Forget everything you think you know about the famous pen maker Mabie, Todd & Bard, the company that created the Swan fountain pen, because what you think you know is probably wrong.

For example, a month ago I found a post card written by Edward Todd. I was excited by this find, but I was wondering why Mabie's name wasn't on the card. I thought that perhaps Todd had other ventures going, so I sent an email to one of the internet pen lists, asking about this. Within an hour, my inbox was full of letters, explaining that there were two Todds, and that the Edward Todd from my card had nothing to do with Mabie and Todd. I felt like a foolish 3rd grader. However, David Moak also sent me a mail, much different than all the others. He knew something that the other "knowledgeable" pen people didn't, and he was writing a book entitled "Mabie in America"

David L. Moak

The other pen people should not feel bad. After all, it isn't their fault that most of the pen books published that mention Swan pens is lacking or just plain wrong. Most of these books were written as a mere introduction to Swan pens, usually based on previous publications. So, I asked (ok...I begged) Moak for a chance to review his book, and in a few days it arrived in the mail.

"Wow" when you start reading this book you find yourself saying this word a lot. The depth and detail is simply overwhelming. Surely years and years of work have gone into this and it is worthy of a dissertation.

And then there are the images, hundreds of them. Some of the images are of unique and ultra rare overlay pens. The ones you daydream about finding in antique stores. If you are like me, then you never get tired of looking at pen photos, and this book is sure to satisfy.

One of the most interesting aspects of the book is where Moak shows the relationship between the early New York pen makers geographically. Many of them were next door to each other and Moak includes a map, and legend pinpointing the locations. Wow.

Mabie in America will be published only on CD-ROM in HTML format. Moak said that publishers shied away from printing a pen book dedicated to a single maker. Additionally, to print a book profitably, many of the images would need to be excluded or rendered in black and white. That would be a dire shame. On CD-ROM Mabie in America will cost a mere $30. In comparison, the last printed pen book I bought cost me about $200, so I am more than comfortable with the compromise. I can use the savings to buy more pens.

"Mabie In America" has interface design that is decidedly clever. You can jump to any part of the book from any page. You can click on any footnote and instantly see the reference and citation. This is a blessing. The only negative thing I can possibly say about this book is that it lacks a little sizzle. From a CD-ROM book, I expected more multimedia dazzel. Think of this as a useful refrence book, something you will find yourself returning to often. It isn't a glossy magazine that will titillate you once and then be discarded.

After reading and rereading Moak's book, I went directly to eBay and bid on several Swan pens. They now seem terribly undervalued when compared to the prices of the same quality Parker and Waterman pens. After this book is released that will change fast.

Ron Dutcher has lived in Japan for over 15 years, where he owns and runs a small orthopedic clinic with his wife, Keiko; which leads him to many Japanese pen finds. His patients, once they learn of his pen hobby often give him pens as gifts or offer to sell them to him. He is a member of the Tokyo Pen Association, and has learned a great deal from Japanese pen collectors. He sells a great many Japanese pens on ebay under the name Kamakura-Pens, but his true love is for early American pens. He can be contacted at rd@kamakurapens.com