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View Full Version : TM TD Soverigns, uncataloged



HughC
February 2nd, 2014, 07:27 PM
9554

9555

The only TM TDs that came in the Snorkel colours ( pastel blue, pastel green and grey), the grey and pastel green are the most difficult to find. Also note the pencil is the thinner Snorkel type, the cap varies from the very similar Snorkel Sovereign in that it carries a WD and has a plain clip. One can only speculate about when this model was released and how long it ran, personally I think it may well have run along side the Snorkel to offer a WD open nib model, soon discontinued as the Snorkel Sovereign was $2.50 more minus WD, you see a number of these caps on Snorkel Sovereigns.

Regards
Hugh

Roger W.
February 2nd, 2014, 10:07 PM
Hugh;

I would take it as standard Sheaffer behavior to have ran TD's while running Snorkels, for how long would be the question. Most of the time Sheaffer does not have a hard date for the end of production.

Roger W.

HughC
February 3rd, 2014, 07:08 PM
Hugh;

I would take it as standard Sheaffer behavior to have ran TD's while running Snorkels, for how long would be the question. Most of the time Sheaffer does not have a hard date for the end of production.

Roger W.
Roger,

I doubt it's standard behavior to create a new line such as this without a reason, which this as it uses colours and a unique cap not seen in any other TM line. As I've speculated it may well have been designed to run with the Snorkel not to be an old model continuing. Transitioning the TM TD Sovereign to a WD model appears to have been a long term process, here's a plastic cap WD pen ( damaged raised WD), the only TM cap in this band width I've seen with a WD. Still the relative scarceness of this model indicates either a short run ,poor sales or both.

9569

Regards
Hugh

Roger W.
February 5th, 2014, 11:51 PM
Hugh;

Are they the same size as the old TMs and were the caps already possible? I think you are overemphasizing Sheaffer creating a "new line" if that is the case. I think sometimes we get into holding them to a high standard of keeping strict parameters on the pens they made. They certainly made attempts at maintaining conformity in lines that they offered but, to make a TM out of snorkel plastic would have been infinitely easy. I will readily admit that I have no depth of knowledge on TM's though and perhaps you are making a fine point that is eluding me. I'm paying attention though as I really like TM's and have about 30 of them laying about (actually using an open nibbed burgundy for some months now).


Roger W.

HughC
February 6th, 2014, 02:53 PM
Hi Roger,

They are the same size, certainly using snorkel plastics would have been easy and while any cap would be possible this wasn't used before in a TM so I think a "new line" within the TM TD range is appropriate rather than an "upgrade" of the early Sovereign and as well the first metal cap open nib model for a long time . It strikes me as odd that even Sheaffer would put out a model like this when the TM TD line was clearly slated to be phased out. So what do we know? There where 2 (possibly 3 if you count the plastic cap WD, I don't yet as I've only seen one) Sovereign models with different price points, The late model used slim pencils and carried a WD which was phased out on open nib Snorks and they aren't common. Of course this raises more questions than answers !! Why weren't the "new" colours used on other TM TDs? Where there two Sovereign models at the same time with different prices? Why aren't slim pencils seen with TM TDs ( or where they?, I haven't seen any in the all plastic models but you wouldn't know with a metal cap in blk or burgundy)? Why put a WD on an open nib pen then phase it out?

Trying to "guess" the logic behind this model I came up with two possibilities, the one I've mentioned above and the other that it was a "test" line to see how the new colours performed in the market, hence the different cap to differentiate it from other TM TD lines. Maybe it was a success hence the Snorkel Sovereign, perhaps it preceded it and quickly phased out in favour of it? Do you know if the Snorkel Sovereign was part of the original lineup release or have we just assumed it was? In the "big picture" to most people it doesn't really matter much as we'll never know !!

Regards
Hugh