What Does Engraved Number On Snorkel Mean?

[aphexteknol]

Just thought I would chime in. In my collection I have a pastel green Sentinel with a medium 14k nib, and it has an 1127 above the imprint. I checked the rest of my many snorks and no others have the engraved numerals like this one. Would love to know exactly what they mean... 

[3rdlakerobert]

Hmmm . . . there's another 1127 on the list already. Posted September 28. Said to be a burgundy Valiant.

[Bill Nick]

On 9/28/2020 at 4:07 PM, HDoug said:

By the way, my 1127 is a Valiant. Why would some Burgundy Valiants have a number and some not? What is the meaning of life and why is the sky blue?

"...and why is the sky blue?"

Much easier to answer than the mysterious, engraved Sheaffer numbers...scattered short-wavelength light!

[3rdlakerobert]

Another example: grey Admiral has number 1305

[gmark_wa]

A numbered Snorkel has just turned up on eBay. We already had the number on the list but not the model and colour. We can now confirm that #0755 is a Grey Snorkel Admiral. It is being sold with a matching pencil. The eBay sale is at: https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Vintage-Sheaffers-Snorkel-Fountain-Pen-Pencil-Set-With-Original-Case-14k-gold-/164900934110?_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286

[gmark_wa]

Here’s the updated list as of 07 June 2021:

1. 0167 (Colour not stated) Snorkel Saratoga 
2. 0251 Black Snorkel Crest 
3. 0356 Green Snorkel Admiral F2 nib
4. 0404 Black Snorkel Valiant 
5. 0424 Black Snorkel Sentinel 
6. 0453 Aqua Snorkel (Model not stated) 
7. 0494 Grey Snorkel Admiral M2 nib
8. 0517 Black Snorkel Autograph 
9. 0534 Black Snorkel Statesman XF nib
10. 0597 Burgundy Snorkel Admiral X2 nib
11. 0612 Black Snorkel Valiant 
12. 0664 Burgundy Snorkel Sovereign  
13. 0731 Grey Snorkel Admiral 
14. 0755 Grey Snorkel Admiral
15. 0810 Black Snorkel Valiant X5 nib
16. 0960 Black  Snorkel Admiral 
17. 0988 Black Snorkel Sentinel 
18. 1045 (Colour not stated) Snorkel Valiant 
19. 1127 Burgundy Snorkel Valiant 
20. 1127 Green Snorkel Sentinel 
21. 1137 Aqua Snorkel Admiral A2 nib
22. 1153 Burgundy Snorkel Admiral 
23. 1305 Grey Snorkel Admiral
24. 1674 Grey Snorkel Clipper 

[3rdlakerobert]

Just received another numbered Snorkel:

 

Blue Statesman - #1316 (from a p&p set). The sac protector is of the 2nd generation with four narrow rails. (http://www.richardspens.com/ref/profiles/snorkel.htm). So maybe 1956 - 1957?? --just a guess because of the four narrow rails.

 

[vicpen123]

I have a Sheaffer Burgundy Snorkel Valiant Triumph nib with no number.

 

Why am I missing a number?

[gmark_wa]

On 7/22/2021 at 2:33 AM, 3rdlakerobert said:

Just received another numbered Snorkel:

 

Blue Statesman - #1316 (from a p&p set). The sac protector is of the 2nd generation with four narrow rails. (http://www.richardspens.com/ref/profiles/snorkel.htm). So maybe 1956 - 1957?? --just a guess because of the four narrow rails.

 

Thanks for sharing this new number. I’ll add it to the list. Could you perhaps  post a photo of the inscription?

[Perri Nelson]

On 9/27/2020 at 5:17 PM, gmark_wa said:

Updated list.
0167 Snorkel Saratoga (colour not stated)
0404 Black Snorkel Valiant
0424 Black Snorkel Sentinel
0453 Pastel Blue Snorkel (model not stated)
0494 Grey Snorkel Admiral M2 nib, engraved Marvin L. Carlson
0517 Black Snorkel Autograph
0534 Black Snorkel Statesman
0597 Burgundy Snorkel Admiral X2 nib
0612 Black Snorkel Valiant
0664 Burgundy Snorkel Sovereign
0731 Grey Snorkel Admiral
0960 Black Snorkel Admiral
1127 Burgundy Snorkel Valiant
1137 Pastel Blue Snorkel Admiral A2 nib
1153 'Cherry' Snorkel Admiral
1674 Grey Snorkel Clipper

I just purchased a Burgundy Snorkel Soverign in a set with a mechanical pencil of the same design. It came with a nice clamshell case and original instructions too. No identifying numbers anywhere.

[gmark_wa]

1 hour ago, Perri Nelson said:

I just purchased a Burgundy Snorkel Soverign in a set with a mechanical pencil of the same design. It came with a nice clamshell case and original instructions too. No identifying numbers anywhere.

The numbered Snorkels are rare. So far, we have only found 26 examples amongst all the Snorkels still in circulation.  No one in this thread has been able to work out what the numbers mean. 

[gmark_wa]

Another numbered Snorkel has turned up on eBay: a pastel green Snorkel Saratoga with number 2183. This is the first 2xxx number we have seen.  The eBay sale is at: https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/GORGEOUS-SHEAFFER-SARATOGA-SNORKEL-PASTEL-GREEN-14K-FINE-NIB-USA-/114955393640?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0

[3rdlakerobert]

Here's another one from the 2xxx's, and like the recent 2183, this is also green. Its number is 2259. It's from the mid 50s judging from the four narrow rails on the sac protector. The pen has its original two-tone 14k fine point nib and is a Sentinel model. 

[inkstainedruth]

Well, I just checked all of mine, and do have one that does have a number: 0565.  Ironically, it's also a green one (not sure which green, but I suspect not one of the "rare" greens).  None of the others seem to have numbered, but the black Snorkels in particular also seem to have the imprint worn off almost completely.  

A little disappointed that the blue one doesn't have a number (that's the one with the semi-flex Palladium Silver Triumph nib) because that one has paint or chalk in the imprint which makes it more legible.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

[3rdlakerobert]

I think now that the four-digit numbers above the imprints on some Snorkel pens may be store numbers. I recently came across information that a Snorkel demonstrator was engraved as follows:

 

STORE NO 1130

LOUISVILLE, KY.

 

I do not mean that it had these words as an imprint. It was engraved this way, like an owner's name.

 

This is just conjecture but it's possible some stores might have ordered their loaners imprinted from the factory with their store numbers. It may also be possible that some stores had all the pens they sold imprinted this way to identify them as originally from their store if they had a policy of repairing only pens they had sold. We have seen that at least one number, 1127, appears on our list twice.

[gmark_wa]

On 11/28/2021 at 2:15 AM, inkstainedruth said:

Well, I just checked all of mine, and do have one that does have a number: 0565.  Ironically, it's also a green one (not sure which green, but I suspect not one of the "rare" greens).  None of the others seem to have numbered, but the black Snorkels in particular also seem to have the imprint worn off almost completely.  

A little disappointed that the blue one doesn't have a number (that's the one with the semi-flex Palladium Silver Triumph nib) because that one has paint or chalk in the imprint which makes it more legible.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Hi Ruth,

Thanks for the info about your numbered Snorkel.  What model is it?  Are you able to post a picture of the numbered imprint?

Regards, Mark.

[inkstainedruth]

I think the pen is a Snorkel Admiral.  I haven't quite figured out how to post photos with the new software for the site, because I had been so used to the old "Upload" feature.

It may be a while before I get a chance to even get a photo taken of the pen (I usually like doing it outside during the day when it's sunny because the lighting is better, but have a bad feeling that there may not be much of that this upcoming week -- it was sunny but cold early this morning, but by mid-afternoon it was (while pushing 50°F) definitely overcast around here, and I think I heard an upcoming forecast which mentioned a four letter word beginning with "S" and ending with "W".... 

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[gmark_wa]

Thanks Robert and Ruth for the additional pen numbers. Here’s the list as at 06 December 2021:

1. 0105 (Colour not stated) Snorkel Admiral
2. 0167 (Colour not stated) Snorkel Saratoga 
3. 0251 Black Snorkel Crest 
4. 0356 Green Snorkel Admiral F2 nib
5. 0404 Black Snorkel Valiant 
6. 0424 Black Snorkel Sentinel (Pen & pencil set)
7. 0453 Aqua Snorkel (Model not stated) 
8. 0494 Grey Snorkel Admiral M2 nib
9. 0517 Black Snorkel Autograph 
10. 0534 Black Snorkel Valiant XF nib
11. 0565 Green Snorkel Admiral
12. 0597 Burgundy Snorkel Admiral X2 nib
13. 0612 Black Snorkel Valiant 
14. 0664 Burgundy Snorkel Sovereign  
15. 0731 Grey Snorkel Admiral 
16. 0755 Grey Snorkel Admiral (Pen & pencil set)
17. 0810 Black Snorkel Valiant X5 nib
18. 0960 Black  Snorkel Admiral 
19. 0988 Black Snorkel Sentinel 
20. 1045 (Colour not stated) Snorkel Valiant 
21. 1127 Burgundy Snorkel Valiant 
22. 1127 Green Snorkel Sentinel 
23. 1137 Aqua Snorkel Admiral A2 nib
24. 1153 Burgundy Snorkel Admiral 
25. 1305 Grey Snorkel Admiral
26. 1316 Aqua Snorkel Statesman
27. 1674 Grey Snorkel Clipper
28. 2183 Green Snorkel Saratoga
29. 2259 Green Snorkel Sentinel

[gmark_wa]

A black Snorkel with barrel number 2251 has turned up on eBay. The photo isn’t all that clear, but I confirmed the number with the seller. The pen has a No. 5 nib with a white dot cap. So either an Admiral with a cap swap, or a Statesman/Valiant with a nib swap. I will add it to the list as an Admiral. 

[crescentfiller]

They are coded coordinates for a cache of Snorkel music nibs.