When Sheaffer introduced the Snorkel in 1952, they already had the
Touchdown "Thin Model" line of pens to insert the
new mechanism into, a line with a great variety of grades. The
Clipper is the slightly more exalted version to hold a Palladium-Silver
triumph point, differing from the Statesman
only in the material of its cap, the Clipper's being of steel. I
personally find it interesting that this more expensive pen has a more
humble name than the relatively democratic Sovereign.
In theory, the material the point is made of should have little bearing
on the writing qualities of the pen, especially in a very firm object
like this slimmer form of the triumph point. The contact area of
the pen is made up of the tipping material, which is the same stuff
whether the point is gold or silver. I have found, however, that
the palladium-silver points seem to have a little more friction on the
page than the gold ones. It's not objectionable by any means,
giving an impression of running one's finger across velour rather than
cotton. I have been told by other pen fanciers that I'm nuts as
far as this topic goes and that there is in fact no difference (since
it's not the point material making contact, but the tipping which is
exactly the same on gold and PdAg), but I
thought it worth mentioning. Update: I'm nuts-- or have at least widened my experience.
Specifications:
Medium palladium-silver point (marked M4 on the underside).
Snorkel filler. Spring-loaded clip. 14.2cm long
capped, 16.2cm posted.
Condition:
Good, but not great. The body is very slightly matted through
pocket-wear, and the cap slightly more so. This light scuffing
extends to the point as well. None of this affects the function
of the pen. There are no dents in the cap nor scratches on the body, and the gold plating shows no brassing.
Repairs:
Seals and sac replaced.
Location: My collection.
For sale?: $65-- unlike Sheaffer, I don't see the point of charging more for a merely different and not actually superior cap. Contact me at :
Please use your browser's BACK button to return to the page you came from.
Website design
by Dirck de Lint, renaissance thug, with the great assistance
of 
