My first Estie

[OcalaFlGuy]

Great reply AL.

 

I Loves me some Patsy.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl-no more of a haunting voice

[SujiCorp12345]

Here's my first one. Just came in the mail today. I think it's a "J" model. I got 2 nibs for it from Anderson Pens, a 2314F and a 2314B.

 

http://i58.tinypic.com/hv2np0.jpghttp://i60.tinypic.com/261ewxx.jpg

[amberleadavis]

GREAT combination!

 

[SockAddict]

Here's my first one. Just came in the mail today. I think it's a "J" model. I got 2 nibs for it from Anderson Pens, a 2314F and a 2314B.

 

 

Ooh, that's the color of mine, too. That ink suits is so well -- a sample is going on my wish list!

[bbycrts]

Sigh. My first one arrived a couple of weeks ago. Basic green J. A beauty, though, but with a 1555 shorthand nib (I'm kind of fascinated by the idea of a shorthand-certified and kind of puzzled by it). Then yesterday the gorgeous blue SJ, fully restored, arrived with a 9668 nib. Oh, and the green icicle SJ that I gambled on (ebay seller didn't know about the icicle thing...pen is gorgeous!). Then there's the next gamble, a dollar pen that again, an ebay seller didn't know about (they posted it as a "Durachrome"). Fingers crossed for that one.

 

The worst part? I haven't inked any of them! See...I think I'm going to be getting my "first" fountain pen for Christmas...so I can't really use the other ones that aren't first until the first arrives...

 

Yeah, I got it bad. It's amazing how addicting these things are...

[amberleadavis]

Welcome aboard.. what ink will you choose?

[bbycrts]

Welcome aboard.. what ink will you choose?

Decisions decisions...

 

Waterman absolute brown is probably going to go with the dollar pen if it's in decent shape. That one is probably going to need a new sac (my son is a member here, too - we're talking about learning to resac pens together so we can haunt antique shops and shows and resac pens we pick up for the fun of it...)

 

I love the color of the Noodler's squeteague (sp?).

 

A good blue/black for one probably...

 

Plain black for work...

 

I think that rounds it out. For now.

[amberleadavis]

You will have fun!

[pajaro]

Ah, the kooks here induced in me an interest in Esterbrook, and I admit I had fun with them. The real fun started when I began to acquire stubs and italics, particularly the 2284/9284 broad stubs and 2312/9312 italics. I recommend them. You should also explore more than the J series. The M2s and Safari pump (like Sheaffer Touchdown) fillers are satisfying to use. You shouldn't spend all your life lever-filling.

[gweimer1]

My newest one is an Esterbrook Deluxe, and the 2668 nib that came with it is one of the smoothest nibs I've ever had. It looks to me as if they also changed their manufacture of the nibs over time. This one looks like it has some real tipping on it, far more substantial than most of the 2xxx nibs I have.

[distaffcreations]

No one in my house is impressed, but I just pulled the section out of my first Esterbrook. It's grey, has jewels on both ends that are the same size, so an LJ, presumably.

 

Now I can replace the sac!

 

[amberleadavis]

Great job!!!

[bbycrts]

So...I'm now counting 13 Esterbrooks in my personal inventory...stop the madness!

 

I have resacced and polished two dollar pens - a black B model (full size) and a green H model (demi). I'm kind of fascinated by the demi - it's adorable, for lack of a better word. I have another one to fix up as well as a pink CH.

 

Here's the rundown:

 

Green J (my first)

Blue SJ (my second and current favorite)

Green LJ icicle

Copper LJ icicle

Black B Dollar

Green H Dollar

Green H Dollar (number 2)

Black J

Black Bell System J

Black J in original box with paperwork

Gray J

Black J

Pink CH

 

Oh! I almost forgot my 444 dip-less hockey puck and desk pen at work!

 

Some of them were purposely purchased as cheap beaters so they could be fixed up and resold to continue to support the habit. Two of the dollar pens will probably be resold, maybe the CH and both of the icicles. I'm having a ton of fun fixing them up, but to continue to acquire pens to fix up I'll need to resell to fund the insanity.

 

Oh! I forgot that my son and I also fixed up a green LJ that he bought in an antique store, and he also has a black J.

Edited January 23, 2015 by bbycrts

[benbot517]

My first was a green SJ that my dad and I just fixed up, found for $5 at an antique store.

[Venemo]

My newest one is an Esterbrook Deluxe, and the 2668 nib that came with it is one of the smoothest nibs I've ever had. It looks to me as if they also changed their manufacture of the nibs over time. This one looks like it has some real tipping on it, far more substantial than most of the 2xxx nibs I have.

 

My smoothest nib ever is a 2668 too. Can you post a photo of the thing?

 

No one in my house is impressed, but I just pulled the section out of my first Esterbrook. It's grey, has jewels on both ends that are the same size, so an LJ, presumably.

 

Now I can replace the sac!

 

We are impressed

[trdsf]

It's not my first Estie, but it is my first Safari; I love that an Estie just needs a little soak and a little ink and it's perfectly happy to start writing straight away.

 

It had an empty Esterbrook cartridge in it; cleaned it out and filled it with some Waterman Blue-Black and it writes (like every other Estie I've had) like a charm. At certain angles it's a little scratchy, so I might try a little adjusting tonight when I get home. It's a 2284 Broad Stub -- I never liked broad nibs before, but leave it to an Estie to change my mind.

[Lamyrada]

It's not my first Estie, but it is my first Safari; I love that an Estie just needs a little soak and a little ink and it's perfectly happy to start writing straight away.

 

It had an empty Esterbrook cartridge in it; cleaned it out and filled it with some Waterman Blue-Black and it writes (like every other Estie I've had) like a charm. At certain angles it's a little scratchy, so I might try a little adjusting tonight when I get home. It's a 2284 Broad Stub -- I never liked broad nibs before, but leave it to an Estie to change my mind.

I don't understand " Esterbrook cartridge". I have 5 Esties. Is there a model that uses cartridges?

[Lamyrada]

My newest one is an Esterbrook Deluxe, and the 2668 nib that came with it is one of the smoothest nibs I've ever had. It looks to me as if they also changed their manufacture of the nibs over time. This one looks like it has some real tipping on it, far more substantial than most of the 2xxx nibs I have.

2668, definitely, the best soft nib I have ever used. "Waterman' soft" is not a hyperbole.

[trdsf]

I don't understand " Esterbrook cartridge". I have 5 Esties. Is there a model that uses cartridges?

 

Yeah, some of the later models were cartridge fillers, and Esterbrook made their own cartridges. I generally prefer to convert those to eyedropper when feasible... but in this case, since it was "original equipment" so to speak, I just refilled it with a syringe. Since modern cartridges don't fit Esties without a little surgery, hanging on to the empties is important.

[trdsf]

And heeeeeeere it is.



I'm not hugely fond of the particular shade of red, but it's such a lovely writer. Predictably, as it's an early Safari with the plastic cap, it does have some minor cracking. Any recommendation on what glue to use to seal that back up again?