Canadian Snorkel

[flexynib]

I have a few Canadian pens, Esties, Watermans and a Sheaffer. I've heard that Canadian pens are more likely to have a flex nib. Of course with the Esties, even the flex nib is like a nail.

I looked at one auction on ebay for a snorkel(not Canadian). It looked like a light blue or Periwinkle. I won the set for $35 with shipping. When I opened the box it was grey. I sighed and resacked it. It has the most wonderful flex fine nib. I use it for note taking and journals.

[Univer]

Hi All,

 

I've got a bunch of Canadian Sheaffers, and while I haven't encountered any Snorkel-specific variations, there are some truly interesting Canadian models and variants out there.

 

There are striated Balances that retain the short round ball humped clip (that clip had vanished from the U.S. line, reputedly, by the time the striated celluloids were introduced). There are Balances that use a WASP-style clip. There are odd hybrids, in striated celluloid, that feature an overall WASP-type profile and a Sheaffer imprint (and a 3-25 nib, at least on the pens I've owned or handled). There was a Coronation pen that (unsurprisingly, I guess) wasn't offered in the U.S. There were 1950s Tip-Dip models that don't seem to have had U.S. counterparts. And the lever-fill version of the Cartridge Pen may have been a Canada-only offering.

 

For what it's worth, I've also noticed, in recent days, some South American Sheaffers that are significantly different from their U.S. contemporaries.

 

For my part, I find these variations fascinating and delightful - without any particular regard to the greater or lesser value of the specific pens in question.

 

Cheers,

 

Jon

 

PS flexynib - your story has a familiar ring. I've bought my share of Periwinkles that were Pastel Grays, Ferns that were Pastel Greens...and so on. Glad that your story had a happy ending!