In the mid to late 1940s, the ballpoint was starting to make its presence felt as a major threat to the fountain pen and Sheaffer decided to focus on the "messy" aspect of fountain pens and come up with a design for a "clean filling" pen.  In many ways, the new design was based on the successful thin model Sheaffer touchdown pens, but with the addition of a tiny retractable "snorkel tube" which allowed the pen to be filled without getting ink all over the nib and perhaps the gripping section.  The pen was similar to the TM Touchdown in appearance, though slightly longer and although this retracting mechanism made it a rather complex item, it was well made and had the benefit of the excellent Sheaffer Triumph conical nib.

The Sheaffer Snorkel was launched in 1952 in a blaze of publicity and quickly gained a good deal of public interest.  By 1955 most of the Sheaffer range used the snorkel mechanism and the following models were offered:

With the triumph nib in 14 ct gold and bearing a white dot:

• Masterpiece - with solid 14ct gold cap and barrel.  Also available in 9ct gold.
• Autograph - with black plastic cap and barrel, but with a broad solid 14ct gold cap band
• Triumph - with gold plated cap and barrel
• Crest - with plastic barrel in a range of colours and a gold plated cap.
• Signature - similar to the Autograph, but with a narrower gold cap band and available in a range of colours.
• Sentinel - with a plastic barrel and highly polished chrome plated metal cap with a gold plated cap band and clip
• Valiant - plastic cap and barrel in a range of colours, gold plated cap band and clip.

With the triumph nib in palladium silver and bearing a white dot:

• Statesman - otherwise similar to the Valiant
• Clipper - otherwise similar to the Sentinel

With the normal open nib in 14 ct gold and without the white dot:

• Sovereign - plastic barrel, metal cap and gold plated clip
• Saratoga - plastic cap and barrel, gold plated trim
• Admiral - similar to the Saratoga, but with a cheaper (single colour) 14ct gold nib

Note that it is easy to make mistakes identifying some of these models correctly!  In my experience the Valiant and Statesman are the commonest of these pens, though none are particularly rare.

As a collector's item, the snorkel should keep you quiet for years, trying to acquire the whole range in all the colours - it should also be an expensive business if you include the Masterpiece.

The Snorkel is also a most satisfying pen to use.  The fine and medium nibs are particularly smooth and pleasant and the ink flow is very well controlled.  I've discovered that they have a good reputation with registrars, who tell me that they are particularly resistant to the corrosive properties of permanent recording ink. 

In 1959, the snorkel filling mechanism made a new appearance in the PFM (Pen for Men) range.  This will be the subject of another profile.