Esterbrook Icicles.

[antoniosz]

Can we talk about these beautiful pens here?

 

I am interested to know:

 

a) how many colors do they exist (5?)

were they made in diffent dimensions. I have seen them in the LJ size. Someone told me that there is a shorter SJ version of them - is this true?

c) maybe we can also talk about the imprints - they are all over the place, some along the barrel and some around it, some made in USA, made in England, and made in Mexico.

 

Is there a link/document that contains relevant information?

 

 

AZ

Edited February 10, 2005 by antoniosz

[Brian Anderson]

Can we talk about these beautiful pens here?

 

I am interested to know:

 

a) how many colors do they exist (5?)

were they made in diffent dimensions. I have seen them in the LJ size. Someone told me that there is a shorter SJ version of them - is this true?

c) maybe we can also talk about the imprints - they are all over the place, some along the barrel and some around it,  some made in USA, made in England, and made in Mexico. 

 

Is there a link/document that contains relevant information?

 

 

AZ

Antonios-

 

There are actually six different icicles. The black version is extremely rare and hard to find.

 

 

http://www.esterbrook.net/images/icicles.jpg

 

There are indeed SJ models, and they came in a couple different configurations. Most common is the standard LJ/SJ double jewel with spoon lever. Then there's a nearly identical model with that later short lever(early 1960's perhaps) then finally working their way into the "USA Esterbrook" clip and short lever. These models are a little different plastic design than the earlier models, but still icicle in appearance. My coper looks more like woodgrain, but close enough.

 

As for imprints, those with the short lever seem to have imprints running along the barrel by the cap, those with more traditional spoon style levers have more traditional imprints. Icicles made in Mexico ("Hecho in Mexico Marca Reg.") seem to be more common than any other model from that country.

 

I'd love to see an English marked icicle, as plastic coloring was slightly different in the UK for some other models. Do you have an english model? Is the plastic different than US models?

 

I've never seen a desk pen, so I don't know if they even exist, and pencils are quite hard to find, but would love to see photos if anyone has any.

 

 

 

Best-

Brian

[antoniosz]

Brian thanks for the info. Below is a picture of my icicles - My photography is below average with respect to colors. From lright to left:

 

Grey from Mexico

Grey no imprint

Green no imprint / conic top jewel

Brown from USA

Blue from Mexico (funny lever - look how short is the lever slot)

Blue from England - definitely lighter in color than the Mexican one. But when few months ago I had a USA made one it was also lighter (I am not sure how it compares with the English one. In general I find the Mexican icicles to have much more vivid colors.

Red from USA - sorry it turned when I got the picture and I missed the lever.

Red icicle? Nor sure. The top is icicl-ish but the bodi is solid dark red made in England. Strange lever. Also bulging at the lever ring - not usual.

The last two are not icicles but I thought you might like them. Solid colors from England

 

Comments welcome!

 

PS> I assume that the eyedropper arrived safely ...

 

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/azavalia/FPN/ici.jpg

[Maja]

I've never seen a desk pen, so I don't know if they even exist, and pencils are quite hard to find, but would love to see photos if anyone has any.

 

 

 

Best-

Brian

Brian,

 

Do you have a very rough idea of what a grey Esterbrook "icicle" pencil---not sure of the size since I traded it away to another pen collector already--would go for, these days? It was in excellent condition, no chips, etc. What sizes did the Esterbrook "icicle" pencils come in? (just one size and width, or something similar to the J/LJ/SJ models for the pens)

 

The person to whom I gave it (several months ago) has yet to give me something back in return, and I am wondering what it's worth in trade

 

Thanks in advance,

Maja

 

 

Oh, very nice pens, Antonios!

[antoniosz]

Maja thanks for your kind words, and I am sure that Brian will provide his knowledge when he gets the time. At the same time look at this auciton that just finished. where both an SJ icicle and a icicle pencil where included. I consider the buyer a sumgai. This seller has been unloading some awesome Esterbrook pens. I am sure if Brian knew about these auctions he could be after them. My guess is that the pencil should be $40-80. But I will defer to Brian for a more authoritative view.

 

 

AZ

[Spodieman]

Here's an Esterbrook desk pen on ebay at the moment:

 

Desky Estie

[antoniosz]

I see the red "tail" desk pen. But is it an icicle? I can not see from the photo.

 

AZ

[Brian Anderson]

Nice collection of icicles Antonios. I had forgotten about the pointed jewel (ala ballpoint) icicles. Interesting short lever on that blue mexican model. You've got a few in there I don't have, including the UK solid green. I've got a matching solid red coming over from the UK soon.

 

Pencils are indeed hard to find and I'd say antonios's estimate on price is fairly accurate. I'd expect a minimum to be in the $40-65 range.

 

I saw the auctions from one-light. Nice stuff, but unfortunately, when you start bundling that many nice pens into one lot, the price goes way, way up. I've also got almost all the pens he's been auctioning off, so I can't justify spending big bucks just to get one pencil or one variant I don't yet have. Yeah, I could sell the rest off, but when it comes to esties, all too often when they come in, they never leave. Plus, I'm saving my money for the Chicago pen show, which will be here before you know it.

 

I guess I wasn't clear in my original post, I guess I should have said, "I've never seen an esterbrook icicle desk pen" No, the one at auction isn't an icicle, and I've got plenty of common estie desk pens to proove they exist

 

Best-

Brian

 

P.S. Antonios- Yes, the eyedropper arrived safely, thank you very much. Work has been brutal lately and I barely have time to sit down to write this, much less check ebay and all the pen boards. -B

[Maja]

Thank you for your help gentlemen

 

I am in one of those situations where I've given broad hints (in a serious but friendly way) to the person that got my Estie pencil last March (!)

(he still hasn't given me anything in return) but it's gotten me nowhere He's been to three mutual pen meet-ups since the trade (and he knew I'd be at all three) but the only thing he's brought in trade is a semi-modern Sheaffer ballpoint and pencil! He knows I don't collect ballpoints, so why?

 

Normally, this kind of thing doesn't bother me, but I feel like asking for the pencil back if he doesn't have anything to give me next time....I said I like Sheaffers (and he doesn't collect them) but that I like all types of fountain pens (and I know he's purchased some Sheaffers since the trade) so why doesn't he offer me something else? Am I being unreasonable?

[KendallJ]

can someone help me out here. What makes these "icicles"? They looks like regular J's to me.

[antoniosz]

Maybe someone more knowledgeable will clarify the origin of the name "icicle", i.e., whether it was official company term or more recent collector invented name. Icicles are the pens with lines along the sides of the barrel and cap. Regular models would have a marble effect. My theory is that the icicles were injection molded slowly and the laminar flow preserved the injection pattern along the length while the regular models were injection molded fast - so the turbulant flow makes the pattern "messy" - but this is an unproved theory

 

AZ

[KendallJ]

hmmm. my grey SJ is marbly and has lines running down it. Does that make it an icicle?

[antoniosz]

Sometimes the regular J, SJ, LJ, seem like icicles in one spot but the icicles have the lines (some call them panels) all the way around.

 

AZ

[Maja]

Now I'm not sure if the pencil was an Esterbrook Icicle or a regular J/SJ/LJ type! In any case, I shall endeavour to get something in trade for my pencil

[ximhot]

So Isicles are rare? I have one red (I would say it is plum) LJ isicle made in USA. I didn't pay more than a regular LJ marble Esty. It is beautiful. Should I hold it tight and not let others grab it from me?

Edited September 23, 2015 by ximhot

[welch]

So Isicles are rare? I have one red (I would say it is plum) LJ isicle made in USA. I didn't pay more than a regular LJ marble Esty. It is beautiful. Should I hold it tight and not let others grab it from me?

 

 

Hold it but use it. They seem rare. I got one for a low price because no one else bid. It happens that I like the feel of the LJ, so it's good, but there is nothing dazzling about the color.

 

I think the material might be thinner than the previous version of SJ, LJ, and J, so they might be more fragile, but that's just a guess based on old memory.

 

Perhaps Hobiwan or an Anderson could tell us more about the icicle: when made, why, why so many (all?) were made in Mexico, when Esterbrook replaced it, and what model replaced it.

 

"Perhaps" because I think the company records went into a dump in the late '60s. I'd guess that what we know about Esterbrook comes from collecting the pens and sorting them against advertisements. Research is not as easy as researching Parker.

[Brian Anderson]

Perhaps Hobiwan or an Anderson could tell us more about the icicle: when made, why, why so many (all?) were made in Mexico, when Esterbrook replaced it, and what model replaced it.

Icicle pens, as they are now called by collectors, were made in the US, Mexico, and Canada as far as I know. I have not seen them with any other country markings. Possibly England, but not at the pen chest at the moment. At this point in time Esterbrook was making other models, so there really wasn't anything that replaced it per se, it was an additional model.