Sheaffer · 1952–1959 · Snorkel and Touchdown
Palladium silver Triumph point, plastic cap
Sheaffer launched the Snorkel in 1952 to win back people who'd switched to ballpoints. Unscrew the blind cap and a thin tube slides out from under the nib, so only the tube touches the ink and there's nothing to wipe afterward. Richard Binder calls it the most complex filling system ever fitted to a fountain pen, and it's a reliable one. The Statesman was the first step into the White Dot part of the range. It's the Valiant's twin, with the same plastic cap in the barrel's color and the same wide gold-filled band, but it wears a palladium silver Triumph point instead of the Valiant's two-tone 14K one. Colors run from black and burgundy through the pastel greens, blues and grays of the early years to the brighter shades Sheaffer added in 1956. Collectors hunt the rarer colors and first-year pens with gold Snorkel tubes. It's a good first Snorkel if you want the conical nib and the clever filler without paying for a gold point.
Snorkels are sturdy, but after this many years most need a new sac, O-ring and seals, and the filler only works when every seal holds. Leaks that went unnoticed can rust the parts inside. Caps, barrels and nibs swap freely between Snorkel models, so mismatched pens are common.
Buying guide
Our pick is lee4la's black Statesman titled restored, with an M4 medium palladium nib, at $162 delivered. There are 10 for sale, most asking $75–170 delivered, and an unrestored one usually needs a new sac, O-ring and seals, so price that in and ask for a water test. A Statesman's Triumph point is silver colored and may be marked PdAg, so check the nib on the $80 blue pen titled 14K gold, since a gold point means a Valiant or a swapped part. The stickered new-old-stock pastel green pen at $272 is the one for collectors.
$33.00est. delivered
The lowest current price at about $33 delivered, a blue White Dot Statesman with a palladium M4 medium nib. It had 2 bids and six days left at capture, and we'd stop well under $162 delivered, where the restored black pen sits, since this one doesn't say it's been resealed.
Sheaffer Blue White Dot Statesman Snorkel Fountain Pen 5 1/2" Pd M4 Nib
$161.50est. delivered
Titled restored, with an M4 medium palladium nib, at $162 delivered, inside the $75–170 band. A Snorkel only fills when every seal holds, so ask what was replaced and for a water test.
Sheaffer Statesman Snorkel Fountain Pen Black With M4 Medium PgAg Nib Restored
$272.00est. delivered
Pastel green is one of the early colors collectors hunt, and this pen is titled new old stock and still stickered, at $272 delivered. Even an unused Snorkel's seals have aged, so ask for a water test before you buy.
Sheaffer Statesman Snorkel Fountain Pen Pastel Green New Old Stock Stickered
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 5, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Snapshot
Checked . Some may have sold.
Delivered prices include shipping as eBay quoted it to a US address on Oct 5, 2026. Many sellers charge by distance, so your total may differ. eBay shows yours before you pay.
Used$33.00est. delivered
$27.00 + $6.00 shipping
Auction · 2 bids · ends in 6d 2h
Good buy
Blue, palladium M4 medium nib. Auction with six days left.
Seller: trinketplace
100% positive
Serviced$161.50est. delivered
$155.00 + $6.50 shipping
Buy It Now$155.00
Good buy
Black, titled restored. M4 medium palladium nib.
Seller: lee4la
100% positive
New old stock$272.00est. delivered
$265.00 + $7.00 shipping
Buy It Now$265.00
Good buy
Pastel green, titled new old stock and stickered.
Seller: lee4la
100% positive
Used$77.00est. delivered
$69.00 + $8.00 shipping
Buy It Now$69.00
Our take
Titled with the conical palladium nib a Statesman should have.
Seller: sherr-wrigh
100% positive
Used$79.99delivered
$79.99 · free shipping
Buy It Now$79.99
Our take
Titled 14K gold. A Statesman's nib is palladium, so check it.
Seller: onemangathers_shop
100% positive
Used$124.50est. delivered
$115.00 + $9.50 shipping
Buy It Now$115.00
Our take
Sage green. No nib or seal details.
Seller: gatorbride
99.7% positive
Used$131.82est. delivered
$125.00 + $6.82 shipping
Buy It Now$125.00
This seller takes offers, and many sellers accept less than the asking price.
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Our take
Black, palladium nib.
Seller: zebraplanet
100% positive
Used$166.60est. delivered
$111.60 + $55.00 shipping
Buy It Now$111.60
Our take
Pastel grey, palladium fine nib. Ships from Serbia with $55 shipping.
Seller: udruze92
99.1% positive
Prices change daily. The live eBay search shows everything listed now, including anything new since Oct 5, 2026.
See every listing on eBay ↗eBay searchA pen that’s sat in a drawer for decades wants a flush before it sees ink. A bulb syringe, pen flush and a bottle of well-behaved ink cover most of it. This searches Amazon for the usual kit.
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Sheaffer · 1952–1959
Snorkel and TouchdownGold-filled cap, 14K two-tone Triumph point
Post-war golden age
$180–$250 typical ask
Sheaffer · 1959–1968
Snorkel and TouchdownPlastic cap, gold-filled band, 14K inlaid nib
Post-war golden age
$260–$320 typical ask
Sheaffer · 1949
Snorkel and Touchdown1949 only, Touchdown filler
Post-war golden age
$85–$210 typical ask
Sheaffer · 1929–1942
Button and lever fillerStriated Marine Green, lever filler, 1937
Pre-war and wartime
$110–$190 typical ask
Sheaffer · 1976–1998
Cartridge and converterMatte black, gold-plated trim, Classic size
Modern
$110–$200 typical ask