Your Basic Esterbrook J Components -- exploded view

[Bearcat]

Here is the famous Esterbrook Model J that I found in the wild this week. Nice 9461 nib and when I pulled it apart to check the sac, I found one of the original rubber ones with "Esterbrook" printed on it. Photo attached.....Pretty cool and nice condition for a pen that is likely forty to fifty years old....

 

 

 

 

 

 

[OcalaFlGuy]

Still give it a close go over to be sure there aren't any parts of it that are getting harder signaling they

are starting to reach their end of life. It can easily appear all flexible but also be starting to have

a couple bad spots. Better to find out now then later all buttoned up and full of ink.

 

There was an interesting discussion in the repair forum recently that was actually aboout replacements

for the plyglass sac in P51 Aeros but kinda morphed into a latex/silicone sac lifespan discussion. I brought

up how well some Estie sacs looked and worked after > 50 years and El Zorno stepped in and commented

that of all the vintage pens he's been inside (and god knows that's been a bunch) that he's still amazed

at how well the Estie sacs hold up. He said he didn't know how Esterbrook did it but their sacs far outlasted

any of the other pen manufacturers sacs.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

Edited March 15, 2009 by OcalaFlGuy

[gyasko]

El Zorno stepped in and commented

that of all the vintage pens he's been inside (and god knows that's been a bunch) that he's still amazed

at how well the Estie sacs hold up. He said he didn't know how Esterbrook did it but their sacs far outlasted

any of the other pen man

 

That's been my experience as well.

[wvbeetlebug]

Very nice find!

[pen2paper]

great pic-congrats on the find:)

could you also include a writing sample so we can see how that nib performs?

[EventHorizon]

WOW. For the few times that I get a pen and the original Esterbrook sac is in it it's been in various pieces or very cruddy.

[Souldrifter]

Short, maybe funny story...

 

... I got an Estie last week and dried ink made it really difficult to twist the nib out. So, I ended up having to soak it for a good 24-48 hours (yes, it finally came out, no problem). But, before I actually was able to get the nib out of the section, the section came out of the barrel, sac and all. Never saw a disassembled Estie like that. LOL

[OcalaFlGuy]

You should hope you never get one of these.

 

I had a Dollar pen section that was trying to drive me Crackerbox Palace.

 

The nib simply. would. not. come. out. of. the. section. period.

 

First it was soaked in water, then varying strengths of ammonia water, then I got an ultrasonic cleaner

and it was ultrasonically cleaned into the next galaxy. With numerous efforts along the way to unscrew

the nib. No joy. Just from heavy duty finger pressure, I'd already figured I'd wrecked the 2XXX nib in it

and was really worried that me doing much more was going to take the whole section out. And, I already

had the rest of the Dollar pen all nice and shinyyyy waiting for the resac.

 

Reluctantly, but for the sake of the section, I raised the white flag and sent the section to Farmboy.

 

He of course, came to my (and the sections) rescue.

 

He said the nib itself had someway worked it's way THRU the plastic of the nib section wall and had

cut itself into the inner wall of the pen nib section. (I think I would have been correct in that if I had

gone much further, I'd have probably toasted the whole section.) He was able to get the nib section

out in pieces but also saved the section in completely usable and outwardly unscathed condition.

 

(He IS da man!)

 

It won't be too soon if I NEVER see another one like that.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

[asimplemaestro]

This, my friends, is exactly why I love Esterbrook J's. Simplicity yet functionality. It's a half a century old yet still looks beautiful when cared for properly or restored properly and is a fantastic writing instrument. Enjoy sir.

[FarmBoy]

You should hope you never get one of these.

 

I had a Dollar pen section that was trying to drive me Crackerbox Palace.

 

The nib simply. would. not. come. out. of. the. section. period.

 

First it was soaked in water, then varying strengths of ammonia water, then I got an ultrasonic cleaner

and it was ultrasonically cleaned into the next galaxy. With numerous efforts along the way to unscrew

the nib. No joy. Just from heavy duty finger pressure, I'd already figured I'd wrecked the 2XXX nib in it

and was really worried that me doing much more was going to take the whole section out. And, I already

had the rest of the Dollar pen all nice and shinyyyy waiting for the resac.

 

Reluctantly, but for the sake of the section, I raised the white flag and sent the section to Farmboy.

 

He of course, came to my (and the sections) rescue.

 

He said the nib itself had someway worked it's way THRU the plastic of the nib section wall and had

cut itself into the inner wall of the pen nib section. (I think I would have been correct in that if I had

gone much further, I'd have probably toasted the whole section.) He was able to get the nib section

out in pieces but also saved the section in completely usable and outwardly unscathed condition.

 

(He IS da man!)

 

It won't be too soon if I NEVER see another one like that.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

Yup, it was stuck good. And it had been for many years. The feed and nib were actually twisted and stayed twisted when free from the bondage.

 

How does it go? "I love the smell of napalm ink in the morning..."

 

T

[OcalaFlGuy]

Yup, it was stuck good. And it had been for many years. The feed and nib were actually twisted and stayed twisted when free from the bondage.

 

How does it go? "I love the smell of napalm ink in the morning..."

 

T

 

I can probably take credit for the twisted nib and feed. Trust Me! I took the alledged stoutness of the Estie nib section

to heart trying to extract it. While I didn't lay any tools to it, it WAS subjected to numberous applications of mucho

foot/poundage of pressure from my none too dainty fingers and hands. To no avial. GRRRRR. I hate having to admit

defeat but that sucka won fair and square.

 

Bruce in Ocala, FL

 

[AndyH]

This, my friends, is exactly why I love Esterbrook J's. Simplicity yet functionality. It's a half a century old yet still looks beautiful when cared for properly or restored properly and is a fantastic writing instrument. Enjoy sir.

 

Can I have an amen brothers and sisters!

[Bearcat]

This, my friends, is exactly why I love Esterbrook J's. Simplicity yet functionality. It's a half a century old yet still looks beautiful when cared for properly or restored properly and is a fantastic writing instrument. Enjoy sir.

 

Can I have an amen brothers and sisters!

 

Amen!

 

[penspouse]

Niec picture. Thanks for sharing.

[dhlr14454]

I agree: thanks for sharing the photo. And the J is remarkable as an American product that is a pleasure to use, well-designed (which is why it is great to use), and one that encourages sustainable consumer behavior--both when new and as a vintage find. I keep thinking that our culture will return to this kind of product and this kind of practice, both in manufacture and in consumer use.

Edited March 29, 2009 by dhlr14454

[ThaIwan]

Hi, great picture. I managed to get 2 double j's from e-bay recently and 1 of them seems to have a disfunctional lever system. There's some bent steel resting vertically on the sac while the lever moves over the sac and so the pressure bar seems to be out of place. I try to understand how this should be constructed orginally. I found some pictures of pressure bars/j-bars but not yet the full overview how it all matches up. Anybody a clue where to find? I'd like to fix this problem.

[PaFitch]

Hi, great picture. I managed to get 2 double j's from e-bay recently and 1 of them seems to have a disfunctional lever system. There's some bent steel resting vertically on the sac while the lever moves over the sac and so the pressure bar seems to be out of place. I try to understand how this should be constructed orginally. I found some pictures of pressure bars/j-bars but not yet the full overview how it all matches up. Anybody a clue where to find? I'd like to fix this problem.

 

Somewhere in the Esterbrook thread is a great picture (by FarmBoy) of a cutaway Esterbrook J. I wish it were pinned to the top of the forum--otherwise I've got to find it and save it on my computer so its always available for reference.

[ThaIwan]

PaFitch, thanks a lot, I found the pic you mentioned:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/in...c=40924&hl=

 

This gives indeed a better idea. It looks as if the pressure bar in my pen has shifted position. I'll try to remove the section and carefully dismantle the whole thing and try to put things back in place.

[Peter from Sherwood Park]

Nice find and a great photo.