Swan Sf - Is This A Little Green Snake?

[SusiRob]

My first actual post having been lurking and learning!

 

I have picked up a lovely little Swan Self Filler in what I think is described as green snake. Was being sold as a Visofil and arrived in an old Visofil box but it is a lever fill. It is in pristine condition just needs a sack replacement. Having read Deb's Goodwriters blog about these reptile patterned Swans I was anxious that the section would be difficult to remove but in fact it came away with just one firm twist. Pen was full of the remnants of the old sack which I have now cleaned out. All the chrome is fresh looking and the colour of the pen is good, the nib is also lovely and smooth. I think this pen has hardly been used and has sat in a drawer for years

 

My question for the experts on here is what sack size I need for this pen as it is not marked with a model number so I would like to be sure before I buy something. Also is this snake or fish scale?

 

The nib is a lovely flexible no 1 nib that is happy going from fine to broad and just using it dipped it is great fun - unfortunately my abilities fall short of those of the nib at this point!!

 

Some pics

 

http://i67.tinypic.com/n689eg.jpg

 

 

 

http://i68.tinypic.com/29b1rnc.jpg

 

 

 

http://i65.tinypic.com/qqu70h.jpg

 

 

http://i65.tinypic.com/1zbv539.jpg

 

 

http://i68.tinypic.com/2utl1qe.jpg

 

 

 

http://i68.tinypic.com/xmnxht.jpg

 

 

http://i63.tinypic.com/2r5u461.jpg

 

 

Remnants !!

 

http://i65.tinypic.com/2n9grc3.jpg

 

[Cob]

Well done on finding that nice quite late I should say, green snakeskin. The colour code for that material would be 84.

 

A No 16 sac would be correct for that pen.

 

Best of luck

 

Cob

[SusiRob]

Well done on finding that nice quite late I should say, green snakeskin. The colour code for that material would be 84.

 

A No 16 sac would be correct for that pen.

 

Best of luck

 

Cob

 

Brilliant thanks for the reply. There seem to have been so many permutations of these pens - this one is very similar to one on Deb's blog but my one has no cap band (it is actually identical to a broken one with no band that she returned).

 

https://goodwriterspens.com/2014/09/22/green-lizardskin-swan/

 

By "late" what date do you think this pen is from?

[Greenie]

This pattern is the Snakeskin pattern.The smaller pattern is called lizard. They come with no cap band or a narrow cap band. Least seen is a wide cap band.

 

Early in the run they have hard rubber levers. These seem to mostly be the mauve, bright green, blue, and silver (which often discolors a bit greenish as many gray celluloids do). The light green with green veins and gray with red veins seem to come later and are seen with metal levers.

 

The "early" models and colors have black end caps on cap and barrel. The "late" colors with metal levers have inset black caps, not seem from the sides.

 

"Early" (I believe) is late 30's, probably 1938-40. "Late" model would be early 1940s. Again, as far as I can tell.

 

Other pen makers use nickel/chrome trim vs gold trim based on celluloid color. These, however, have nickel clips on the bandless and gold clips on the gold banded (maybe with exception of the silver color - mine is bandless and nickel, but I am not sure what is on the banded model).

 

I really need to take a new "family photo" of my Swan snakes and lizards. I love these and have quite a few.

Edited April 30, 2017 by Greenie

[Greenie]

Well done on finding that nice quite late I should say, green snakeskin. The colour code for that material would be 84.

 

A No 16 sac would be correct for that pen.

 

Best of luck

 

Cob

 

 

The 84 color code is stamped on the deep rich green pattern pen I have. The pale green snake skin pens I have had did not have numbers.... Neither do either of my gray with red vein pens. I don't think the 84 color code applies to the pen in the post. But I also do not have an answer as to what code should apply.

[SusiRob]

 

 

The 84 color code is stamped on the deep rich green pattern pen I have. The pale green snake skin pens I have had did not have numbers.... Neither do either of my gray with red vein pens. I don't think the 84 color code applies to the pen in the post. But I also do not have an answer as to what code should apply.

 

Yes I would not describe this as a deep green - more of a grey/green. Main issue if I can't establish the exact model number was the sac size so I will go with #16 per Cob's reply. Pics of yours would be great to compare though - I do really like the coloured Swans

[Cob]

Yes Swan numbers!! My information gives me "Jade" also Green, Snakeskin for 85. And as for cap band/no cap band - who can say? Mabie Todd produced all sorts of variations, many of them without model numbers. Really quite strange; I wonder how they accounted for all this stuff?

 

Cob

[SusiRob]

Yes Swan numbers!! My information gives me "Jade" also Green, Snakeskin for 85. And as for cap band/no cap band - who can say? Mabie Todd produced all sorts of variations, many of them without model numbers. Really quite strange; I wonder how they accounted for all this stuff?

 

Cob

 

Maybe it's like cars and I have a Friday afternoon pen when someone missed out the cap band and numbering stage of the production process! At least they fitted it with a great nib !

[Greenie]

The band vs bandless is intentional - higher vs lower end pricing.

 

The numbering being present or absent is a running joke in this forum. The numbering system is very good with these pens. However, so many went unstamped that I have always said the number stamping guy was a problem employee who often missed work.

[Greenie]

For the sake of those who search for answers here in the future, I am starting a general Swan snake and general Swan lizard thread with a range of colors and models.

[SusiRob]

For the sake of those who search for answers here in the future, I am starting a general Swan snake and general Swan lizard thread with a range of colors and models.

 

That would be useful there is a lot of info in this forum but it is spread around so many threads and some of the old links no longer work

[Greenie]

 

That would be useful there is a lot of info in this forum but it is spread around so many threads and some of the old links no longer work

 

 

Your wish is my command!

[Cob]

The band vs bandless is intentional - higher vs lower end pricing.

 

The numbering being present or absent is a running joke in this forum. The numbering system is very good with these pens. However, so many went unstamped that I have always said the number stamping guy was a problem employee who often missed work.

There was a theory that he had his eye on a pretty girl at a bench across the works and that many of the pens passed through without getitng stamped!

 

Cob

[SusiRob]

There was a theory that he had his eye on a pretty girl at a bench across the works and that many of the pens passed through without getitng stamped!

 

Cob

 

 

Haha I like that as an apocryphal story - adds character to the un-numbered pens. Glad to report I have installed a new (size 16) sack and it is writing beautifully with Edelstein Aventurine ink.