What Is A Snorkel Fountain Pen?

Richard Binder’s Anatomy of a Fountain Pen III: Sheaffers Snorkel explains the complex internal workings of the filling mechanism. The Snorkel is a Touchdown filler with a narrow tube that extends through the feed to allow filling without immersing the nib in ink. It uses pneumatic air and was released in 1952 by Sheaffer. The Snorkel is arguably the most mechanically complex fountain pen ever mass-produced.

The Snorkel is a solid pen that will not disappoint. The nibs are excellent, though generally very firm. The Snorkel is essentially a redesigned and more advanced Touchdown system that uses a thin filling tube that extends and retracts from underneath the nib. The Fantasy Snorkel(R) Fountain Pen is a unique gift that has never been seen by many pen collectors.

Sheaffer Snorkel filling pens were produced between 1952 and 1959, with the first year models featuring solid gold snorkel tubes. The Snorkel was a slightly lengthened Touchdown equipped with a retractable filling tube running axially through the feed, enabling the pen to be filled. It is said to be the most complex filling system ever invented for a fountain pen.