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I got this.....it's a tiny Esterbrook dip pen, with an e tea large dip nib(photos show it as it arrived....have as yet done nothing to it) On the nib : 314 R. Esterbrook relief( Im assuming "relief", as the 'r' is under the barrel) Altogether, capped around 6" I love how it has a cap, and plan to use it as a test pen, when Im trying to choose an ink. It's just a very pretty little thing, and I'd love to know more about it....anyone got any information? Also any advice on care, cleaning, and if/where such replacement nibs are available.... I hope it's ok to post in more than one place - wasnt sure where this should go. Mods. please give me a gentle ticking off if I shouldn't have done it Alex

The more Esterbrook pens that cross my path, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more details I start to pay attention to. Which leads me to my latest question. I received a lot of pens not too long ago - mostly black Dollar pens, or so it seemed. Armed with my trusty Esterbrook book, and looking over some of the resources, I began to question the pens. On the surface, they looked right, but as I checked the imprints, I need some clarification. I have two pens in particular that are black Dollar pen caps, on barrels with the imprint simply "Esterbrook". According to the book, these barrels are 1944-47 dates, and belong to the second transitional pens with a jeweled cap. The Dollar pens should have one of the "R Esterbrook" imprints, and would not extend into the late '40s. Am I correct in this assumption?

As someone who has dabbled with modifying watches with after-sale parts--what people often call "modding"--I thought of doing the same to some of my fountain pens that may benefit from a mod or two. I'm unlikely to sell any of my pens for a profit anyway and have a preference for personal touches. The one I picked was a pastel green Esterbrook purse pen. As many have said, the plastic on these are very fragile, and the cap lip on this one was very problematic for me. About 4-5 cracks had appeared and every time I used the pen I was afraid a piece would fall off. Solvent welding did its job, to a point but the cracks would reappear. There was also an unsightly chip that I feared would enlarge into a larger crack. I had used black epoxy paint to fill in cracks for some other pens and so an idea came to me to paint the cap lip with it. I was able to even fill in the gap where the chip had been, after a few layers had dried. It doesn't totally seem out of place, don't you think? It's not a crazy change at all, more like a stabilizing repair, but i'll count it as a mod because it's not part of the original design. Has anyone else done other Esterbrook mods of sorts? I remember seeing a few pens here that have been put together using parts other than Esterbrooks' and they seem really cool. I'm sure it drives the purists nuts but I don't find the term Frankenpen derogatory at all. They are often wonderful unique creations.

New site/forum member, and have been banigng around a bit, looking for some information .. I might yet stumble on it ... I currently have 4 pens... Esterbrook J (I believe) with a 9314-F Releif nib Esterbrook J (I believe) with a 9550 nib Esterbrook ? desk pen that goes in the '8-ball' desk holder with a 9550 nib Shaeffer's Balance White Dot (again .. I believe .. larger unit) with a Lifetime gold (gold, colored anyway .. doesn't say gold) nib This one is cleaned up, and I'm currently waiting for some rebuild parts (sacs, talc, etc) to get it back into working order. Seems to write nice and smooth via dipping, however. I would like to end up with a reasonably priced (i.e. $100 or less) flexy pen. As I already own these pens .. that would leave me with a few more bucks for a replacement nib, rather than purchasing an entire pen. I'm not that into having a prestine pen (nor would mind a Franken-pen, if I'm not destroying a real collectable) .. but something I could try more elaborate penmanship with .. Spencerian / Copper Plate style, I guess. I understand the Etsy line doesn't really have a true flexy nib ... and the current nib on the Shaeffer's certainly isn't. As these appear to be relatively available nibs .. I'm not opposed to having them 're-built', but I would think the starter nib would need to be closer to what I'm looking for, than these. Anyone have suggestions as to replacement nibs I could look at for the above pens? Certainly a old Waterman with a nice flexy would be wonderful, but I'm asuming they will be out of my price range. Thanks for all ... while I keep keep checking out this vast site & forums! Dennis

Article about the new Esterbrrok pens in today's USA Today: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2015/02/05/reviving-the-pen-that-wrote-american-history/22941265/

Today we had some snow, and it hasn’t stopped yet so we can’t go out and clear it quite yet. That gave me the chance to finish up an essay about replacing the pocket clips on Esterbrook push pencils. It’s a little long-winded. So fill up your coffee mug, sit back in your chair, and enjoy the ride. (Note that this is a companion article to an earlier essay about “Replacing Pocket Clips” on Esterbrook fountain pens. See that thread for additional details about some of these steps, and more helpful pictures.) - - - Jim

I've traveled with fountain pens before and haven't had any problems, but I'm wondering if there's anything I need to be careful of with an Esterbrook? Do you think I'd have a problem if I traveled with it full? I'm sorry if this is a stupid question, but my previous experience is only with cartridge fill fountain pens so I want to be sure. Thanks for any help or advice you can give!

I just won an auction for a nice vintage Easterbrook J. Before I pay for it I would like some advice from some more experienced people. I know nothing about replacing ink sacs and such so would buying this pen be a good idea? Are vintage ink sacs cheap? Are they easy to replace? The seller says he has never used it. Here ia a link to the pen: http://www.ebay.com/itm/271729930323

I just purchased an Esterbrook off eBay, and when I went to ink it up I found that the section was free rotating. Upon further inspection, the section, with nib and sac attached, could be completely removed. Could I repair this with a bit of glue, or should I try something else??

http://goo.gl/ZwiWHs "You are bidding on a Very Nice Vintage Black Esterbrook Fountain Pen! Pen Manufacturer: Esterbrook Nib Details: 2442 Oblique Nib Condition of Pen: Very Nice Used Condition Fill Style / System: Lever filler appears to be working" Cost me $18.50 including shipping. I'm no nib expert but I think a 2442 is worth that by itself. YAY ME!

I got this one in the mail today. I'm not quite sure what it is, and I haven't found one like it in any of the reference pages I've searched. It's kind of like a Safari, but not quite. It looks more like a newer J, but the cap puzzles me. Smaller lever bar, logo stamped around the barrel (the eBay pic showed that looking like scratches), and a cap with a very different clip. What do the experts say? http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b170/gweimer/Esterbrook_J_New_Black_zpsa6ab3c0c.jpg

Saw this on fleabay and immediately my spidey senses started tingling. It just doesn't look right to my UNTRAINED eyes. Why would there be Transitional J's in the same salesman sampler as regular J's? Also, why would there be multiple pen/pencil sets of the same size included? Has anyone ever seen a complete, original salesman's kit? Is this one correct or just a bunch of Esterbrooks all displayed in an old saleman's box? Their wording is a bit suspect as well as they don't really make the claim it is an all original kit. http://goo.gl/0Iu7N4 I'm thinking the latter.

Hi, I recently bought an Esterbrook J that I'm expecting next week or so. I'm aware that the Esterbrooks don't use a converter and fill their sacs using something called a lever filler. I was wondering if someone could elaborate on how that works. Like, how would I use that mechanism to fill from a bottle? My apologies if the procedure is elementary. -Thanks, Suji P.S. Are there any types of fountain pen inks that should be avoided in order to keep the sac from being damaged??

I found this fleabay listing, item number:161491261020, and after looking carefully at the pics several times, I thought I could see a ribbed jewel! But there was no mention of it in the listing, so I watched it to see how much interest it garnered. Turns out, very little, allowing me to snag it for less than $20. A decent gamble I figured. Sure enough, it showed up in today's mail and is indeed a 3 Ribbed Transitional J! Needs a new sac but otherwise a pen in fantastic shape. Then I checked my meager collection and realized, I already have one in identical size and coloring. Oh well, you can never have to many Esties! Plus I love the feeling of finding a hidden gem.

Hi, Read some Frankenpen posts on replacing nibs. These make a good read but lack information as to the length of the replacement nib - tip to tail end. As I'm haviing difficulty locating 9xxx F nibs with good bead I would appreciate some help. I also have failed finding inexpensive nibs (steel) with bead fitting a 5mm feed and length about 33mm. Nibs I have seen (Knox, Bock, others) only run from 25 to about 27mm in length. Can anyone point me in the right direction? Tks in advance.......

I've seen a US Government marked Esterbrook desk pen, and I've heard of a US Navy marked Esterbrook desk pen, but I've never seen one. I have a US Navy Dip-Less desk set and would love to add a US Navy pen to complete the set. Do these ever show up anywhere and what could I expect to pay for one if I could find one? I believe most were not marked but I would love to find one that is. Any help is appreciated.

I've never heard of an "Educational Sample" other than demonstrator models. Was this a salesman sample given to schools for testing and try outs? Or something else altogether?

Did Esterbrook ever put gold plated/filled bands on dollar pens? Or could it be that they were brass and all the plating is gone?

Okay, I am going to once again call upon the wisdom of the Estieville community for guidance and information. In my research, I've not been able to find any information about my unopened NOS Esterbrook dip nibs, Assortment #11. As there are 144 points in the box, I'm not sure if I should keep the box sealed and intact or should I crack the thing open and use some of the nibs? I have dip pen nibs, so I'm not in need of them necessarily, but does anyone know where I could find a listing of what WAS Assortment #11 without opening up the box? Should it not be of much value, should I open it and use/sell some of the nibs? This is way out of my league. Thanks for the read.

Hey guys. I'm looking to get my first esterbrook pen and I've got a few questions. 1. What body should I get? 2. What are the best nib options? I like a finer line since I write crappy high school paper 3. Where is the best place to purchase one? Also some things about me, I'm a high school student and I've had some limited experience with fountain pens. In my collection. So far I have a lamy Safari F, pilot metropolitan F, and a jinhao x450. Also I've used pilot varsities. On a side note what inks do you all like to take notes in? Do you stick with blues and blacks or go something a little more vibrant.

Hello, I've heard rumblings here and there that some modern and more available converters may fit old Esterbrook cartridge pens, for which cartridges are no longer available and aeromatic fillers are hard to find. So I'm curious to see if any of it is true. If you have any of the following converters and an old Estie cartridge pen, can you check to see if they might fit? Converters to test for fit: -Lamy -Platinum -Pilot -Sheaffer Any others?. Other brands are worth a try if you have them. Supposedly large-mouthed ones may offer some hope for those of us wanting to see if there's a better way than refilling also hard to find Esterbrook cartridges or adjusting Sheaffer ones.

That one little green SJ that sparked my interest has turned into this in a short amount of time. I'm not sure how it happened. I've cleaned and re-sacced every one of them (except the NOS ones). 9 Dollar pens, 4 Transitionals, and the rest are various sizes of the J family. Not pictured is a large, three rib jeweled, Fern Green, Transitional Estie (not sure how I missed it when I was taking the photo).

This is a review on a Newton Pens custom fountain pen. Background. When the Omas Marconi came out I purchased one because it reminded me of one of my all time favorite pens, a Sheaffer Lifetime Pen pre-white dot flat top. That pen had a huge thick manifold BB nib, gold clip and no trim whatsoever. I would still consider it one of the best everyday pens, exhibiting simplicity and elegance, were it not for its extreme rarity. Except for the frilly trim, the Omas is very similar. Its size, shape, and balance suit my hand very well. It was just too rare and expensive to risk using at work every day. I contacted Omas to inquire about pulling one off the line and omitting the trim and the fancy engraved nib, but they regretted to inform me that limited production runs were basically one off’s and they would not be offering the pen as a no frills standard model. So, many years later, with many custom pen makers to choose from, I contacted Shawn Newton of Newton Pens about making a no frills copy but with a twist. I had read glowing reviews of his work and his experimentation using Esterbrook nib units, and having saved many Estie nibs from my collecting days, I asked if he would incorporate his latest design into the pen along with a section o-ring to keep the ink where it belonged. He was up for it so what follows is the result. Size. Here is a comparison with some other pens readers may be familiar with. (left to right: Pelikan 100N, Parker 51, Aurora 88K, Aurora 88, Aurora Aquila 88K, Waterman JIF, OmaNewtonEster) And again. Performance. From the start I wanted to use Esterbrook 9 series manifold nib units but I did not consider the feed design up to the task of handling ink flow properly in a large volume eyedropper. Anticipating blotting problems, I added a few nib/feed combinations for testing. (top to bottom: original Esterbrook 9460 w/original feed, early Pelikan B w/modern Pelikan feed, early Pelikan manifold B w/Schmidt FH452 feed) As expected, the Esterbrook unit blotted like a Waterman eyedropper from the 1800’s. In all fairness, it was not screwed in tightly and I may try it again after I machine an air channel in the feed. The Pelikan/Schmidt combination has worked flawlessly regardless of the amount of ink in the pen. I have not yet tried the Pelikan/Pelikan combination. (pelikan manifold nib) (schmidt FH452 feed) Fit and finish. I sent Shawn some blue ebonite rod stock for this project. It does not color match the Omas, but it’s a nice color. My first choice was a solid dark blue cellulose acetate with the same formulation as the Esterbrook J’s but that was wishful thinking. The machined surfaces and threading are excellent, as one would expect from Newton Pens. Nothing rattles, it’s a solid pen. Balance. The pen is a slightly heavier weight than the other above pens (with the exception of the Aquila) and the balance point is centered or slightly forward, which is what I requested. It does not skip on the up or down stroke, or on long high speed lines, which again, is what I need all my pens to do. (quick writing sample) Price. At around $200 it’s a bargain considering its custom made. Overall rating. Excellent!!!

Hi all, I have one little Esterbrook pen and to me it looks like multiple pens. Can someone kindly tell me what I have purchased? It was purchased from a dealer, not on ebay. What is it? How old is it? Best nib? My concern is that the jewel caps seem wrong for the pen and match the grip. I knew the grip didn't match the barrel when i purchased, but thought it was okay because the jewels matched. Did someone just cobble this together? Also... I recently purchased an unopened box of Esterbrook dip nibs, Assortment #11. I cannot find anywhere what the contents are. Is it worth more to leave intact or should I open the box and use some and sell/trade the others?? Seems to be the latest version of box. Thanks all for ANY help!!

A place where people who have a type/style of nib they don't care for can trade them to people who prefer that type? Like, if I had a few rigid fine nibs but would rather have something in a medium, we could work out a swap? Is this sort of thing allowed? I don't want to be breaking any rules so if this thread is against forum regs please scold me accordingly and 86 the whole thread.