About Esterbrook Dip Pens

[yoplaboum]

Hello to the Esterbrook lovers,
Here in France this brand is far to be as comon as in the US and Canada, but I have a few items, I find the Esterbrook nibs system really excellent and complete, and I like especially the inkwells and dip-less pens system, I'm in love for their Art Deco, Streamline design.

The nibs on dip-less pens and fountain pens are 2556, 2558, 2668, 9450, 9455 & 9460.
Here"s my questions :

- when I found the card with the 355 nibs and the dip pen n° 35, the seller wrote me that these cards were given to soldiers, and used during the WWII. Is it correct ?
I wish a nice WE to everybody ! :-)

- And why this desk fountain pen, near the "black ball", all black with a red ring ? Was it made to set with a particular desk stand ?

I wish a nice WE to everybody ! :-)

 

Edited June 20, 2020 by yoplaboum

[Estycollector]

Others with much more knowledge than me will respond soon, however, I would think these would be more likely in the WW1 era than the late '30's and '40's.

 

It is a sign of that era that it was "men" and not people who know pens, especially if these were used in the WW2 era of Rosie the Riveter .

[yoplaboum]

It is a sign of that era that it was "men" and not people who know pens, especially if these were used in the WW2 era of Rosie the Riveter .

 

 

Wow !! I would not have liked to fight with "Rosie la riveteuse" in french !! I added to my post a photo of the back of the card, for information.

Edited June 20, 2020 by yoplaboum

[Estycollector]

 

 

Wow !! I would not have liked to fight with "Rosie la riveteuse" in french !! I added to my post a photo of the back of the card, for information.

 

 

touché

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosie_the_Riveter

Edited June 20, 2020 by Estycollector

[yoplaboum]

 

touché

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosie_the_Riveter

What American women did during the Second World War is truly incredible. It was a total organization in each family, oriented towards the war effort, it is easy to understand the emulation, positive effect of such an implication on the fighting spirit, the determination of all the USA. I loved the story of Mary Doyle, at the end of the page.

[Estycollector]

I know I am getting way off your topic, but as a child I discovered the history of the French Resistance and the sacrifices made.

[yoplaboum]

I know I am getting way off your topic, but as a child I discovered the history of the French Resistance and the sacrifices made.

 

The French Resistance is a very, very broad subject...

It had its real, its great heroes who sacrificed everything for it. And it had all her resistance fighters, who found themselves resistant the day before the Americans entered Paris. There were the heroes, the first hour resistants like Jean Moulin, Guy Moquet, and the last hour resistance fighters, those who designated the women to mow once Paris was liberated, but who 3 years earlier gave their Jewish neighbor to the Gestapo to recover his sewing machine. But we can never honor enough the real resistance fighters, who have often remained as anonymous as all the American "Rosie the Riveter".

Edited June 20, 2020 by yoplaboum

[AAAndrew]

Very nice Esterbrook collection! I also like the dipless pens and their very stylish inkwells. I have a few lying around.

 

I suspect the red ring was because this was part of a desk set of two pens. One with black ink, and one with red ink for corrections. The red ring would indicate the pen with the red ink. Often the pen would have a red "tail" (the long, taper on the end), but the red ring may have also worked.

 

The 355 pen card you have is from the 1930's or 40's, so could have been from WWII era. These were not thought of as writing pens, but were instead good for drawing, drafting and cartography. They make very thin lines and are somewhat fragile, so do not make good writing pens. I suspect, if this was found in France, that it was from before the war, or was brought over during the war by an American unit, possibly an engineering or map-making unit.

 

It could also have come over after the war as these were made up to about 1956. My late father-in-law still used them in the mid-late 1950's when he made maps as a geologist.

 

Good luck with your collection! Any questions about the Esterbrook dip pens, a good source of information is the amazing Esterbrook Project. http://theesterbrookproject.com/SITE%20DOCS/NIB%20LIST.html

[yoplaboum]

I suspect the red ring was because this was part of a desk set of two pens. One with black ink, and one with red ink for corrections. The red ring would indicate the pen with the red ink. Often the pen would have a red "tail" (the long, taper on the end), but the red ring may have also worked.

 

The 355 pen card you have is from the 1930's or 40's, so could have been from WWII era. These were not thought of as writing pens, but were instead good for drawing, drafting and cartography. They make very thin lines and are somewhat fragile, so do not make good writing pens. I suspect, if this was found in France, that it was from before the war, or was brought over during the war by an American unit, possibly an engineering or map-making unit.

 

It could also have come over after the war as these were made up to about 1956. My late father-in-law still used them in the mid-late 1950's when he made maps as a geologist.

 

Thank you for all these informations ! I suspected my desk pen with red ring to set with a double desk stand, but I didn't know these black body and rings before, I only knew the red transluscent body (as should be one of my dip pen with the double #427, but these clear and red dip-less pens are not so common.

Your answer about the 355 card make sense, dip pens and nibs weren't easy to use for soldiers, and too fragile as a writing instrument, but more indicated for technical drawings or maps, that's right.

Thank you ! I will return to the Esterbrook Project, it's already one of my favorites on my navigator ;-)

[Gloucesterman]

 

The French Resistance is a very, very broad subject...

It had its real, its great heroes who sacrificed everything for it. And it had all her resistance fighters, who found themselves resistant the day before the Americans entered Paris. There were the heroes, the first hour resistants like Jean Moulin, Guy Moquet, and the last hour resistance fighters, those who designated the women to mow once Paris was liberated, but who 3 years earlier gave their Jewish neighbor to the Gestapo to recover his sewing machine. But we can never honor enough the real resistance fighters, who have often remained as anonymous as all the American "Rosie the Riveter".

 

Thank you for the "rest of the story"! :thumbup: