Are vintage MB safety pens practical?

[Wael El-Dasher]

I've been fascinated by MB and Astoria safety pens. There are many interesting variations and the entire concept appeals to me. But I've been hesitant to buy one because I am a pen user and will not get a pen to keep in a display case for the sheer novelty of it. It will have to be restored, working and practical. So the question is, does anyone use a vintage safety pen as a daily user? I would like your thoughts, pluses, minuses...etc.

 

cheers

 

Wael

[jar]

Well, manufacturers stopped making safety pens. I imagine there was a reason. The odds are a well restored safety pen will work about as well as they did when new, maybe even a little better. In addition lots of folk seem to enjoy using eye droppers.

 

The facts still remain though that the safety pen was an attempt to address some of the failings of a straight eye dropper design, and later filling methods were designed to address the failings of the safety pen.

 

You enjoy pens, see them as more than just tools and so I see no reason that you wouldn't enjoy using a vintage safety pen. Just remember to judge it by the state of the art at the time it was originally made.

[sumgaikid]

I don't know if you're in the habit of carrying your pens in a pocket,but remember that most

safety pens won't have a clip on them,creating a need for having them stay upright. MB safties,

if I remember,have a pin inside the cap that fits down into the nib area to keep the ink from

flowing out. How well that works when the pen is on its side,I'm not sure.

 

 

 

 

John

[mr goldfink]

The silver pin is there to stop the cap being overtightened thereby damaging the nib.

[sumgaikid]

The silver pin is there to stop the cap being overtightened thereby damaging the nib.

 

 

If that's the case,what's to keep the pen from dripping out ink if it's laying on its side?

 

 

 

John

[Wael El-Dasher]

What stops the ink from flowing out when not in use is the cork inside the cap. I sort of have a decent understanding of how they work, I am really curious if someone uses them on a routine basis (didn't want to say daily).

 

I don't read much about them on the forum and believe they're very elegant and present a good example of smart engineering. However, they have their draw backs. There is a certain processional order to their use and I've felt that it's a time consuming process to get the pen ready for writing and for putting it away after use. This process is what I keep thinking about from the time consumption view, whether its practical to use in a business setting where often one has to get to scribbling down quickly whatever they need to during a meeting. My gut instincts is it's not practical to use them in the modern office setting, but amongst MB users, I thought, it would be a good place to hear whether someone tried this with success.

 

cheers

 

Wael

[Wael El-Dasher]

The silver pin is there to stop the cap being overtightened thereby damaging the nib.

 

 

If that's the case,what's to keep the pen from dripping out ink if it's laying on its side?

 

 

 

John

 

John,

 

My understanding is as follows:

 

1. When the pen is not in use, the cap is on. The nib is retracted and the cork near the top of the cap seals the pen so ink doesn't spill.

 

2. Then you want to use the pen, you unscrew the cap, turn the knob to extend the nib out of the barrel and another cork is there just under the nib to seal the nib and barrel so ink doesn't spill out of the barrel.

 

3. The metal pin/rod, that's inside the cap, is there so that you can't screw the cap on unless the nib is retracted.

 

Someone please correct me if I am wrong. I have not handled any of these pens but simply deduced this on my own.

 

cheers

 

Wael

[Milan]

Uh.. What is a safety pen? :embarrassed_smile:

[niksch]

It's a type of filling system, like a 149 is a piston pen. here's a link to one, and you can see many more at this web site.

http://www.fountainpen.de/old-safety-no6.htm

[mr goldfink]

The silver pin is there to stop the cap being overtightened thereby damaging the nib.

 

 

If that's the case,what's to keep the pen from dripping out ink if it's laying on its side?

 

 

 

John

 

A pin wouldn't do that either

[yulie1]

I have two MB safeties, a 302 from c. 1937 and a number 1 size from about 1920. I use them both daily in my rotation with other pens. I have a mid-1920's MB "tintenflasche" inkwell to fill them. They work great, with the only drawback being a smaller ink capacity due to their size.

 

Mark

[kushbaby]

I have two MB safeties, a 302 from c. 1937 and a number 1 size from about 1920. I use them both daily in my rotation with other pens. I have a mid-1920's MB "tintenflasche" inkwell to fill them. They work great, with the only drawback being a smaller ink capacity due to their size.

 

Mark

 

You are my hero...

[Milan]

It's a type of filling system, like a 149 is a piston pen. here's a link to one, and you can see many more at this web site.

http://www.fountainpen.de/old-safety-no6.htm

 

How do you fill them?

[Wael El-Dasher]

It's a type of filling system, like a 149 is a piston pen. here's a link to one, and you can see many more at this web site.

http://www.fountainp...-safety-no6.htm

 

How do you fill them?

 

 

Milan,

 

My understanding is you retract the nib into the barrel and pour the ink in from the top. That's why the cap must have a seal otherwise the ink will leak out of the pen when not in use.

 

cheers

 

Wael

[Milan]

It's a type of filling system, like a 149 is a piston pen. here's a link to one, and you can see many more at this web site.

http://www.fountainp...-safety-no6.htm

 

How do you fill them?

 

 

Milan,

 

My understanding is you retract the nib into the barrel and pour the ink in from the top. That's why the cap must have a seal otherwise the ink will leak out of the pen when not in use.

 

cheers

 

Wael

 

I'll stick with piston fillers ;-). That's a lot easier I guess.

[varmas]

Played with one prior to purchase but decided not to buy because of the hassle.

 

The end knob is turned to retract the nib and ink is filled by eyedropper. In the nib retracted position the cap (with the pin) is screwed on. The pin fits into a hole in the feed. This pin prevents the nib from moving upwards when the end knob is inadvertently turned with the pen capped.

 

Capping and uncapping must be done with the pen facing upwards. Also when the nib is retracted it is in contact with the ink. Because of this I find there is more ink on the nib than other filling systems. Unscrew the cap with the pen pointing downwards and you are presented with a Rorschach inkblot test .

 

I'd stick with piston and C/C fillers.

 

 

Stay well,

Solomon

[Garageboy]

Plus, I think the twist mechanism is pretty fragile

[Ghost Plane]

I've kept my Visconti safety [Metropolis] for my desk after it needed a trip to Italy. The mechanisms are fascinating, but don't seem to hold up under daily use. Can't speak to MB as I decided not to risk it after the Visconti incident.

[meiers]

So those pens are for people who like fiddling around and playing with their writing instruments. Am I right?

 

Matt

[Ghost Plane]

Can't speak to the MB, but the Visconti has one of the smoothest nibs on it of all the pens of all brands that I own. Nib is always gloriously wet for obvious reasons. But the ink quantity is about the same as a c/c, it's finicky to fill, and it's certainly not for quick note taking as it takes both hands to extend it to writing position.