Esterbrook fountain pen

For a long time, Esterbrook was an established name as a fountain pen manufacturer, but sadly production stopped in 1971. Only recently, the Esterbrook brand has come back to life and has continued creating new pens under the flag of Kenro Industries. Now you can get the quality of the vintage pens through a brand new range of products.

The new collection of Esterbrook fountain pens is available for order online. With the Estie, the Camden and the JR Pocket, Esterbrook adds a modern chapter to its vintage past. The unique designs and smooth nibs at a reasonable price make the Esterbrook brand well worth considering.

Experience the classic quality and style, infused with a fresh, modern twist. Learn more about the three very different Esterbrook models in our collection and the variety of colors that come with it. Once you’ve decided, order your new pen online from our store for quick and reliable delivery.

The Esterbrook fountain pen from old to new

For decades, Esterbrook was an iconic name and its fountain pens were used by students, artists and U.S. presidents alike. The company was established in 1858 by Englishman Richard Esterbrook in Camden, NJ. From there it would soon grow to become a worldwide manufacturer of pens, at one point even the largest in the entire United States.

The quality and versatility of the vintage pens

In the 1920s, fountain pens replaced the traditional dip pens as the most popular writing instrument. Esterbrook products were known and loved for their high level of quality. Models like the iconic “J” and Dollar offered a long lasting and smooth writing experience, which is why they were often used by students who were learning to write with fountain pens.

Besides its quality, many people preferred Esterbrook pens for their interchangeable steel (“Durachrome”) nibs. One could easily replace their nib for another in a large variety of styles and sizes. Innovations like these are what helped make vintage Esterbrook fountain pens popular collector’s items.

Decline and revival

Esterbrook pen sales started to drop in the 1960s and 1967 saw the company being taken over by the Venus Pencil Company. A subsequent take-over in 1971 led to an end of production by the original manufacturer.

Over forty years later, in 2014, the Esterbrook brand name was bought by Harpen Brand Holdings. In 2018 the company was acquired by Kenro Industries, a company specializing in writing instruments and other luxury goods and partner of Italian manufacturers like Aurora and Montegrappa.

At its new headquarters in Mineola, NY, not very far from the company’s birthplace, Esterbrook experienced a rebirth which reintroduced the company’s style, quality and values to a new generation of pen enthusiasts.

Esterbrook fountain pen models

Since its revival, Esterbrook has several new pen models, like the Estie, Camden and JR Pocket. These pens are an homage to their predecessors, as they capture the classic features of the vintage pens in a more modern way, fitting for the 21st century.

Esterbrook Estie fountain pen

Estie, short for Esterbrook, is the flagship pen of the company’s new collection. With its classic cigar shape, the Estie fountain pen offers a lot of pen nostalgia, although it certainly isn’t a copy of its famous forebearers.

The overall design of the pen is clean and features no more than the most essential accents: fine lines below the grip section where the cap is screwed on, a simple but stylish clip and the stylized Esterbrook name on the cap. These details come with either gold or silver details, depending on the specific model.

The resin used for the body has an attractive sheen and feels comfortable to the touch. Writing with an Estie fountain pen is wonderful, both when it comes to the nib smoothly gliding across the paper and the feel of the pen in your hand.

The Estie suits every hand, because it is available as a Slim, Standard and Oversize pen.

To keep the pen’s nib from drying out when you’re not using it, Esterbrook equipped it with a special spring-loaded cushion cap. This requires you to push the cap on down on the nib before screwing it on.

Esterbrook Estie fountain pen colours

Even though the Esterbrook Estie was introduced only very recently, there is already a vast collection of different colours to choose from. Simple or vibrant colors are combined with attractive gold or chrome trimmings. Most pens are part of the regular lineup, but Esterbrook also releases special editions or limited runs, such as the Estie Sparkle, with the unique glitter of diamond particles.

Esterbrook JR Pocket fountain pen

Pen enthusiasts familiar with the Esterbrook brand, will probably be familiar with the famous “J” fountain pen from the 1940s and 1950s, as well as its popular spin-off models. With a fair amount of symbolism, the revived Esterbrook company has brought back to life this iconic pen with the JR Pocket fountain pen.

This compact fountain pen is perfect for carrying around with you every day and its sleek and elegant body is designed to be universally fitting. Just like the vintage Esterbrook fountain pens, the JR Pocket easily integrates practicality with class. The steel nib and the metal accents, such as the clip and the two rings – on the cap and the barrel – have a silver or gold coating, depending on the model.

Esterbrook JR Pocket fountain pen colors

The Esterbrook JR Pocket fountain pen started out with three colors, all with a beautiful marbled look: Tuxedo Black, Carmine Red and Denim Blue. In addition, Esterbrook regularly adds limited editions in unique colourways to the collection.

Esterbrook Camden fountain pen

In terms of design details, the Esterbrook Camden fountain pen is similar to the Estie with its minimalistic design. But unlike the round cigar shape of the Estie, the Camden is only subtly curved along the barrel and cap.

Named after the birthplace of the Esterbrook company, the Camden fountain pen clearly reflects the successful 1930s in the classic shape and matte finish. The body is made of lightweight anodized aluminum, for a consistently strong and balanced performance and a high level of comfort.

The pen’s clip and elegant lettering, underlined with a fine ring, all have a silver trim, as does the Schmidt German steel nib. Like the Estie, the Esterbrook Camden fountain pen is equipped with the special cushion cap.

Esterbrook Camden fountain pen colors

At its launch, the Esterbrook Camden was available in three colors: Silver, Graphite and Rose. These were later joined by two limited editions with more outspoken designs: the Back to School Black and the Spring Break Fluorescent Green fountain pens. New captivating pen colors for the Camden are sure to follow.

Esterbrook fountain pen nibs

Most nibs on Esterbrook fountain pens are interchangeable, which makes it easy to alternate between different styles of writing. The steel nibs are universally valued for their smooth performance on paper. We know how important it is to have a fountain pen that fits your preferences. Are you unsure which nib size suits you best? Visit one of our stores or contact us for expert advice.

For the avid collectors of Esterbrooks, an MV Adapter is available, which enables you to use vintage nibs and feeds on the modern pens.

Esterbrook fountain pen nib sizes

The Esterbrook fountain pen collection comes with the following nib sizes:

• Estie – Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, Stub (1.1 mm) and occasional custom nib sizes
• Camden – Fine, Medium, Broad
• JR Pocket – Extra Fine, Fine, Medium, Broad, Stub (1.1 mm)

How to fill an Esterbrook fountain pen

All Esterbrook fountain pens employ a cartridge or converter, as opposed to the vintage models which used a lever filling system. You can either replace an empty cartridge to directly continue writing or use the converter instead. The converter opens by twisting the end and dipping the nib in ink. By twisting the end again the chamber is filled with ink.

Together with its new pen collection Esterbrook has produced a new line of inks, which you can order here.

Buy your Esterbrook fountain pen at Appelboom

The new line of Esterbrook fountain pens has shown to be a worthy successor to the illustrious models of the past. These new pens offer both a classic design and a solid writing performance, fit for both experienced and novice fountain pen writers. Compare your favorites online and order your new pen from our store. Be sure to let us know if you have any questions about Esterbrook pens or about our service.