Sheaffer Stub Nibs - 1955 Snorkel Demonstrator

[Guest PeteWK]

What this nib is doing on this pen is beyond me but here it is.

 

 

 

[Nikolaos]

Thank you for the review and the nice pics Peter. The pens is gorgeous and i think very rare to get the demo version with a stub! Great find. I wonder how much it set you back

Nikolaos

[DrPJM1]

Thanks for the review. I have never seen a snorkel demonstrator before, but I do have a regular snorkel crest with a stub nib. Contrary to your opinion, I love and use it regularly at work. It does take some practice to maintain the nib on its sweet spot but the writing is very rewarding.

[Guest PeteWK]

Thank you for the review and the nice pics Peter. The pens is gorgeous and i think very rare to get the demo version with a stub! Great find. I wonder how much it set you back

Nikolaos

 

 

If I recall it was right around 500 dollars on eBay. I've seen them go for half that in various stages of repair but mine could pass for new and the nib puts a premium on it. That same week on eBay a snorkel with a stub sold for about 400 dollars, non-demonstrator that is.

 

PeteWK

[badrsj]

Pete - great review and a great pen.

I am fortunate to have one of these - not a stub (oh no that would be too good), and not in mint condition - just the scarcity of these babies makes them not good for daily usage.

The pictures are good - but do not do justice to this great technological marvel.

Thanks for sharing your reviews.

 

[FrankB]

This is a good review, thank you.

 

I have stubs on most of my modern Sheaffers. The Sheaffer version of a stub is more italic than stub, and I am very satisfied with mine. Your review indicates to me that apparently Sheaffer has produced their stub version for many years. I wish I could find a vintage Sheaffer with a factory stub. In lieu of having my own, your review has helped.

[Guest PeteWK]

This is a good review, thank you.

 

I have stubs on most of my modern Sheaffers. The Sheaffer version of a stub is more italic than stub, and I am very satisfied with mine. Your review indicates to me that apparently Sheaffer has produced their stub version for many years. I wish I could find a vintage Sheaffer with a factory stub. In lieu of having my own, your review has helped.

 

 

Hi Frank. Sheaffer was like just about every Pen Maker and wanted to offer all the nibs that were out there. Below you'll see a scan from a 1918 or 1919 Sheaffer Catalog with one paragraph enlarged. It notes the various types of nibs, including stubs, that were available. The stubs may have been a special order, I can't say. What I do know is that unless it was a flex stub, Sheaffer's earlier stubs tended to be made of thick gold. This gave them a different feel than a modern Sheaffer stub which are often like Italic nbs as you've mentioned. The Targa review I did is more italic and the PFM a much more rounded traditional stub.

 

Regards,

 

PeteWK

[meanwhile]

This has been a terrific series of reviews, Peter!

 

But I do (cautiously, because I only have photos to go on) differ with you when you say that vintage Sheaffer stubs are better than the work of modern meisters. My Deb Kinney 0.9 mm cursive italic gives me what looks like quite comparable variation, despite being narrower, and is silk-on-glass to write with. I wrote a review if anyone is interested:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...showtopic=27535

[FrankB]

PeteWK wrote:

 

"Hi Frank. Sheaffer was like just about every Pen Maker and wanted to offer all the nibs that were out there. Below you'll see a scan from a 1918 or 1919 Sheaffer Catalog with one paragraph enlarged. It notes the various types of nibs, including stubs, that were available. The stubs may have been a special order, I can't say. What I do know is that unless it was a flex stub, Sheaffer's earlier stubs tended to be made of thick gold. This gave them a different feel than a modern Sheaffer stub which are often like Italic nbs as you've mentioned. The Targa review I did is more italic and the PFM a much more rounded traditional stub."

 

Thanks, Pete. This thread has whetted my appetite for a vintage Sheaffer stub nib. I am going to have to try at least one to see what you are talking about. They sound like a lot of creative fun.

[Guest PeteWK]

PeteWK wrote:

 

"Hi Frank. Sheaffer was like just about every Pen Maker and wanted to offer all the nibs that were out there. Below you'll see a scan from a 1918 or 1919 Sheaffer Catalog with one paragraph enlarged. It notes the various types of nibs, including stubs, that were available. The stubs may have been a special order, I can't say. What I do know is that unless it was a flex stub, Sheaffer's earlier stubs tended to be made of thick gold. This gave them a different feel than a modern Sheaffer stub which are often like Italic nbs as you've mentioned. The Targa review I did is more italic and the PFM a much more rounded traditional stub."

 

Thanks, Pete. This thread has whetted my appetite for a vintage Sheaffer stub nib. I am going to have to try at least one to see what you are talking about. They sound like a lot of creative fun.

 

 

Frank, if I come across one I'll let you know. Do you have a type of pen and price range you prefer to stay in? Also, how modern is too modern? Regards,

 

PeteWK