Blackbird, late 30s???

[Nightjar]

I bought this Blackbird at the London Pen Show, March 2025. Writes beautifully with significant flex, I'm happy.

I'm guessing it's probably late 30s? But I can't find anything closely similar online.

Barrel and section slightly oxidised BCHR: cap black black, which maybe means cap from a different pen, or maybe the pen was made with hard rubber body and celluloid cap? [It fits well, and chasing pattern is identical or very similar to body.]

Nib marked "BLACKBIRD / 14 Ct / MT&CoLtd / MADE IN / ENGLAND". Barrel engraved "BLACKBIRD SELF-FILLING PEN / MABIE TODD & CO. LTD. / MADE IN ENGLAND". Barrel end with initials T.U., which is seen on other pens online, so probably not owner initials; but meaning unknown to me. Capped length 13.5cm. Barrel diameter 11mm.

Would welcome any guidance on likely production date, on whether it's a frankencap, on the TU... but anyways, posting in case of interest to others.

 

[Nightjar]

Foolishly, I didn't look carefully enough at the "Mt Blackbird Guide" thread, which does show an apparently very similar pen identified as a "Thin Blackbird", capped length similarly around 13.5cm; I understand this to be a variant of BB as opposed to celluloid BB2. So I think (?) more likely early 30s, possibly late 20s. Also, stepped clip and plain feed (not laddered) I think support this earlier estimate. [Though again, noting that cap might not be the original one.]

 

Disclaimer: definitely not an expert here.

 

I guess that part of the issue is that they weren't producing perfectly defined product lines to please collectors 100 years later, they were just getting orders out of the factory, using the tooling and stock components they had available that month! [And that then compounded by the possibility of later franken-restoration.] Fascinating!