Jump to content

Esterbrook J, 9968 Broad Nib

siopaopei

By siopaopei
in Fountain Pen Reviews

 Share

Recommended Posts

siopaopei Rare

siopaopei

Posted
Posted

Hi folks! It's my first time to write a review so if I don't do something correctly, please point it out and I will edit my entry. :)

 

I got an Esterbrook J from a fellow fountain pen enthusiast last weekend and I've been using it nonstop since then. It's my first fountain pen with a broad nib too, so I wasn't so sure about how I would like it. I'm glad I took the chance, though.

 

p1040324.jpg?w=634&h=508

 

The pen that I got is green and it looks to be really well-maintained. There's no brassing on the clip and lever and everything is intact and in good condition. If I didn't know any better, I would think that it came out of the factory yesterday.

 

For a small pen, it's surprisingly not as light as I imagined it would be. I liked the way the pen was made, it certainly didn't feel cheap at all. I may or may not have found myself staring at the swirls for a few minutes after I got it :D

 

p1040325.jpg?w=634&h=356

 

The clip, the typography and everything about the pen kind of reminded me of old-style diners and jukeboxes of the 1950's. It had that vibe on it. The cap screws on and off, and it can be posted on the end of the pen. People with larger hands may find that it's more comfortable to use while posted.

 

p1040331-e1413626631811.jpg?w=634

 

The nib that came with the pen is a 9986 (firm broad) nib. Of course I inked it up as soon as I got it (didn't even wait to get home) and the pen worked just fine. It writes with little pressure and just glides on paper. The broad nib was a wet writer, but I'm surprised that my writing didn't look too splotchy even if I write with small letters.

 

p1040345-e1413626605363.jpg?w=634

 

Whether I write in longhand or in capital letters (like this), the pen just performs marvelously. Being a firm broad nib, it's hard as a nail. It's not springy at all. It shows off the shading pretty well, though and I really like that it writes consistently, without skipping or hard starting.

 

I've inked it three times these past few days, trying out different shades of greens and browns. Each time, this pen writes without issues and shows off the shading marvelously.

 

All in all, I think it's a great pen especially for new collectors like me. It writes well, is easy to clean, and you can use different nib units on it very easily.

 

You can read my full review here.

 

Thanks for reading!

The Serial Doodler

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 8
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • siopaopei

    2

  • dgturner

    1

  • slippery when wet

    1

  • masterguns

    1

Popular Days

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Days

dgturner Extremely Rare

dgturner

Posted
Posted

Esties are always wonderful. It is my experience that the Esterbrook sizing is a bit smaller than current European or American sizing would be. The smoothness and reliability are features, unlike some modern pens :roller1: .

http://www.nerdtests.com/images/ft/nq/9df5e10593.gif

-- Avatar Courtesy of Brian Goulet of Goulet Pens (thank you for allowing people to use the logo Brian!) --

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Hallel Rare

Hallel

Posted
Posted

Great review! I'm getting my first Esterbrook in the mail tomorrow and reviews like this one are getting me pumped up.

The praise of the praiseworthy is above all rewards.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
estie1948 Collectors Item

estie1948

Posted
Posted

A very well done review (I read the complete review on your web site). You did an excellent job, covered all the important points, and gave the reader a good idea as to whether or not they would enjoy this pen.

 

Congratulations on being so pleased with your Esterbrook and on expressing that pleasure in such an effective way. Congratulations on writing such a fine first review.

 

-David.

No matter how much you push the envelope, it will still be stationery. -Anon.

A backward poet writes inverse. -Anon.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
dragos.mocanu Extremely Rare

dragos.mocanu

Posted
Posted (edited)

Great review of an iconic pen, I've yet to get my hands on one of these broader Esterbrook nibs. I love your blog too :D very nice collection!

Edited by dragos.mocanu

"The truth may be puzzling. It may take some work to grapple with. It may be counterintuitive. It may contradict deeply held prejudices. It may not be consonant with what we desperately want to be true. But our preferences do not determine what's true..." (Carl Sagan)

Link to comment
Share on other sites
siopaopei Rare

siopaopei

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Great review of an iconic pen, I've yet to get my hands on one of these broader Esterbrook nibs. I love your blog too :D very nice collection!

 

Thank you, Dragos.

 

A very well done review (I read the complete review on your web site). You did an excellent job, covered all the important points, and gave the reader a good idea as to whether or not they would enjoy this pen.

 

Congratulations on being so pleased with your Esterbrook and on expressing that pleasure in such an effective way. Congratulations on writing such a fine first review.

 

-David.

 

Thanks for reading the complete review, David. I'm just starting out as a collector and reading reviews has been very helpful to me. Hopefully, my reviews can help out new collectors as well.

 

Great review! I'm getting my first Esterbrook in the mail tomorrow and reviews like this one are getting me pumped up.

 

Congratulations (in advance) for your first Estie. :) I'm pretty sure it's gonna be the first of many.

The Serial Doodler

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33583
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26772
    5. jar
      jar
      26105

  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      Links to web pages or articles about Chinese typesetting, signwriting, etc.

      By Shanghai Knife Dude · Posted

      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By A Smug Dill · Posted

      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By adamselene · Posted

      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By A Smug Dill · Posted

      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      Skeleton of a primer for a budding hobbyist

      By adamselene · Posted

      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o

  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More

  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...