Mabie Todd Swan Plug Feed

[Greenie]

This model has been a personal curse. The first one I bought was lost to history when the envelope arrived open and empty. The second one spent well over a month in customs in San Francisco. I finally got a refund. Eventually it was returned to the seller for having an insufficient address (although it was addressed just fine).

 

Finally I purchased one originating in the US and it came. Posting pictures to share. It is a very nice writer. Flexible from extra fine to a very nice bold. In person, it is much finer both normal and flexed that it seems in pictures. Beautiful however. It suffers from blobbing as it warms to the hand. I keep a tissue nearby to wipe the pen on as blobs form. But after only a minute to two, it settles down and works as it should.

 

I filled it via the plug as shown in the ad. It works well that way.

 

This one is a 4670. There is a mystery imprint as well - "LP - 0"

 

[Lelouch]

Beautiful

I've never seen an ad for that before, very nice 😄👍

[linearM]

I have a Mabie Todd very much like the one you have, an eyedropper with an over/under feed. I also had problems with it blobbing. One thing that I have tried with my other eyedropper fillers of about the same vintage is grasping my hand around the barrel with the nib up to warm the barrel. My theory is that I sort of pre expand the air in the pen, when I hold it for writing I think the air inside actually cools because not as much heat is transferred to barrel. I don't think I had tried this method with the Mabie Todd...perhaps I will fill it and see if it works.

 

I had wondered about the wire that I found in the pen and assumed it was part of the feed system. I appreciate your adding the ad for the pen. Mine doesn't have any number designation on the end of the barrel, though it does have the smaller diameter end for posting.

[Greenie]

I tried to hold it to warm it, and ink blobbed out the feed anyway. Then again, I was using it on and off all day, so there was still ink in the feed when I tried the pre-warming maneuver.

 

I figure it is all part of the charm of a 100+ year old pen.

[Goudy]

I have a Mabie Todd very much like the one you have, an eyedropper with an over/under feed. I also had problems with it blobbing. One thing that I have tried with my other eyedropper fillers of about the same vintage is grasping my hand around the barrel with the nib up to warm the barrel. My theory is that I sort of pre expand the air in the pen, when I hold it for writing I think the air inside actually cools because not as much heat is transferred to barrel. I don't think I had tried this method with the Mabie Todd...perhaps I will fill it and see if it works.

 

I had wondered about the wire that I found in the pen and assumed it was part of the feed system. I appreciate your adding the ad for the pen. Mine doesn't have any number designation on the end of the barrel, though it does have the smaller diameter end for posting.

 

The wire in the plug feed seems to have a different function from that in the 1500-style Swan over-under feed pens with a twist wire wedged in the feed.

 

In the plug feed, the long forked end forms a sort of spring which presses against the inside of the barrel and holds the plug steady, particuarly when the plug is pulled up for filling.

 

In the 1500, the wire is an "agitator" to keep the ink flowing, and possibly a wedge to hold the over-under feed tight in the section.

[Cob]

Well done Greenie; that's a super nib - and a three after all as it should be!.

 

The plug filler I had gave no problems with ink flow. When I had this problem a couple of years ago with a 1500, I found that postion of the feed is truly critical. AFter a certain amount of fiddling, it worked well.

 

All the best

 

Cob

Edited December 10, 2016 by Cob

[Greenie]

The pen was listed as having a #2 nib. I disassembled it mostly to get a better look. It was nice to see the #3 nib.

And the ad confirms that these were all #3 and #5, and that the intent of the plug was for filling rather than flow adjustments.

 

So:

 

what about the LP-0 marking? Anyone have any ideas?

[Cob]

Yes the plug was of course for filling, but the pen has two feeds that could be adjusted!

 

My only source of information is Moak of course, and he says nothing about these additional codes.

 

Cob

[peterg]

Well, I have been writing my Christmas cards with one just like it.

No blobbing. If anything a little dry. The tines on the nib spread very easily and the line breaks into two with very little pressure.

It is about 138 mm long. Mine is marked Trade (the Swan symbol) Mark and 300 underneath on the cap and

The 'Swan' Pen

Mabie Todd & Co

Made in England

on the barrel plus 362 MED on the base.

I can just make out Mabie Todd & co on the nib and it has a standard feed without the plug underneath.

I would be most interested to have an indication as to its age.

[Greenie]

Peter,

Does you pen have a gold overfeed?

I have also found that the position of the plug changes the flow quite a bit.

 

Here is the top of the feed. There is a very wide but shallow groove to serve as a channel, and then a notch wedged out. The notch is blocked or open to varying degrees by moving the plug.

 

[peterg]

Yes it has the overfeed but I can't see a plug. The underfeed appears to be standard with Swan and notches on the underside. It disappears into the section but I am pretty sure there is no plug and the feed 'valley' is missing (8th picture)

[rraf]

Hi Greenie,

I've just acquired a similar pen (marked 4222), but the feed is broken at the tip and the plug is missing.

I'll try to get someone to replicate the feed and plug with the right dimensions: ebonite rod - lathe work - drill center - grind both ends to shape and top notch - carve channels

But I couldn't figure out how the wire is attached to the plug. Could you, please help me?

[Greenie]

I will never be able to photograph it well.

 

But the plug is just drilled out and the wires are jammed in there. It looks like a round, center drilled hole, and there is space seen above and below where the two wires sit side by side. So it does not seem to be held in with anything but friction.

 

If I were to make this myself, and if the wires were loose, you could just put a dab of waterproof adhesive of choice in the hold before putting the wires in.

[rraf]

Thanks for the informative/extremely useful post and your kind reply.

I'll try your suggested approach.

 

Best regards