Mabie Todd added the Swan SF1, denoting a self filler with a number 1 nib, to their range in 1921. It was the company's first lever filler. The early pens carried a 'C. suffix as imprinted on this SF100C.
Made in hard rubber, the pen features a 'self locking lever', in this case a very long one which locks flat when to prevent snagging on clothing when placed in a pocket. There is a little plating loss on the edges of the lever, but the colour of the pen is excellent with none of the 'browning' often associated with hard rubber pens.
This example has been conservatively restored and is in very good working condition. The chasing and imprint on the barrel are clear and the 'Swan S.F2' imprint on the cap is deep and crisp. 'SF 100C. Fine' is stamped around the end of the barrel.
The 14 Ct. Gold Mabie Todd nib is the correct, original nib for the pen. It writes with a smooth, firm, fine line. The SF1 was a 'working pen', this one would have been designed for book keeping or similar, but the condition of this pen suggests it was not used on a daily basisin a working environment.
At 13 cm. capped and an impressive 16cm. posted the S.F.1. is an extremely long and elegant pen. It is easily long enough to be used without posting the cap but the balance point sits exactly in the 'jaw' of the thumb and index finger when the cap is posted. This is, and the lightness of the pen, is, of course, by design, not accident. The pen was made to be used for extended periods without fatigue, the weight and the way it sits in the hand was considered crucial.
At over a hundred years old The S.F.1. is probably not best suited as a pen to be carried around as a daily writer but it would make a great 'signature pen' to be kept, on view, and used for letters, addressing, and other worthy occasions. It is a significant part of English fountain pen history.