Hello everyone, I've been lurking for a while but this is my first post.

I recently acquired a vintage ('30s) Mabie Todd Swan. It's a BCHR eye drop filler with a #2 14K gold nib. It's in great shape save one detail - the nib is very loose. I ordered the pen and was unable to inspect it until I received it.

Is there some way to tinker with the feed to make the nib fit more snug? It moves around right now when I attempt to write fairly readily. Thanks!

There are ways to tighten the nib and feed in a section, but I consider it to be a more advanced repair. If heat doesn't do it, then the nib and feed have to be shimmed in the section, and that is a fussy repair.

Its likely that your eyedropper is quite a bit older than the '30s. I suppose this occurs because the section relaxes a little in its old age.

I assume you have tried pushing the nib/feed into the section a little more?

I have an old Mabie Todd Swan (blue plastic lever filler) from around the 30s which requires the nib/feed to be pushed in further than usual (means the shaped part of the feed begins to disappear into the section and gives the impression of a smaller nib, unfortunately) but now everything is held snug.

If its just the nib that's loose its possible that the feed needs resetting to the nib. Sometimes separation between the two occurs and can be solved by placing the feed in a little dish of hot water (not boiling, but hot) for a minute or two which softens the hard rubber. It can then be remoulded by pressing against the nib to perfectly match the nib shape. I have carried this out successfully on a couple of old pens.

Hope you get it sorted. I'm looking for a MT similar to yours, I'd be interested to know how you get on.

Greg

Hi jordan, Welcome to FPN.

The early Swan e/ds used several different designs of feed, I can think of four off hand, and getting the nibs to seat properly can as Ron said be quite a job, a picture of the pen and even better a close up of the feed would be useful to sort out what might help you out.

The chances are the pen dates from the1910s- 20s at the latest although some were made later than this for sale in certain markets particularly by Mabie Todd in England for use in the overseas parts of the British Empire like Nigeria and other tropical dependancies, the Swan eyedroppers have been around since the 1890's in one form or another form the dead plain BHR slip caps to the ornate gold overlays and banded pens.

cheers, John

Oh oh, practice that one on junkers first. I just recently gave away a pen that had an impression of the fabric of the learning repairer's blouse on the feed. Feeds can get more moldable than you'd think. (Pen worked just fine, though. ^_~)