Esterbrook no. 444 Dip-Less

[Guest JohanO]

This is my first review. And it is not even a real fountain pen! Please forgive me the blurry pictures I made with my web cam.

 

I bought this Esterbrook no. 444 Dip-Less desk set on Ebay for $29. The Dutch seller told me it was in a near mint condition. I think it is not near mint, but in a very good condition. The American Eagle on top of the set is faded, and a small ship of the cover is missing. I had to soak the whole set before I could open it; it was filled with ink! After I cleaned the set, I think it looks really nice! The top is black, while the well is made of nice gray glass. It was produced in the early 1950's.

 

 

The nib on the demonstrator penholder is an Esterbook Renew Point marked 2314B; this means it is a broad stubb nib.

 

I had never written with a stubb nib before, but it was a very pleasant surprise. My handwriting looks a lot better with this pen.

 

 

I have loaded the well with Quink Permanent Blue; the well holds a ton of ink! Because this dip pen has a feed, it holds a lot of ink; you can write a lot of lines with it before you have to dip again. You really have to dip less!

 

This wasn’t a sumgai find, but I don’t think it was expensive either. I wish I could use it at work, because it would be great to sign letters with this pen!

 

I like to thank Brian "Esterbrook" Anderson for all his advise!

Edited June 2, 2006 by JohanO

[Guest JohanO]

And a writing sample!

[Brian Anderson]

Aaahhh, so that explains it. When you said it had no lever, I couldn't believe it, but knowing it is an Esterbrook Renew point demonstrator makes sense.

 

The pen did not originally come with that set. It would have originally come with a special display designed to show off the various nibs available. It is a standard model W desk pen without a cutout for a lever. The section is also very different in that it is friction fit to allow quick changes between testing nibs. You do not have to screw a nib in this section. It is worth more than the asking price in itself, and at $29, probably qualifies for sumgai status.

 

Like I mentioned in a previous email, you might notice a problem resting the pen properly in the inkwell, because the section is different from a standard dipless section.

 

Good find on the pen with a classic Estie nib to boot!

 

Best-

Brian

[sonia_simone]

Very neat!

[Guest JohanO]

Brian, the pen does fit rather well in the inkwell. I do not have to use friction, nor does the pen sit loose in the well.

 

I have a sumgai?

[Brian Anderson]

I have a sumgai?

 

Yes, I'd say. Remove the nib and look carefully inside the section, do you see a series of metal tabs inside, or is it just a standard section? If there are no metal tabs, the section might have been replaced (gasp) at some time. If the tabs are there, you should not try to screw the renew point in or you might risk damaging those tabs.

 

I wonder how the seller came about the pen and where the rest of the display went?

 

Best-

Brian

[M4R1N4]

Looks very cool Johan! Way to go on your sumgai! Your writing sample is very nice, though I never saw your writing before. I have a couple esterbrooks, but none with stub nibs. I'd like to get my hands on one..

 

Congratulations to you!

 

Marina.

[JRodriguez]

That is definitely neat. Contratulations!

[aircraft_electrician]

Johan, that's a very nice set, even if it's not really a set. I have pieced together the exact same set, with the 444 Dip-Less well and the same Renew-Point Demonstrator pen. I bought the pen from eBay just to go with the ink well I already had but had no pen for. The seller had no idea it was a demonstrator, so I too Sumgai'd it for a mere $30. I've since been offered twice that for the pen.

 

I'd definitely say you got a Sumgai deal on that pen, though the 444 "hocky puck" ink well is pretty common. Congrats!

 

Tom