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It was my father who planned the Varanasi outing last December , I was initially not much excited for the trip but as the trip progressed I quite liked the idea. Nevertheless Varanasi is around 250-300 Kms from Lucknow and a Night train world always work as long as you are in the AC compartment . So apparently we booked a rather decent hotel which we found out not to be so nice as on the left of the hotel just below two floors from our window was a milk delivery factory from where the Milk Delivery Guys refilled their cans and this went on 24X7 so there was a lot of noise even at 2 am . Well the next day when we started walking towards the Dasashwamedh Ghat from the Hotel which is very nearby . We went through a market called "Dashashwamedha Market" . 'Voila ' on the left side of the street I found a pen-shop which was its literal shop name as well . So I went there alone leaving my parents to venture into other shops . The shop owner as I expected wasn't an elderly gentleman but a rather awkward looking teenager . But apart from his looks he had quite a collection of vintage pens which he straightaway told me were not for sale . But he pulled out a pen from the same tray , which was this beautiful maroon swan pen and a Sheaffer which looked brand new. I was unfortunately low on cash so I bought the Swan for real bargain at Rs 250 which is around $ 3.4 . He was asking Sheaffer Rs500 for the Sheaffer approx $6-7 but I thought I can always buy a Sheaffer in Lucknow but a Swan is a real treat . I think I should have bought both . As I saw the "Made In India " etched in the barrel I did suspect whether it is a real deal or not. But I think I read somewhere that Mabie Todd made pens in India as well. Sorry for the phone camera as it is not taking good pictures now so I could not get the whole picture of the etching . But it says (Swan Senior Mabie Todd & Co Made In India. I guess the pen was made somewhere during the 1950's but it can be as old as from early 1940's .