Show Us Your Red Snorkels!

[PenHero]

Hi, folks! I've been having fun with some new Sheaffer Snorkels and I thought I'd start a thread on the red ones.

 

I just finished up an article featuring a mint Fiesta Red Snorkel and thought I would stimulate some "show and tell".

 

In Sheaffer Snorkel land, Fiesta Red is found only on White Dot pens, and the very similar red Vermillion is found only on non-White Dot pens. They are very close shades and I have seen people confuse them at pen shows. There are two shades of Burgundy and for me, they are best identified side by side, with the early, slightly lighter shade being most commonly found. Mandarin Orange, at least, is distinctive and unconfusing.

 

Let's start the thread with a Fiesta Red Sentinel:

 

http://www.penhero.com/PenInHand/2015/PenInHandSep2015_1280_06.jpg

 

Let's see how many different red Snorkels we can show off!

 

Here is a link to the article on this pen:

 

PenInHand: September, 2015: Snorkel Fiesta!

http://www.penhero.com/PenInHand/2015/PenInHandSep2015.htm

 

Thanks!

[Pincel]

In your PeninHand article, you wrote, "The reds are harder. Fiesta Red, found only on White Dot pens, and Vermillion, found only on non-White Dot pens are very close shades." There is a current listing at eBay (item# 111783343147) of a red Snorkel described as "Vintage Rare Fiesta RED.," Very nice, all plastic with matching section, very desirable. But to me it looks like a Snorkel Saratoga Admiral, a non White Dot model. What do you think? Are the bidders bidding on a Fiesta or a Vermilion?

Edited October 1, 2015 by Haribon

[Happy Harry]

In your PeninHand article, you wrote, "The reds are harder. Fiesta Red, found only on White Dot pens, and Vermillion, found only on non-White Dot pens are very close shades." There is a current listing at eBay (item# 111783343147) of a red Snorkel described as "Vintage Rare Fiesta RED.," Very nice, all plastic with matching section, very desirable. But to me it looks like a Snorkel Saratoga,a non White Dot model. What do you think? Are the bidders bidding on a Fiesta or a Vermillion?

 

The pen is vermilion. Edit to add: The full fiesta red is rare ( with plastic cap), so don't pass it up if you find one !!

Edited October 1, 2015 by Happy Harry

[Pincel]

 

The pen is vermilion. Edit to add: The full fiesta red is rare ( with plastic cap), so don't pass it up if you find one !!

 

So the bidders are bidding on a Fiesta that is a Vermilion. The winner will get disappointed.

[PenHero]

 

So the bidders are bidding on a Fiesta that is a Vermilion. The winner will get disappointed.

 

Maybe not disappointed so much. The pen in the eBay listing is definitely a Vermillion Admiral and an all plastic Vermillion is still a hard to find pen. The only disappointment may be the seller does not know the correct color name. Fiesta Red and Vermillion are pretty close in color.

[3rdlakerobert]

Here's a cousin to Jim's Sentinel, a Fiesta Red Clipper I've owned for about 6 months. Picked it up on eBay, and it was not a very attractive specimen--very scratched and dirty.

 

I've been wondering about the black section. The consensus is that the new colors, like Fiesta Red, have self-colored sections, yet this one came with a black section. Maybe a replacement? Anyone seen others with black sections?

[jar]

I don't remember what shade of red the snorkel on the far right was called.

 

http://www.fototime.com/055AC6F3BB1039F/large.jpg

[PenHero]

Here's a cousin to Jim's Sentinel, a Fiesta Red Clipper I've owned for about 6 months. Picked it up on eBay, and it was not a very attractive specimen--very scratched and dirty.

 

I've been wondering about the black section. The consensus is that the new colors, like Fiesta Red, have self-colored sections, yet this one came with a black section. Maybe a replacement? Anyone seen others with black sections?

 

Hi, Robert! Nice pen. I don't think it's a given that Snorkels will necessarily have a same colored section. It does not appear to be the rule for pre-1956 pens, and not consistent with the new color Snorkels that were released in 1956, though many of those do. Some may indeed be replacements, but I would bet that many never had the matching section when shipped from the factory, either from stock outs or a manufacturing decision. Probably cheaper to make them all black, especially near the end of production.

[PenHero]

I don't remember what shade of red the snorkel on the far right was called.

 

 

Your red Snorkel appears to be Burgundy.

[Roger W.]

Jim;

 

I disagree on the matching sections. Most post '56 colors will have matching sections with known exceptions. Mandarin and Peacock Blue always have black sections. The other post '56 colors have matching sections but, if found in black did it come from the factory that way? That's possible but, since matching section is often seen I lean towards that being the proper configuration. So I'd say a fiesta should have matching section. Only the black had matching section pre '56 as the matching sections are a post '56 thing and that would be consistent with the catalogs and ads.

 

Roger W.

[PenHero]

Hi, Roger,

 

I think we are more in agreement than not, and perhaps I was not precise enough. I would expect the majority of pens with the new 1956 colors to have matching sections if they came that way. That's certainly what you see in ads and catalogs.

 

I am not so certain that as 1959 approaches that all of them would necesarily be 100% matching from the factory. If I ran the factory and we ran out of Periwinkle sections, and we were still getting orders I would offer them with black sections. Why not? I'm trying to sell pens and get rid of inventory. It's speculation, for sure.

 

There are some puzzlers out there that have black sections when a matching color section is expected. May be original or may be a replacement. I would think Sheaffer repair would put a matching section on it if they had it, but a repair done elsewhere may have used what ever fit, and black ones would be the most common.

[Roger W.]

Jim;

 

I think you've probably seen these as well a demo section on a non demo pen. I'm not too sure how a section would break so perhaps the answer was black sections were used when they ran out of matching ones. I think we see too many with black sections so that may be the answer.

 

Roger

[PenHero]

http://www.penhero.com/365_2010/SheafferSnorkelSentinelMandarin80002.jpg

Sheaffer Snorkel Sentinel Mandarin Orange

Well, maybe not technically red, but hey!

Jim Mamoulides

www.PenHero.com