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Esterbrook J Double Jewel Full Size circa 1950


EventHorizon

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First of all I have borrowed "smooth as butah" from paircon01 which I think he borrowed it from somewhere else but the description fits.

 

The J Double Jewel in Copper which is 4th from the top in the first set of pictures was purchased about 3 months ago from E-Bay and I just started using it today.

 

Size

 

The pen measures 5-1/16" (128.5 mm) capped and 6-1/2" (165.1 mm) posted. The diameter of the barrel is 1/2" (12.7 mm). The pen, when full of ink, weighs 0.57 ounces (16.2 grams). The pen by no means will wear you out during a long day of taking notes.

 

Nib

 

The nib is a 2668 Firm Medium for "General Writing". The line is what I would consider a "healthy" medium and puts down a fatter line than my Pelikan M200 or Lamy Al-Star mediums (but not by much). The nib is very smooth and as the ink is layed to paper there is no skipping or excess. I have noticed that this nib does require that you hold the pen in a more particular way as to much of an angle will cause the nib to become "toothy". I just filled it this morning so I am not sure how long the ink will last but I have filled one and a half pages with notes during work.

 

I have attached pictures and a pdf file to demonstrate the lines and I apologize for the poor quality of the picture. Please also pardon the grammatical errors in the photo as I did not feel like taking another picture. If you have a favorite Esterbrook, I would recommend this nib if you have not tried it yet but please note, if you are a F or XF nib kinda person, it will not be for you.

Edited by EventHorizon

Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.

Isaac Asimov, Salvor Hardin in "Foundation"

US science fiction novelist & scholar (1920 - 1992)

 

There is probably no more terrible instant of enlightenment than the one in which you discover your father is a man--with human flesh.

Frank Herbert, Dune

US science fiction novelist (1920 - 1986)

 

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I have a couple of Esties, too, and they are good and reliable. Is the pen in the picture warped or is this the effect of the photographic lens?

 

 

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This is a nice review. Thank you.

 

Esties are great pens for the money. aren't they? I really like the copper color, too. I just wish someone would make a good pen like them today. Fortunately, there are enough good examples of Esties to keep us happy for years to come.

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I have a couple of Esties, too, and they are good and reliable. Is the pen in the picture warped or is this the effect of the photographic lens?

 

The pen is not warped. I think it's due to my digital camera abilities :headsmack:

 

Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.

Isaac Asimov, Salvor Hardin in "Foundation"

US science fiction novelist & scholar (1920 - 1992)

 

There is probably no more terrible instant of enlightenment than the one in which you discover your father is a man--with human flesh.

Frank Herbert, Dune

US science fiction novelist (1920 - 1986)

 

My Pens on Flikr

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Lol "They are free at work".

:lol:

Edited by deitic_nib
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I just got my first Esterbrook J (blue, firm fine 2556 nib) from Richard Binder yesterday, and it writes wonderfully.

"For it is the Doom of Men that they forget." - Merlin, Excalibur

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  • 2 months later...

I just got an Esterbrook double jeweled red J off of Ebay. It works and it writes smoother than any other pen I own! It is also a 2668 nib. I like fine points but being left-handed they tend to be scratchy, This is the smoothest nib I have. Love the pen!

PMS :roflmho:

When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty -Thomas Jefferson

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It's a funny thing: I like how they feel in my hand, I like the proportions, but somehow, I find them too toothy. It's a pen I'd love to love as a daily user, but somehow just can't :-(.

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extrafine, which nibs have you tried?

 

You should be able to find a NOS 9556 which should be quite smooth (and if need be, you could send it off to have it adjusted).

 

William

 

 

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The kraft paper trick works well on my esterbrook nibs - be careful, it works fast! just a few circles...

 

Then again, I've ruined some fine nibs with my attempts at smoothing...

Watermans Flex Club & Sheaffer Lifetime Society Member

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It's a funny thing: I like how they feel in my hand, I like the proportions, but somehow, I find them too toothy. It's a pen I'd love to love as a daily user, but somehow just can't :-(.

 

Let me echo the others: If you get a 9000-series iridium-pointed nib, you discover that your Esterbrook is transformed. They are terrific -- the best deal for the money.

Edited by nigeldun
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The first pen I bought off of ebay, more than a few years ago, was a black Estie J. It wasn't a great pen, but it was cheap and I started down the repair road with advice from Frank Dubiel and Hal Arnold on ac-pp. It was also the first vintage pen I owned - and still own. It was my third fp in modern times (since Jr. High and Sheaffer school pens). The Estie is to blame for my current obsessed state. I suppose I have more than a couple dozen Esties - I'll have to count them sometime. The are great pens, especially for the price. I picked up a nice red J, double jewel w/2668 nib awhile back at an auction - it still has the original sac and while I understand it's a time bomb, it's very supple and working fine. the nib is as smooth as any I own and it just doesn't dry out, even after laying in the desk drawer for weeks at a time. I've not even take the time to polish it beyond a quick wipe. Everyone needs an Estie or two or three or....

May we live, not by our fears but by our hopes; not by our words but by our deeds; not by our disappointments but by our dreams.

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it still has the original sac and while I understand it's a time bomb, it's very supple and working fine.

 

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who's left the original sac in an Estie - it just somehow doesn't seem right to pull it out. :roflmho:

 

For those who don't know, one of the chief attractions of Esties is the interchageable nibs (that and their semi-idustructability and timeless understated design). I've got a left oblique broad stub coming to swap into my copper J. The nib is NOS in orginal box, so I can't wait to give it a spin (I've got my pen flushed and ready to go, just waiting on the postman).

 

 

Dave

Edited by Dave Johannsen
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  • 3 months later...

I've just moved a 9668 nib onto my Estie "J" and am very happy with its smooth, medium line. I've got it loaded with Quink Green and am using it as my Holiday Card signing pen! It's Perfect for the application. I am also happy with the ease of nib changing on these pens - just twist off one nib, wash it out, and move it onto the next pen.

Edited by Robert Hughes

The moment we want to believe something, we suddenly see all the arguments for it, and become blind to the arguments against it.

 

~ Bernard Shaw.

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