Esterbrook collection just keeps growing

[Greg W.]

  It all started in 2019. I really just wanted a nice looking vintage mechanical pencil with a thick lead that wouldn’t break as I write. And then I found it … a beautiful gray Esterbrook pencil and pen. I immediately had to know more about them. So … down the rabbit hole I fell. 
  I enjoyed researching the history of my new pencil and decided it would be a fun project to restore the pen to working order too. 
  And then I stumbled across another, and another, and … well as you can see the Esterbrook obsession quickly gets out of hand. 
  So much fun to write with, and such beautiful colors. How can I resist just one more? Or two…

[gweimer1]

Nice group.   Have you looked at the '50s models yet?  😎

[inkstainedruth]

@Greg W. I like my vintage Esties a whole lot.  I like the fact that the nib units are interchangeable and that they come in a huge variety of widths and also a variety of grades.  And even the two pens with the 1555 (student grade) Gregg shorthand nibs (the 1xxx nibs don't have tipping, they just are folded over) are good writers.  And, other than factoring in repair costs, I never paid more than about $35 US per pen -- even for the pens which have the top end 9xxx series nibs.

Just totally bummed that the Dollar pen with the 3668 (Firm Medium) Sunburst nib has gone missing (I didn't realize the Sunburst nibs -- which are relatively rare in comparison to other Estie nibs -- had tipping); found the pen and another Estie (a J series pen with a mismatched cap, but also a Sunburst nib) for a buck apiece at an estate sale a few months ago.  I'm not wild about the look of the clips on the Dollar pens, but had definitely considered swapping the nib to a different pen before the Dollar pen went walkabout....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Mark from Yorkshire]

@Greg W. welcome to the Warren you have fallen in. It is deep and dark

[Ron Z]

I'm not a fan of the 50s/60s models.  But I really like the transitionals with their flat barrel ends.  I work on expensive pens, but always have a couple Esterbrooks loaded.  I honestly think that the Esterbrooks were some of the best pens made.

[gweimer1]

17 hours ago, Ron Z said:

I'm not a fan of the 50s/60s models.  But I really like the transitionals with their flat barrel ends.  I work on expensive pens, but always have a couple Esterbrooks loaded.  I honestly think that the Esterbrooks were some of the best pens made.

 

Esterbrook has outlasted, in terms of endurance, many more expensive pens.  I have discovered that a Parker pli-glass sac works in an Esterbrook Deluxe LK, so I have one of my favorites now restored, and it's in my pocket this week.

[Greg W.]

Hi Ron, 

You’ve actually done work on a few of my Parkers and Sheaffers over the last few years. Thanks. They are wonderful pens. 
 

As far as Esterbrooks go, I also have a brown SM deluxe as well that is NOS. Since it still has the sticker I don’t use this one. It is marked :

SM holder                 $2.65

9668 Pt. Firm Medium .85

                                   $3.50

 
 

The best part of Esterbrook after their durability, and ease of repair, is those replaceable nibs. I prefer a medium nib so although most of the ones I have found have fine nibs I simply swap them over when I decide to ink up a different pen.