All I can say is WOW. I am only about 6 months old in the FP world, so I have very limited experience and almost zero knowledge. I have tried various vintage Parkers, new Bexley's, Sheaffers, Crosses, Rotring, and various Chinese cheaper pens. Some of them I really like, but I got a bronze Estie J yesterday and I'm not sure what it is about the pen, but it really rings my bell on the cool factor. I can honestly say it is the coolest pen I own (15 and holding- for now). It is the first pen that I can honestly say I would like to have more in different colors of. Other pens, like my Parker 51, I say, "I like the pen, and am glad I have it, but I have one and now I'm satisfied." But, the Estie says, this pen is so cool, I wonder what the blue one, or red one, or black one, etc are like.

The nice thing is once they're polished up, any Esterbrook is as nice as any other AFAICT --- quality control on them seems to've been very good and there's little variation (just the levers, spoon or fan-style and how deep the notch is cut) and of course which nib and ink one uses:

Which nib did you get?

What ink are you using?

I quite agree that they're very addictive, and it's great fun to put together a collection (says the guy who is still keeping an eye out for a nice marbled red LJ or SJ, and is debating adding purse pens or filling out his set or getting some icicles).

William

I got the 2556 (Firm, Fine). Currently, I am using Private Reserve Copper Burst. The ink flows really nice and the ink color/pen color combo can't be beat!

I couldn't agree more! Esterbrooks were the beginning of my descent into vintage fountain pens. I started with a red LJ, and it's been downhill from there. Almost immediately after the LJ, I picked up a gray SJ, a copper dollar pen, a black J, a black transitional J (with a damaged cap jewel -- I haven't gotten up the gumption yet to replace it), another black transitional J (with a 3-rib cap), a desk pen (sweeeet!), a blue J, and I have a black dollar pen on the way.

Don't even get me started on the nibs! I've put together quite an arsenal of nibs, too.

It's hard to resist a beautiful pen that has so reasonable a price point and writes so well. Beyond that, they're very beginner-friendly when it comes to repair, as well. I've just re-sacced two of them, and they've been very forgiving.

I've begun to look at pen purchases in terms of how many Esterbrooks they'll cost.

Don

The x556 ``General Writing'' nibs are nice, and quite agree about the joy of matching ink to pen colour --- still have yet to ink my copper LJ (NOS which came in the box in my avatar), waiting on the perfect ink and nib to show up --- will definitely keep PR copper in mind.

William

One of the first vintage pens I bought was a red Esterbrook J, and I think it is one of the neatest pens I own. The pen had been polished when I got it, and the color and patterns in the plastic are really beautiful. That the stainless steel fittings are not shiny, and the fact they are virtually indestructible, just adds to the coolness factor. The 9556 nib also writes quite smoothly with a distinctive look, even though it is stock nib.

So, I also feel like getting some others in different colors. Hey, at least it's a much less expensive addiction than other brand manias.