Ok, so I just got my new Estie Blue J in the mail from and E-bay dealer. It has a Gregg nib, which is smooth and less fine than I had imagined. I like it a lot.

The clip is tight, but bent to the right at a slight angle, just to the amount that if you were to follow its line you would probably hit just on the inside edge of the bottom jewel. The dealer didn't mention it.

I was surprised by a slight sense of petty disappointment, since it is a fine pen, and hey, I could be just the kind of guy to end up doing that myself by accident, so better it should come to me than to someone else.

So, am I being silly to care about this detail for a pen from Fleabay?
Should I give a good review to the dealer, who I think is reputable but did not notice, but send a private not suggesting that this would be a useful detail?

Or should I just get a life, shut up, and get back to writing?

Best,
Mars

Don't sweat it Marsilius, just bend it back until it's true.

Regards,

Gerry

You may be able to bend it back, but be carefull as too much "flex" can crack the jewel. Your best bet is to press down on the jewel while pressing the clip back into position. If it is a tri-ribbed jewel you are golden, it will unscrew and allow you to straighten the clip with ease.

They bend back pretty easy, it is the ones that are sprung out that can break off. I have straightened many that were bent this way without harm.

I wouldn't feel nuerotic about being disappointed. This was one of my biggest frustrations with ebay initially right up there with bent or broken nibs, uninformed sellers just don't mention this stuff.

I have made a tool for myself to straighted non-screw in jewel J series. Basically it's a thin wooden dowel that I whittled a flat spot in that is a bit thicker than the gap under the clip. When inserted under the clip assembly it lifts the clip and jewel upward allowing the clip to be bent back toward the cap body. The wood is softer than the pen's celluloid so it won't dent the cap and the clip can be bent back into it's factory shape without removing the jewel and clip rivet. The disadvantage to this method is that some pens clips are more resilient than others and it is not uncommon to find a pen clip that just won't stay tight anymore.

Also you may want to compare clip shapes to other J series pens in your collection. Later full J pens have a pronounces bump at their tops near the jewel that earlier full Js and all LJs and SJs do not. If you are really a perfectionist I would match the bump size and profile against another J till I declared it fixed...

Adam

Interesting replies, and more specifically about discussions with vendor and your feedback,
was there a picture that shows you were bidding/buying bent clip?
Sounds like there wasn't, isn't that close to ... deceptive?

FWIW I am new to vintage and have only received 1 Esterbrook J
and it was from ebay. It is on it's way back to vendor for better example
(nib/section ink leak and slight rattle
even though as good of suction as any of my aerometrics).

David

Sounds like it was "not as described."

Thanks for the helpful replies and cool tips. Actually here is a picture and just clear enough that I probably should have noticed. In the end I am doing fine with it, and think it is pretty ok.
FYI, here it is, if I can post it correctly. Should have posted this before!:
Best and Thanks,
Mars

Cool! I may not be that much of a perfectionist, but am curious to go look now!
Mars

If it was sold as "restored" that should have been fixed. I don't know if it warrants neg feedback since it is pretty minor, but I'm not sure if I would deal with that seller again. If it was "as is" that type of thing is to be expected.