Swan Lever Fillers - What Do I Have Here?

[Wet-Noodle]

It'll hâve to be a fairly useless shot for the moment as I have no macro lens to hand. The 2 S.F. Stamp on the base of the barrel is crisp and clear, the central barrel stamp is all there, but I don't think that it was ever that deep as the rest of the barrel and cap really are in terrific condition. As Effin said, they are clear black, with no oxidizing brown at all.

The pen is longer and a little broader than the 100/ 60

The nib is really very nice, the tines spred out under moderate pressure, and most importantly it all "feels right" and very smooth. It did drop one blot rather unexpectedly, but that's OK as it landed on my wife's side of the bed.... Oooops.

[Cob]

But it's not a slip cap - the barrel threads are clearly visible; it is a very early one though; about 1918 I'd guess. Probably a MT NY nib; lucky you!

 

Cob

Edited February 16, 2015 by Cob

[Wet-Noodle]

No, not a slip cap, and yes, from what I've found and seen this is probably a very early, very well treated American Swan. I'm a retired cameraman and so will go through some lenses tomorrow to see what I can use to have a better look.

 

However, I think that superb as it is to use, I'm going to have a wet, wet, problem and need to adjust that - but almost certainly NOT myself! Maybe I loosened the nib while trying it's flex? What do you think Effin? Whatever, I love it!

[Cob]

You could try a "drier" ink.

 

R & K Scabiosa is quite dry (and very nice too - it's an iron-gall ink) but the ink experts will probably have other suggestions.

 

Cob

[Wet-Noodle]

I'll look into that Cob, but being an irresponsible, impetuous sort, in the meantime I firmly grasped the nib and feeder in a sandwich of the finest Bronco and firmly but gently squeezed and eased them back into the section. While I didn't really feel them move, I think it may, for the moment, have done the trick. It's as nice as ever, and after getting over the obvious blotting, it flows just as well but isn't nearly as wet. We'll see... I'll try the R&K Scabiosa next. Merci!

[Cob]

Pushing the nib and feed back into the section usually increases the flow - one of the standard treatments for poor flow..

 

Best to be patient with nibs and feeds especially on 100-year-old pens! They don't make 'em any more - and that goes for the spares too.

 

Cob

[Effin1]

I write tested pen with R&K Scabiosa and Diamine china blue no blots but concentrating on smoothness and tine alignment. Only did a couple of lines with pen flexed. Sorry Cob meant clipless (it's this new medication spaces me out)

[Wet-Noodle]

It looks like R & K Scabiosa is a very good solution, but never fear, it is already working and I've rarely been so inspired by two buys! And now to find so much good help and friendships too, well... What can one say? (Shut-up and let Daddy-o have his thread back I guess).

 

Poor Cob, you've not 1 but 2 heavily medicated, spaced-out people to contend with! My neurologist is now suggesting that she puts me on a drug that WILL cause me cancer... again. "But it often works" she says, "but we don't know why". I think I'll stick to the Mabie Todd remedy, it seems to be so much more fun!

 

Courage Effin! (As we say in these parts), We'll get there you see if we don't.

[Cob]

It looks like R & K Scabiosa is a very good solution, but never fear, it is already working and I've rarely been so inspired by two buys! And now to find so much good help and friendships too, well... What can one say? (Shut-up and let Daddy-o have his thread back I guess).

 

Poor Cob, you've not 1 but 2 heavily medicated, spaced-out people to contend with! My neurologist is now suggesting that she puts me on a drug that WILL cause me cancer... again. "But it often works" she says, "but we don't know why". I think I'll stick to the Mabie Todd remedy, it seems to be so much more fun!

 

Courage Effin! (As we say in these parts), We'll get there you see if we don't.

 

Well as the old saying has it "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." I have ruined several nibs believing I could make them better - I am more circumspect these days.

 

I write tested pen with R&K Scabiosa and Diamine china blue no blots but concentrating on smoothness and tine alignment. Only did a couple of lines with pen flexed. Sorry Cob meant clipless (it's this new medication spaces me out)

 

Do you find Elfin, that Scabiosa has the wonderful property of varying charmingly according to which pen you use with it? I'm relieved to hear about the cliplessness, though it would have been interesting to have seen a slip-cap self-filling Swan; Onoto made them; I have a couple,

 

Cob

Edited February 17, 2015 by Cob

[Wet-Noodle]

Agreed, agreed. If the 2.S.F isn't actually dripping ink (and even if it is) it will indeed be treated with all the care and reverence that it deserves. It still seems fine this morning.

[Wet-Noodle]

Re bonjour les amis,

 

OK , I've turned a spot of Carl Zeiss on to the 2.S.F. (Doubtless you know all this Effin)

 

Stamped on the bottom of the barrel 2.S.F. MES

 

On one of two barrel cartouche ( A Swan) Self Filling Pen

Mabie Todd & Co Ltd London

Patent number 1181181916 pat pend

Made in USA.

On the nib: Mabie Todd & Co NY 2

 

 

No drips, the R&K Scabiosa is ordered

[Wet-Noodle]

Lawks-a-mercy I'm hooked and heading down the Swannie.

 

I'm not looking for sympathy but I've just 'cracked' for another one here and won it for very little. OK it has a "fine crack of 15mm in the cap". No great crisis I think, I'll quietly look for a replacement if necessary otherwise a careful interior repair.

So "WHAT IS IT!" Where's the photos?

 

Here is what I know: it's an English made S.F. 3. Black (with brownish bits)

Fabriqué en Angleterre ~1915. D'occasion, fissure fine de 15 mm dans le bouchon. Sans garantie.

Made in England ~1915. Used, fine crack of 15 mm in the cap. Imprints remain clear: "SWAN" S.F. on the cap; "SWAN" SELF-FILLER MABIE-TODD & CO LTD MADE IN ENGLAND on the barrel and SWAN S.F.3 beneath the nib. No guarantee.

S.F.3 .... I like that!

This one is bound to need a bladder transplant, but then don't we all.

 

I must STOP... NOW!

[Effin1]

Cob I love Scabiosa and yes behaves differently in some pens. Mind you there are several R&K inks I love.

I have just found a blue marble MT Self Filler with no number. The nib is incredibly flexi but I just can't get it to write more than 2 lines without stopping. No idea what the problem is. Had the nib out checked feed re-inserted still won't write. The other I found is in Italian Marble and that has no number but that 1 is only semi flex but at least it writes and very smoothly at that. Trying to sort these pens out to sell is taking forever. Might have to look at my Conways.

Wet-Noodle behave yourself or you will end up like me with pens on every available surface. I spent about 7 hours sorting them out so at least they all now have their own pen drawers. Problem is instead of selling I just keep buying more pen cabinets. On my 9th now and some are very large.

[Wet-Noodle]

Ha ha ha Effin... I've absolutely NO space at all. The reason I'm sticking to MT BHR/ celuloid pens is that I can swear that they are just one pen and that my wife is seeing double... or worse. However, yes it's a disease, I feel it coming on.

[Wet-Noodle]

If you happen to find a cap for an old S.F.3 in your spare parts / odds and sods draw I am open to suggestions!

[Cob]

Lawks-a-mercy I'm hooked and heading down the Swannie.

 

I'm not looking for sympathy but I've just 'cracked' for another one here and won it for very little. OK it has a "fine crack of 15mm in the cap". No great crisis I think, I'll quietly look for a replacement if necessary otherwise a careful interior repair.

So "WHAT IS IT!" Where's the photos?

 

Here is what I know: it's an English made S.F. 3. Black (with brownish bits)

Fabriqué en Angleterre ~1915. D'occasion, fissure fine de 15 mm dans le bouchon. Sans garantie.

Made in England ~1915. Used, fine crack of 15 mm in the cap. Imprints remain clear: "SWAN" S.F. on the cap; "SWAN" SELF-FILLER MABIE-TODD & CO LTD MADE IN ENGLAND on the barrel and SWAN S.F.3 beneath the nib. No guarantee.

S.F.3 .... I like that!

This one is bound to need a bladder transplant, but then don't we all.

 

I must STOP... NOW!

 

Another gorgeous (I bet) MT NY nib; lucky you.

 

As for the cap, there are people who can repair BHR but they are few and far between; gluing it is hard enough though I have done it successfully; making the repair invisible is another matter.

Cob I love Scabiosa and yes behaves differently in some pens. Mind you there are several R&K inks I love.

I have just found a blue marble MT Self Filler with no number. The nib is incredibly flexi but I just can't get it to write more than 2 lines without stopping. No idea what the problem is. Had the nib out checked feed re-inserted still won't write. The other I found is in Italian Marble and that has no number but that 1 is only semi flex but at least it writes and very smoothly at that. Trying to sort these pens out to sell is taking forever. Might have to look at my Conways.

Wet-Noodle behave yourself or you will end up like me with pens on every available surface. I spent about 7 hours sorting them out so at least they all now have their own pen drawers. Problem is instead of selling I just keep buying more pen cabinets. On my 9th now and some are very large.

I have 4 R&K inks, Elfin: Scabiosa, Salix, Alt Goldgrun and Verdigris. All are very good I think, but lately I have been delighted with ESSRI and also I have been given by a very generous person an original large bottle of Swan blue-black ink; a little faded it is but still very nice:

 

As for your drying-up problem, a couple fo suggestions: have you tried the paper test? By this I mean can you insert an ordinary sheet of paper between the nib and feed? If so you'll have problems; the cure is quite straightforward - but you probably know this anyway. Another possiblity not unknown is a twisted sac and of course sludge in the feed channels but I guess you checked this when you removed the nib. ANother thing to look at is to examine the tips of the nib with a loupe; is there a gap?

 

All the best

Cob

[Wet-Noodle]

Such great info, thank you all so much. I've been loathed to tinker with the 2.S.F. I'm sure that Effin did her best with it, and it is very usable indeed, a delight really. But that said Cob, trying the paper test, yes I can slip a sheet in quite a way between nib and feed. So maybe that's it.

 

In my total ignorance I did wonder if the latest (2.S.F.) was quite as "English" as claimed, the nib does look more like my NY nib, but I just can't tell. I do know that it was found many years ago in South Africa, and is now on its way to me in Paris from the High Pyrenees, so a well traveled pen!

 

I do love a bit of history!

[Cob]

Such great info, thank you all so much. I've been loathed to tinker with the 2.S.F. I'm sure that Effin did her best with it, and it is very usable indeed, a delight really. But that said Cob, trying the paper test, yes I can slip a sheet in quite a way between nib and feed. So maybe that's it.

 

In my total ignorance I did wonder if the latest (2.S.F.) was quite as "English" as claimed, the nib does look more like my NY nib, but I just can't tell. I do know that it was found many years ago in South Africa, and is now on its way to me in Paris from the High Pyrenees, so a well traveled pen!

 

I do love a bit of history!

It looks to write very nicely; if so leave it alone - the paper test is for when one has problems! There are enough problems with old pens without looking for more.

 

Cob

[Wet-Noodle]

Bonjour one and all,

 

Firstly, I fear that I was firing on one cylinder over the last few days, any lucidity due exclusively to enough pills and patent cough medicin to make eating unnecessary, please excuse that.

 

Firstly Cob, your Swan Ink bottle is magnificent, what a gift! Faded is OK, goes with the nostalgia.

 

The postie slipped in today with my latest prize, a 12 Euro MabieTodd Swan 3 S.F. BRD. BINGO!

 

I've had a good look and you were right Cob, it must be an early one as the nib is marked Mabie Todd & Co and below a line NEW YORK. I have yet to remove the feed and nib from the section so I don't know if anything else is engraved on the nib. It is not marked with a size, but looks bigger than my 1 and 2,

The dark chocolate oxidisation is not un pleasing .... The cap split is minor, there is no sign of an ink sac at all, but I will brush out the interior.

 

So, as a dip trial what will it do?

[Cob]

The Nib will be a No 3 I should think - hence the model name; at that time Swan nibs went right up to size 8 which is gigantic.

 

Cob