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Had a lovely day out in Manhattan Beach. I was able to put faces to people who have previously been email addresses. And in a display box I saw a dingy little grey stick that turned out to be a sterling MT Swan ringtop with a very flexy MT nib. It'll look swell when it's polished. The dealer had another little silver pen - it had a Waterman nib, which, I suppose, is a matter for another forum. So he did well by me.

Hello I am rather new to vintage pens and I am looking to purchase a Mabie Todd Swan No.2 safety pen C1917 This is the lisiting on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mabie-Todd-Swan-No-2-safety-pen-C1917-Superfine-xxxf-BB-No-2-nib-Serviced/252718508401?_trksid=p2050601.c100085.m2372&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D37338%26meid%3Dfc693cc1d39e460cbac892d94efef564%26pid%3D100085%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D252718508401%26clkid%3D1871438649743035473&_qi=RTM2247625 I was wondering how much these pens usually go for and how much i should bid. I was thinking between 40-70 USD would be reasonable. Thoughts?\ Brian

Hello everyone! I'm new to Fountain pen restoration and picked up this lovely Mabie Todd Swan self filler, but don't know a whole lot about it. Things I do know, it's a number 1 nib with a special trim level, but can anyone fill me in on what year it may have been made and whatnot?

Hello everyone, I've got a problem with a pen I recently restored, I don't find it confy enough to be used regularly and I want to place the nib on another pen in order to use it on daily basis. The pen in question is a Mabie Todd Swan self filler, with a gold swan 2k nib. I don't know if this topic is misplaced, if so I apologize, but I would really appreciate if someone in the community could give me an advice to get the full potential of this nib on another pen. Thanks in advance!

Hi, I'm a newbie to this site and wandering if anyone out there recognises this Mabie Todd Pen Set. Fountain pen and pencil are a pink composite material with inset rings of yellow and blue Pen measures 95mm capped, pencil measures 100mm Pen Nib marked, MABIE TODD & CO, N,Y. 2 In a leather pouch marked MABIE TODD & CO LTD

hello, I would like to know which nib is fitted in the swan 1500, as it is a overfeed pen I cannot see which nib is fitted I do not know if is the swan #2 or# 3 or whatever. Many thanks

hello, I would like to know which nib is fitted in the swan 1500, as it is a overfeed pen I can see which nib uses I do not know if is the · 2 or 3 or whatever. Thank you

Here is a recent acquisition which I picked up because the rough look on the clip reminded me of a Schnell Penselpen. But before I get there, note the Mabie Todd pen http://www.peytonstreetpens.com/mabie-todd-usa-swan-fountain-pen-model-a3-eye-dropper-full-flex-nib-excellent-works-well.html at Peyton Street Pens: http://www.peytonstreetpens.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/thumbnail/65x/040ec09b1e35df139433887a97daa66f/s/w/swan_a3_eyedropper_1.jpg And now the one I came across from Eagle Pencil Co.

I was looking at my now complete telescoping dip pen, and thought the length comparison was interesting. Here it is, extended, next to a typical early MT pen with a slip cap. This one has the rotating (NOT "rotting") (edit after below post...) collar to secure the cap on a pin on the section (it is shown in this thread). But it is the exact same size as my slip cap pens with over/under feeds. While the dip pen appears to be a small pen, it is actually a very standard sized pen when extended for use.

I have three stylos in my large FP collection, two Mabie Todd Long Short, and a very early AT Cross. How smooth should these feel on the paper, or how smooth can they be? They aren't exactly scratchy, but they are kind of "toothy" The AT Cross has no protruding needle - the needle stays inside. It seems to need a fairly vertical writing angle, but writes well. I would imagine this to be normal based ont the physics of the pen, but I have nothing to compare it to. The Mabie Todds have protruding needles that are on springs, which seems to allow the pen to be used at an angle more like 45 degrees, but of course there is some vague feel of the needle on paper. So, can any fans of vintage stylos tell me more about how old stylos are supposed to perform, and how much can I expect from them. They are not really for using much, but I still enjoy getting all my pens are tuned up as possible regardless of whether or not they will be actually used in the future.

Hello everyone! I was walking around town today and decided to walk into a old collectible shop and found this babe along with others! http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq23/Skye_El-Rahi/IMG_1137_zps7lul9dgd.jpg I was able to fix the other pens I got from him but this one needs a pressure bar and I'm interested in the history of the pen. Can anyone help ID this fountain pen and let me know what parts it had originally so I can try to restore it as best as I can to its original state? As far as I can tell its BCHR and has some ripple patterns similar to the Conklin 20p Crescent Filler. Here is the picture of the writing on the side: http://i430.photobucket.com/albums/qq23/Skye_El-Rahi/1204c00a-a2f5-4c32-b229-3f719dd60136_zps29pgyjgo.jpg This is my first Mabie Todd and man I need to have more! Any information would be greatly appreciated! All the best, Skye

Hello FPN, I was wondering if someone with more vintage flex knowledge than I (which isn't much) could advise me with my newest acquisition. It is a Mabie Todd Swan SF250 circa 1937. I need to do some more research on the hallmarks stamped onto the gold bands. Upon first using the pen I noticed some quirks here and there, like dry starts at the beginning and some railroading. It also seemed to work better when holding it at a rather high angle, though then it feels a tad scratchier. After using it for a while, these problems pretty much go away entirely, as if it gets much wetter after some use. I was looking at the nib through a loupe and I noticed that the gap of the tip is a little wonky. It's a bit V shaped when looking at it head on where the tines meet. The tip of the left tine somehow seems bigger than the right, like there's more material. The gap of the tines is pretty much parallel from the hole of the nib to the tip of the tine (I thought it was supposed to be a bit more tapered towards the tip where the tines meet.) The pen seems to be in great condition otherwise, the lever works well, the gold bands aren't worn, the inscriptions are still legible, etc. But I'm wondering if this nib could be improved if I sent it to someone competent. Like I said, it seems to behave much better after it's been used for a minute or two and then it lays down a good amount of ink (quite a bit, though I am using Iroshizuku with it, which maybe is too watery?) and I can make a flex stroke from top to bottom of page without it railroading. I'm just wondering if with some adjustment I could get a bit finer line on the upstrokes and just a more consistent performance over all. On the side strokes it's about an XF/F if done fast, the diagonals or upstrokes seem more like a F/M and the downward strokes can get to 3mm (though I'm a bit paranoid of doing that very often.) Anyways, if anyone wants to throw in their two cents I'd appreciate it. Could that V issue I mentioned be something that happens with a nib that flexes that much? Does the angle become more parallel when it's flexed? That's just a random thought though. Thanks!

I am searching for information about 1930-40s mechanical pencils. I have 3 interesting examples inherited from my father from whom I have also inherited my love of collectable pens. 1. “GOLD” mechanical pencil inscribed “Fyne Poynt' MABIE TODD CO. LTD. MADE IN ENGLAND” 2. “SILVER” mechanical pencil inscribed 'The “Conway" No. 60 MADE IN BRITAIN STIRLING SILVER’ 3. “STAINLESS STEEL” mechanical pencil inscribed The “Conway No 50. MADE IN BRITAIN 1 & 2 Seem to take 0.9mm leads but the the sterling silver Conway 60 drops that diameter lead. I dont know if it is damaged or I should try a different lead. Do you know where I can obtain more information about these elegant writing implements? (apologies for the photo quality, just used my iPhone and low res.)

I was delighted to purchase these two Mabie Todd swan pens on eBay. Doing so, I understood that they were not whole. At the very least I would get another gold over feed out of this. But I am wondering if there is a way to restore/repair these to working condition? Ok. So let's start with the longer/full sized pen. It came with the forward part of the section which seems to have been broken off of the barrel, the cap, and barrel with most of the ebonite interior within. With the section was the nib, which I was surprised to find was 18karat, a very small feed (which I'm assuming was longer, but broke with the section; though I've not seen a swan feed that looks like this before), and a gold over feed. I was most excited about this pen, because it is what I've been seeking for some time. (As seen in an advertisement around Christmas of 1911 I think?) my only indication as to what model it is was pressed into the section. "Swan" 2 C. Luckily I have an inksight swan which is also a 2 C. The cap uses the accepts those threads without feeling incorrect and is very securely screwed on. And the barrel seems to be the correct length when side by side and capped. The section shapes are also identical, though it should be noted that the nib,feed, and over feed from the partial section that came with this pen does not fit within the section of the inksight swan. As for the smaller pen, it is just a tad shorter than my Swan B2. The threads don't seem to line up well either, and the section of the B2 is too long and the gold cap does not have a chance to engage the threads with it in place. The small pen was purchased as only a cap and barrel, though there is still the ebonite interior of the barrel. (And I'm assuming the inner caps of both the long and short pen are still intact). What I hope is that there is a hope that these two will be useable pens again. (Hopefully with not too much money spent in the process). The first thing that comes to mind is to somehow remove the ebonite within the gold (let's just focus on the long pen for now) and then either have a new insert made or cannibalize a 2 C which has a broken cap or is sold as parts/missing a cap. If the second route (cannibalizing) is taken, to heat the barrel and try to slip the filigree/overlay back onto it (as to how to keep it in place securely once this is accomplished, I have no idea). Any advice/help/opinions/comments would be most appreciated. Thank you for your time

Hello, I am applying for help with this strange problem. I've bought via Ebay this Swan and have been able to disassemble, clean and polish it to a quite satisfactory extent. I am currently waiting for a replacement sac. I have noticed however that the thread does not allow to screw the cap to full closure. It looks like the pen is too long for the barrel's thread to fully grip the cap's one. I noticed that if I remove the section from the barrel, I have no problem in screwing the cap firmly in. The issue is not with the nib and feed being too long, because the problem comes up even when the nib and feed are removed. I have wondered whether the section is possibly not the original one. However the name Swan is engraved on the section. Maybe a Swan specialist here could tell me if he knows of Swan having used considerably different section lenghts. I am enclosing some pictures of the pen.

Here's my sweet new Jackdaw. The 14k nib's doesn't feel quite as robust as some of the other MTs I've experienced but it takes nothing at all to flex. At the moment, it has a few problems flow-wise, in spite of a clean. I'm going to get an ultra sound. Any cleaning tips will be welcome and I offer my modest acquisition here to add to our MT catalogue. It's a lovely pink and silvery green.

I recently acquired a Mabie Todd # 4 nib (18K) and dip pen from eBay. The nib looks to be almost in mint condition. I'm very new to Dip pens, so I might be missing something on how to use it. I thought that this was a flex nib, but I don't see the tines separating when I put a little pressure. It instead writes like an extra-fine nib. The ink doesn't flow very freely, and I've only used it with fountain pen ink so far, and not India Ink or other calligraphy inks. The nib feels scratchy, but the times are perfectly aligned. Is there anyway to make the ink flow more freely or improve the flex? How much pressure can I put on it? I've attached a couple of images for the nib. Thanks.

Hello everyone! I've just spent far too much money on a greeny-gold, red veined Swan snakeskin. The little chap doesn't have a clip. I don't suppose anyone's got a spare knocking about, or any idea where I might find one? Any help with a model number would be fantastic. My patience with the Swan lists wore out as an accident's made prolonged web-monging physical torture just now. The pen's not yet in my possession or I'd provide pics but it's a SF, maybe a minor (?) and it has a wide gold cap band and a gold lever. Lovely looking No. 1 nib. Thanks for any help! xx

My Swan frankenpen is finally whole again! A little while ago I bought a black SF1 matched with a woodgrain section and cap. Now I've been fortunate enough to find an SF1 woodgrain Swan sporting a damaged lid. The various bits are now re-united and I have a lovely woodgrain pen. It's gifted with a beautiful NY nib that a previous owner had set in the section with a certain lack of subtlety and I didn't really feel confident enough to pull it all apart and fiddle with it. But thanks to the tender ministrations of Cob it's back to its lovely best - a smooth, flexy writer with brilliant snap-back. Thank you, Cob and one day I will learn how to photograph these bloody things properly!

Do Eternal nibs have any flex? I've never had the opportunity to try one.

If you bumped against an Edwardian gentleman in a London street around 1910 and felt an unusual bulge in his pocket, it may have been one of these, a "Swan fountfiller for travellers": http://i.imgur.com/e770hFH.jpg The design is possibly inspired by London post boxes. The material is lightweight wood. The top unscrews to reveal, Russian doll like, an ink bottle inside: http://i.imgur.com/y3WDCi9.jpg The ink bottle is sitting on a spring mechanism, so that it pops up when you unscrew the wooden top. The ink bottle can then be lifted out. There's a printed reminder on the spring platform to buy a replacement bottle of Swan ink: http://i.imgur.com/ZZrMenJ.jpg The ink bottle itself has a hardened and unusable bulb and the top is gummed shut with dried ink, but is otherwise in nice condition: http://i.imgur.com/nHXQSCy.jpg Closed, it measures 12cm base to tip. Note the slight problem on the top of the lid which is going a bit bald where the red paint is flaking off: http://i.imgur.com/yi9Oc7Z.jpg The Swan trademark logo on the back - your guarantee of quality: http://i.imgur.com/C1e7BhJ.jpg

The self-filler is a New York pen from about (I would guess) 1924. It is fitted with a Pat. 1915 clip. The leverless was a bit of a pain; English from about 1933, its internal mechanism had rusted away and the fact that it is thinner than the standard leverless pens of the period (e.g. L200/60) made the repair trickier than it might have been. And of course the nib was bent too. Anyway it works now and as I hope the writing shows, it was worth straightening the nib! The colour difference is interesting I think, the New York pen being quite a bit darker; perhaps there was more "gold in the rolling"? Rgds Cob.

I'm afraid this is rather peripheral in a pen forum, but the flattening of this splendid house has given we amateur pen historians a great deal of work that might not have been necessary had the bombs missed. A remark of Greenies ("bomb damage") prompted me to look into Sunderland House, Mabie Todd's grand London Headquarters in the 1930s which was destroyed by bombing in 1940. Here's a snap: The house was built in 1904 for his daughter Consuleo, by William Kissam Vanderbilt, eldest son of the famous "Commodore". Consuelo Vanderbilt had been forced by her mother Alva, into a loveless marriage to the 9th Duke of Marlborough. Here's a link to an article from the San Francisco Call, July 1904, which is an amusing read very much in the style of the time. It is also amazing that in around thirty years the private house had become a commercial premises, and given the economy of the time probably bought very cheaply. Cob

I have stumbled across the Merle Blanc retractable safety pen made in England. I have not yet found any information on similar Blackbirds and been wondering whether there were any or this particular Merle Blanc was just a rebranded version of the Swan safety pen made for the French market?

Hello Everybody, I've had this Mabie Todd pen for a couple of years now, yet I couldn't find any information regarding a model name/number when I tried looking it up. It is a short eyedropper with a #2 nib, and the body is made of BCHR, whilst the top of the cap features a gold cover with a floral design on it. Thanks in advance, Oliver