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Esterbrook University: Semester 6, How I Restore Esterbrooks

alanlight

By alanlight
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melissa59 Extremely Rare

melissa59

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Thank you for this video. I have five or six Esterbrook pens that need new sacs. I purchased the supplies from Anderson Pens years ago but have been too chicken to attempt taking my pens apart. I have a 2020 resolution list and learning how to replace Esterbrook sacs is at the top. I never considered removing and cleaning/replacing the j-bars. I'll be referring back to this video when I finally sit down to learn.

 

BTW, I followed the link to the YouTube page and noticed the music is by a Dan Light, I'm guessing he is related to you. Your son? If so, you must be a proud papa!
I enjoyed sampling his music: https://www.danlightmusic.com/ and viewing some of his accomplishments: www.imdb.com/name/nm6682406/

"You have to be willing to be very, very bad in this business if you're ever to be good. Only if you stand ready to make mistakes today can you hope to move ahead tomorrow."

Dwight V. Swain, author of Techniques of the Selling Writer.

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alanlight Rare

alanlight

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BTW, I followed the link to the YouTube page and noticed the music is by a Dan Light, I'm guessing he is related to you. Your son? If so, you must be a proud papa!

I enjoyed sampling his music: https://www.danlightmusic.com/ and viewing some of his accomplishments: www.imdb.com/name/nm6682406/

Yes, that's my son who wrote the music in the intro.

Thanks for noticing!

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inkstainedruth Ancient Artifact

inkstainedruth

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Posted (edited)

I'm the same as melissa59. I have 16 Esties (plus some extra nib units). And I have at least 6 sacs (purchased from the Anderson Pens table at my first pen show), plus the talc and glue and and some tools -- I even have a couple of replacement levers, just in case.... But I've never gotten around to even testing to see if most of the pens even work (other than my first one, a black SJ with a 1555 Gregg nib) and one that I was checking the nib unit on about a year ago to send to someone since I had ended up with duplicates of the nib.

Hmm. Guess I have a New Year's Resolution after all. Actually sitting down and watching a bunch of videos and really making myself do it this year....

So thanks for this thread. It may have given me the kick in the butt I needed....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

ETA For "glue" read "shellac" -- I was spacing on the word because it's been a long day. Ironically, I spotted a grey Estie J and what I think was a copper Dollar pen, along with some other pens, in an antiques or thrift store in Alliance, Ohio on Saturday afternoon (there are four places within a block or two of each other along the main drag). Passed on the the grey because it had a nib I already had (9460, IIRC); passed on the copper because it had a 1551 nib and wasn't in the greatest shape otherwise; passed on the other pens in the case because they were in various stages of disrepair (damaged or broken tines, missing cap bands, etc.) and/or were too expensive for the condition they were in, IMO -- at least for me, since I'd have to factor in repair costs.

Edited by inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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corgicoupe Collectors Item

corgicoupe

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You probably already have all the colors, but if not why concern yourself if one you don't have has a nib that you do have? You may stumble on an interesting nib and you already have a pen to put it in. Sac replacement is quite easy and multiple working pens allow you to easily compare nibs. I think I have 13 working pens and perhaps 8-10 duplicate nibs, which allows for possible modification.

Baptiste knew how to make a short job long

For love of it. And yet not waste time either.

Robert Frost

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inkstainedruth Ancient Artifact

inkstainedruth

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I actually do have at least one of the grey ones already, and a pen with a 9460 nib. I have at least one of each of the main colors (red, blue, green, grey, brown -- including both what are referred to on here as "copper" and "root beer" -- and black; all three sizes of the J pens (J, LJ, and SJ, plus a couple of "toaster top" transitional J pens); and all of the 9xxx series nibs except 9312 Italic and the (possibly mythical, possibly a typo, possibly real) 9650 Medium Manifold, plus a few 2xxx series nibs (both on pens and otherwise, a few Osmiroid nibs, and the the first Estie I ever found in the wild -- the black SJ with the 1555 nib -- and for a folded over nib it's not a bad writer...). I also would dearly love to find an affordable 8440 Superfine Cartography nib -- if for no other reason that I promised my husband one of the J pens once it was checked out and re-sacced/repaired if needed; and I don't know if any of the EF nibs will suit "Mr. Bic Fine Point"....

The nice thing about the vintage Esties, of course, is that the nib units are interchangeable. And once I get all the pens up and running, and see which nibs I like (and don't) I can start paring down the stash (it's like with Parker Vacumatics -- I DON'T need every model in every size in every color... because that way lies madness... :blush:). I do have some duplicate nibs anyway (I gave one away to someone a while back as a PIF because I didn't need 3 of whatever the nib was).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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Estycollector Collectors Item

Estycollector

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I have a coupe Esterbrooks in route. The early friction Deluxe has a 2668 and the other a 9550 in a late Dollar blue plastic. It occured to me that I need one more diaphram or sac to complete both restorations. That said, got both for less than $40. Often the nibs would have been the same or more. So, I usully don't buy the nib unless the price is reasonable for me.

"Respect science, respect nature, respect all people (s),"

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inkstainedruth Ancient Artifact

inkstainedruth

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Yikes! Have prices on Esties gone up that much? Most of mine I've gotten between $5 and $15 each, except for some with really exotic nibs. I think the most I ever paid was $35 for a black LJ with a 9284 signature stub, and that was on a Sunday morning at the Ohio Pen Show a few years ago.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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melissa59 Extremely Rare

melissa59

Posted
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Yikes! Have prices on Esties gone up that much? Most of mine I've gotten between $5 and $15 each, except for some with really exotic nibs. I think the most I ever paid was $35 for a black LJ with a 9284 signature stub, and that was on a Sunday morning at the Ohio Pen Show a few years ago.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

I never see fountain pens in antique or thrift stores here in SoCal. So, my shopping is strictly on eBay. And yes, the prices have gone up even since I got my first Estie in 2012.

 

Sad thing is, you've got to be really careful buying on eBay because sellers will show lots of pics -- except they conveniently leave off the angle that shows a chipped barrel jewel or cap jewel. I used to send a message to ask about what I couldn't see in pics but so many sellers don't reply. I figure it's either because they are guilty of hiding something or they just don't care. So now, I don't even bother bidding if the pics don't show areas I'm concerned about.

"You have to be willing to be very, very bad in this business if you're ever to be good. Only if you stand ready to make mistakes today can you hope to move ahead tomorrow."

Dwight V. Swain, author of Techniques of the Selling Writer.

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Estycollector Collectors Item

Estycollector

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Yikes! Have prices on Esties gone up that much? Most of mine I've gotten between $5 and $15 each, except for some with really exotic nibs. I think the most I ever paid was $35 for a black LJ with a 9284 signature stub, and that was on a Sunday morning at the Ohio Pen Show a few years ago.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

You've gotten original Dollar and friction Deluxe models for $5. I figured since $18 is the equivalent to $1 in the '30's I was doing pretty good.

"Respect science, respect nature, respect all people (s),"

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Estycollector Collectors Item

Estycollector

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I never see fountain pens in antique or thrift stores here in SoCal. So, my shopping is strictly on eBay. And yes, the prices have gone up even since I got my first Estie in 2012.

 

Sad thing is, you've got to be really careful buying on eBay because sellers will show lots of pics -- except they conveniently leave off the angle that shows a chipped barrel jewel or cap jewel. I used to send a message to ask about what I couldn't see in pics but so many sellers don't reply. I figure it's either because they are guilty of hiding something or they just don't care. So now, I don't even bother bidding if the pics don't show areas I'm concerned about.

 

I've gotten pretty good at spotting those issues and thus have never had a bad experience. Today's Demi Dollar in blue had a flat feed 9550. Not bad for $18. That said, the prices I am listing include shipping.

"Respect science, respect nature, respect all people (s),"

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