Tacos Mottled Safety Pen, 9k solid gold Barrel Band #2 Curzons 14ct gold Nib

📒 History/Provenance

• Safety-Eyedroppers followed the mass production of eyedropper fountain pens in the 1890's, with some very early ones with incredible mechanisms to retract and extend the nib. Some famous ones include Montblanc, Caw's, and of course Waterman's. This filling mechanism was eventually deprecated in favor of latex sacs in the 1930's, but Europe continued to love this mechanism well into the late 1940's. Safeties are well known for their amazing lack of maintenance needs and ease of cleaning without needing to dissemble the section from the barrel etc. When the nib is retracted, the barrel opening is exposed to allow you to fill it up with ink, 1-2ml in this pen, and extending the nib will create the airtight seal in the barrel.

• This safety is finished in an extremely beautiful solid mottled red ebonite with matching mottled feed and uses a mechanism that Waterman made popular in the 1910's, roughly dating this to about the 1910-1920's given the design of the feed. To elevate this pen further is the addition of a 9ct solid gold band on the lower section of the barrel.

• Tip for Safeties/Eyedroppers: you can diminish the likelihood of burping by filling the pen up with 80%+ full of ink, it will cut down the air bubble in the barrel when it sloshes about when writing. A benefit of safety pens is that you can retract the nib and extend it back out when writing to balance the air pressure as well. Fun fact if you drop a safety on the nib, there's a better chance the nib survives as the impact will send the nib mechanism back into the barrel.

🧪 QA & Recommendation

• This nib could be a retrofit or factory, as many mottled safeties of the era were subbrands or limited production runs by small manufacturers in both the US and greater Europe. However, this nib is an incredible experience if you like feedback (i.e. Sailor/ HB pencils), very controlled flex that allows for easy hairlines as the flow is controlled nicely.

• Fantastic for journaling as the EF lines when not flexing allow the ink to dry quickly, and is an extremely portable size.

🔧 Restoration Commentary

• Ebonite rejuvenated and lightly polished, "softness" of ebonite restored.

• Seals replace with o-rings, won't need replacement for decades.

• Nib tuned and polished