This one’s a bit special, to my mind.  Even the box is exceptionally nice.  It’s in green – what’s that?  – shagreen?  I think that’s what it is.  It’s lined with gold at the ends and theres a hint of the treasure chest about that box.   I haven’t seen one like that before.

Opened up, it shows a beautiful pen and pencil set.  The pen is an SF130B.  It’s a small pen, 10.8 cm capped but a comfortable 14.2 cm posted.  The gold plating is in wonderful condition and it seems that the pen has not been much used.  When I took the mummified remains of the old sac out, it had “Swan” and the trademark Swan image on it.  I think that was the original sac.  The pencil, which is an early version of the Fyne Poynt, is in similarly very fine condition.

This is an early 1920s set.  It seems likely that it has been kept safely in a drawer for much of that time, which accounts for the excellent condition.  It’s not far short of 100 years old.  There can’t be many sets around looking as good as this.  And, of course, it’s a perfectly practical set of writing instruments, as good as anything that’s being produced today.  Better, maybe, in that the pen’s nib has a degree of easily induced flexibility.

I always feel quite privileged when these really outstanding items turn up.  Things as good as this won’t keep appearing for ever.  We need to enjoy them while we can.