7 replies to this topic

[tmenyc]

I have gotten a little gold American Swan. Do you know anything about it? Pictures are below...it is clearly a Mabie Todd Swan, with Swan nib and feed, clearly made in New York.

It's 4 3/8" long capped, and 4" uncapped, a shorty.

There are no markings about the gold, so I assume it is gold-plate. I'd love to know its approximate age and history. Also, is it an eyedropper? From the nipple end of the section it appears so, and there is no filling system.







thanks!




Tim

[Deb]

Hi tmenyc,
Yes, it's an eyedropper filler, a short overlay version of the Safety Screw Cap No 2, in production from 1911 to 1920 or so, though it might have been used as a basis for overlay pens a little longer. It is gold plated; you can see where the plating has worn through on the end of the barrel. Apart from the lack of a filling system the SSC2 is quite a modern pen. Gone are the over-and-under feed and cone cap of previous Swans, replaced with the excellent ladder feed which Swan continued to use until the end of the company in the late fifties, and a much more secure screw-on cap.

For comparison, I wrote about another of these pens with a different machined pattern in my blog on 28th February this year.

[tmenyc]

Thanks, Deb! You were to be my first direct query if I didn't get a response here or at fpn. I'll find your blogpost. Beat up as it is, or maybe because it's beat up, I think this little guy is going to stay with me as a pocket/bag pen,give my little kawecos a break.
Tim

[Deb]

You're welcome, Tim. These are very practical pens with great nibs. Despite their small size they hold a lot of ink, being an eyedropper filler. And not so much beat up, more "showing the signs of long and honourable use."

[tmenyc]

You're welcome, Tim. These are very practical pens with great nibs. Despite their small size they hold a lot of ink, being an eyedropper filler. And not so much beat up, more "showing the signs of long and honourable use."

Deb,
I accept the correction gladly .. it's "well-loved", not "beat-up." It's gonna be a whole lot more loved, too...
Tim

[Teej47]

Sweet little pen!

I see an intriguing combination of details. The nib says "14 CT.", which I generally equate with English manufacture (vs the 14KT of typical U.S. made gold stuff)... but the barrel clearly says "Made in U.S.A."

Thoughts?

Tim

[Deb]

This gets a little complicated. All Mabie Todd nibs were made in the USA but an increasing proportion of their output was produced for pens made by the Mabie Todd branch in Britain. Those nibs are invariably marked "14CT." Similarly, the manufacture of gold-plated overlay pens was confined to the US at this stage and many of those pens were ear-marked for sale in Britain. Doubtless the pens were mated with "14CT" nibs before they were shipped. All this would change in a few years as the British branch became an independent company and acquired their own gold nib manufacturing capability. One would have thought that these events would make exact dating of British Mabie Todd pens easier but it doesn't. Despite their formal separation, the two companies continued with a close relationship for years.

[tmenyc]

Deb,
Interesting stuff; i really do have to learn more about Mabie Todd. You taught two Tim's this time...not just me!
thanks,

Tim