Jackdaws are the poor relations of Swans, the school pen of the Mabie Todd range. Both the nibs and the plating are thin. There was a period during the late thirties when they shared the colourful patterns of the Visofil but mostly they were rather plain pens.

This Jackdaw is a basic model but has survived in good condition. It has a stepped clip that is unusual ( to me, at least). As it is an inserted clip it seems likely that it was fitted at the factory.

Its user wrote with it strangely, writing with the nib almost on its side. It has worn in such a way that it is almost unusable for anyone else. All the same, it’s good to see a Jackdaw nib. So many of them have been damaged because of the thin metal.

I would guess that the Jackdaw was once much more common than the few survivors today would suggest. Unlike Swans or Blackbirds, when they developed a fault they were just binned.

Many thanks to Rob Parsons