I happened upon 2 Esterbrook pens at a local market, the gentleman selling them was quite a remarkable man and was there selling the remainder of his mother’s estate. These pens both needed repair and one I kept was the largest of the two. I had learned that these were the SJ and J model Esterbrook pens.
Model: J & SJ (black)
Year: 1940's
Nib: Steel, 53 available nib units
Colour: Copper, Red, Black
Appearance & Design
The model J has a classic appearance, the jewels at each end reminds me a little of the Parker Vacumatic. The black double jewels complement the section plus the detail in the cap trim, lever, and clip are all consistent. The celluloid material features a marbling that seems to play with the light at different view angles. The Esterbrook pens came in a variety of colours, common are the red,blue, green, copper, and black. One great design element is the nib unit. These are threaded into the section and seemingly made one for every use imaginable at the time making the pen a versatile tool that could be used for a variety of tasks.
Construction & Quality
The Esterbrook model J is well put together and the component parts are relatively simple. It is a durable celluloid that has stood up well throughout the years. I do not fear dropping the pen nor have I had anything break as a result.
The diameter of the J series is a good size for me, it’s a little larger than mid-size. It is the section I find issues with; I find it short and it puts my fingers closer to the page than I prefer. I end up gripping the threads the majority of the time. The celluloid has a good weight to it and the pen feels well balanced when posted plus is long enough that it can be used without posting.
Nib & Performance
The Esterbrook steel nibs that I have used and own have been quite smooth. Some feel like writing on glass, something I did not expect when inking up the pen. The nib units swap out with ease and can be done on the fly. These units do not fit into any other pens that I have used but there may be a thread match out there somewhere. The units are simple to clean, I would not recommend removing the nib from the collar and feed as it is intended to fit as a whole.
The filling system is lever like many other pens of the period, an ink sac is filled by squeezing it. Where the Esterbrook shines is cleaning, by removing the nib unit ink can be flushed from the pen with little effort. This has by far been the best experience I have had with a lever filling system so far, simple to fill easy to clean the only downside is the ink capacity. With thicker nib sizes and flex nibs it does make a difference.
Cost & Value
Esterbrook is an inexpensive vintage pen that can be found easily. Same goes for the and the nib units. The pens offers so much functionality and options for so little, making for a great investment.
The Esterbrook model J is a very practical pen that doesn’t just win you over with appearance. It has head spinning possibilities that you will not see in any other fountain pen. One of a kind is what it is. A must buy!! (the way it is priced it will be hard not to buy more than one)
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