1. First Impressions –
My first thought was why is he giving me a club to look at? I thought I mentioned I liked Swan pens? Of course this well known dealer/restorer knew what I liked and liked to show me pens even if I did not always buy from him. But I knew this was one of those moments where I knew this pen was coming away with me.
This is a large pen. It looked “regal” to me with the gold filled bands and the warm touch of the hard rubber. This was a pen that has been around the block a few times and although it has shown some signs of wear, it was not ready to retire.
2. Appearance & Finish –
There are a few brassed bits on the gold filled furniture, but overall, it was in great condition. The rubber was shiny and not dull at all. The imprints were worn, but readable. One of the cool features was that the clip and the lever lined up perfectly when capped! For a pen that is approximately 70 to 80+ years old, I say not bad.
3. Design/ Size/Weight-
This pen was designed similar to the popular flat-tops of its day. It must have been pretty fancy back then with the extra gold bands on the top and the bottom of the cap.
I again reiterate that this pen is a large pen, measuring 5 ¾” capped and 7 ½” posted. The barrel diameter is between ½” to 9/16” The hard rubber is substantial, but light in the hand.
One thing that is slightly annoying with this pen is that it takes two whole revolutions to twist off the cap. A suspect a smaller diameter pen would not take as much time, but a pen this large it takes more than one turn of my hand to complete even one revolution! So, it is not a pen to use if you plan to take the cap off many times in one session.
(Here it is from top to bottom to show relative size - Eternal, 1928 Duofold, 1980s MB 149)
4. Nib Design & Performance-
The nib is nicely stamped with “MABIE TODD & Co” near the breather hole, followed by “NEW YORK” “ETERNAL” and finally a large “8” near the section. The nib is a stiff fine point with a little tooth. Ink flows readily to the paper without skipping and it is a pleasure to use.
From the above picture, starting from the top - MB 149 nib, MT Swan #2 nib, MT Swan Eternal #8 nib
A closer view of the #8 nib
5. The Filling System-
This is a lever filling pen with a large ink sac. I like it because it is a tried a true method of filling the pen. And the fact I can replace the sac readily. I like pens I can service myself.
6. Cost/Value-
Considering the history of the pen, the way it writes and the amount of gold on the nib, I think it was reasonably priced in comparison modern pens with similar sized nib and performance (I would say nib size is similar to a MB 149).
7. Overall Opinion/Conclusion-
Overall, I consider myself very lucky to own this pen. It is one of the uncommon/rare varieties of Swans out there. However, it takes a little more effort to uncap, therefore, not so practical at meetings where one has to cap and uncap a pen multiple times. Nevertheless, that is my only gripe about this pen. It feels good in the hand and I would feel comfortable writing with it for long periods of time. The fine point makes it versatile in that I can make notes on the margins of papers at work.
It is subtle pen at first glance. Then you notice the construction. Even with the brassed bands, you know this is not a pen to be dismissed. In the end, the quality shines through in the writing. This is a pen I enjoy immensely everytime I ink it up!
-Alriel
