I was irked to hear Esterbrook being described as a maker of third tier pens and thought that a response was warranted so here is the Esterbrook Appreciation thread.
In the past twenty years I have seen a great number of pens and many pens have passed through the doors of my humble little workshop. I am always impressed with these rugged and brightly coloured pens that never seem to need much of anything but a fresh sac and a little cleaning up to get them working.
From a repairer/restorer's point of view it's a good thing that all pens were not made this way or I would have very little to do. I consider the build quality to be first rate on the J series and most of their predecessors. Like every company, they made a few gaffs but for the most part, they were consistent in making a quality product.
On the well known J series pens...
The barrel and cap material is exceptionally resilient and in normal use it's unlikely that a J series pen will develop any significant posting wear or scratches. My copper J has been in constant daily use for 2 years and looks as good as when it arrived as an NOS pen. In comparison, my black Pelikan M200 has only been here for a few months, gets used much less often, and it has already started to show posting marks.
From a writer's standpoint one can install one of a wide variety of nibs into their Esterbrook to make the pen suit your specific needs. The Durachrome nibs are seemingly immune to wear and their tipping is one of the hardest tipping materials I have ever worked on.
A copper J (not mine).I also love that each Esterbrook J series is unique and that no two are exactly alike.
When people ask me what kind of vintage pen they should get started with I almost always say, "Esterbrook" because I know if they get a J series they will get a fountain pen with a classic design, good looks, and steady performance.
If I was to toss a handful of pens on a table that included my copper J, it would probably be the first pen anyone noticed. When I have had a number of pens on my desk (which is often) people stopping there inevitably point out the pretty copper coloured pen.
My son loves his black Esterbrook LJ and I gave it to him knowing it was a pen that could stand up to the rigours that a ten year old boy could put on a pen. He surprised me as has actually taken exceptionally good care of this pen and it even has a special place in his room where it "sleeps".
They simply have a charm that many other pens don't and for many, that first Esterbrook is just the start of many more to follow.
Cheers!
But it's nice to see that it has more proponents than just me.
)
There is a difference between those two colours! 
