8-Ball Desk Pen. Loose In Holder?

[ISW_Kaputnik]

I just got my first Esterbrook desk pen. It's the kind with a lever-filler fountain pen and an "8-ball" holder. For now I'll assume that a picture would not help, as my question would be for people who are already familiar with this style..

 

The pen is apparently ready to go, new sac, good condition 2668 nib. I notice, however, that it sits loosely in the holder. Not ridiculously so, but there's none of the secure feeling I'm used to with a typical slip cap fountain pen. I also notice that there is no "inner cap" equivalent inside the pen holder.

 

Is this normal? I don't have any other desk pens of this style, and I haven't inked this one yet. I'm just wondering if it will tend to dry out because there isn't a tight enough seal. Or maybe the fact that it's nib down will be enough. For those who have used these, do they fit tightly into the base, or is there some play?

[NobleDel]

Congratulations on picking up your first Esterbrook desk set! Yes, pen to base play is normal for Esterbrook desk pen sets. That's how they fit. There is no inner cap in the base to seal against the section as you would see in a fountain pen cap. My girlfriend uses her desk pen everyday at work and does not have any drying problems.

[ac12]

Some of the shake you are experiencing could be the cup that you put the pen into is not secure in the ball itself. There is a clip that is inserted from the bottom, and if that clip is not tight against the inside of the 8-ball, it will allow the cup to move.

[ISW_Kaputnik]

Thanks for the reassurance. I'll fill the pen in the next couple of days (I just want to finish off one other first) and we'll see how it goes.

[ISW_Kaputnik]

And yes indeed. My worries were needless. The nib does not dry out, and it writes very nicely. I filled it with De Atramentis Gaius Julius Caesar (fancy name for gray) not long after my last post.

 

Not only does it not dry out, but it doesn't leak, or not that I've noticed, being left nib down.

[NobleDel]

Glad to hear it. Any plans on getting others. Their kind of like eating potato chips; hard to stop at one.

[ac12]

I check with another pen and another base.

The fit of the pen into the holder was different based on the pen and the holder.

- Same pen, snug fit into one base was sloppy in another base.

- Two different pens, same holer; one was a snug fit, other was loose.

Now one thing is my bases are OLD, so no telling how much wear the loose holder has.