I don’t write about Blackbirds often enough. I have three at the moment and should be uploading them to the sales site shortly.
This is a rather plain one and it has seen quite a bit of use judging by the wear on the chasing. It’s none the worse for that, a true veteran and a splendid writer.
I’m not quite sure of the date of these Blackbirds. They seem to have been in production in this form for quite a long time.It’s referred to as a “fountpen” and that suggests the twenties to me.
The nib is semi-flexible. Blackbird nibs are thinner than Swan ones and are therefore more easily damaged. Spare Blackbird nibs are very hard to come by.
The pen came to me in this splendid box which is as fresh and clean as if it was new. Considering how well-used the pen is, I’m not sure that pen and box began together. I suppose it’s possible if the box was stored carefully for the years that the pen was kept busy.
I don’t recognise the four-pointed star on the accommodation clip.
These clips are often so stiff and unbending that it must have been difficult enough to attach them to a shirt, never mind a jacket. This one isn’t too bad, requiring only superhuman strength to apply it.
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Deb. I’ve got a few ‘Fountpen’ s, and imo they have a kind of Zen minimalism that begs the question : does a pen really need to be anything more than this !
Sure , all the different filling systems etc are ok…and the bling , well don’t get me started…
they do what a pen should, which is write….and they do it perfectly.
…put a superflex in it and I’m in heaven ….
Cheers.
Hi Rob – I agree. From the first eyedropper “fountpens” until these, there was no pandering to unnecessary decoration. Good pens.
Deb, just an interesting point, the ‘Fountpens’ I have , all have ‘Blackbird Fountpen’ on the barrel, not ‘self filling pen’ …. so I’d say the pen and box were likely a mismatch .
What little experience I have suggests that the ‘Fountpen’ was slightly earlier than the one you show ?
Of course, we know there was overlap/ underlap and just plain weirdness with the numbering and designation on many of the old Mabie Todd stuff !
You’re right, Rob. I suspected the box and pen didn’t start out together. The surprising thing is the condition of the box which has to be more than 90 years old. It’s the second pristine Blackbird box of that age that I’ve had this year.