When my brother speaks of a lever action, he is talking about something altogether different 
than me. As of today, I am the proud new user of a lever filling vintage pen manufactured by Esterbrook, in England, around 1950! It was designed to be an economy pen of the period – hence their nibs are made of steel rather than gold. This does make them rather inflexible but they are sometimes referred to as dollar pens, so the cost was a factor for everyday use.
This particular pen is made of red marble plastic, looks almost a wood pattern, and has nib number 2314-M. The nib states it was made in the USA whilst the barrel has the imprint “Esterbrook - Made in England”.
I bought it today at Drummond's Antiques on Anzac St in Auckland and I'm happy with it. I was happy with it even before I saw it listed for £45 online and I got it for much less than that! Ok, the clip is missing from the lid, but it's double jeweled and I like it. As writing equipment goes, it'll do just nicely, thank you.
LINKS: If you have to choose just one link to follow, read Doug Johnston on D*I*Y Planner and then you'll get the bug and want to pursue it further. eBay is just a click away . . . . or better yet, go find a nearby junk or antique shop and see what you can unearth! Images are from Richard's Pens, Esterbrook.net. Rick Conner of Penspotter has good info on Esterbrooks and most facets of fountain pen collecting and use, including how to buy old pens. To these people, FPOTW does NOT mean Favourite Post of the Week! A great way of viewing a personal collection can be found frpat.com. I like what I saw on Ron Zorn's pages too. Seemed like he was just down on Main St.
than me. As of today, I am the proud new user of a lever filling vintage pen manufactured by Esterbrook, in England, around 1950! It was designed to be an economy pen of the period – hence their nibs are made of steel rather than gold. This does make them rather inflexible but they are sometimes referred to as dollar pens, so the cost was a factor for everyday use.
This particular pen is made of red marble plastic, looks almost a wood pattern, and has nib number 2314-M. The nib states it was made in the USA whilst the barrel has the imprint “Esterbrook - Made in England”.
I bought it today at Drummond's Antiques on Anzac St in Auckland and I'm happy with it. I was happy with it even before I saw it listed for £45 online and I got it for much less than that! Ok, the clip is missing from the lid, but it's double jeweled and I like it. As writing equipment goes, it'll do just nicely, thank you.
LINKS: If you have to choose just one link to follow, read Doug Johnston on D*I*Y Planner and then you'll get the bug and want to pursue it further. eBay is just a click away . . . . or better yet, go find a nearby junk or antique shop and see what you can unearth! Images are from Richard's Pens, Esterbrook.net. Rick Conner of Penspotter has good info on Esterbrooks and most facets of fountain pen collecting and use, including how to buy old pens. To these people, FPOTW does NOT mean Favourite Post of the Week! A great way of viewing a personal collection can be found frpat.com. I like what I saw on Ron Zorn's pages too. Seemed like he was just down on Main St.
Comments
for info on Esterbrook pens.