Glad to be here.

I've been mildly picking up a pen here and there for about 17 years, but in the last year I've crossed the threshold from "picking up" to admitted collecting in a couple of areas: dip pens, and Esterbrooks.

My overall collection is not terribly thrilling, a lot of Sheaffers, some Parkers, a few modern pens, nothing extraordinary. But I began last June to get curious about this whole flex nib craze and since I'm rather cheap, I decided to try out flexible dip pens first. Well, that worked out well to save money. (not!) My dip pen collection is now over 10,000 nibs with, depending on how you determine "different," between 200-372 different models.

This has prompted me to learn more about the Esterbrook company (largest maker of steel dip pens in the US from 1860 to 1960) which then prompted a crossing of the bridge into an actual collection of Esterbrook pens. I go more for a broad representation rather than completeness in one area. I've recently had the most fun buying and restoring Dip-less ink wells and some desk pens from Esterbrook. Including a WWII 407 ink well and pen from the "Air Force U.S. Army."

Anyway, I'm also interested in the history of steel and fountain pens, and can most definitely geek out with the best of them when finding a new catalog from 1898, or a rare model from the 20's.

Glad to be here.
Andrew