The Swan SF230


When I think of Swans, this is the pen that comes to mind. This is THE Swan for me, the epitome of the brand. The SF230 also came in mottled hard rubber and, a little later, in a variety of celluloid patterns including green jade and lapis lazuli. They are very attractive, but the black hard rubber version is the one that works best for me, as there’s nothing to distract from the splendid design. It’s a big pen -17.5cm posted – and it’s designed to impress, with its three bands and large gold-filled clip. It isn’t the most expensive pen in the range. There were very highly-priced overlay pens, pens with very much larger nibs – this has a No2 – and the ETN range with their Eternal nibs was higher priced.


This was the pen that the company pushed hardest, though, and it featured in many advertisements, especially in Britain and France. I think Mabie Todd recognised that they had a winner in this one, with its perfect proportions and harmonious design. Always the writer’s pen, practicality was never sacrificed to aesthetics in Swans, and this pen is no exception. Though the cap may look large and imposing, the pen is perfectly balanced in the hand. This nib is fine, and it has a little flexibility. As always with Swans, it’s a delight to write with.


There is a case that can be made for saying that fountain pens reached their peak in the 1920s. The technology of nibs, feeds and filling systems was mature. The ergonomics of a comfortable writing instrument were well understood. Many of the “improvements” that followed were illusory, and from a purely practical point of view we would have lost little or nothing if pen development had frozen here. I’m not saying that would have been a good thing. There are so many delightful pens that we would not have had. What I am saying, though, is that it would be hard to find an objectively better pen than this.

6 thoughts on “The Swan SF230”

  2. I am not real sure how to do this, but I think by clicking below, I can follow your blogs. At least I hope so.
    We have spoken before on Ebay, and will enjoy the blog I am sure.

    Linda

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  4. I know this is an old blog, but I share your admiration of the SF230 and think it’s worth reviving. A few have passed through my hands over the years and for several years I had a lovely Hard Rubber Red Ripple with a fantastic flexi nib, then 2 or 3 (?) Christmases ago someone close had admired it so much Santa put it in their stocking. I still had my other Swans so I didn’t really miss it too much.
    On the subject of the later celluloid versions I recently picked up a Jade example which was really in a grubby state (I don’t see these very often). I’ve stripped it and cleaned it as best as I can so far (I wish I’d taken ‘before and ‘after’ photos), the worst now is ‘discolouration’ to the cap, but I have a feeling that it’s not necessarily all discoloured but part of it may be simple ink staining on the inside and some may be able to be cleaned. It’s a lovely pen, but it somehow looks and feels more fragile that the HR ones, and I suppose that is the case and many may have suffered cracks over the years and that’s why they’re not seen as often.
    The nib on this pen isn’t as nice either, so if I keep it then I’ll have to find a nib that suits me.

    All the best

    Mario

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