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Esterbrook Bell System Property Question


thaugen

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I just bought my first "Bell System Property" Esterbrook. I really like this pen. It's in excellent condition. I installed a new sac and put a NOS 1551 nib on the pen.

 

It appears to be a "LJ" sized pen. Were all the Bell Esterbrooks "LJ" size or did they come in "J" and "SJ" as well? Just wondering how much more time I need to spend hunting down Bell Esties...

 

Thanks in advance for sharing your Esterbrook wisdom with a newbie!

 

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5179/5393702308_bc1f1ce5a7_z.jpg

"There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice." -John Calvin

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Mostly J's in black, but some LJ's, don't recall having seen any SJ's, but perhaps Todd can chime in. Also there were desk pens (black with clear taper) and then just to through a monkey wrench in things I have seen a J in red.

 

Oh, they also came in a special box too. Managed to pick one up recently.

 

Cheers!

Brian

www.esterbrook.net All Esterbrook, All the Time.
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Greetings thaugen,

 

Congratulations! You have the next Estie I would like to get... once I have a J marked for the Bell System, my collection will be complete...

 

:ltcapd:

 

All the best,

 

Sean :)

aka, The Cowardly Lion of Estie-Land ;)

Edited by S. P. Colfer

https://www.catholicscomehome.org/

 

"Every one therefore that shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father Who is in Heaven." - MT. 10:32

"Any society that will give up liberty to gain security deserves neither and will lose both." - Ben Franklin

Thank you Our Lady of Prompt Succor & St. Jude.

 

 

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I have found one in my town with a matching pencil, it seems to be an oddly purplish color. I will have to go and investigate if it is still at the antique mall.

The Pen Is Mightier than the sword.

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Mostly J's in black, but some LJ's, don't recall having seen any SJ's, but perhaps Todd can chime in. Also there were desk pens (black with clear taper) and then just to through a monkey wrench in things I have seen a J in red.

 

Oh, they also came in a special box too. Managed to pick one up recently.

 

Cheers!

Brian

I don't have an SJ Skunk but that doesn't mean they don't exist.

 

There are also New Jersey Bell pens as well as the full compliment of pencils.

 

Somewhere I have a shipping box with 5 of the 6 pens still sealed in boxes.

 

It is possible the red one you saw was once mine. In a moment of weakness I let mine go.

 

Todd

San Francisco International Pen Show - The next “Funnest Pen Show” is on schedule for August 23-24-25, 2024.  Watch the show website for registration details. 
 

My PM box is usually full. Just email me: my last name at the google mail address.

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Oh, and if you want to go relative, I have seen AT&T marked pens on HR dollar pens too.

 

And I have a distant cousin, New York Telephone Co.

Best Regards
Paul


“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
– Albert Einstein

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Oh, and if you want to go relative, I have seen AT&T marked pens on HR dollar pens too.

 

And I have a distant cousin, New York Telephone Co.

You guys are killing me. Now I need to find a set of these.

 

It never ends.

 

T

San Francisco International Pen Show - The next “Funnest Pen Show” is on schedule for August 23-24-25, 2024.  Watch the show website for registration details. 
 

My PM box is usually full. Just email me: my last name at the google mail address.

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For what it's worth, I've got paper with a Bell Telephone watermark:

Only to written on with a Bell Systems Esterbrook.

 

Todd

San Francisco International Pen Show - The next “Funnest Pen Show” is on schedule for August 23-24-25, 2024.  Watch the show website for registration details. 
 

My PM box is usually full. Just email me: my last name at the google mail address.

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Thanks for all the helpful information.

"There is not one blade of grass, there is no color in this world that is not intended to make us rejoice." -John Calvin

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  • 1 month later...

I carry two Bells with me and LOVE them. I work at the University and have found that the black attracts less attention from the horrible people who want to try a fountain pen and then crush them into the paper like they are Bics.

 

On a side note: I found another cousin: US Marine Corps Camp Lejeune in a gorgeous red. Paid way too much but had to have the Semper Fi. :thumbup:

A penny for the old guy.

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Cool catch! I would love to see a photo of the US Marines one when you get it. I'm up to 3 Bell Systems now: two J's and an LJ, and I just added a AAA imprint one that I should have in a few days.

Steve. Just plain ol' Steve.

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Cool catch! I would love to see a photo of the US Marines one when you get it. I'm up to 3 Bell Systems now: two J's and an LJ, and I just added a AAA imprint one that I should have in a few days.

Your AAA one is cool. (I guess the picture of it is in another post.) :headsmack:

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  • 2 years later...

I found two of these today at an estate sale. Nibs are marked "ESTERBROOK 9556". What's the deal with these? Do people actually seek them out or is this a "tongue in cheek" thing. I'm new here so forgive my ignorance.

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It's kinda sorta a Rite of Passage. A Veteran Esty-ite is one who has or has had at least one "large corporate" or memorable group Esty in their stash (whether in-use or tucked away in that box or case that rarely sees the light of day). Nothing official, mind you, just a tradition that's developed over the years ... for some ....

Best Regards
Paul


“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
– Albert Einstein

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