I have recently begun collecting Esties and find myself drawn to the transition, dollar pens and refief pens. I guess my thought process being that the double jewel Js and such will come into my collection just through osmosis but there is no need to go after them so to speak. It seems like the majority of pens that come up in the market place are double jewels and desk sets. Are these where most people are concentrating or are there just more of these available?

How about all of you? Would you rather focus on a narrow sub area of Esterbrooks or try to get as complete a collection as possible?

When I started collecting Esterbrooks, I naively thought I could be a completist. That was before I knew how scarce and expensive the Relief and Dollar-Fifty pens can be.
So, I generally just keep an eye open for pens that will fill in holes in the various series' (cheap completionist) and for the occasional scarce model. This turns out to be a very satisfying, yet fiscally-manageable approach for me.


Since this picture was taken, I've managed to add a couple more to the drawer- two other colors of the H model (clipless purse pens.)

Best regards, greg

That is quite a collection!!! I have read some of the other posts in the Esterbrook forum and it seems that there is an addictive quality to these pens so I am trying to make a real commitment to only collect a manageable part of the full spectrum of Esties out there, otherwise I WILL wind up breaking the bank on otherwise inexpensive pens...

I notice that the Esterbrook pencil seem very scarce on Ebay like 4 on the whole thing compared with pages and pages of FPs. Is this because people are even less insterested in them and they are therefore not even worth selling or perhaps they did not survive as well...

I will keep, in my accumulation, the transitional and dollar pens. I have a number of J's, SJ's, and LJ's from simply buying the inexpensive versions I come across. I can't seem to pass up a great condition fp in the five dollar range and Estie's seem to show up in that category more than other brands. I also like Estie desk pens and have more than a few.

They can be addictive these Esties! But I've also found that with Sheaffers too.

I just started buying pens, mostly to get a range of nibs. I love the Dubonet Red Js and have several of those. I have also just bought Estie Renew nibs. I especially like the 3000 series. But now I'm considering to maybe go for the purse pens. I have one that has a crack and ink spots. A nice little pen. Like to get some in better condition.

I find the nibs, even the 1500 series, to be really wonderful writing. Sure wish they were still in business.

Chris

For some reason I seem to be drawn to the transitionals myself.

I started out looking for all the "J"s in all the colours, then the "LJ"s.I completed those sets a couple of years ago. Then it was the "CH"s in all colours. I stopped after all the colours, not pushing on for the different jewel colours and pencils.

Next it was the 'Dollar" pens in all colours. Finished that in January.

At the moment it is the Visumasters. I have one at present. (Thanks again AZ). I may die of old age before I finish that subset, or even find one more but they are truly special pens.

While accumulating the above I have also collected CS-made "Relief"pens and have a fair range of those now. I have also tried to collect the full ranges of the 9XXX, 8xxx,3xxx, 2xxx and 1xxx nibs. I haven't done too badly on this, missing only some of the more obscure 8xxx and 3xxx nibs. Strangely a lot of the rarer nibs I have came attached to ebay- purchased "J" series pens without fanfare.

Like Greg (Wow what a great collection BTW) I realised very early on, about the first time I looked at Brian's site, that I was never going to achieve a complete collection of Esterbrooks.

I don't mind. They are still my favourite vintage brand as somehow they seem to symbolise a whole era of American industrial history.

Awesome collection Greg - The cracked ice are great!....
My interests are weird -
1) Esterbrook clones and wannabies (nibs and pens)
2) CS made Relief
3) Metal cap Esties and
4) Icicles

Did I say Icicles? Here is a photo - a not so great photo. The pens are different Different sizes, levers, imprints etc.

The simple answer: All of them.

I'm usually in a state denial after all these years and still think I can find all of them....

Todd

Those smooth clip icicles are awesome!!! What a great collection... You should donate a photo or two of the late clip icicles to Esterbrook.net, I don't think that he has any shots of that varient.

Adam

I too, like Greg collect the CH purse versions. I have completed two sets of the clip version pens and almot all of the matching pencils (missing 3). I've only managed to find two of the clipless version pens so far.

Jack

I've kept it simple - just the ones I'm really drawn to...

Green J
Copper J
Red J
Black LJ
Copper SJ

I'm looking for a blue J or grey J, then I think I'm about done...I like the icicles but the prices get a little beyond me, and I really like the look of the regular ones better.

Great little pens! I wish they had made a button fill or a piston fill in the J style. The bar fill method is my least favorite, that's where Esties fall down for me. But there's a lot to like and the colors are wonderful.

I love them all and just happen to have a gray icicle that I've yet to restore. It will be the first icicle that I've done ....
It's in great shape and because I've never done one before, I'm wondering what asking price I should put on it when it's ready to go. Any advice?????

Esterbrooks are fun to collect and even more fun to use!

Todd

If it says Esterbrook I will buy it (depending on the budget). I recently bought an Esterbrook marker. I will never use it but my goal is to have a complete collection one day

Gregamckinney - Very, very nice...................

J's and J's with double jewels. I have a blue double jewel pen up for trade in the Market Place.

Thought I'd revive this thread. I am currently collecting J's with double jewels. I need a green one and I have a copper one on the way. Oh and I have a blue SJ so I guess I need a blue J as well.

So far I have recently completed a collection of my favorites.

Blue J
Copper J
Red J
Green J
Gray J

They really are addictive. I am not sure where to go next, I like the transitional and dollar pens as well.

I actually started with looking for vintage drafting equipment at a flea market. I found 3 boxes of dip pens from Esterbrook. Once I started researching the dip pens and learning about all the various products, I did manage to snag a Fountain pen or two, even a pencil.

I have3 SJs:
Blue (seen in my avatar)
Red
Green (seen in my avatar)

Then I have 2 LJs:
Black
Red

Then I have a desk pen. Typical black with clear tapered end. Its in mint condition with its original sac intact. It came with a Gregg 1556.

and 1 Pencil:
Green. <-- The pencil is most likely the most beautiful of all the pens. It hasn't got a scratch on it. The level of color is deep, like polished marbel. It shines like cat's eye. The other pearl pens don't have that effect quite as much.

Now I can't lie...the more I see all the fantabulous esties you guys have....well...its giving me the collector's itch! Its only unfortunate that at present I really have zero budget

Now where it concerns Esterbrook's dip pens I have easily over 50 different boxes, ranging from 1870 to 1947. That happens to be my passion

Wow, impressive collection there Greg! Yikes. No wonder why Esterbrook auctions have been going up lately.

Like you said, it's a steep climb to achieve a complete collection. So, I bought just one Esterbrook: A standard J in black. I like the ripple/iced ones, but if I get one color then I'd have to get them all. Slippery slope. I'm satisfied with the black and have about 6 nibs to interchange in it.

Greg,

I was perusing your spread. What is up with the gray pencil? Fourth from the left in the row.

Todd

Ok, I'll play the odd man out here.

I'm collecting Esties that I enjoy looking at and using. I really don't have any desire (right now anyway)
to have a huge stack of pens that I'll never use. I would rather hold out and pay a little more for an
unusally patterned pen than to just chalk up another "got that one in that color" even though it may be just a
"run of the mill" example.

That pickiness is prolly the only thing keeping my "addiction" at any kind of bay for the moment.

I was very lucky to meet one of the restorers here (Hi Toulouse!) that not only do I trust, but I've come to feel
of as a friend who not only I think understands what I like in Esties, but is very patient in helping me muddle my
way through this "hobby".

He and I had somewhat of an interesting exchange recently about one certain pen. It was (IIRC) a gray J that
contrary to so many that advertise NOS, apparently really was. It was an absolutely beautiful pen BEFORE Todd
did his thing to it and even more so afterwards. Funny thing was, I had not the slightest desire to have it. To me
pens are made to not just LOOK at, but to be used. I would much rather have one that has had some use, has
been taken good care of and then transformed back to as nice as it can be reasonably made to be. Having an
Estie that is pristine because it spent it's life entombed in the back of some desk drawer just doesn't appeal to me.

(Funny, it's the same way I feel about motorcycles. I'd rather see one in reasonable shape with a ton of miles on
it that I KNOW someone has thoroughly enjoyed that see some 10 year old garage queen that someone has just
for the sake "of having".)

Right now, I have a Pearl Gray SJ, a Copper LJ and a Blue J enroute. Both the LJ and SJ live for now in a 2 pen case and get used every day. I suspect that daily use case will always have at least one if not two Esties in it. The LJ's and J's fit my hand better so that's what I'll "concentrate" on for now. There's also couple of the colors that just don't really "do it" for me (the green and red for example) I'll prolly have them before it's "all over", but they will have to be somewhat unusually patterned before I'll be "adopting" them.

Color me weird I guess...

Bruce in Ocala, FL

Hey Todd,
Are you referring to the "stubby" dollar pencil? That's the only one I can think would elicit a "what's up with" inquiry.
I don't know the deal with this one. I picked it up (where else) on ebay a couple years ago. it was inexpensive, and I didn't look that closely when I bid. I was working to fill out the pencil gaps in my collection, and just grabbed it. It wasn't presented as anything but an Esterbrook pencil. Only after it arrived did I realize how short it is. I've never seen another, and tend to assume that these things are later end-user experiments than anything rare/uncataloged/prototypey.
The mechanism and imprint is exactly what I would expect, so I really don't know what to think.
Here is a picture of the stubby pencil next to a standard size dollar pencil.



Best regards, greg

Greg,

That would be the one. Certainly looks like it is correct. I guess you need the other 5 colors and I need all 6. (Brian likely has all 6 in both cap variants.) This of course opens up a whole new Estie Race.

Will you be at the next PPPC? I'd like to see this one.

Todd

I'll be there, and I'll bring this pencil.
Take care, greg