The Swan 6260 is a plain pen, part of the forties wartime line-up. Stephen Hull calls them austerity pens. They’re well made and not without their attraction, with their twin cap bands and the impressed Swan on the cap top. This one has lost some gold on the ball end of the clip but is otherwise very good for an eighty year old pen. I’ve had many 6260s but I’ve never written about one before.

I acquired this pen cheap because it had been dropped and the nib was not only bent – it was cracked and irreparable. I hunted eBay for a No 2 nib. I finally found one in a pen that had a hole in the barrel. It cost me £11. If I had found a No 2 nib alone it would have cost around £25. That’s how it goes.

The nib is a medium flexible stub. I’m not much for flexing my nibs but just enjoying the stub with no pressure improves my handwriting considerably. I like the 6260. It’s an unpretentious pen that just gets on with the job of writing and does it very well. It’s not a limited edition or anything like that, I’m pleased to say.