Golden Snorkel Tube

[goodguy]

I bought a Sheaffer Snorkel Crest (Snorkel number 23) and to my pleasent surprise it has a yellow Snorkel tube and I wonder whats the story with these yellow tubes.

 

1.Are these tubes GF/GP or solid gold ?

2.Why were they made ?

3.When were they made ?

4.Do they add any value to the pen ?

5.Were they made for a specific model ?

[Richard]

The gold Snorkel tubes are solid 14K gold. They seem to have been used early in the production cycle. In my experience, they don't add any meaningful value to a pen.

[Roger W.]

Amir;

 

You miss most of the debate on this? They are solid gold but, I'm not sure we know the exact Karat. They were produced in 1952 which is supported by all of the early ads which show gold tubes. Now, I firmly beleive that Sheaffer had no desire to stick with expensive gold in this application. Sheaffer never really emphasizes they are even gold at all - one brochure says "gold" but, we are left to wonder gold colored or real gold. So within the first few months they were able to change the material used. Maybe gold was easier to work with and they were having a hard time perfecting a non-gold alternative. I find the gold tubed snorks interesting though, I would not put much premium on there being gold tubes, it really just makes a statement to how early that snork was produced. I think the gold tubes were used across the entire line.

 

Roger W.

[goodguy]

Thank you Richard and Roger for the info.

The tube as mentioned was a bonus and for 45$ (Shipping included) I think I did ok with this pen wether the tube is gold or not.

The satisfaction of owning these wonderful Snorkel pens is great and many people see my as the MB nut (well I guess I am) but forget I am totaly into Snorkels trying to collect these pens and information as much as I can.

 

Still looking for that Demonstrator.

Edited October 16, 2008 by goodguy

[mmb993]

I ran into one of these with a gold snorkel tube. It was also a Crest model. My understanding is that they only used a gold tube for a short time so that means it's a scarce pen. Why wouldn't it be worth a premium?

 

-Mario

[Chris H]

This is a response from Jim Mamoulides that I received in answer to my query about the gold snorkel tube:

 

Dear Chris,

 

It is generally believed that Snorkels with gold filling tubes are the earliest models. I shy away from any statements like "first year" as there is no way to prove that. First year is used on early Sheaffer Crest models that have the cap threads on the end of the section, when it is clear from catalogs that they were made that way for more than one year.

 

If you have one with a gold tube, it may also not be original as many parts are easily exchangeable.

 

However, a Snorkel with a gold tube is a nice find.

 

Cheers,

 

Jim Mamoulides

 

 

I feel I'm a fortunate fellow in that I ran across two of these, one advertised as such and the other I just fell into. Two nice finds indeed!

 

Chris

[Roger W.]

Gold snorkel tubes are 14K solid gold according to W. K. Olsen, Director of Research for Sheaffer in "History of the W. A. Sheaffer Pen Company" which is a loose clip bound affair that they were at least passing out a few years ago that seems to have ran thru 1952 though it includes some 1954 literature in the back. I'd say this is a definitive source for the snorkel tubes being solid 14K and, to this point, the only one I know of. I'm sure costs considerations lead to not using gold. This also, as the ads do, makes it clear that gold tubes are early prodution only.

 

Roger W.

[Dave Johannsen]

...according to W. K. Olsen, Director of Research for Sheaffer in "History of the W. A. Sheaffer Pen Company"...

Roger:

 

May I ask more about this history? Google turned up nothing at all. Though I am a Sheaffer ingoramus (actually, I'm pretty well a "fill in the blank" ignoramus), I would be quite interested to learn more about this book/paper/pamphlet/interview transcription/whatever it happens to be. If you had a minute to supply some details, I would be most interested to hear.

 

 

Dave

[Pepin]

Gold snorkel tubes are 14K solid gold according to W. K. Olsen, Director of Research for Sheaffer in "History of the W. A. Sheaffer Pen Company" which is a loose clip bound affair that they were at least passing out a few years ago that seems to have ran thru 1952 though it includes some 1954 literature in the back. I'd say this is a definitive source for the snorkel tubes being solid 14K and, to this point, the only one I know of. I'm sure costs considerations lead to not using gold. This also, as the ads do, makes it clear that gold tubes are early prodution only.

 

Roger W.

 

 

Roger,

 

If you have to guess, can you put a time frame when these "early" gold snorkels were produced?

[Pepin]

So only Crest models have these gold tubes?

Edited October 28, 2009 by Pepin

[haywoody]

So only Crest models have these gold tubes?

 

I bought a grey Snorkel Sentinel on the marketplace here which came with a gold tube. I have no way to tell if it is a replacement part or not. I generally don't like yellow gold but I like it on the tube because it is well hidden .

 

/Woody

[kernando]

Nobody claimed the gold tubes had anything to do with Crest models. I have an old Valiant with a gold tube and the shorter connector, so I had to read above to see what was being talked about. Somebody quoted Jim talking about how people say "first year" for Crests, the lever fillers with the open nibs and threads on the end of the section, when they were made that way for more than a year, so people should say first style or first version.

[Pepin]

Nobody claimed the gold tubes had anything to do with Crest models. I have an old Valiant with a gold tube and the shorter connector, so I had to read above to see what was being talked about. Somebody quoted Jim talking about how people say "first year" for Crests, the lever fillers with the open nibs and threads on the end of the section, when they were made that way for more than a year, so people should say first style or first version.

 

So we know that early models have gold snorkels but do we know which early models? I tutor elementary school children and they are fascinated with my snorkel pens. Would be nice to show them some golden tubes.

[Pepin]

So only Crest models have these gold tubes?

 

I bought a grey Snorkel Sentinel on the marketplace here which came with a gold tube. I have no way to tell if it is a replacement part or not. I generally don't like yellow gold but I like it on the tube because it is well hidden .

 

/Woody

 

I agree. A gold snorkel on a pen is like a 10 day reserve de marche on a watch. Most of the joy lies in the awareness of the feature.

[Roger W.]

Pepin;

 

The gold tubes were used on every models until they abondoned gold tubes early on. It was a production thing - had nothing to do with models per se.

 

Roger W.

[Pepin]

Pepin;

 

The gold tubes were used on every models until they abondoned gold tubes early on. It was a production thing - had nothing to do with models per se.

 

Roger W.

 

Hi Roger,

 

I appreciate the information. Now, the hunt is on! I have Goodguy to blame :+)

[kirchh]

Somebody quoted Jim talking about how people say "first year" for Crests, the lever fillers with the open nibs and threads on the end of the section, when they were made that way for more than a year, so people should say first style or first version.

I'm aware of no evidence that pens with gold Snorkel tubes were made for more than a year.

 

--Daniel

[kernando]

Guh, why was this old thread bumped up?

 

I referred to Chris quoting Jim, so now I quote Chris quoting Jim.

 

"First year is used on early Sheaffer Crest models that have the cap threads on the end of the section, when it is clear from catalogs that they were made that way for more than one year."

 

I was pointing out to Pepin that nobody was talking about Snorkel Crests, but about open nibbed lever filler Crests, as an example of people saying "first year" erroneously.

 

Anyway, is there any evidence for how long they lasted, or are we left to assume it was one year until the parts were changed?

[kirchh]

Guh, why was this old thread bumped up?

 

I referred to Chris quoting Jim, so now I quote Chris quoting Jim.

 

"First year is used on early Sheaffer Crest models that have the cap threads on the end of the section, when it is clear from catalogs that they were made that way for more than one year."

 

I was pointing out to Pepin that nobody was talking about Snorkel Crests, but about open nibbed lever filler Crests, as an example of people saying "first year" erroneously.

 

Anyway, is there any evidence for how long they lasted, or are we left to assume it was one year until the parts were changed?

Ah - I see the trail now. A cursory glance shows spring '53 ads with the white-metal Snorkel tube, which puts marketing of the gold tube at less than one year (August of '52 intro, from memory).

 

--Daniel

[goodguy]

Now, the hunt is on! I have Goodguy to blame :+)

Always glad to infect a fellow Snorkel fan