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Good evening, FPN Friends! I recently purchased an Esterbrook Estie with a J Scribe hopping off the wishlist and into the cart soon. I have really enjoyed the Estie very much. However, my only complaint is the converter. I want to find something that’s metal/higher quality than the stock converter. Are there any converters you Esterbrook fans would suggest, either by Esterbrook themselves or another brand that will fit (ideally both)? IMG_3277.heic “Cheap” is definitely not the correct term to use to describe my distaste for the converter. “Fragile” might be a better descriptor. I used the Estie to try out 5 new ink samples I received in my Truphae INKREDIBLE Box, so I got to play with that converter a good bit in a short amount of time. I just didn’t love the converter like I did the nib and its stroke output, how the pen felt and looked. Thanks so much for the insight, FPN! -Steve

Hello! I apologize if this has been discussed (which I am sure it has, many times), but after using the search function I could only find discussions regarding compatibility of the Venus nib units in the Esterbrook J series - not much information regarding comparisons to the Renew-point nib units. For those of you who have written with both product lines, how do they compare in terms of smoothness, wetness, and line width? More specifically, how would you compare those qualities for the Ventus Fine vs the Renew-point X556s, the Ventus Medium vs the Renew-point 1551/X668s, and the Ventus Broad vs the Renew-point X968s? Being a student, I am extremely tight on funds at the moment and it is taking a great deal of self-control to not purchase and experiment with every variant of nib unit I see online PS: My favourite nib unit out of my Esterbrooks thus far is ironically a bent 1551, which I cannot tell for certain whether the previous owner bent it purposefully or accidentally. Nonetheless, it's an absolute blast to write with. Very smooth, wet, and has the perfect line width. My only 1551 is this bent one, so I'm not really sure how these qualities compare to a NOS 1551 .

I just bought an Esterbrook J that's in pretty good condition. Unfortunately, the section is loose from the barrel and is able to spin and be removed without much force at all. None of my other Esties have this problem, so I'm wondering two things. A) Is this fixable? If so, what is the best way to repair this problem?

A couple questions for our Esterbrook experts...Is anybody selling sac tray replacements for the Esterbrook J fountain pens? Secondly, am I correct in assuming that if no sac tray replacement is available, a #18 sac rather than a #16 is used for sac restoration to compensate for increased barrel width? I've been restoring an occasional Estie here and there over several years and never realized that a sac tray existed until I pulled a piece of translucent plastic out of a J recently. Apparently my reading comprehension sucks...since, in the past, I've read both Paul Hoban and Frank Dubiel books. Thanks for any info you can provide. Mary

Today I attended my first pen meet with fellow fountain pen enthusiasts in my area of Manila. I went home with a few bottles of ink, a Sheaffer VFM, and my very first Esterbrook. It's a green Esterbrook J (I don't know exactly what kind of green this is). The nib is a beautiful 9968 firm broad which writes so smooth and wet. I filled it with Diamine Meadow, a happy shade of green to fit its vibrant color. I am surprised with how smooth this pen writes, and I'm pleased that I got it at a good price (about $38).

What have you done to me, FPN. I've only been using fountain pens for around 8 months or so, but I've fallen so deeply in love with them that I simply cannot revert back to writing with any other type of pen. So, what is the next logical step in my mind? Spend all of my money on fountain pens! The two pens that I own are the Lamy Safari and the Kaweco Sport Classic. While they are both very enjoyable to write with, I've been wanting to expand my collection. Since I have recently begun browsing the FPN, this nagging itch has now become an insatiable desire. I have finally decided that my next purchase is going to be a vintage pen in the lower price range. As easy as it would be to just buy a new pen off of JetPens or something, I feel that vintage pens have a certain charm and look that you will not find on most newer pens <$50. I have been looking at Sheaffer Snorkels, Esterbrook Js, and Waterman Phileases (I saw the thread regarding what the plural of Phileas is, and I'm sticking with this version ) on eBay for the past couple of days, waiting to buy one or two of each and bask in the glory of my success. However, as I am new to buying vintage pens (and the entire eBay auction scene in general), I do have a couple of questions. 1. How much is too much for these pens? As you may have inferred, I try to keep my price range under $50, with a $25 purchase + S&H as an ideal range. However, I see people putting some up for more than double that. Are the cheaper ones simply being sold by people who don't understand the value? I get that the age, condition, model, and packaging all factor in, but some of the highly priced pens don't seem to be much more special than the ones that are much cheaper. ​2. Since I'm focusing more on using the pens for daily writing as opposed to starting a collection of significant value, should I care if something has been restored or if a bladder has been replaced? I've been trying to scope out pens that have are in good condition and have not had any original parts replaced, but there's a part of my brain that keeps saying, "Why care?". 3. Should I be concerned if a pen has not been tested (with water or ink) to see if the filling mechanism is working (this doesn't apply to the Phileas, of course)? I don't have the time or money (translation: I don't want to wait 2 weeks) to replace something if I get a broken part. So many descriptions have "has not been tested/I have not tested it/It's in good condition so I assume it's working", and I feel like I have to purchase something that has been confirmed to be in working order. 4. Are there any other sites where I can get those models at a reasonable price? Preferably older models (which will inevitably cost more money, I suppose). If you actually managed to read that wall of poorly articulated and very non-concise text (written at 1:07 AM, I might add), I commend you . Thanks in advance.

Hello, I just bought my first Esterbrook J on e-bay and I am excited to buy new nibs and try it out. I have recently gotten into Fountain pens after being facinated with Ball points, rollerballs, and gel pens for years. This is an exciting new endeavor for me and I am happy to have this resource to learn about fountain pens and inks.