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southpaw52
April 11th, 2013, 10:53 AM
There seem to be very little traffic here. I know that there are more Esties fans lurking in the shadows. Come out and discuss the great attributes of Esties. Personally I think Esties are great to collect and use. What are your nib preferences?

Biber
April 11th, 2013, 11:50 AM
For me the 9550 is the benchmark against which I've come to judge just about every other nib. I also quite enjoy the 9128 but sidelined it because I was afraid I'd spring it playing around with what little flex it offered.

KrazyIvan
April 11th, 2013, 11:54 AM
Esterbrooks were my first foray into vintage pens. Mine get pulled out on occasion but I do not use them as frequently as my modern pens. I have a blue J, Green J and a couple of Bell Systems but forget if they are SJ or the other size (escapes my mind right now). I traded a Red J and a Transitional a while back. I was looking for fine nibbed pens at the time so I tried getting the 9668 nibs whenever I could. I really want to get stub nibs for them now. I might use them more often if I could get them.

southpaw52
April 11th, 2013, 02:06 PM
Why a stub nib?

KrazyIvan
April 11th, 2013, 02:23 PM
Why a stub nib?

I like the line variation offered by stubs/italics/CI nibs.

Biber
April 12th, 2013, 07:16 AM
My first Esty came with a 9668. It's a great nib but a bit wide foer my tastes. I thought it distinctly had a lot of "stub" qualities about it without being an actual stub nib. I found the 9550 much more to my liking so ended up modifying the collar when I thought I could adapt it to fit into a Pelikan. Now I ish I hadn't done that.

79spitfire
April 12th, 2013, 10:26 PM
I have several, and hunt them down when I can. I'm a fan of the 'transitional' Js. I scored a toaster top on fleabay not to long ago, and it turned out to have the elusive 'dark red' jewel!

I have a hard time picking my favorite nib, I like most for different reasons, I have a 9460 that has got to be the World's smoothest nib, a 9128 that is interesting, but not overly flexible and a 9314-B with nice character.

Jon Szanto
April 13th, 2013, 12:03 AM
I started into them a bit over a year ago, not long after getting into pens (again). Esties are so easy to get into, and easy to get a hold of, that the inevitable happened: I know have more than I need/want! Of course, that didn't stop me from getting another desk pen of a kind I didn't have before (similar to the SM Deluxe models), and part of the 'selling point' was that it also had a nib I hadn't had - a 9968.

At the LA Pen Show I picked up a bunch of supplies and am going to re-sac those that need it, do a little spiffing up, and then I'll put them up on the board, in case anyone is interested in them. They really can be very nice pens to both have and use, and I'll always have a small assortment for those reasons.

Toffer
April 13th, 2013, 04:53 AM
I have a black double jewel with a really fine nib, can't remember the code off the top of my head, I would like some more! There was one I was watching on fleabay the other day with a black jewel on the pen and a white one on the cap. I couldn't decide whether it was a mixed pen or you could actually get them like this?

jor412
April 13th, 2013, 05:10 AM
I have a black double jewel with a really fine nib, can't remember the code off the top of my head, I would like some more! There was one I was watching on fleabay the other day with a black jewel on the pen and a white one on the cap. I couldn't decide whether it was a mixed pen or you could actually get them like this?

Maybe it's not white? Maybe it's metal. Check this out: http://www.esterbrook.net/j2.shtml

jor412
April 13th, 2013, 05:18 AM
Esterbrooks were my first foray into vintage pens. Mine get pulled out on occasion but I do not use them as frequently as my modern pens.

Me too. My first vintage pen was a rootbeer colored Esterbrook J, and while I don't use it often, I can't bring myself to part with it. When I started getting interested in fountain pens, I just got enamored with the idea of a lever filler. I had only seen them in old sitcoms and in these, someone was always getting squirted with ink by one. (I accidentally did this to myself, btw, with my Esterbrook.) I have several nibs for my J, including a stub and a broad nib, but my favorite is the 9556. I enjoy the slight feedback I get from it and the flow is just right. And the Estie J for me has "character". I don't think they make pens that look like this anymore -- unless I've missed something in the past year!

I have a dipless set which I have yet to try. I bought it because I liked the idea behind it. I've also tried out the SJ and LJ but found them a bit too thin and/or short for me.

cedargirl
April 13th, 2013, 09:11 PM
I bought my first Esterbrook only recently - a red LJ.

There's a whole lot of love going to Esterbrooks over on FPN. So I thought I better get one.

It came with a 1551 nib that is supposed to be firm, but I think someone had modified it because it was writing extremely fine. I didn't like it, so I reground it to a cursive italic and like it now.
But I'm on the look out for a 9000 series nib, just can't decide which. And it looks like I'll have to pay more for the nib than I did for the pen!
The stub nibs seem to be very popular and/or less common because they seem to go for the highest prices, so I think I'll try to get a medium or maybe a broad.

jor412
April 13th, 2013, 09:33 PM
But I'm on the look out for a 9000 series nib, just can't decide which. And it looks like I'll have to pay more for the nib than I did for the pen!
The stub nibs seem to be very popular and/or less common because they seem to go for the highest prices, so I think I'll try to get a medium or maybe a broad.

On eBay, I've chased Esterbrook nibs by bidding on beat up pens or Esterbrook dip pens. I got my broad & italic Estie nibs that way and they cost me a lot less than they would've had I bid on the nib itself. Good luck :)

cedargirl
April 14th, 2013, 01:47 AM
On eBay, I've chased Esterbrook nibs by bidding on beat up pens or Esterbrook dip pens. I got my broad & italic Estie nibs that way and they cost me a lot less than they would've had I bid on the nib itself. Good luck :)

Thanks for the tip, jor412.
"Esterbrook dip pen" - I'm confused. There are plenty of Esterbrook nibs around that fit into dip pen holders. But that can't be what you mean. Or can you fit those nibs into the nib section of a fountain pen. Or do you mean something totally different that I don't know about?

jor412
April 14th, 2013, 02:06 AM
Oops sorry about that! I keep thinking of them as dip pens but they're really just desk pens that are lever filled. :) The nibs are interchangeable, as are nibs from other Esties like the M2s. Sometimes you'll see these desk pens minus their stand and they go for quite cheap -- say $15 or less on eBay. Then you get this cool nib for the price of a regular one. And other times, the seller isn't really into Esterbrooks so doesn't list the nib but when you squint your eyes enough at the pics, you see the nib number and it's an otherwise expensive one. :)

I haven't tried changing my dipless Esterbrook nib yet so I don't know if they'll fit, but I imagine so. The dipless had its own ink well and was a "dip" pen of sorts.

Cornet
April 14th, 2013, 03:52 AM
Oops sorry about that! I keep thinking of them as dip pens but they're really just desk pens that are lever filled. :) The nibs are interchangeable, as are nibs from other Esties like the M2s. Sometimes you'll see these desk pens minus their stand and they go for quite cheap -- say $15 or less on eBay. Then you get this cool nib for the price of a regular one. And other times, the seller isn't really into Esterbrooks so doesn't list the nib but when you squint your eyes enough at the pics, you see the nib number and it's an otherwise expensive one. :)

I haven't tried changing my dipless Esterbrook nib yet so I don't know if they'll fit, but I imagine so. The dipless had its own ink well and was a "dip" pen of sorts.
The only Esterbrook I have is one of those dipless pens. It is called the XT pen according to the Esterbrook site. Mine came with the wrong base. There is no place to put ink in it so it does need to be dipped.

jor412
April 14th, 2013, 07:25 AM
On ebay, I've seen the dipless Esties selling as sets or as separate pieces. :) If you go through the listings, I'm sure you'll eventually find one at a reasonable price. The base you have is probably for their standard desk pens and that base can also be sold separately, too. At least, you can get some of your money back to buy the right ink well. I bought two complete sets in three purchases and spent no more than $30 per set.

79spitfire
April 14th, 2013, 01:03 PM
Oops sorry about that! I keep thinking of them as dip pens but they're really just desk pens that are lever filled. The nibs are interchangeable, as are nibs from other Esties like the M2s. Sometimes you'll see these desk pens minus their stand and they go for quite cheap -- say $15 or less on eBay. Then you get this cool nib for the price of a regular one. And other times, the seller isn't really into Esterbrooks so doesn't list the nib but when you squint your eyes enough at the pics, you see the nib number and it's an otherwise expensive one.

I haven't tried changing my dipless Esterbrook nib yet so I don't know if they'll fit, but I imagine so. The dipless had its own ink well and was a "dip" pen of sorts.


I managed to score a 'sunburst' 3550 nib this way, I think it was less than $10.

I used the section to fix another pen, as the barrel and j-bar were damaged.

jor412
April 14th, 2013, 08:43 PM
True. I generally keep the beat up Estie for parts

cedargirl
April 15th, 2013, 06:27 AM
Oops sorry about that! I keep thinking of them as dip pens but they're really just desk pens that are lever filled. :) The nibs are interchangeable, as are nibs from other Esties like the M2s. Sometimes you'll see these desk pens minus their stand and they go for quite cheap -- say $15 or less on eBay. Then you get this cool nib for the price of a regular one. And other times, the seller isn't really into Esterbrooks so doesn't list the nib but when you squint your eyes enough at the pics, you see the nib number and it's an otherwise expensive one. :)

I haven't tried changing my dipless Esterbrook nib yet so I don't know if they'll fit, but I imagine so. The dipless had its own ink well and was a "dip" pen of sorts.

Aaah! Desk Pens - what a great idea. Thank you for a great tip.

jor412
April 15th, 2013, 06:37 AM
I just checked. The dipless Estie nibs are the same as the regular Estie nibs.

Jon Szanto
April 15th, 2013, 06:33 PM
I just checked. The dipless Estie nibs are the same as the regular Estie nibs.
Aha... except for the 5xxx series. I purchased a Dip-Less desk set, the 427 (a double well version of the 407). The two pens that came with this were both made for, and fitted with, a 5xxx series nib, in this case 5886. There are no threads on either the nib or in the 'section' of the barrel, and they are just smooth round ends that 'plug' into the barrel. The nib is held in place over the feed by a kind of wedge/lever (hard to explain, and can't shoot a pic at the moment). I've only seen one other of this series mentioned, a 5556 (firm fine), but they are denoted as "Dip-Less nibs".

jor412
April 15th, 2013, 07:57 PM
Would be great to see a pic when you've got the time. I haven't seen a 5xxx series nib. How do they write? Apart from the section, are there other differences between 5xxx series and the other Estie nibs? [This is my attempt to return to the OP as I fear my dipless remarks have taken us far from the favorite Estie nib question :)]

Jon Szanto
April 16th, 2013, 10:05 PM
Would be great to see a pic when you've got the time. I haven't seen a 5xxx series nib. How do they write? Apart from the section, are there other differences between 5xxx series and the other Estie nibs? [This is my attempt to return to the OP as I fear my dipless remarks have taken us far from the favorite Estie nib question :)]
Yeah, sorry. At some point I'll get some shots... somehow (my early digital does really, really poorly at macro. Not sure why) According to Brian Anderson's info, there are a handful of 5xxx nibs. Like I mentioned, my is a 5886, and the nib itself looks very much like a 2886, and seems to write like that - nothing remarkable, but works fine.

Jon Szanto
April 16th, 2013, 10:06 PM
If you want to see something different (and maybe put down a bunch of $$$), here's a chance to see an Esterbrook Demonstrator (http://www.ebay.com/itm/360636014341?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649).

jor412
April 19th, 2013, 03:39 AM
Really interesting. I didn't know they made demonstrators. What a unique piece. I wonder how high the bidding will go

cedargirl
April 20th, 2013, 06:50 PM
Just to keep the thread complete - the selling price was $255.

jor412
April 20th, 2013, 09:02 PM
Pretty & expensive. It isn't unreasonable though if one is a collector of Esterbrooks. (An olive green lamy safari was going for over $640 when I checked last week!)

cedargirl
April 21st, 2013, 02:08 AM
Pretty & expensive. It isn't unreasonable though if one is a collector of Esterbrooks. (An olive green lamy safari was going for over $640 when I checked last week!)

That's the interesting thing about collecting. Normally the market value of an object is what the average person is prepared to pay. But with collectors you get a skewed subset of average people (talking statistically, not descriptively!) bidding competitively on something that is in short supply. End result: prices sky-rocket, way above ordinary market value. There are probably two motivations to this - a willingness to pay out to complete a set (the collector) - and a willingness to pay above market value, because prices will probably keep rising (the investor/speculator) - and of course a single person could be motivated by both.

But, even though I don't consider myself a collector, I am sure that every time I buy a vintage pen, I pay more that the "average person" would be willing to pay (because this would include non-users of FPs).

Aw, heck, now I'm getting all philosophical, or theoretical, or something.

jor412
April 21st, 2013, 02:25 AM
I'm not a collector either and I'm unwilling to spend unreasonable amounts for anything actually. Then again reasonable and reasonable ultimately depend on the person spending the money. Then there's another category: sinful! hehehe

cedargirl
April 21st, 2013, 05:48 AM
Indulgence is fun!

pajaro
April 24th, 2013, 01:40 PM
My favorites are the 9312 and 2312 italics and the 9460 medium. 9284 broad stub right behind.

KrazyIvan
April 24th, 2013, 01:59 PM
My favorites are the 9312 and 2312 italics and the 9460 medium. 9284 broad stub right behind.

Those sound interesting. I wonder how hard they are to find.

pajaro
April 24th, 2013, 07:27 PM
My favorites are the 9312 and 2312 italics and the 9460 medium. 9284 broad stub right behind.

Those sound interesting. I wonder how hard they are to find.

They were fairly hard to find. I bought one 2312 italic for about $38, a buy it now on ebay. The other 2312 came in a J pen, about $35 or so. The 9312 came in a dark blue Safari pump filler for about $40. They weren't real expensive, it just took a lot of looking to find them. I did pay about $40 for a pen with a 9312 italic, but the nib was broken.

The italics are the nibs I use mostly of the Esties. I enjoy them.

Jon Szanto
April 24th, 2013, 08:21 PM
My favorites are the 9312 and 2312 italics...
I know these kind of issues are hard to describe in words, but could you possible describe the difference between the 9312 and a 9314-M (same would be with the 2xxx variants)?

pajaro
April 25th, 2013, 07:40 AM
The 9312 and 2312 are medium italics, cut straight across. The 9314-F, 9314-M, 9314-B, 2314-F, 2314-M and 2314-B are Relief nibs, the Esterbrook term for oblique nibs. The Relief nibs are cut at a slight angle. 21022103
The top pic is a 2312. The second is a 9314-B, I think.

KrazyIvan
April 25th, 2013, 09:03 AM
I just ordered an Osmiroid italic to start. :) Anderson Pens has them for $6.

pajaro
April 25th, 2013, 10:27 AM
I have tried the Osmiroid italic nibs, and they are pretty good. Probably these give you more bang for the buck. I smoothed the edges some on these.

cedargirl
April 26th, 2013, 02:01 AM
[COLOR="#000080"]The 9312 and 2312 are medium italics, cut straight across. The 9314-F, 9314-M, 9314-B, 2314-F, 2314-M and 2314-B are Relief nibs, the Esterbrook term for oblique nibs. The Relief nibs are cut at a slight angle.

How are the oblique nibs to write with? They are a world of mystery to me. I never know, being right handed, whether I'm supposed to use a right or a left oblique. And then I see some people name them the other way around. Are they hard to use, if you have the correct oblique? I'm thinking it would require you to hold the pen differently.

pajaro
April 26th, 2013, 12:21 PM
[COLOR="#000080"]The 9312 and 2312 are medium italics, cut straight across. The 9314-F, 9314-M, 9314-B, 2314-F, 2314-M and 2314-B are Relief nibs, the Esterbrook term for oblique nibs. The Relief nibs are cut at a slight angle.

How are the oblique nibs to write with? They are a world of mystery to me. I never know, being right handed, whether I'm supposed to use a right or a left oblique. And then I see some people name them the other way around. Are they hard to use, if you have the correct oblique? I'm thinking it would require you to hold the pen differently.


I think you understand it. The obliques were supposedly made for people who rotate the pen. I suppose the oblique nib puts them back on the sweet spot.

Link to Richard Binder's reference: http://www.richardspens.com/?refp=wysiwyg

calluna
May 1st, 2013, 09:48 AM
I have a fondness for esties too - my first real restoration was a black Dollar pen. With a good Estie that generally means a resac, nib flush, and polish, and I enjoyed every minute. My favorites are still dollar pens and comprise most of what I have in the world of Esterbrook.

For years I considered myself a "user" only - my ebay moniker is userpens - but finally admitted that I was a collector too when I had many more pens than I could or would use. So, I call my Superlative Writers a subset collection of the whole. There are a few dozen there and I love to write with every one (they are not just users - they are FANTASTIC users). I no longer feel anguish that I can't possibly use/ enjoy writing with all the pens I have. And there are some that I just can't bring myself to write with or carry - too rare, too fragile, too historical, whatever the reason. "What are you carrying today, Calluna?" "Oh, I have a Lamy 2K, an M600, an Omas, and a Ripley Vacumatic in the pen case today!" Nope, can't do it. :)

Sorry for sidebar response to earlier posts... I struggled with this for a long time. :D

Frank
May 6th, 2013, 01:14 PM
Most of you know that I am a big Estie fan!
I have a few in my collection, and I have sold many over the years.

My nib preference is in the medium to bold range- I do think the 9460 nib is great! I like it better than the 9668!
I also have a 9968/2248/2668/2314M/9314M/9314B in my collection.

I also own a custom pen that uses an Esterbrook section. This pen was made for me by Appleman (Chris Hughes) in 2010.
It has been reviewed/discussed at both FPN and TFPC. Chris is still making these pens for interested parties!

Regards,
Frank

KrazyIvan
May 6th, 2013, 04:24 PM
I posted this in another thread but I thought it deserved to be here too. I decided to make the imprint more apparent on my Estie.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7291/8715389134_c90dc0e888_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/8715389134/)
I decided to highlight the Esterbrook engraving with white crayon. #fountainpen (http://www.flickr.com/photos/ivan_romero/8715389134/) by IvanRomero (http://www.flickr.com/people/ivan_romero/), on Flickr

jacksterp
May 6th, 2013, 08:02 PM
That looks really nice Ivan!

Just might give it a try myself. How long does it last?

KrazyIvan
May 6th, 2013, 08:05 PM
That looks really nice Ivan!

Just might give it a try myself. How long does it last?

I did my Stipula Passaporto that way and I just retouched it a couple weeks ago. I originally did that pen last fall IIRC.

wastelanded
May 16th, 2013, 03:44 AM
I've suddenly developed a massive urge for a red Estie, one of those 'Dubonnet' red ones, with a 9968 nib. Keeps me awake at night. I need help.