13 replies to this topic

[david i]

Hi,

Still recovering from the Ohio 2010 Pen Show. Still sorting the finds. Enjoyed showing off there one of the best Parker pens out there (a recent find). Just wrapping up work week. Wanted though to share the following pen.

A pen friend from western NY turned up at my table as he does each year with a solid selection of old pens.

One that caught my eye right away was an apparently mint Mabie Todd Blackbird model in "Cherry Red" plastic (celluloid?)

While the Mabie Todd book by David Moak I've so far only skimmed, my recollection (feel free to correct me) is that Mabie Todd pens from this era track from high line to economy line as one moves down the list as follows:

• Swan
• Blackbird
• Swallow

Know too that "Cherry Red" holds a bit of a special place in pendom. Most "red" pens of yore in fact are orange. Red Hard Rubber today at least looks orange. Parker's Big Red Duofold after switching to plastic in the 1920's used an orange plastic, perhaps to approximate the early orange "red" rubber.

Cherry Red- a pure bright red- was not used on many major line pens. To best of my recollection it was not used by Waterman or by Wahl. Sheaffer used it sparingly in a series of Loaner, Secretary and Pigmy pens that are scarce, in demand today, and cluttered by lore regarding whether some might have been of casein rather than celluloid. Parker used the color only on one of its poorly characterized so-called "Thrift Time" pens probably for short time around 1933.

Cherry Red plastic tends to be fragile. Often pens are found heavily discolored, cracked or suffering shrinkage.

So, clean examples are the minority, pens of this color already already are scarce, and in most cases the color is found in pens that have some other "charm" factor ("Thrift", "Loaner", "tiny pen", etc). All this makes the Cherry Red pen a hot item.

When this Mabie Todd Blackbird thus was presented to me, glowing with color, probably in mint condition, I had to grab it. Yes, I have more than enough pens at home, but this is- i guess- why I sell pens. I enjoy buying pens- finding pens really- and owning them forever is not key. But, I'm not letting go of this one anytime soon. It is the first Mabie I've seen in this color

While not a "top line" Swan, this one clearly was appreciated by its manufacturer. It has multiple imprints:

• Barrel Imprint.
• "Blackbird" imprint at top, opposite the clip
• "Blackbird" imprint on section
• "Blackbird" imprint on feed
• Code imprint (model #?) at butt of pen

Glorious condition. I might update the photo once I've taken better shot of the barrel imprint, but this montage does, I believe, convey the beauty of this pen.

Regards

David

[Alex]

Wow! Congratulations! What an incredible find in any shape but in this condition WOW!

[fumble fingers]

That is definitely one red fountain pen.

So was it the chemical makeup of the plastics that made them crumble over the decades, and so make red fountain pens scarce, or was it the fact that they were red and people were a little wilder with them?

[Mike Kirk]

Beautiful looking pen, David. There is something about a "red" pen that attracts. In this case, it looks like "Cherry" not only refers to color, but also condition. It "POPS".

[David Nishimura]

Yes, it's striking.  But it's not particularly uncommon.  Reason why it isn't in David Moak's book is because it's English production, and his focus is the company in the USA.  Probably you'll find pics in Lambrou's books.  I've sold several examples over the years, all sourced in the UK, and I still have several matching new old stock pencils sitting around.

[Maja]

Yes, it's striking. But it's not particularly uncommon. Reason why it isn't in David Moak's book is because it's English production, and his focus is the company in the USA. Probably you'll find pics in Lambrou's books. I've sold several examples over the years, all sourced in the UK, and I still have several matching new old stock pencils sitting around.

I have one like David's (David Isaacson's, that is ) that my pen mentor Brian bought for me at a pen show from Jim Marshall. It is a lovely bright red colour, and David's photos (as always) do the pen justice.

[david i]

Yes, it's striking. But it's not particularly uncommon. Reason why it isn't in David Moak's book is because it's English production, and his focus is the company in the USA. Probably you'll find pics in Lambrou's books. I've sold several examples over the years, all sourced in the UK, and I still have several matching new old stock pencils sitting around.

Several examples over the years? That would make then several fewer than you've sold Burgundy Vac Maximas?


Didn't realize it wasn't in David's book. I'd only referenced the book in context of stratifying the various Mabie line names, trying to recall if Blackbird trumps Swallow. Now I won't have to hunt for the pen there at least.

Sam mentioned on Zoss that a hoard of NOS pens showed up from England a few years back. That was useful information, though clearly the hobby has a way of quickly absorbing a few trays of gem pens. I wonder how many more Parker T-1 FP's show up per year now, just because Craig and Bill brought to Chicago nearly ten years ago perhaps 100 NOS pens. I have vague recollection of Roger Wooten citing a tray out there of mint stickered red Sheaffer Balance Loaners.

By no means do I claim "overwhelming rarity" for the Blackbird, though I did want to raise the "charm of the red pen" and to emphasize both the nice condition of this one and of course the enjoyment of this being the first of this sort I've found. Daniel already is giving grief for my mentioning handling more each of Aztecs, Snakes and Imperial Coronets the last few years than I've handled Cherry Blackbirds.

regards

David

[Hugh]

Looks like a post WW2 model to me and at a push I'd even go as far as saying a '50s model, I generally place Swallow above Blackbird but both lines are probably similiar so may be both should be second!! I've handled a Swan model of the same shape ( a 5260...black and worse for wear...it remains in the junk shop) and it was likewise bandless , somewhat uncommon for a post war(?) Swan, and the only 5 series I can remember coming across. Generally the plastic in these post war pens holds up well, although I've not seen a red, with cracks uncommon. A truly great find.

Regards
Hugh

[david i]

That is definitely one red fountain pen.

So was it the chemical makeup of the plastics that made them crumble over the decades, and so make red fountain pens scarce, or was it the fact that they were red and people were a little wilder with them?

Hi,

Yes, plastics are not the most stable materials it seems. There even are stories of true art sculptures done in plastic starting to melt after a couple-few decades while sitting in museums. Most pen plastic is holding up reasonably well even from the 1920's, with pale colors tending to disccolor but with a minority truly crazing and crumbling. Red celluloid (Sheaffer, Parker late 1920's-early 1930's, not to be confused with orange celluloid that often is called red) does take its lumps.

Mabie Todd is not my focus, and you can see some of the comments in this thread about the prevalence of this pen in red. If Hugh is right and this is not a 1930's pen, then it obviously is a bit less old than I'd thought. I'm not sure it is of celluloid, though that was the common plastic used back in the day, save maybe for Conway Stewart of England, who had a reported fondness for casein.

Pure red was not used so much back in the day, as per my first post. Just not many models done with it. I cannot say why. It is a pretty color. Maybe not popular then or maybe not easy to produce. The overall scarcity seems more related to lack of model range done in the color than to abuse of pens.

Best regards

David

[Hugh]

Hi David,

I'd better explain why I think it's a later pen. Firstly a bit of background that I've been working on...just gotta get the pics sorted out...ahhh!! technology

"The Mabie Todd Swan 3 series number system.By the 3 series I refer to the 4 digit pens numbered in the style 3120, 3250, 3361 and the like produced in the late 1940’s. This does not cover pens with the 3^rd digit=7, (3170,3171..)I’ll return to them later.

How to identify a 3 series pen? Basically they are a classic “torpedo” shaped lever filler with cap band/s in solid colours, once you’ve seen one identifying them is easy. The number is also imprinted on the end of the barrel.

The numbering system is simple:

· First digit = model

· Second =nib size from 1 to3, and in this series generally the number of cap bands.

· Third = colour code. 2=Dark blue, 3=Grey, 4=Dark green, 5= Brown and 6= Black

· Fourth= Variation. 0=Plastic pen, 1= BHR . I’ve seen no other variations. The only BHR is the 3x61

Ie a 3240 has a no.2 nib, 2 cap bands and is dark green.

Nibs:

· The no.1 is entry level , a small well made nib. I personally find it a bit small

· The no.2 is the standard Swan nib and is a very acceptable and useable size, ranging from fine to broad (most seem to mediums) and flexible to firm with most showing some flex.

· The no.3 nib is the highest quality in this series and has the same range as above. There is the odd no.3 Eternal nib as well.

The earlier models came with brass cap threads on the barrel. These work well as well as looking better.

Now the 317x line, these are cheaper pens from near the end and in these the 4^th digit indicates the colour. Best avoided I.M.O., as is the Calligraph model .

Does this numbering apply to other 4 digit models like the 4,5 and 6 lines. Yes and no!! It applies to the 4 series ( nibs run up to a no.6), the one 5 series pen I’ve handled ( a 5260, plain bandless pen) did ,so probably does. The 6 series is a bit different as this model has marbled colours as well as solid, the solid colours appear to follow as expected but not the marbled. I speculate the marbled pens are from a different time frame maybe similar to the 317x line as I have recently seen a 6141, 6242 and a 6245.

The 3 series are well made and good user pens. A fairly nice collection showing various colours and trim level can be as little as 5 pens . From a user point I find these some of the nicest post-war British pens to write with, there are some downsides:

I. The colours are far from exciting, rather mundane and conservative

II. The plating is prone to brassing

III. I’ve seen discolouration and plastic shrinkage in grey models

Overall the plastic seems durable with lip cracks not normally an issue , the clips are a good usable design and the imprints just don’t seem to wear. One place to check is the top of the cap as it’s a two part cap and I’ve seen cracking/chips there. Being lever fillers easy to re-sac, the section is a screw in one and a no.18 sac will fit but a 17 is easier as the larger sac tends to catch on the J bar. I often have my 3240 ( a true user pen , probably grade as VG) in rotation where it sits happily with my Conklin Endura and PFM V."




The 3,4 and 6 are post war models, as mentioned the one 5 also fitted this number system ( ie No.2 nib, blk and plastic). As far as I can see the pre war number system didn't follow this. The conclussion drawn is the 5 is the same era but most likely a lower priced model and may eventually have become a Blackbird instead. To a degree this model, 5277, also follows that pattern, may well be similiar to the 317x model code which used a much greater colour range. The clip on this is also the standard post war type.

Is the nib a no.2?.....that would then fit nicely!!




Regards

Hugh

[Rick Krantz]

Don't forget, chilton made cherry red wingflows, and I think leboeuf made a cherry red version as well.

[david i]

Don't forget, chilton made cherry red wingflows, and I think leboeuf made a cherry red version as well.

Yeppers. I've shot the red (and burgundy, etc) Wingflow. Not sure I've handled a cherry red Leboeuf, but that proves little. But, still, all this goes with the color being found here n' there amongst small makes and amongst special or small-run lines for the large makes, not a prevalent color like Jade, Black/Pearl, Orange, etc.

regards

David

[Teej47]

I have two Mabie Todds, which is just enough to know that I really like 'em and want more. One, interestingly enough, happens to be orange. A really striking coral with lighter 'ticking' like you see in lapis celluloid. It's a smallish Swallow with a semiflex stub that's just amazing. I really need to take a picture one of these days. The other is a little HR ringtop Swan that also has some nice flex to it. I'd be over the moon to find that red one (if I had money in my pocket anyway). I think a red blackbird is doubly cool... since blackbirds tend to be mostly black (the ones that fly around, anyway).

Great find!

Tim

[David Nishimura]

For a contemporary pencil in the same cherry-red material, in a metal-capped version, look here.