ID and care help needed - Mabie Todd Swan pen, Waterman's set

X-No-Archive:

Hi, wondering if you good people could help me out here (our library
still shut after 8 weeks - strike). Hoping to ID and figure out how
to open (if I should, or need to) a Mabie Todd NY Swan pen (patent
date 1905).

Have tried internet but still don't know if it's an eyedropper, an
overlay, I know it doesn't have a lever but does that make it a
leverless? The 2 little holes in cap are supposed to be there?

The Waterman lever opens a tiny bit but am afraid to force it, not
sure if it's supposed to open more. 14 kt gold nib says Waterman's
100 year pen

Thanks in advance

img src="http://members.shaw.ca/pmccc/ID/swanallID.JPG"
img src="http://members.shaw.ca/pmccc/ID/watermanset.jpg"

wrote:

Hi, wondering if you good people could help me out here (our
library still shut after 8 weeks - strike). Hoping to ID and
figure out how to open (if I should, or need to) a Mabie Todd NY
Swan pen (patent date 1905).

Have tried internet but still don't know if it's an eyedropper,
an overlay, I know it doesn't have a lever but does that make it
a leverless? The 2 little holes in cap are supposed to be
there?

Does it look like this one? (I can't tell from your picture how
close they are.)

http://www.penhero.com/PenGallery/MabieTodd/MabieToddEyedroppers.htm

The Waterman lever opens a tiny bit but am afraid to force it,
not sure if it's supposed to open more. 14 kt gold nib says
Waterman's 100 year pen
[...]
img src="http://members.shaw.ca/pmccc/ID/swanallID.JPG"
img src="http://members.shaw.ca/pmccc/ID/watermanset.jpg"

I'm no expert, but I think you should be able to raise the lever
about perpendicular to the barrel. I wouldn't force anything. The
rubber sac in the pen might have hardened and need replacing.

I wouldn't try to open the Swan forcibly, either.

--
Steve

My e-mail address works as is.

On Oct 11, 8:22 pm, Stephen Hust wrote:
wrote:
Hi, wondering if you good people could help me out here (our
library still shut after 8 weeks - strike). Hoping to ID and
figure out how to open (if I should, or need to) a Mabie Todd NY
Swan pen (patent date 1905).

Have tried internet but still don't know if it's an eyedropper,
an overlay, I know it doesn't have a lever but does that make it
a leverless? The 2 little holes in cap are supposed to be
there?

Does it look like this one? (I can't tell from your picture how
close they are.)

http://www.penhero.com/PenGallery/MabieTodd/MabieToddEyedroppers.htm

The Waterman lever opens a tiny bit but am afraid to force it,
not sure if it's supposed to open more. 14 kt gold nib says
Waterman's 100 year pen
[...]
img src="http://members.shaw.ca/pmccc/ID/swanallID.JPG"
img src="http://members.shaw.ca/pmccc/ID/watermanset.jpg"

I'm no expert, but I think you should be able to raise the lever
about perpendicular to the barrel. I wouldn't force anything. The
rubber sac in the pen might have hardened and need replacing.

I wouldn't try to open the Swan forcibly, either.

--
Steve

My e-mail address works as is.

Hi Steve,
thanks for reply. Yes, the Mabie Todd does look like the one in
the link - but don't think mine is 14 Kt gold, can't find a mark
anyway, the pattern is a little different (doesn't have extra little
lines within the leaves). It's got to open somehow to fill with ink,
but how? Did they actually use an eye dropper?
thnx
Pauline

wrote:

thanks for reply. Yes, the Mabie Todd does look like the one
in the link - but don't think mine is 14 Kt gold, can't find a
mark anyway, the pattern is a little different (doesn't have
extra little lines within the leaves). It's got to open
somehow to fill with ink, but how? Did they actually use an eye
dropper?

Yes, with the pen held point up to keep any ink left in the barrel
from spilling, the section is unscrewed from the barrel as in the
picture near the bottom of this page with the caption "Mabie Todd
Swan Eyedropper c1914 Open and Ready For Filling":

http://www.penhero.com/PenGallery/MabieTodd/MabieToddEyedroppers.htm

Then you use an eyedropper to fill the barrel with ink up to about
1/4 inch from the top.

An eyedropper is pictured near the bottom of this page:

http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref_info/glossary/E.htm

These pages all have instructions for filling eyedropper pens:

http://www.vintagepens.com/filling_instructions_eyedroppers.shtml

http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref_info/glossary/E.htm

http://www.rickconner.net/penspotters/filling.html

--
Steve

My e-mail address works as is.

On Oct 12, 12:44 pm, Stephen Hust wrote:
wrote:
thanks for reply. Yes, the Mabie Todd does look like the one
in the link - but don't think mine is 14 Kt gold, can't find a
mark anyway, the pattern is a little different (doesn't have
extra little lines within the leaves). It's got to open
somehow to fill with ink, but how? Did they actually use an eye
dropper?

Yes, with the pen held point up to keep any ink left in the barrel
from spilling, the section is unscrewed from the barrel as in the
picture near the bottom of this page with the caption "Mabie Todd
Swan Eyedropper c1914 Open and Ready For Filling":

http://www.penhero.com/PenGallery/MabieTodd/MabieToddEyedroppers.htm

Then you use an eyedropper to fill the barrel with ink up to about
1/4 inch from the top.

An eyedropper is pictured near the bottom of this page:

http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref_info/glossary/E.htm

These pages all have instructions for filling eyedropper pens:

http://www.vintagepens.com/filling_instructions_eyedroppers.shtml

http://www.richardspens.com/?page=ref_info/glossary/E.htm

http://www.rickconner.net/penspotters/filling.html

--
Steve

My e-mail address works as is.

Thanks so much for links, which I've bookmarked and look forward to
exploring now I know it's an eyedropper (had only been to one of them
when I googled Mabie Todd). Don't know how I missed the Penhero
site. Is that you? Because you're certainly my pen hero (groan).
Thanks a lot
Pauline

Hi --

On Oct 11, 10:23 pm, wrote:
X-No-Archive:

The 2 little holes in cap are supposed to be there?

Yes, they're breather holes that prevent ink from being sucked out of
the point when you pull off the cap.

The Waterman lever opens a tiny bit but am afraid to force it, not
sure if it's supposed to open more. 14 kt gold nib says Waterman's
100 year pen

img src="http://members.shaw.ca/pmccc/ID/watermanset.jpg"

I think you lucked out with the Hundred Year Pen -- I've heard that
the clear barrel ends are typically crazed and crumbling. Keep it
away from sunlight and heat!

http://www.richardspens.com/?page=re...ar_profile.htm

The lever may have an indent in the box that frames it, to hold it
down and prevent it from being accidentally flipped up. Once you lift
it from that "click stop", the lever will take up the load of the
pressure bar and begin squeezing the ink sac. If the lever resists
past the initial lift, then the sac probably is hardened.

Brian
--

On Oct 13, 9:26 am, Brian Ketterling wrote:
Hi --

On Oct 11, 10:23 pm, wrote:

X-No-Archive:

The 2 little holes in cap are supposed to be there?

Yes, they're breather holes that prevent ink from being sucked out of
the point when you pull off the cap.

The Waterman lever opens a tiny bit but am afraid to force it, not
sure if it's supposed to open more. 14 kt gold nib says Waterman's
100 year pen

img src="http://members.shaw.ca/pmccc/ID/watermanset.jpg"

I think you lucked out with the Hundred Year Pen -- I've heard that
the clear barrel ends are typically crazed and crumbling. Keep it
away from sunlight and heat!

http://www.richardspens.com/?page=re...ar_profile.htm

The lever may have an indent in the box that frames it, to hold it
down and prevent it from being accidentally flipped up. Once you lift
it from that "click stop", the lever will take up the load of the
pressure bar and begin squeezing the ink sac. If the lever resists
past the initial lift, then the sac probably is hardened.

Brian
--

Thanks, Brian - for info and link (there's the pen right there!),
also good news about the green. The lever does seem to be stuck,
there's a little click when I push it back in but not when I pull out
the little bit it will open. Guess I'll have to find a local pen
hospital or expert, does anyone know of any in Vancouver, British
Columbia area? O/w I'd better put them away before I keep playing
with and breaking them.

Wish I hadn't marked this x-no-archive, first time I've done it, is
there a way to undo?
Thanks all

On Oct 16, 9:49 pm, wrote:

Guess I'll have to find a local pen
hospital or expert, does anyone know of any in Vancouver, British
Columbia area? O/w I'd better put them away before I keep playing
with and breaking them.

Just wanted to let you know before the thread gets too old that I've
been contacting some people in the Vancouver area, trying to find
someone to work on your pens. Hopefully I'll have some information
soon.

Wish I hadn't marked this x-no-archive, first time I've done it, is
there a way to undo?

No, I don't think there's a way to reel it back in once it's
propagated across Usenet. Whether the "no archive" is honored depends
on the individual NNTP servers though, I believe, although Google does
dutifully delete posts.

Brian
--

On Oct 21, 10:11 pm, Brian Ketterling wrote:
On Oct 16, 9:49 pm, wrote:

Guess I'll have to find a local pen
hospital or expert, does anyone know of any in Vancouver, British
Columbia area? O/w I'd better put them away before I keep playing
with and breaking them.

Just wanted to let you know before the thread gets too old that I've
been contacting some people in the Vancouver area, trying to find
someone to work on your pens. Hopefully I'll have some information
soon.

I did find someone in the area who can work on your pens, and sent
info to your Yahoo e-mail address.

Brian
--