Mabie Todd & Bard Swan 3003 (Pre-1907)

[SchaumburgSwan]

Hi,

 

this is my finest stub and my oldest pen.

A pre-1907 Mabie Todd & Bard Swan 3003 eyedropper with "short nib, fine" as it was called those times.

And when they said fine, a very fine nib was meant:

This one gives 0.28 to 0.30mm lines vertically and 0.21mm horizontally on paper.

 

 

 

 

 

Best wishes

Jens

Edited August 28, 2020 by SchaumburgSwan

[eachan]

Beautiful pen, Jens. I'm always surprised at how well these things survive.

[Estycollector]

Thank you for posting.

[SchaumburgSwan]

Thank you for posting.

You're welcome! :-)

[SchaumburgSwan]

Beautiful pen, Jens. I'm always surprised at how well these things survive.

Thank You Eachan,

 

I'm surprised, too. Writing with a 113-year old pen!

Anyway the nib looked much worse when it arrived here...

 

Best wishes

Jens

[Greenie]

I love these Mabie Todd and Bard pens! Some of the overlays date to that era as well.

[shalitha33]

Congrats on your 3003.

 

Those early swans are rock solid pens.

Pen I use daily is a 3012 (Made in england version). as long as one doesn't abuse those old pens, surely they will last another 100 years.

[eachan]

Thank You Eachan,

 

I'm surprised, too. Writing with a 113-year old pen!

Anyway the nib looked much worse when it arrived here...

 

Best wishes

Jens

 

Did you have to do some straightening? It looks very good now.

[SchaumburgSwan]

 

Did you have to do some straightening? It looks very good now.

Hi,

 

yes. I didn't take a photo before doing so.

Someone had over flexed the nib and tried to reallign using hard pliers...

So the top was not straight and the tines were rotated and not parallel ("stub edges" not in line).

Such fine stubs lose their line veriation quickly without good fine adjustment, as you know...

 

Best

Jens

[SchaumburgSwan]

Congrats on your 3003.

 

Those early swans are rock solid pens.

Pen I use daily is a 3012 (Made in england version). as long as one doesn't abuse those old pens, surely they will last another 100 years.

Thank you. :-)

Yes, the nib in my english 3012 is wunderful, too! Very expressive - stubbish and flexible.

 

Best

Jens

[Inkyways]

Congrats on 3003 ! Nice looking pen.

I also got a new Swan pen. A Torpedo Shape self-filling pen. My first pen of this self filler with a italic stub semi-flex Pen . I love the nibs on swan as they are great pens.

[eachan]

Hi,

 

yes. I didn't take a photo before doing so.

Someone had over flexed the nib and tried to reallign using hard pliers...

So the top was not straight and the tines were rotated and not parallel ("stub edges" not in line).

Such fine stubs lose their line veriation quickly without good fine adjustment, as you know...

 

Best

Jens

 

Good work, Jens. That's not an easy repair.