Mabie Todd Blackbird Oriental Blue Bb2/46 C1933

[PenHero]

Hi, Folks!

I love the really fantastic plastic on this pen, the same plastic used on the Waterman Patrician. I'm posting it primarily because I was cleaning up an old article and adding new photos.

http://penhero.com/Temp/BlackbirdOrientalBlue_1280_03.jpg

Oriental Blue Blackbirds do not appear in the 1927 to 1932 Mabie Todd catalogs, though the slim design model BB2 with no cap band and stepped clip Blackbird does. It's possible that this pen, model BB2 with color 46, Oriental Blue, first appeared in 1933. When Mabie Todd revamped their lines in 1934 to a more tapered and compact design, the Blackbird followed suit. The Oriental Blue plastic continued with the new redesigned model, which has a quite different clip, probably from 1934 through at least the end of the 1930s.

Anyone able to put better dates to this pen, I would love to hear.

Thanks!

[MarcShiman]

My understanding is that step clips disappeared in 32-33.

[PenHero]

My understanding is that step clips disappeared in 32-33.

 

 

They still exist in the 1932 catalog. Oriental Blue does not show in that catalog. Fountain Pens of the World dates Oriental Blue c1933. I have a December 1934 advert that shows both the step and new clips. That's the best data I have on it.

 

http://penhero.com/Temp/SwanDecember1934.jpg

[MarcShiman]

I have a European catalog (Belgian? French?) that has the royal blue under the Merle Blanc name, but the brochure is undated. There are also 444B and 242's in the flyer, and I thought they came to an end in the late 20's

[PenHero]

I have a European catalog (Belgian? French?) that has the royal blue under the Merle Blanc name, but the brochure is undated. There are also 444B and 242's in the flyer, and I thought they came to an end in the late 20's

 

The BB2 type shown in my photo shows in the 1930 and 1932 catalogs, mostly in black.