Esterbrook Pencils

May 27, 2005

I've become rather fond of pencils as of late, well, actually, I've always liked them, but as the number of interesting pens dwindles, I have to find something to pass the time. I've managed to acquire three very nice examples this week, and thought I'd share. Being this the first day of the new forum, it is also appropriate!

Let's take a walk through Esterbrook pencil history, shall we?

http://www.esterbrook.net/images/pencils/p.jpg

This is the very first pencil Esterbrook made, ca. 1934. Well, not actually the first one off the production line, but the first design. I just love these BHR pencils.

http://www.esterbrook.net/images/pencils/pm.jpg

This is a recent acquisition this week, also a ca. 1934 model in Morroco Red. The cap band moves up tha cap a little bit on the plastic pencils.

http://www.esterbrook.net/images/pencils/pt.jpg

Here's one of Esterbrook's first attempts at a solid color. These are usually pretty hideous pens as they disfigure if you look at them the wrong way. ca. 1938, note the clip changes a bit.

http://www.esterbrook.net/images/pencils/pw.jpg

Another recent acquisition this week, an early doctor's pencil in white with the black indicator marking at the top.

http://www.esterbrook.net/images/pencils/pice.jpg

Here's a yellow cracked ice I picked up a few months ago. This is later than the ohers, although both clips appear in the 1941-2 catalog.

http://www.esterbrook.net/images/pencils/pbandless.jpg

Here's a bandless pencil, these came in two imprint variants (great, just what I need, more of these to collect) and are quite difficult to find. Glad I got my favorite color.

http://www.esterbrook.net/images/pencils/pjbandless.jpg

Ever see one of these? Got the pen? Note bandless cap, but the cap is tapered like a PJ, and has the metal jewel like the visulated pen below. This is definitely a transition between the two series B and J.

http://www.esterbrook.net/images/pencils/pjvis.jpg

The Pushmaster. Companion to the Visumaster. This name really only applies to this particular pencil. Love that plastic. ca. 1941

http://www.esterbrook.net/images/pencils/pjdemo.jpg

Tired of pencil pictures yet? Just got this today. A PJ demonstrator. ca. 1948. Pretty self explanatory.

http://www.esterbrook.net/images/pencils/pms.jpg

Moving right along, ca. 1949, this companion to the SM deluxe in one of my favorite colors, sand, the model PMS, a most unfortunate model designation.

http://www.esterbrook.net/images/pencils/tk.jpg

A couple years later, Esterbrook decides to ditch the nice SM series and replace with the LK deluxe. Not as nice a pen, but at least the renew points still fit. Here's a TK pencil in Emerald Green. ca. 1955

http://www.esterbrook.net/images/pencils/psafari.jpg

Last one, I promise (at least for now). One variant on the Safari pencil. This was the last pencil to be offered in the cap actuated model. Safari pencils also came in a twist model as well. ca. 1957

Well, that should keep everyone satiated for a while. Have fun!

Best-

Brian

May 28, 2005

Thanks for the entertaining tour of Esterbrook pencil history, Brian. You'd make a good docent!

I had a grey Esterbrook pencil---regular or icicle??-- that looked like the demonstrator above (in terms of styling). I barely had a chance to use it before I traded it to a local pen collector (an Estie fan) last March. After waiting over a year, I finally got something in trade for it---a nice little Sheaffer Balance Jr. fountain pen. It needed resacking and some nib tweaking, but it writes well.

That yellow cracked ice pencil (which I think you've mentioned before) looks so contemporary...Lovely!