oof.

 

I'll stop participating. Thanks.

Looking for a cap for a Sheaffer Touchdown Sentinel Deluxe Fat version

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I'll stop participating. Thanks.

 

Don't let Daniel get you down; he's just a perfectionist!

 

Thanks for your reply regarding the 14k open nibs in the Admiral pens.

 

Fred

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God lord. I know. I did a global find and replace to capitalize that replicated my typo across my whole message and did not see it.

You are an amazing guy with amazing knowledge and you are very generous with it but the "Note the correct spelling of Shaeffer" thing you do eats at me and I try to be very careful and here I am getting my hand smacked. I wish I could delete my whole message now. Oof.

 

I'll stop participating. Thanks.

 

 

Note correct spelling of "Sheaffer".

 

--Daniel

I believe that the browser will auto-correct Sheaffer to Shaeffer. I have seen this LOTS of times. You browser is probably the reason why ink-syringe, what browser are you using?

Nathaniel Harter
Sheaffer Pen Museum Volunteer
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I'm a general fan of the line. The triumph-point models look the most Snorkel, but some of the most interesting writing I've had from them has been with Admirals; they have a little more give in them.

Ravensmarch Pens & Books
It's mainly pens, just now....

Oh, good heavens. He's got a blog now, too.

 

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Sheaffer

 

I believe that the browser will auto-correct Sheaffer to Shaeffer. I have seen this LOTS of times. You browser is probably the reason why ink-syringe, what browser are you using?

 

In Apple Safari, Control-click on the underlined word "Sheaffer" and choose Learn Spelling in the drop down menu. "Sheaffer" will then be added to the spelling dictionary. While you're at it, add "Connaisseur" "Eversharp" "nib" "binde" "Meisterstuck" etc., etc. and so forth.*

 

Fred

 

 

 

*Apologies to Yul Brynner.

Edited by FredRydr
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I remember it because it starts like S h e a Stadium. Still stewing over this hand smack. It is eating at me. Grrrr.

Looking for a cap for a Sheaffer Touchdown Sentinel Deluxe Fat version

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I remember it because it starts like S h e a Stadium. Still stewing over this hand smack. It is eating at me. Grrrr.

It's not a "hand smack;" it's a correction, like telling you that you were using the wrong chemical to clean a pen. It's not an insult. Just say "thank you." Wonderful avatar, by the way.

Edited by Manalto

James

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