The Mabie Todd Swallow was the company's first multi coloured plastic pen. It was made in America in 1927 shortly before all production was transferred to the U.K. company, it was one of the last American Mabie Todd pens.
The mottled finish has an excellent surface and a clear imprint:
'SWALLOW Mabie Todd & Co. Pat. May. 21-18'
The 14 Ct Gold M.T. & Co. No. 2 nib is straight and well aligned. It writes with a very smooth medium line, perhaps a little on the fine side. The nib could not be described as flexible but it has a soft feel and enough 'spring' to offer little line variation, it is a pleasant writer.
The pen is a ring top, the cap secures with a smooth one and a quarter turns.
A compact 11 cm. when capped, the pen grows to a very respectable 14.5 cm. when posted, it is very much a 'full sized' and comfortable pen in use.
Mabie Todd made are best known for the Swan pens, but there were other birds in the flock including Blackbird, Jackdaw, Starling and this pen, the very elusive Swallow.
Due to the relatively short production run and the fact that the American branch of Mabie todd was on it's last legs the Swallow pen is now extremely difficult to find and a ring top in this condition is quite a rarity.