Feeling bad for the Esterbrook forum...

[FLJeepGuy]

To be honest, Esterbrook nibs tend to the hard end of the spectrum. Their standard nibs are basically nails, their manifold nibs are even harder for use with carbon copies. The ones they label as flexible do have a little give but I've never run across a truly "flexible" Esterbrook nib. Their stubs are nice nibs, but I think most of the numbers are cut at an oblique angle as well.

[KrazyIvan]

I agree with FLJeepGuy's assessment. Even if you find a nib that is semi-flex, I would be a bit leery about stressing the section with flex pressure. That's just me.

[Jon Szanto]

My pens just arrived today, safe and sound. I placed my order on the first day.

[penultress]

My pens just arrived today, safe and sound. I placed my order on the first day.

Great! I also got a reply from Rick that all have shipped by Saturday!

[pajaro]

I have been trying different nibs for a few months. I like the 9048 extra flexible fine. As a lefty, I can't incorporate the flex into my writing, but it is a nice fine nib with some extra capability.

The stubs, 2284 and 9284 broad stubs are what you would expect. Smooth and wide.

The 2314-F, 2314-B, 9314-F and 9314-B are also as expected and smooth, but when turned upside down for some finer line action, they mess with my mind, as they are hard for me to orient. They are all obliques.

The best I have tried is the 2312 Italic. This is a nice medium cursive italic, or maybe the prior owner smoothed out the edges. This is what I was looking for.

[audadvnc]

I like my Estie nibs stock. Lefties have no need for more opportunities to mess up writing!

[pajaro]

I started into Estiedom with a resacked blue LJ. I suppose I should have stopped there.

Further acquisitions led me into resacking pens and trying out many of the nibs. I think I have resacked enough pens.

I haven't gotten a Relief pen with a gold nib, but I did find a burgundy Phaeton with a good converter, and my last pen was a Safari pump filler with a 9312 italic nib. Probably the end, because I am tired of maintaining old pens. It's interesting, but time consuming. After a resac, some look almost like a banana.

[OcalaFlGuy]

After a resac, some look almost like a banana.

Then you are getting much more of the barrel much warmer than is necessary.

All you really want/need warmed is the threaded area of the open end. The faster you get that one area warm the better.
I will use my whole hand holding the barrel, wrapped around it with my thumb and first finger isolating the threaded area.
This has your fingers/hand acting as both a heat shield and a heat sink to prevent the remainder of the barrel from getting warm
enough to deform.

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[carlos.q]

I have three Esties and various nibs. My favorite is my red Estie with either a 9668 medium nib or a 2314-F stub.

redestie.jpg

[Manny]

[welch]

About five or six years ago, I got a blue SJ with 9668 nib. I was hooked. It's probably time to sell some...do I really need two green fill-J's, or two silver-grey's, husrt because the pattern is slightly different? Do I really want to become a C***** with one of each color J, LJ, and SJ, plus nurse/doctor pens, plus pastel "purse pens", and then accumuklate transitionals and dollar pens????

Agh!!!!

[spotted and speckled]

I should be happy with one J or two, but that's not the case. I discovered the Deluxe (metal cap) and thought I needed to buy them ALL lest I never touch one again, and now I have a trove of them. Not like some other people (ahem! are you listening?), but enough for it to count as a trove for me. The SJs and LJs found new homes, and I was left with just the Js and the Deluxes and a few oddball ones (an orange 101!), and I lived my life in Esterbrook contentment. But a few weeks ago, I bought a lot of pens to get the ONE pen I wanted to play with, and it came with an LJ or two. Now that re-homing cycle will begin again.

[alc3261]

I really dislike 1555 nibs.

[scrivelry]

I have a little dread Navy of Desk Pens - seriously, I have six, five are Esties and four are in black 8-ball holders. All I need to do is stick some paper sails on them, line them up and take a picture...

They have what nibs they have. I have managed to score an Osmiroid Copperplate nib and an Osmiroid Spencerian nib and a medium Rolo as well - and aside from teh desk pens I have a blue one, a black one with no cap, a black SJ and a green SKJ with a cap of a different color green, so I am currently experimenting with putting the green cap on the black body and vice versa to see if it is less annoying. Nothing in perfect shape, but I am enjoying them.

[pajaro]

I really dislike 1555 nibs.

If it's any comfort to you, I tend to throw away all 15XX nibs as soon as they come in.

[alc3261]

I really dislike 1555 nibs.

If it's any comfort to you, I tend to throw away all 15XX nibs as soon as they come in.

I certainly don't use them!! Arggg.....

[LunaAzurina]

My dad remembered writing with a 1550 nib in the old country and said it was his favorite. I will buy it from you; I am planning to surprise him with an Esterbrook for his birthday in May.

[sharmon202]

It would help us newer fp geeks if you lovers of Estie's would post pics of your babies. I would love to see them.

[sharmon202]

I am surprised at all the negative comments. I got a 1551 at a flea market. It cleaned up in 15 minutes and writes quite smoothly. My first and only Esterbrook to date.

[ardgedee]

@Manny: I've managed to amass a modest collection of 9128 nibs, and what I've discovered is they tend to arrive with partially or totally clogged feed channels.

I have one 9128 that writes wonderfully, it's really on my short list of favorite nibs and it definitely does not write dry. The others could stand to be favorites as well, if I can remove decades of dried ink from the channels.