When Sheaffer introduced the Snorkel in 1952, they already had the
Touchdown "Thin Model" line of pens (link forthcoming) to insert the
new mechanism into, a line with a great variety of grades. The
Statesman lacked a gold point, having one in palladium-silver instead,
although it was in the "triumph" wrap-around style. The white dot
of quality was also present on the Statesman-- it was the lowest grade
of pen offered under that mark.
I believe that this is a very early example of the model, having a gold
snorkel tube rather than a silver one. However, since it's a
Canadian product (marked as being made in Malton, Ontario) and most
reference material for pens sticks to U.S. output, I can't be certain.
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, but I
thought it worth mentioning. Update: I
am, it seems, misled by a couple of strangely finished pens.
Later experience with PdAg points shows none of this odd
sensation.
Specifications: Fine palladium-silver point. Snorkel filler. Spring-loaded clip. 14.2 cm long capped, 16.4cm posted.
Condition: I
wrestle once again with the notion of "near-mint", as essentially
meaningless a phrase as that is. The plastic is smooth, and the
metal has but the finest of marks from being used -- tiny cross-hatch
scuffs that in all likelihood would buff out long before any threat of
brassing arose. I'm not, however, inclined to polish them out, as
the reward for the effort would be vanishingly small.
Repairs:
Seals and sac replaced.
Location: My collection.
For sale?: $65. Contact me at :
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