Mabie Todd Swan Eternal 54, Mottled GPT, Eternal #4 14ct ENG nib

By the early 1920s Mabie Todd was making more of its pens in mottled hard red rubber, a shift from the black and cardinal hard rubber of its earlier eyedroppers and safeties. The Eternal Swan line was introduced in Great Britain in 1924, but the pens were almost all made in the New York factory until 1925, when popularity and management changes moved production to England. The English-made nib dates this one to 1925/1926.

The Eternal was Mabie Todd's manifold nib, built for carbon-copy work and steady, repeatable daily writing. This #4 is an uncommon soft example, with a natural stubbish cursive italic that most Eternals never had. At rest it writes a crisp 0.45mm vertical and 0.35mm horizontal, opening to roughly 1.34mm under moderate pressure, with reverse writing down near 0.20mm. Keep the pressure moderate; it wasn't built for the tensile strength that hard flex demands. Flow is wet and well-regulated, smooth and bouncy across the range, and the #4 size sits naturally for journaling and everyday correspondence.

Imprints are worn but legible: the model number 54 ETN on the end finial, the Swan logo on the cap crown, and the hallmarks along the barrel. The lever arm shows some wear, while the cap trim and three bands remain in excellent condition with minimal brassing. Mottled ebonite rejuvenated and hand-polished, its color and softness restored without over-polishing. Nib heat-set and tuned for smoothness. The C+ grade reflects the worn barrel imprints and lever-arm wear, offset by the strong trim and clean ebonite.

Fitted with a latex sac, but can swap to a silicone sac if you want to use more diverse and troublesome inks (remember silicone sacs will creep ink so keep pen upright in storage).

Tested on Rhodia 90gsm ivory with Pelikan 4001 Brilliant Black.