Snorkel Sentinel: Should I Buy It?

[Lam1]

I spend most of my time at the Pelikan forum, but I am looking around for some vintage pens and I just love the looks of the triumph nibs in the snorkels and touchdowns. However, I have no idea of what is a fair price for a pen that needs to be restored, nor how difficult it is to restore these pens (I intend to learn how to restore them myself).

 

Today, in a local store, I found a snorkel sentinel set (pen and pencil), black and with box, for $35.00. Since I don't know anything about the snorkel yet, I don't really know if it is working, so I'm assuming it is not. The external conditions of both pen and pencil are excellent (no dents, no scratches), but both have a name engraved. The box is a bit banged up. Is this a good price?

 

Also, would it be too difficult for a newbie like me to bring one of these pens to working conditions? Finally, is it possible to remove the name engraved without ruining the pen?

 

Thanks.

[bsenn]

That price is good if the pens are free of significant dings or scratches. Possible to get for less on eBay, but with this set you have the advantage of being able to see the condition in person.

 

Snorkels are not tough to rebuild, just do some reading first. I recommend googling ravens march pens, they have good instructions. Vintagepens.com has silicone sacs for snorkels.

 

I have removed engravings from Vacumatics and 51s, but have had no luck with Touchdowns or Snorkels. They don't respond to heat the same way.

 

Good luck!

 

Brian

[Lam1]

That price is good if the pens are free of significant dings or scratches. Possible to get for less on eBay, but with this set you have the advantage of being able to see the condition in person.

Snorkels are not tough to rebuild, just do some reading first. I recommend googling ravens march pens, they have good instructions. Vintagepens.com has silicone sacs for snorkels.

I have removed engravings from Vacumatics and 51s, but have had no luck with Touchdowns or Snorkels. They don't respond to heat the same way.

Good luck!

Brian

Thanks, Brian.

 

I believe this set is in excellent condition, but I'll have another look later this week and I'll start looking at eBay.

I found the Ravens March pens page that you mentioned and also a page by Richard Binder that explains how to repair the snorkels. As for the engravings, they are not a deal breaker, but I would rather not have them.

 

Thanks a lot for the information.

[Penman222]

I would say that replacing the sac and two o-rings in a Sheaffer Snorkel is about the same level of difficulty as replacing a battery in an iPhone 3. It is certainly doable, but it require a great deal of skill and patience. The Sheaffer Snorkel is one of the true engineering marvels of the 20th century - sad to think that their time has come and gone to never return.

[Lam1]

I would say that replacing the sac and two o-rings in a Sheaffer Snorkel is about the same level of difficulty as replacing a battery in an iPhone 3. It is certainly doable, but it require a great deal of skill and patience. The Sheaffer Snorkel is one of the true engineering marvels of the 20th century - sad to think that their time has come and gone to never return.

Thanks. I went back yesterday and bought the pen, and it was in working condition. Other than dried ink inside, it was good to go. I have inked it and it writes great. So, the "learning to restore" thing will have to wait .

[Brian-McQueen]

Unfortunately, you've got an inky pocket or rusted pen internals waiting to happen. I don't even trust new old stock Snorkels. I've taken a few apart, and the sacs are just weaker than you'd see in a new one. I imagine that after a very short time, the sac would go. When the sac goes, ink gets on the metal parts inside the pen, and they rust. Then you've got a mess.

 

Snorkel restoration is not hard. Read about it from Richard Binder's excellent article here: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref/repair/snorkel_filler.htm

 

Don't follow the Youtube video from Grandmia. It's got a lot of not-recommended repair steps in it.

[Lam1]

Unfortunately, you've got an inky pocket or rusted pen internals waiting to happen. I don't even trust new old stock Snorkels. I've taken a few apart, and the sacs are just weaker than you'd see in a new one. I imagine that after a very short time, the sac would go. When the sac goes, ink gets on the metal parts inside the pen, and they rust. Then you've got a mess.

 

Snorkel restoration is not hard. Read about it from Richard Binder's excellent article here: http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref/repair/snorkel_filler.htm

 

Don't follow the Youtube video from Grandmia. It's got a lot of not-recommended repair steps in it.

Yes, I agree with you. I will probably replace the sac before long, just in case. But it is always good to be able to experience the pen right away and also to see that if it was serviced, it was done right - so that the pen is easy to repair/restore.

 

Thanks for the link to Richard Binder's page.

And I agree about the YouTube video: lots of steps which I can't find any good reason to do and, therefore, I believe it is better not to do (like putting shellac on the section).

[redbike]

There are two methods to removing the sac section necessary for Snorkel restoration: Richard Binder's and David Nishimura's. IMHO it's worth familiarizing yourself with both and deciding what you think will work best for you. I agree with the advice to replace the sac sooner vs. later. Good luck.

[silicon]

Could someone post a picture of snorkels? I'd like to see them.