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My first Estie


Rob G

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Unlike recent posters in this topic I bought an English made M2 fountain pen in a colour similar to Parker's Teal Blue new in the early 1960s fitted with an English 9450 nib, described on the packet as a "bookkeeping" nib. I used it every day at work until the clip broke off and the screw threads in the cap wore out probably after five or so years. It was replaced by a black LJ series pen and the M2 was relegated to use red ink as I left the red pen in my drawer at the office. The black LJ has lost it's clip and the cap is damaged, looks like it got crushed, however I must have washed it out because the ink sac was still whole, although punctured. Between them these pens must have lasted in daily use for about 15 years, I never had to replace the nibs although I did buy some spares, just in case there was an accident.

 

Considering the amount of intensive use these pens had they did extremely well. Truly workhorses.

 

As an experiment I have put new sacs in them and they now write as well as ever despite being "wounded". I have also had from new a blue Icicle and an SJ which have had little or no use, both made in England. I bought another black one on ebay and used the cap from it to rejuvenate my old black LJ.

 

The SJ is a sort of solid tomato red colour with "gold" metalwork, black jewels and a different style of clip with the name descending rather than horizontal as on the other J series pens.

 

I have three clear plastic cases that the J pens must have come in, just oblong clear plastic with "Esterbrook" in gold on the top and usage instructions stuck to the underside. One still bears the price label "35/-" , i.e. £1.75, at early 1960s rates ($2.8 = £1) probably about $5.00.

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A couple weeks ago during my first visit to the local vintage pen shop (Pen Haven in Kensington, MD), I made the mistake of saying that I tend to write very small when taking notes in class—would they happen to have a very fine nib? That's when I was handed an Estie with a 1550 nib.

I've been pining over that pen ever since—and saving my grad student stipend pennies to bring my first one home.

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My first Estie was a dainty little blue SJ with a 1555 Gregg nib. It was my first time to attend a local pen meet and it was on a sale tray and later came home with me. Since then I've managed to get a copper SJ with a broken clip, and J models in red, copper, green and black, with an assortment of nibs. The red and the copper were gifts from a good friend in Canada. I love all my Esties; I've learned to resac pens because of them (I did two on my own).

 

It's true - you never stop at just one!

"Luxe, calme et volupte"

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It began so innocently. Only three months ago I inked my first Estie.

My first Estie was my late father's Black J. The black J was always in my father's shirt pocket or on his dresser top when I was a little girl in the '50s. So unaware I was of the euphoria of writing with an Estie, and the addiction to follow, I inked it. Daddy's pen wrote so beautifully with its 9968 nib, I felt such elation as the ink flowed upon the paper. Writing had never been so wonderful. And so it all began, so innocently....

 

Not wanting to risk losing a pen I feel sentimentally attached to, I went looking for another Estie. Ooooooo! They come in pretty colors! I want a Blue one, and a Red one, oh, maybe I need a Green one! The beautiful colors before my eyes; I want them! Oh, they come in different sizes too, I wonder what the SJ would feel like in my feminine hand, I need an SJ. Oh, yes I like that too! I need an SJ in red, and blue and two in green, and I think I will try that longer LJ, yes, for sure, that is very nice too!

There is no stopping....

 

 

I will bid on that pretty Copper J, I've never held a Copper Estie. It is not listed as restored, but Rabbit, and OcalaFiGuy and Brian and Watch_art, Apotheosis, and Esterbex, they advise me, sac replacement is not that difficult. Just a few supplies are needed, so I order the required repair items from Pendemonium. How nice they are, with the shellac and sacs, they sent a "sac replacement", instructiion sheet.

 

I DID IT!! My first successuful re-sac. I post pictures to the FPN and I bask in the congratulations and "job well done" compliments offered by my afore mentioned enablers, and teej47, TWRDO, philm, Joe in Seattle! My addiction is growing stronger, now I don't even require the top drawer Esties, just give me some junk!

 

I am hopelessly hooked! I want an Estie, in every size, in every color. I am learning to sometimes like the 9550 nib, and the 9668, as well as that wonderful 9968 nib that Daddy's pen has.

 

Give me, give me, oh, they are so pretty, red and blue and green and gray and copper Esties! I want them ALL!

 

This is an addiction! I'm an Estie junkie! It's your fault, all of you in this Esterbrook forum! The mailman is soon to deliver another Estie, I'm so excited, it has a 9968 nib, just like Daddy's.

 

This all began so innocently, I just inked and began using my father's Black J, what a strong man he was to only own one. How could his daughter be so weak? So unaware of my weakness, I inked Daddy's Estie, now look where it's led me... just look, I've become a Basket case! Is there an Estie Anonymous, twelve step program? Someone, Help Me!

Edited by kathleen

"Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars" ~Henry Van Dyke

Trying to rescue and restore all the beautiful Esties to their purpose.

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Ahhhh... <Martha Stewart> It's a beautiful thing! <Martha Stewart/> to see The Estie Virus at it's most flaming and furious stage! :clap1: :)

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

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Ahhhh... <Martha Stewart> It's a beautiful thing! <Martha Stewart/> to see The Estie Virus at it's most flaming and furious stage! :clap1: :)

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

 

It is a fierce contagion, yet you applaud my weak nature, as I succumb, do you have no sympathy? Do you not realize, what this addiction is doing to my bank account? Oh, yes, I acquired one of my Esties for a mere $13, but for most I have paid $15 or more + shipping! And inks, I am buying beautiful inks at $12+. I have a son in engineering school at Oregon State University, he needs my money, there will be nothing left for him, nothing to inherit when I am gone, nothing but these beautiful Esties. Heaven help him, they are too wonderful, he too is doomed, the addiction will be passed to another generation.

Edited by kathleen

"Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars" ~Henry Van Dyke

Trying to rescue and restore all the beautiful Esties to their purpose.

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Ahhhh... <Martha Stewart> It's a beautiful thing! <Martha Stewart/> to see The Estie Virus at it's most flaming and furious stage! :clap1: :)

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

 

It is a fierce contagion, yet you applaud my weak nature, as I succumb, do you have no sympathy? Do you not realize, what this addiction is doing to my bank account? Oh, yes, I acquired one of my Esties for a mere $13, but for most I have paid $15 or more + shipping! And inks, I am buying beautiful inks at $12+. I have a son in engineering school at Oregon State University, he needs my money, there will be nothing left for him, nothing to inherit when I am gone, nothing but these beautiful Esties. Heaven help him, they are too wonderful, he too is doomed, the addiction will be passed to another generation.

 

He gets your Esties? You say that like it's a bad thing...

 

Wanna adopt me? :puddle: I promise to think of you every time I look at those Esties... :roflmho:

Increase your IQ, use Linux AND a Fountain pen!!http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk11/79spitfire/Neko_animated.gif
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Estie Anonymous, twelve step program? Someone, Help Me!

 

Well there is 2 different programs offered, the first involves buying another Estie..

 

The second you send me (or another fortunate member) 12 of your Esties, not your dad's of course... Just PM me for my address... :embarrassed_smile:

Increase your IQ, use Linux AND a Fountain pen!!http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk11/79spitfire/Neko_animated.gif
http://fedoraproject.org/w/uploads/5/50/Fedorabutton-iusefedora.png

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Estie Anonymous, twelve step program? Someone, Help Me!

 

Well there is 2 different programs offered, the first involves buying another Estie..

 

The second you send me (or another fortunate member) 12 of your Esties, not your dad's of course... Just PM me for my address... :embarrassed_smile:

 

The cure is to give away my Esties?!! Then what? Would I write with some other fountain pen for a while, maybe a Schaffer, would be the "methadone-pen", would I gradually step down from the Estie, to something else, until I am finally back to my Parker T ball Jotter ballpoint. NO! NO! It's too hard! I would rather give away my first born. I'll not go into treatment unless you all come with me. I can't do it alone, "spitfire, Rabbit, OcalaFiGuy, teej47,esterbex, Brian, farmboy, will any of you come to rehab with me?!!!!"

I think I could wean myself to using only my father's Black J, if I could just look at the others, Ooooooo the pretty colors, red, blue, green... I wish I had a copper SJ.....or a green LJ...., Ooooooo to have a Copper SJ filled with a coppery brown/orange color ink.....that's what I'm craving....

 

Give away my Esties!! NO, I can't do it. Just use the one, NO WAY! Daddy's pen is inked with black, today I feel like Noodler's Turquoise, that's in my Green J... How could I ever use only one?!!!! There's NO WAY OUT!!

Edited by kathleen

"Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars" ~Henry Van Dyke

Trying to rescue and restore all the beautiful Esties to their purpose.

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Estie Anonymous, twelve step program? Someone, Help Me!

 

Well there is 2 different programs offered, the first involves buying another Estie..

 

The second you send me (or another fortunate member) 12 of your Esties, not your dad's of course... Just PM me for my address... :embarrassed_smile:

 

The cure is to give away my Esties?!! Then what? Would I write with some other fountain pen for a while, maybe a Schaffer, would be the "methadone-pen", would I gradually step down from the Estie, to something else, until I am finally back to my Parker T ball Jotter ballpoint. NO! NO! It's too hard! I would rather give away my first born. I'll not go into treatment unless you all come with me. I can't do it alone, "spitfire, Rabbit, OcalaFiGuy, teej47,esterbex, Brian, farmboy, will any of you come to rehab with me?!!!!"

I think I could wean myself to using only my father's Black J, if I could just look at the others, Ooooooo the pretty colors, red, blue, green... I wish I had a copper SJ.....or a green LJ...., Ooooooo to have a Copper SJ filled with a coppery brown/orange color ink.....that's what I'm craving....

 

Give away my Esties!! NO, I can't do it. Just use the one, NO WAY! Daddy's pen is inked with black, today I feel like Noodler's Turquoise, that's in my Green J... How could I ever use only one?!!!! There's NO WAY OUT!!

 

Hehehe well you know, being crazy over Esties isn't so bad... Rehab just ain't gonna work... Think I'll buy another pen... What should I get?....

 

:hmm1:

 

Esterbrook? ... Yea that will work...

 

Oh and as far as the "addiction" well.... Your stuck.

Increase your IQ, use Linux AND a Fountain pen!!http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk11/79spitfire/Neko_animated.gif
http://fedoraproject.org/w/uploads/5/50/Fedorabutton-iusefedora.png

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Estie Anonymous, twelve step program? Someone, Help Me!

 

Well there is 2 different programs offered, the first involves buying another Estie..

 

The second you send me (or another fortunate member) 12 of your Esties, not your dad's of course... Just PM me for my address... :embarrassed_smile:

 

The cure is to give away my Esties?!! Then what? Would I write with some other fountain pen for a while, maybe a Schaffer, would be the "methadone-pen", would I gradually step down from the Estie, to something else, until I am finally back to my Parker T ball Jotter ballpoint. NO! NO! It's too hard! I would rather give away my first born. I'll not go into treatment unless you all come with me. I can't do it alone, "spitfire, Rabbit, OcalaFiGuy, teej47,esterbex, Brian, farmboy, will any of you come to rehab with me?!!!!"

I think I could wean myself to using only my father's Black J, if I could just look at the others, Ooooooo the pretty colors, red, blue, green... I wish I had a copper SJ.....or a green LJ...., Ooooooo to have a Copper SJ filled with a coppery brown/orange color ink.....that's what I'm craving....

 

Give away my Esties!! NO, I can't do it. Just use the one, NO WAY! Daddy's pen is inked with black, today I feel like Noodler's Turquoise, that's in my Green J... How could I ever use only one?!!!! There's NO WAY OUT!!

 

Hehehe well you know, being crazy over Esties isn't so bad... Rehab just ain't gonna work... Think I'll buy another pen... What should I get?....

 

:hmm1:

 

Esterbrook? ... Yea that will work...

 

Oh and as far as the "addiction" well.... Your stuck.

 

Oooooo, yes go ahead, spitfire....get another.....what color? My favorite is blue or green or maybe red, or copper, gray looks "techie chic" even modern... get one of those! What size J, SJ, LJ ? What # nib..... Show me, show me, I want to see! I'm trying not to buy more, my son's tuition to pay and all , but that doesn't mean you can't....clap1.gif

Edited by kathleen

"Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars" ~Henry Van Dyke

Trying to rescue and restore all the beautiful Esties to their purpose.

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Estie Anonymous, twelve step program? Someone, Help Me!

 

Well there is 2 different programs offered, the first involves buying another Estie..

 

The second you send me (or another fortunate member) 12 of your Esties, not your dad's of course... Just PM me for my address... :embarrassed_smile:

 

The cure is to give away my Esties?!! Then what? Would I write with some other fountain pen for a while, maybe a Schaffer, would be the "methadone-pen", would I gradually step down from the Estie, to something else, until I am finally back to my Parker T ball Jotter ballpoint. NO! NO! It's too hard! I would rather give away my first born. I'll not go into treatment unless you all come with me. I can't do it alone, "spitfire, Rabbit, OcalaFiGuy, teej47,esterbex, Brian, farmboy, will any of you come to rehab with me?!!!!"

I think I could wean myself to using only my father's Black J, if I could just look at the others, Ooooooo the pretty colors, red, blue, green... I wish I had a copper SJ.....or a green LJ...., Ooooooo to have a Copper SJ filled with a coppery brown/orange color ink.....that's what I'm craving....

 

Give away my Esties!! NO, I can't do it. Just use the one, NO WAY! Daddy's pen is inked with black, today I feel like Noodler's Turquoise, that's in my Green J... How could I ever use only one?!!!! There's NO WAY OUT!!

 

Hehehe well you know, being crazy over Esties isn't so bad... Rehab just ain't gonna work... Think I'll buy another pen... What should I get?....

 

:hmm1:

 

Esterbrook? ... Yea that will work...

 

Oh and as far as the "addiction" well.... Your stuck.

 

Oooooo, yes go ahead, spitfire....get another.....what color? My favorite is blue or green or maybe red, or copper, gray looks "techie chic" even modern... get one of those! What size J, SJ, LJ ? What # nib..... Show me, show me, I want to see! I'm trying not to buy more, my son's tuition to pay and all , but that doesn't mean you can't....clap1.gif

 

OK, OK, Scored a green Transitional on Ebay for 20 plus shipping. It's an early with a 3 rib jewel, can't wait to get it and fix it and hug it and squeeze it and pet it and name it George and .... OH MY GOODNESS WHAT AM I SAYING??? :headsmack:

 

Esterbrook Transitional

 

I might hug it a little, Now I need an LJ and Dollar in green, it will be a full set, as I have a J and SJ in green, but wait they made pencils too :headsmack:

Increase your IQ, use Linux AND a Fountain pen!!http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk11/79spitfire/Neko_animated.gif
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  • 2 weeks later...

So I was going to wait until I got my Special Fun Nib to post this, but I'm gonna be impatient—the pictures will wait for SFN, no? I've got a pretty green Estie that's been used to write a couple letters with already—couldn't be happier with how smoothly it writes, and, strangely enough, how short it is when capped, especially since it fits my hand so nicely when posted! I'm still getting over the strangeness of seeing something shorter than the body of my MB Chopin become almost as long as it when in "writing position."

Now then . . . should the next one be red or root beer . . . decisions, decisions . . .

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So I was going to wait until I got my Special Fun Nib to post this, but I'm gonna be impatient—the pictures will wait for SFN, no? I've got a pretty green Estie that's been used to write a couple letters with already—couldn't be happier with how smoothly it writes, and, strangely enough, how short it is when capped, especially since it fits my hand so nicely when posted! I'm still getting over the strangeness of seeing something shorter than the body of my MB Chopin become almost as long as it when in "writing position."

Now then . . . should the next one be red or root beer . . . decisions, decisions . . .

 

Oh, get them both, red and copper. See all the pretty Esties in my basket? They are like candy, sweet! You really must not stop at only one,

Sometimes I love using a full sized J and sometimes I like my slim SJ. An SJ is perfect kept with a day planner or notepad. I have 2 greens and 2 reds and a blue, and a gray but I still want a copper and .......

Edited by kathleen

"Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars" ~Henry Van Dyke

Trying to rescue and restore all the beautiful Esties to their purpose.

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My first Estie is still in the mail. :embarrassed_smile:

It's a black LJ with a 2668 nib. The listing on the bay said it was in excellent condition and writes nice and smooth.

 

I can't wait for it to get here! :puddle:

Edited by manythings465

Pens I currently own:

Esterbrook LJ, and an Esterbrook J

 

Pens in red are my go to pens.

 

Pens on my wish list:

A nice Pelikan; M200 or higher

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My first Estie is still in the mail. :embarrassed_smile:

It's a black LJ with a 2668 nib. The listing on the bay said it was in excellent condition and writes nice and smooth.

 

I can't wait for it to get here! :puddle:

 

Congratulations and welcome to "Estieland".

A black LJ is certainly nice.

By the way, have you met Spitfire, OcalaFiguy, Brian, Rabbit, and Watch Art, Farmboy and some of the others here in Estieland? I would equate them to the Wizard, the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and Toto. They are wonderful companions as you travel down the Esterbrook Rd. Follow them to the rainbow. See the red, as sparkling, bright as Dorothy's ruby slippers. See the green as enchanting as Emeralds and there's blue, as bright as the sky in Munchkinland after the storm had passed, and there's "Root beer" Esties.....Ooooo, so sweet!

 

Arm in arm, let's all sing, "if ever, a wonderful pen there was, my Estie, my Estie is one because,.... because, because, because because, because...because of the wonderful things it does.... I'm off to see the Esties.....

Edited by kathleen

"Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars" ~Henry Van Dyke

Trying to rescue and restore all the beautiful Esties to their purpose.

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...The wonderful Esties of Estieland?

Pens I currently own:

Esterbrook LJ, and an Esterbrook J

 

Pens in red are my go to pens.

 

Pens on my wish list:

A nice Pelikan; M200 or higher

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....If there ever there pen there was!...

 

Everybody sing!

Increase your IQ, use Linux AND a Fountain pen!!http://i276.photobucket.com/albums/kk11/79spitfire/Neko_animated.gif
http://fedoraproject.org/w/uploads/5/50/Fedorabutton-iusefedora.png

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....If there ever there pen there was!...

 

Everybody sing!

 

 

I edited to add your name to my post above. Sorry it wasn't there the first time. Spitfire, I know you know all about the wonders of Estieland. You are surely not a cowardly lion, jumped right in singing. Are you more like the tin man or the Scarecrow; in need of heart or brain? Remember they had what they needed all along they just didn't know it. Boy, did those flying monkeys terrify me as a child!

 

"If ever, if ever a pen there was, my wonderful Estie is one because, because, because, because, because, because,

because of the wonderful things it does.....We're off to see the Esties.....

Edited by kathleen

"Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars" ~Henry Van Dyke

Trying to rescue and restore all the beautiful Esties to their purpose.

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...The wonderful Esties of Estieland?

 

"Estieland" is this wonderful Esterbrook Forum.

"Be glad of life because it gives you the chance to love and to work and to play and to look up at the stars" ~Henry Van Dyke

Trying to rescue and restore all the beautiful Esties to their purpose.

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