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A Nice Old Swan Arrived Today


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I know that the BHR has faded to a horrid colour on the cap, but it does have the 1920 bling feature of an 18ct gold band on the cap! Never mind all that nonsense: it is fitted with the lovely Mabie Todd New York No 2 stub, a little bent and writes like a dream. Funnily I just sold my first No 2 Safety Screw Cap a week ago! They are lovely pens.

 

Cob

 

post-117400-0-26609400-1421705530_thumb.jpgpost-117400-0-14198000-1421705538_thumb.jpg

fpn_1428963683__6s.jpg “The pen of the British Empire” fpn_1423349537__swan_sign_is.jpg


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It is nice; I wish I could re-blacken it - some people don't like this but I don't like olive-greeny-browny dinge.

 

All the compliments of course must go to the late-lamented Mabie Todd truly amongst the greatest pen makers of the lot.

 

Thanks chaps.

 

Cob

Edited by Cob

fpn_1428963683__6s.jpg “The pen of the British Empire” fpn_1423349537__swan_sign_is.jpg


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I have one too ( https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/206092-mabie-todd-swan-no-2-eyedropper-c1915/ ). It is a gorgeous pen to write with, however I slightly prefer my old Blackbird ( https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/206088-mabie-todd-blackbird-lever-filler-c1920/ ) as it doesn't blob when nearly empty. Got them both for £15 each.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

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I have one too ( https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/206092-mabie-todd-swan-no-2-eyedropper-c1915/ ). It is a gorgeous pen to write with, however I slightly prefer my old Blackbird ( https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/206088-mabie-todd-blackbird-lever-filler-c1920/ ) as it doesn't blob when nearly empty. Got them both for £15 each.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

You were very fortunate, but I fear that the days of decent £15 Swans are long gone - unless one is very lucky (as I was on one occasion just before Christmas).

 

Your review of the No2 Safety echoes my views absolutely - people with modern "blunt instruments" really do not know what they are missing - mais chacun à son goût!

 

Rgds

Cob

Edited by Cob

fpn_1428963683__6s.jpg “The pen of the British Empire” fpn_1423349537__swan_sign_is.jpg


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We're well past the seventh day of Christmas, but it looks like at least seven Swans are a-swimming towards here.

 

Here's a Swan at its most elegant minimalist - a100 eye-dropper from about 1918 I suppose. Mabie Todd qualiity - at least before the war was peerless - think about it: this pen is nearly 100 years old; how many times do you think that the section has been unscrewed for filling? And does it need silicone grease to prevent leaks? No it doesn't

 

Cob

post-117400-0-92190700-1421758112_thumb.jpg

Edited by Cob

fpn_1428963683__6s.jpg “The pen of the British Empire” fpn_1423349537__swan_sign_is.jpg


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Moving into the Roaring 'Twenties here's something in Mabie Todd's elegant Art Deco style - usual rubbish photo - the cap trim is "jade"

 

Cob

post-117400-0-27053600-1421758951_thumb.jpg

Edited by Cob

fpn_1428963683__6s.jpg “The pen of the British Empire” fpn_1423349537__swan_sign_is.jpg


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Finally - what is known amongst the specialists as a big bâtarde** - a Swan 2060. Scruffy this one with broken clip, so the work continues to pile up!

 

Cob

 

** System does not permit the use of the perfectly good English word - so how I would be able to specify the use in the workshop of the well known (bleep) file I do not know!post-117400-0-01577800-1421759836_thumb.jpgpost-117400-0-83669900-1421759842_thumb.jpg

 

 

 

fpn_1428963683__6s.jpg “The pen of the British Empire” fpn_1423349537__swan_sign_is.jpg


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You mentioned re-blackening ..... is this possible at all? Did you mean that you're unable or that it's impossible?

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You mentioned re-blackening ..... is this possible at all? Did you mean that you're unable or that it's impossible?

Well I know it is done, but I don't know how - that is without getting a really cheesy result.

 

Cob

fpn_1428963683__6s.jpg “The pen of the British Empire” fpn_1423349537__swan_sign_is.jpg


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An update or two.

 

First the 2060. I spent quite a number of hours today on this big pen. It now looks a little more respectable, with its replacement clip and of course fills and writes. Typically for an Eternal nib it was a "roundy" bore - shown by the original writing sample; these nibs were usually fine and designed to allow for the making of carbon copies, so one doesn't have a great deal to work with.. I have worked hard to try to give it a bit of edge. I have scibbled around the original sample.

 

post-117400-0-15606100-1421788057_thumb.jpg

 

Now turning to the 142/54 (black/jade Swan). Well of cousre this was a bit of a gamble given the large non-original nib and naively I imagined that anyone working on the pen would have respected its rarity and class. Sadly this was not the case and the clown who worked on it obviously thought that fitting a No 3 nib to a section that once accepted something smaller simply required vigorous work with a rat-tail file, so the bore in the elegant section is no longer round. Once the pen had warmed up here at home it turned into a gusher. I have removed the original feed and replaced the nib with an ultra-flexible Swan 2 with its relevant feed; the pen is still too wet really - and with this nib, the ultimate noodler!

 

Cob

post-117400-0-60277000-1421788785_thumb.jpg

Edited by Cob

fpn_1428963683__6s.jpg “The pen of the British Empire” fpn_1423349537__swan_sign_is.jpg


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That is a lovely pen, and I love writing with them ...

 

And you can re-blacken them quite easily, and I;ve done it with pens I want to keep ... If I ever sold them on I'd have to tell the buyers, but the finish is brilliant and it is so cheap. I bought some blackener from Pensbury Manor, it's unfortunately only available from the States, so far.

 

ps if you do buy it, opt for the smaller bottle, if you buy the larger one you get hammered for VAT and Post Office charges ... so an item which cost around £20 has a further £11 slapped on top.

Edited by chunya
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That is a lovely pen, and I love writing with them ...

 

And you can re-blacken them quite easily, and I;ve done it with pens I want to keep ... If I ever sold them on I'd have to tell the buyers, but the finish is brilliant and it is so cheap. I bought some blackener from Pensbury Manor, it's unfortunately only available from the States, so far.

 

ps if you do buy it, opt for the smaller bottle, if you buy the larger one you get hammered for VAT and Post Office charges ... so an item which cost around £20 has a further £11 slapped on top.

Than you so much!

 

I have written to them

 

Best wishes and thanks again

 

Cob

fpn_1428963683__6s.jpg “The pen of the British Empire” fpn_1423349537__swan_sign_is.jpg


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That 100 is such an understated beauty.

 

That 100 is such an understated beauty.

Absolutely - what I tried to express: a classic case of function before form. In fact Mabie Todd, in their early advertising used to claim that regardless of the price, every pen was of the same high quality, so you didn't get fancy trim etc, but you got a properly made product with a first class nib, and after 100 years, thus the pudding has been proved!

 

Rgds

Cob

fpn_1428963683__6s.jpg “The pen of the British Empire” fpn_1423349537__swan_sign_is.jpg


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We're well past the seventh day of Christmas, but it looks like at least seven Swans are a-swimming towards here.

 

Here's a Swan at its most elegant minimalist - a100 eye-dropper from about 1918 I suppose. Mabie Todd qualiity - at least before the war was peerless - think about it: this pen is nearly 100 years old; how many times do you think that the section has been unscrewed for filling? And does it need silicone grease to prevent leaks? No it doesn't

 

Cob

attachicon.gifSwan 100.jpg

 

Look, I've got my heart set on Pelikans right now not Swans...so less of the distractions eh :D .......but I think I am going to have to become generally more ornithological in my choice of fountain pens in future.

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Look, I've got my heart set on Pelikans right now not Swans...so less of the distractions eh :D .......but I think I am going to have to become generally more ornithological in my choice of fountain pens in future.

Ha ha ha - and MT & Co had Blackbirds, Swallows and Jackaws too. What fun!

 

Cob

fpn_1428963683__6s.jpg “The pen of the British Empire” fpn_1423349537__swan_sign_is.jpg


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Is it going to remain in your collection?

No, nice as it is - I have far too many pens that have crept up on me - and recently of course I got another eye-dropper so this one will be sold. If it interests you please, pm me.

 

Best wishes

 

Cob

fpn_1428963683__6s.jpg “The pen of the British Empire” fpn_1423349537__swan_sign_is.jpg


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