Jump to content

Esterbrook J-Bar And Spacer


RedRinger

Recommended Posts

Hi Everyone,

 

I'm in the middle of restoring some Esterbrook SJs, and learning more all the time of course -- I will post photos of the final product, which I promise will be a set of lookers!

 

Wouldn't you know one of the J-bars was broken, and came out with sac pieces in a heap. There was something else in there I wasn't expecting, and thanks to other posts I've learned it's a spacer for proper positioning and to prevent the J-bar from creeping back into the barrel away from the lever's...lever-ing action.

 

In advance of jumping into pen repair I realized a strong and tiny LED light would be useful, and then I discovered they came with cameras attached :yikes:

So here are some photos of my J-bar mess, followed by two with spacers in situ behind the J of the J-bar. Enjoy!

(I hadn't yet set the date or time on the camera!)

 

Matt

 

fpn_1542578583__esterbrookjbarspacer1.jp

 

fpn_1542578601__esterbrookjbarspacer2.jp

 

fpn_1542578622__esterbrookjbarspacer3.jp

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 4
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • RedRinger

    2

  • Tom Heath

    1

  • pajaro

    1

  • BaronWulfraed

    1

I had forgotten about the charms of restoring these pens. The J series are fairly easy to work with, and I learned a great deal from them. The way in which these pens fit together is at once simple and ingenuous. Thank you for your information about the lights.

"Don't hurry, don't worry. It's better to be late at the Golden Gate than to arrive in Hell on time."
--Sign in a bar and grill, Ormond Beach, Florida, 1960.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm beginning to think I should offer prayers of thanks...

 

I found an Esterbrook at a local antique store. It looked quite clean (especially compared to the snorkel next to it that had the two-tone plating of the nib rotting away). I took a chance and bought the Esterbrook, expecting to make it my "learn to replace a sac" pen. ($20 for a clean looking pen -- half of that would the cost of a nib unit) But before dismantling it, I took a chance to see what it would do with pen flush solution.

 

Joy -- it drew liquid, and expelled it. Not much color came with it. I've been using for Sudoku puzzles (along with the other inked pens) for nearly two weeks now.

 

Took some research to learn it is an LJ variant. I just swapped the 2xxx nib with a 9xxx nib (I had a few nibs that I'd bought off eBay years ago in conjunction with a few Dip-Less systems).

Edited by BaronWulfraed
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...

Looks like you are on the right track

 

Could you furnish us with some details on your small light w. Digital camera ability

I really liked and appreciate your photos too

Tom

penfancier1915@hotmail.com

 

Tom Heath

 

Peace be with you . Hug your loved ones today

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks like you are on the right track

 

Could you furnish us with some details on your small light w. Digital camera ability

I really liked and appreciate your photos too

Tom

 

 

Hi Tom,

 

Glad you liked the photos!

 

The camera was purchased from Amazon, and it is the "Teslong Short Focus Endoscope, 1.5~2cm Focal Length Barrel Borescope Inspection Camera with 0.21inch Waterproof Gooseneck, 3.5inch LCD Screen, 6 LED Lights, 2600mAh Lithium-Ion Battery, Tool Box." It was $114, and honestly I can't believe how relatively inexpensive that is compared to others out there, and for what this one does.

 

When considering something like this for pens, I discovered it's very important to get one with a short focal length -- even this camera is sometimes difficult to use when you get to the end of a barrel inside, but this particular model has the shortest focal length of all the ones I saw available.

 

I can't tell you how many times in the past few weeks I've used it either as just a light to shine down a barrel, or to take a virtual trip inside a barrel or cap. I've used it to help locate and remove stubborn pieces of calcified sac, or to diagnose a wonky J-bar. At one point I was able to visualize Richard Binder's diagram of a Waterman's lever removal, but from the inside of the pen itself! Really a thrill, and so useful.

 

Matt

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33501
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26627
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...