First Icicle. A Little More Info?

[AAAndrew]

so we stopped at a random antique mall today and there was a whole dealer of antique pens. I ended up getting a green icicle, my first. It's a Made in USA green with the inscription around the barrel rather than along the barrel. It is sporting a Broad nib in good shape. Not a sumgai price at $48 including tax. It has a flexible sac but I'm going to replace it anyway so I know how old it is.

 

Questions.

So, what years could this be from?

Are there differences in quality or value between the Mexico vs. USA pens?

Do all the icicles have the wrap-around inscription?

 

Wanting to learn more and loving my new green beauty. It's going to use the new J. Herb in Emerald ink, especially with the Broad nib.

 

No pictures at the moment as I'm out of town.

 

Thanks!

[gweimer1]

Pics? I've had a black Esterbrook with the imprint wrapped around, and I believe these were later models, and not quite as high quality as the older ones.

[Tom Heath]

What a nice subject for a Sunday afternoon

Congrat's on your recent find

 

I pulled out my main box of ESTY Icicles and found about 1/2 of them do not have a barrel imprint at all

 

A Green on has the imprint around the barrel most made in USA a couple made in Mexico

 

Happy hunting

 

 

Tom

[sd10521]

That's a nice little collection you have going there.

And thanks of the close up and education.

[AAAndrew]

I'll get some better pictures when I get home this evening. We just got back from our long weekend last night at 1:00 am and I have to go into work this morning so please excuse the lousy initial picture. But here the whole pen. The inscription is just like Tom's.

 

 

The other fun thing which is a first for me with Esterbrooks (not hard to do) is the nib. I've seen nibs with black collars and green collars, but this is my first transparent collar. It's an Esterbrook Broad nib. (no number, just the word.)

 

 

the pen shows only drawer wear and the nib bled no ink when I soaked it last night.

 

The lever is also a little different, it's just straight with no shovel or fan or whatever the two main shapes are called.

 

 

Like I said, I'll get some better pictures, hopefully tonight.

[mmg122]

Nice find, AAAndrew...regarding the lever, I just checked my Icicles (all US) and they all have the spoon type levers. Could yours have had the lever replaced? I don't know if all Icicles were spoon type levers or if it differed between Mexico and U.S.

Green is the most vibrant of all the Icicles, IMO.

Enjoy your new pen.

[AAAndrew]

I wondered about the lever as well. It doesn't seem like a replacement, and the pen seems to be in nice enough shape that it would seem unlikely it would have needed a replaced lever.

 

I suspect that by that point in Esterbrook history, with production in Mexico and the US and whatnot, a different lever could have snuck in. It looks similar to the levers on the CX-100 pens by Esterbrook.

 

Or it could have been a replacement.

 

It matters not, I'm loving it, and can't wait to fill it with Herbin Emerald Chivor.

[MxMJ]

I don't think the lever is a replacement, yours is just a very late pen from when they were trying to cut costs.

[pajaro]

It's a late pen. I have the copper or woodsicle colored pen with the same lever. It's a late edition. I like the green color better. Lucky you.

[Tom Heath]

At the Great DC Show this past weekend I bought a somewhat scarce Redish Icicle ,

what I found interesting is the apparently Translucency of the Plastic

 

Hope the pictures show it.

 

I did not find a point of manufacture either

[AAAndrew]

Now I'm going to have to hold my green one up to a light. I'm sure they were playing with plastics at the time.

 

Does the impression just not say "made in..." anywhere? And is it perpendicular to the line of the pen, or parallel to the line of the pen?

 

Interesting.

[Tom Heath]

Okay

 

So you made me look at more of my Icicles

 

I have found more translucency in my Rust, my blues too I too many to check them all just now

But the lack of a " made in USA or Mexico " definitely is interesting , on at least two pens

 

I have found made in lengthwise as well as wrap around on the barrel

My green allows for no light

 

So have a great day, fondling your Esties

[jdllizard]

Okay

 

So you made me look at more of my Icicles

 

I have found more translucency in my Rust, my blues too I too many to check them all just now

But the lack of a " made in USA or Mexico " definitely is interesting , on at least two pens

 

I have found made in lengthwise as well as wrap around on the barrel

My green allows for no light

 

So have a great day, fondling your Esties

 

 

Haven't checked mine for transparency yet. I have one icicle of each color except grey, still hunting for a grey to complete my icicle collection. (I just want to collect one of each color, don't care where they were made)

[Tom Heath]

_{need a gray icicle}

 

_{Email me I possibly can help you}

_{penfancier1915@hotmail.com}

[jdllizard]

Email sent!