It's A Bit Late, But... Levers Made Of Bhr?

[MercianScribe]

It's a bit late because I've just splashed on the pen already (!), but it has a BHR lever. I'm assuming, if only because it's already lasted 80-plus years, that there's no disadvantage or particular weakness to BHR for levers as opposed to metal...

 

Does anyone have any experience or information about BHR levers in manufacturing, design, or just usage?

Edited November 16, 2017 by MercianScribe

[Greenie]

All I know is that the black hard rubber levers were common on Mabie Todd pens earlier in the Swan Minor SM imprinted era, and they also appear on Big Blackbirds with RHR levers on BHR pens. I am not the best historian of the group. Attached is an internet pic of a Big Blackbird, and then some earlier and later Snakeskin patterned pens.

 

[PaulS]

the obvious advantage that comes to mind - assuming you don't mind living without a g.p. lever - is that they'll never brass. They look really good on those snakeskins, and polished up they're good on BHR too.

[Cob]

Yes not much to add. As far as I know they first appeared on the Swan Minor models - later of course abbreviated to SM as Greenie has pointed out. They were also used on the Blackbird No 3 pens.

 

Remember never to put your pen barrel into water - e.g. in the ultra-sonic cleaner (I have made this mistake) as your lever will become brown hard rubber!

 

I have had pens with broken BHR levers. This is probably caused by persons with no mechanical sympathy attacking a pen whose sac has gone hard. But then I have had pens with badly bent and broken metal ones too, no doubt for the same reason.

 

 

All the best

 

Cob

[MercianScribe]

Mines an SM 205/59 in Italian Marble, fully restored and minty looking, so your nonetheless welcome maintenance/restoration tips shouldnt be necessary. Pretty much a twin of that 205/63 you put up the other day.

 

Which brings me to: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/329645-swan-minor-numbering/

Edited November 17, 2017 by MercianScribe

[Greenie]

For the sake of keeping threads coherent, please start a new thread about numbering.... I am as guilty as everyone about meandering from topic to topic, but I will to try to prevent this when I can.

[MarcShiman]

The marketing angle was that they were "invisible" levers, not meant to stand out from really beautiful plastics.

[MercianScribe]

For the sake of keeping threads coherent, please start a new thread about numbering.... I am as guilty as everyone about meandering from topic to topic, but I will to try to prevent this when I can.

 

Fair point, sorry. Done.

 

The marketing angle was that they were "invisible" levers, not meant to stand out from really beautiful plastics.

Ah, that makes sense, rather handsome though they are themselves.