Product Description
Type Full size eye dropper filling fountain pen with chain. Hard to find.
Product Name Unknown, these are generally called Bayonet Chatelaine pens. Bayonet refers to the cap style and Chatelaine refers to the chain. It is a Swan pen as imprinted near the section.
Manufacturer and Year Mabie Todd & Bard, New York -- 1890-1910s.
Length 5-3/8"
Filling System Eyedropper filler. It has been cleaned and tested and it's working very well. We will enclose an eyedropper kit and instructions for usage.
Color Black chased hard rubber. Ornate gold filled end pieces. The chasing is in a scalloped pattern.
Nib MEDIUM nib is marked Mabie Todd & Co New York. Underfeed and overfeed, designed to ensure good ink flow to the page. It has the long feed tail as well as the twisted wire which encourages ink flow. It's fully flexible and in excellent condition. See writing sample below.
Condition Excellent condition. The chasing is worn though it's still visible as "shadows". The hard rubber of the barrel is faded to a dark brown, and the cap is faded to a medium brown. The trim patterning is deep and clear. There is some light plating wear on the upper edge of the locking band, and brassing on the lower edge. The band on the end of the barrel has brassing on high spots. There is some plating wear on the chain. The imprints are worn but readable. No cracks. Working well.
Note: the overfeed was a little turned when we took the photos, but it aligns better now with the nib and is better centered. The underfeed was difficult to adjust, and will pretty much look the same as in the photos below.
A note on the Bayonet System. There's a small metal post in the section that latches into the cap. The cap band can be rotated to hold or release the post. Even though it seems loose, when it's in the locked position, it will not move. It's somewhat like a pill bottle latch system but without the push step.
