Mabie Todd Ny Swan Self-Filling J-Bar Replacement

[otw]

I recently acquired a Mabie Todd New York "Swan" Self-Filling pen with the intent to take it apart and learn something about lever-filling pens.



It's in pretty poor shape, as you can see. (That's why I chose it for this educational endeavor.)



I knew the sac would need to be replaced, but the J-bar is broken as well.

Question #1: Would a "generic" 40mm J-Bar (like this one at Anderson Pens) work as a replacement?



Sadly, the nib is also in poor shape. The tines are broken and wavy (as if they were bent and then re-bent back into shape).

Question #2: On this particular pen, would it even be worth having the nib fixed by a pro?

I care less about how the pen looks than how it would write. Is this one of those flex nibs that are all the rage right now? I'm not familiar enough with Mabie Todds to know if this nib has any qualities worth the cost/effort.

[Greenie]

A generic J bar will work great.

 

It is not worth having the nib retipped. The cost exceeds the value of the nib. No way to tell if it is flexy without holding it, but by the geometry of the tines, it is unlikely to be a flexible nib.

 

Since this is a "learning to repair a pen" acquisition, get a new j bar for the pen, then practice cutting and replacing the sac. You should even knock out the feed and nib and clean out all the little channels in the feed. Hobby stores have brass sheets that are under $5 and are great for cutting and using pieces to floss the nib slit, and use the corners to clean out the feed channels.

 

Make your own knock out block from wood, or buy a PVC electrical junction box and drill various sized holes in the back of it (link below). The hard grey stuff. Not the softer blue ones, but those work too.

 

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/304243-better-easier-cheaper-knock-out-blocks/

 

An old set of drills makes for good knock out rods - put the smooth part into the section and hammer on the drill end.

 

The nib.... Well, I will risk some potential strong disagreement here.... Just break off the good tip and use a 3 in one buff stick to make the tip smooth.

Edited March 23, 2017 by Greenie

[otw]

Thank you very much for the advice! That DIY knock-out box is brilliant.

[Cob]

I am quite interested int he shape of that nib; it appears to be practically parallel sided whereas all the Swan nibs I have seen bar one, which is in my spares box,taper. The spare one I have is a very late American nib which came from the very rare New York Visofil model. It is inevitably a nail!!

 

Cob

[otw]

I removed the nib from the feed a couple of days ago. I don't have it with me right now but I'll take a better picture of it when I have a spare moment.

Edited March 24, 2017 by economicalpenster

[otw]

I am quite interested int he shape of that nib; it appears to be practically parallel sided whereas all the Swan nibs I have seen bar one, which is in my spares box,taper. The spare one I have is a very late American nib which came from the very rare New York Visofil model. It is inevitably a nail!!

 

Cob

Here's the nib:

 

[Cob]

Here's a snap of my NY nib (ex New York Visofil )

 

 

Cob

[Greenie]

Cob - That is a bit odd to see such parallel sides.

 

e-penster - there is a reasonable chance that nib was shortened for whatever reason in the past 70 years or so.... All the more reason that there is no reason to re-tip it.

 

Get a 3 in one buff stick and have at it until the tips are even. You can make it functional again.

[Cob]

Yes Greenie, I thought it looked strange.

 

It was an odd lot I bought on ebay: a NY Swan green marbled cap (now on a Frankenpen) and a section, feed and nib: this assembly was screwed into the remains of a green marbled barrel and the section is drilled and was fitted with a curly breather which I managed to break...

 

I recognised this immediately as being from the curious New York Visofil - there is a section about this odd pen in the Pen Repair Manual, and in fact the pen featured there was the same colour as the remains that I bought.

 

Cob