The Mabie Todd Blackbird pen was introduced in the 1920s, following the success of the Mabie Todd 'Swan' brand. The 5261 Blackbird model was itroduced in 1943 as one of the 'restricted production' wartime pens, it was discontinued in early 1946. The hard rubber connstruction is unusually late, perhaps Mabie todd were using up old hard rubber rod stock from earlier models.
The barrel and cap are chasedh hard rubber, the cap shows a faint brown patina. The chasing on the pen is sharp and the barrel imprint is also very sharp and clear, it reads:
BLACKBIRD self filling pen
Mabie Todd and Co. Ltd.
Made in England.
The barrel imprint also shows the Blackbird logo image trade mark.
The model number '5261' is stamped around the end of the barrel, 'Blackbird' is stamped around the cap stud, on the section, feed, and nib. The blackbird logo appears on the clip. Mabie Todd were obviously fiercely proprietorial about the brand, every removable part is stamped. This is, presumably, to prevent the parts being used on other, probably inferior pens thus damging the Mabie Todd image.
The pen has been fully restored and tested. The filling system works well, and the nib, 14Ct. Gold, writes well with a medium line and a small but responsive flex, giving some line variation.
At 15.8 cm. in length, when posted for use, this is a very long and elegant pen with a good balance and high quality feel. It is also light in weight, a very important attribute at a time when fountain pens were made to be used for extended periods of time.