I'm posting this here instead of in the Sheaffer subforum in hopes that I'll get more information from the increased visibility here.
Anyway, ever since I was a wee lad back in the '50s, I've wanted a Sheaffer snorkel. I'm thinking that I've waited for one long enough, and the next pen I buy will probably be one.
Where I live, the county seat and largest "city" for more than 100 miles in any direction has a population of under 30,000, and there are no pen shops and no pen clubs to be found. I hope to make it to the San Francisco pen show in August, and if I do, my goal will probably be to find a great snorkel for a reasonable price. If I make it I'll be able to try some out; as I write this post I've never touched a Sheaffer pen of any sort, not even a humble "No Nonsense" Sheaffer. (And by the way, are they any good? How does their writing experience compare to, say, that of a Pilot Metropolitan? And which iteration of them is the best?)
So anyway, looking on eBay, I see snorkels go from $25 to $500. Can anyone tell me a little about how the various nibs match up? I'm wondering about the Triumph nibs, the regular open nibs and the PFM nibs. The last are the most attractive-looking, I think, but PFMs seem to usually run between $300 and $400, at least currently on eBay, and are therefore out of my price range. The Triumph nibs look very exotic, but the tip is turned up and I have no idea what kind of writing experience that produces. What does anyone think is the smoothest-writing Sheaffer nib, and what models am I likely to find the best deals on? Until I learn more about the various types of Sheaffer snorkel pens, I'm currently leaning toward a light blue body and cap white dot snorkel with a 14K Triumph nib. What should one cost restored and in good mechanical and cosmetic condition? Any ideas? Guesses? Wild stabs in the dark?
Many thanks.
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