Mabie Todd & Co "Swan" eyedropper.

[Cepasaccus]

http://www.italic-handwriting.org/magazine

 

In No.37 is a drawing about something with a wire.

[Tinjapan]

Cepasaccus,

 

Thanks! This may be of help.

 

Todd

[Tinjapan]

I'm ready to fill it with ink, but before I do, do you use silicone or any other 'sealant' on the threads to prevent leaks?

 

Todd

[Cepasaccus]

I use silicone.

[Tinjapan]

Thanks.

 

T

[Cepasaccus]

I have now a Swan with still attached twisted wire. The wire is positioned over the feed. I can post a photo if there is interest.

 

The imprint says Mabie, Todd & Co Ltd and at the end 1503 FINE, but the nib is an OB or OBB. The slip cap has a rather crudely decorated band.

 

So this is from around WWI?

 

Cepasaccus

[Goudy]

Ladies and gentlemen, thanks to the advice of Roger W, I managed to get this pen working! It unscrews, fills, rescrews and writes like a dream!

 

I know it's a long time ago, but what was the solution that worked? Just more soaking? I have the same type of pen with the same problem: a thread that won't budge. I have a few other over/under feed Swans but this is the first I've encountered that refuses to open.

 

I've tried gentle heat from a hair dryer and I've been soaking the thread join in water with some Rapido-Eze pen cleaner for about 8 hours with no improvement (though some dried ink is coming out of the feed).

 

The hard rubber on the barrel was already badly faded and blotchy when I acquired it, so I'm not overly concerned about the appearance, just getting it working. The nib on this one is amazing - a smooth F to BB with very slight pressure.

 

Regarding the twisted wire, I found an 1890 patent application by William Stewart (https://www.google.co.uk/patents/US426692), in which this piece of wire, doubled upon itself and twisted, is described as an "irritant":

 

"The upper end of this irritant projects up into the reservoir and is free to vibrate therein, while the lower end is wedged tightly between the feed-bar and nozzle. This irritant serves to keep the ink in the reservoir in a fluid condition to prevent the formation of any sediment along the line of the flow of the ink to the key F. By reason of the irritant being made of two wires a capillary slit or interstice Z is formed between them, which serves as an ink duct. Thus a practically continuous duct is formed, extending from the twisted portion of the irritant in the reservoir down to the point of the pen."

[Cepasaccus]

Getting the threading of an old pen open is often an adventure. A piece of bicycle tube helps to improve grip. Heat helps. Perhaps also soaking. Sometimes pliers can be used with bicycle tube to prevent damage to the pen. If the pen cannot be opened today, then perhaps tomorrow or next week. With this method I got open every pen besides a Moore safety, which is still lying here unopened.

 

The reason given in the patent is BS. I have heared moving the wire can increase and decrease the ink flow. This might be BS too, but sounds better.

 

The nibs of the old Calligraphic and Swan pens are amazing! I have never seen a nib from other manufacturers which feels like them.

 

Cepasaccus

[Goudy]

I'm reluctant to use pliers on a pen this delicate-looking. I'll continue with the dry heat / soaking regimen and if that doesn't work I'll let a pro take over.

[Tinjapan]

I know it's a long time ago, but what was the solution that worked? Just more soaking? I have the same type of pen with the same problem: a thread that won't budge. I have a few other over/under feed Swans but this is the first I've encountered that refuses to open.

 

I've tried gentle heat from a hair dryer and I've been soaking the thread join in water with some Rapido-Eze pen cleaner for about 8 hours with no improvement (though some dried ink is coming out of the feed).

 

The hard rubber on the barrel was already badly faded and blotchy when I acquired it, so I'm not overly concerned about the appearance, just getting it working. The nib on this one is amazing - a smooth F to BB with very slight pressure.

 

Regarding the twisted wire, I found an 1890 patent application by William Stewart (https://www.google.co.uk/patents/US426692), in which this piece of wire, doubled upon itself and twisted, is described as an "irritant":

 

"The upper end of this irritant projects up into the reservoir and is free to vibrate therein, while the lower end is wedged tightly between the feed-bar and nozzle. This irritant serves to keep the ink in the reservoir in a fluid condition to prevent the formation of any sediment along the line of the flow of the ink to the key F. By reason of the irritant being made of two wires a capillary slit or interstice Z is formed between them, which serves as an ink duct. Thus a practically continuous duct is formed, extending from the twisted portion of the irritant in the reservoir down to the point of the pen."

Thanks for the patent info. Have you tried section pliers? I think that they are actually spark plug pliers but work for sections too. Just be careful. Edited January 7, 2015 by Tinjapan

[Goudy]

After 24 hours of soaking, plus some more heat from the hair dryer, plus some moderate force (fingers only), I got movement!

 

It only moved about a quarter turn before it seized up again but I feel I'm on the home straight now. It's back in the water bath and there's a good deal of dissolved ink coming out of the small gap I opened up.

 

Edit: Yay!

 

http://i.imgur.com/H7gTMGp.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/T2fqaSV.jpg

Edited January 8, 2015 by Goudy

[Tinjapan]

After 24 hours of soaking, plus some more heat from the hair dryer, plus some moderate force (fingers only), I got movement!

 

It only moved about a quarter turn before it seized up again but I feel I'm on the home straight now. It's back in the water bath and there's a good deal of dissolved ink coming out of the small gap I opened up.

 

Edit: Yay!

 

http://i.imgur.com/H7gTMGp.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/T2fqaSV.jpg

Congrats! Looks nice.

[Cepasaccus]

Gratulations! These are very nice pens!

[Goudy]

Thanks, Tinjapan & Cepasaccus!

 

One thing I've noticed about this type of pen, and which I think is part of their unique character, is that the nature of the flex is determined in part by the ebonite overfeed, which is slightly different on each example I've seen.

 

With this particular pen, the overfeed is quite thin and springy and hugs the nib slit. I can even adjust the flex by opening the pen and moving the feed slightly backward or forward. Forward = springy flex (because the feed is pushing against the softer flex of the nib). Backward = looser and noodly (because the feed is out of the way of the agile front part of the nib). The optimum placement gives you the best of both worlds - a sort of controllable looseness with a spring at the end.