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Thread: These are reliable pens

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    Senior Member lisantica's Avatar
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    Default These are reliable pens

    I just love these pens. My most recent purchase was the dollar pen in copper. I don't know what the other two are, hopefully someone can help.
    The larger grey one has its top missing on the cap.
    Here they are.

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    FPG Donor ♕ KrazyIvan's Avatar
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    Default Re: These are reliable pens

    The middle one looks like a J and the one on the left an SJ. Here is some more info: http://www.richardspens.com/?prof=j
    Fountain Pen Sith Lord | Daakusaido | Everything in one spot

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    Default Re: These are reliable pens

    Quote Originally Posted by KrazyIvan View Post
    The middle one looks like a J and the one on the left an SJ. Here is some more info: http://www.richardspens.com/?prof=j
    Thank you, i have that page bookmarked now.

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    Default Re: These are reliable pens

    Even more info at: http://esterbrook.net/

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    Default Re: These are reliable pens

    I appreciate the added information chad.trent.

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    Default Re: These are reliable pens

    As do I. Thank you for the link.

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    Default Re: These are reliable pens

    You'll find a lot more J, Lj, and SJ Esties than Transitionals or Dollar pens. My handy guide:

    - Full J is about 5 inches and fat

    - Slender J (LJ) is 5 inches, but thinner

    - Small J (SJ) is thin and about 4.75 inches.

    Just to confuse us, Esterbrook also make a 4.75 inch white pen for doctors and nurses. The "nurse/doctor" pen was thicker than an SJ. "Legend" says that the jewel color -- black, red, and (green?) -- indicated the color ink and the shift. A doctor or nurse could easily spot when an entry was made in a chart by the ink color, and the jewel told the user which color ink to load.

    In addition, Esterbrook made a 4.5 inch pastel "purse pen".

    They also made metal capped pens in the '50s, solid color plastic barrel.

    Scan EBay's Esterbrook advertisements for the range of pens in different years.

    One surprise from the ads: Esterbrook never talked about the beautiful colors of their marbled pens: only about the many "points" from which a customer could choose. Almost as if the pens were a support system for selling one or more Renew-points. Esterbrook migh have mentioned "standard" and deluxe model pens, but I think that meant a plastic or metal cap.
    Last edited by welch; January 9th, 2014 at 09:03 PM.

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    Default Re: These are reliable pens

    Quote Originally Posted by welch View Post
    You'll find a lot more J, Lj, and SJ Esties than Transitionals or Dollar pens. My handy guide:

    - Full J is about 5 inches and fat

    - Slender J (LJ) is 5 inches, but thinner

    - Small J (SJ) is thin and about 4.75 inches.

    Just to conduse us, Esterbrook also make a 4.75 inch white pen for doctors and nurses. The "nurse/doctor" pen was thicker than an SJ. "Legend" says that the jewel color -- black, red, and (green?) -- indicated the color ink and the shift. A doctor or nurse could easily spot when an entry was made in a chart by the ink color, and the jewel told the user which color ink to load.

    In addition, Esterbrook made a 4.5 inch pastel "purse pen".

    They also made metal capped pens in the '50s, solid color plastic barrel.

    Scan EBay's Esterbrook advertisements for the range of pens in different years.

    One surprise from the ads: Esterbrook never talked about the beautiful colors of their marbled pens: only about the many "points" from which a customer could choose. Almost as if the pens were a support system for selling one or more Renew-points. Esterbrook migh have mentioned "standard" and deluxe model pens, but I think that meant a plastic or metal cap.
    I would bet that their marketing folks figured out that most of the then-major pen companies had great colors, but very few had user-replaceable points. I remember going in to the local Hallmark shop to buy a new point for one of my Esterbrooks when I was in grade school. I was totally overwhelmed with the selection, but chose a new point of the same type as my worn-out one -- a 2668 medium. I used two of these pens (a J and an SJ) from 3rd grade on (about 1953 or 54). Some time later, maybe 10 years or so, I stored them. Then about 25 years later had them re-sacced and they still work just fine. Esties are probably one of the most dependable FP's ever made.

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    Senior Member welch's Avatar
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    Default Re: These are reliable pens

    Quote Originally Posted by SteveE View Post
    Quote Originally Posted by welch View Post
    You'll find a lot more J, Lj, and SJ Esties than Transitionals or Dollar pens. My handy guide:

    - Full J is about 5 inches and fat

    - Slender J (LJ) is 5 inches, but thinner

    - Small J (SJ) is thin and about 4.75 inches.

    Just to conduse us, Esterbrook also make a 4.75 inch white pen for doctors and nurses. The "nurse/doctor" pen was thicker than an SJ. "Legend" says that the jewel color -- black, red, and (green?) -- indicated the color ink and the shift. A doctor or nurse could easily spot when an entry was made in a chart by the ink color, and the jewel told the user which color ink to load.

    In addition, Esterbrook made a 4.5 inch pastel "purse pen".

    They also made metal capped pens in the '50s, solid color plastic barrel.

    Scan EBay's Esterbrook advertisements for the range of pens in different years.

    One surprise from the ads: Esterbrook never talked about the beautiful colors of their marbled pens: only about the many "points" from which a customer could choose. Almost as if the pens were a support system for selling one or more Renew-points. Esterbrook migh have mentioned "standard" and deluxe model pens, but I think that meant a plastic or metal cap.
    I would bet that their marketing folks figured out that most of the then-major pen companies had great colors, but very few had user-replaceable points. I remember going in to the local Hallmark shop to buy a new point for one of my Esterbrooks when I was in grade school. I was totally overwhelmed with the selection, but chose a new point of the same type as my worn-out one -- a 2668 medium. I used two of these pens (a J and an SJ) from 3rd grade on (about 1953 or 54). Some time later, maybe 10 years or so, I stored them. Then about 25 years later had them re-sacced and they still work just fine. Esties are probably one of the most dependable FP's ever made.
    I suspect that's true. Judging from the advertisements, Esterbrook sold "the world's most personal pen" from 1946 or so. Each ad shows all 30 or 40 points, instructs a customer to pick out the unique point that fits them, and reminds the customer that they can buy a replacement point it the original breaks. When you were in grade school, you were acting just as Esterbrook hoped.

    I can't think of another pen that had Estie-style swapable points that early. Pelikan had them in the '50s (beginning when?); the Parker 45 in 1961 and later the Paker 75 had swapable nibs...although not such a variety as Esterbrook offered...probably because ballpoints had taken such a market share that people no longer wanted 40 different points. I know that by the end of Esterbrook, after the "merger" with Venus, the company offered only three or four points: F/M/B and maybe another. All had folded tines to make the point, rather than welded "irridium"...something like the 2xxx series points, rather than the 9xxx points.

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    Frank (January 11th, 2014)

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