About every few months, someone publishes a story about the death of handwriting or some variation on this theme. Today’s grim reaper is the BBC with a video article about North Carolina Congresswoman Pat Hurley, who is drafting a bill to mandate handwriting be taught in primary school. A professor of linguistics provides counterpoint describing handwriting as “nostalgic”.
The whole video raised my hackles especially because neither camp mentioned the hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills that are developed as a result of writing. Not to mention that handwriting in the joined-up version helps to speed up writing so that students (and later adults) can more quickly capture thoughts and ideas on paper.
On the whole, I think the story was a bit of sensationalist, shoddy journalism and I’m going to be all grr-argh! for the rest of the day as a result.
I have generally had a bias against ballpoint pens. I remember the gloopy, messy ballpoints from childhood that write with wide strokes and leave an oily mess. The folks at Uni-Ball changed my opinion about ballpoints though with their Jetstream line. This is the Jetstream Ballpoint Pen 0.38 with light pink body and it features a retractable point and a silicone comfort grip area. While the outside plastic is a bit bubblegum pink for my taste, the pen writes with a tasteful 0.38mm black ink.
Every time I use a Jetstream, I marvel at how smoothly they write. They never skip or glob like those ballpoint pens of the past. The 0.38 model is the finest line Jetstream I’ve seen so far and it definitely rivals the PIlot Hi-Tec C line for the smooth fine line.
The Jetstream 0.38 model is available in either red, black or blue ink with a black plastic body or in black ink with a choice of four pastel colored plastic bodies for $2.25 each.
For other reviews about the Jetstream line, check out my previous reviews:
I always get tickled by the goofy stuff designers do, myself included, like proudly showing their affinity for a particular color, right down to its Pantone designated number. So, yeah to Pantone for offering this lovely array of “chips” available as computer desktop wallpapers. I, of course, chose PMS 382C… but really, who is surprised by that?
My pal Carolee recently emailed me a question and was kind enough to let me post the question and response here.
…do you have any good sources for a vintage esterbrook? I recently got a Parker Vac and I’m starting to fall in love with vintage pens. I don’t know how much to pay for the esterbrook….any tips?
Let me start by saying I am in no way an expert on Estebrooks though they were some of my first forays into fountain pens and definitely my first foray into vintage pens.
Let me start with a little history about Esterbrooks. When most people get interested in Esterbrooks, they are talking about the plastic pens that started being produced in the 1930s and continued on into the 1950s. There are “Dollar Pens“, transitional, double jeweled and many other sub-classifications with the range. For a detailed history, check out RichardsPens who gives a great overview of the J Series of Esterbrooks.
The big deal with Esterbrooks are the nibs. The nib is a Renew-Point which was the first nib that could be unscrewed from the pen and replaced easily and quickly and was what set the Esterbrook apart. This lead to a huge array of different nib units that could be swapped out on your pen as needed.Nibs were available for just about every need from super fine stiff nibs for accounting and writing on carbon copies to italic and flexible nibs for calligraphy and decorative writing.
This is what lead me to the Esterbrooks. I was in my early days of learning calligraphy and looking for ways to spend more time practicing and less time dipping to re-ink my pen. I heard about the coveted #9128 Fine Flexible nib and loved the look of the marbled plastics of the barrels so I went hunting.
Shown in the picture above are three grey marbled LJ models, a black transitional, a red marbled “purse pen”, a large blue LJ and my favorite marbled green “Dollar Pen”. I have also been able to collect an assortment of NOS (new old stock) Renew-Point nibs, including that coveted #9128 flexible nib. All of my pens were purchased on Ebay over several years and I got lucky, they are all in good shape structurally but all need new ink sacs and some needed nib units. For me, though, this wasn’t a big deal.
I use most of my Esterbrooks as dip pens as I am too lazy to send them off to have them re-sac-ed or learn how to do it myself. As I write, I dip the nib into a bottle of ink and can then write for at least a page before I have to dip again. So, if you are looking to try your first Esterbrook, it may not be necessary to get a completely restored pen or even one with a nib unit if you are willing to make the purchases separately. You could easily purchase an Esterbrook pen body on Ebay and then get a nib unit from a reputable vendor like Anderson Pens. If you have the luxury of attending one of the Pen Shows around the US, there are often vendors who sell replacement ink sacs or can fix up your newly acquired Esterbrook.
If you hoping to get a pristine Esterbrook that has been restored with a new sac, then I would recommend checking in with a high-quality reseller like Anderson Pens. They specialize in Esterbrooks and have a really great reputation in the community.
(from the Rob Latimer collection)
Do you have a color preference with the Esterbrook pens? The black or marbled pearl colors are usually easier to come by. The pastels get pricey if you are hoping to find one that’s not stained or discolored from age.
With all this said, Esterbrooks from the J Series can be found on Ebay starting in the range of $20 to $45 depending on the gamble you take in buying the pen. Fountain Pen Network’s classifieds section is also a great place to research and shop for Esterbrooks. Often times, the smaller ladies “purse pens” are a little less expensive for the marbled plastic or black plastic models but the pastel models do tend to be more expensive. If you are looking for the rare or more unique plastic finishes like the aqua cracked ice Esterbrook in the middle of Rob’s case shown above, you may need to save up your pennies for awhile.
If you are interested in an Esterbrook specifically for calligraphic nibs, I also recommend looking for Osmiroid pens. Osmiroid used the same threading for their nib units as Esterbrook though I don’t think the nibs were as of high a quality as the original Masterpoint collection from Esterbrook. Its pretty easy to find reasonably priced sets of unused or lightly used Osmiroid calligraphy sets on Ebay. Just stick to the “65” and “75” series of Osmiroids to be able to swap out nibs with Esterbrooks.
Shown here for scale from top to bottom, a modern Kaweco Classic, a vintage Esterbrook transitional and a modern Kaweco Student pen.
If you decide to hunt around Ebay for your first Esterbrook, just remember to check the sellers reviews and if something looks to good to be true, it usually is. Good luck and please let me know if you venture into vintage Esterbrooks.
Just wanted to let you know that I’ve got new stamp designs coming to the shop in the next week or so. The designs are postally-themed like the ones shown here plus a couple other new designs. These are all original designs based on the looks of vintage air mail envelopes and postage.
Some will be available with the classic wood handle and other in the smaller, more compact wood block style. I like the handle-style because they fit on my vintage stamp carousel but I also like the wood blocks as they are more portable. Let me know if you’all have a preference.
Last year, I had the opportunity to travel to Hong Kong for work and my absolute favorite thing to do was to take a trip across the harbor after work on the Star Ferry. I didn’t have a lot of free time so a quick jaunt gave me a scenic view of Hong Kong for the low, low price of ($2.50HK during the week and $3.50HK on the weekends which is about $0.35-.50US) so when I heard about the special Midori Traveler’s Notebook: Star Ferry Edition, I had to order one.
I have always been curious about comparing the Midori notebook to its more reasonably -priced cousin, the Pelle so I guess this is my chance.
The set includes a passport-sized Traveler’s Notebook in camel leather that has been embossed with special branding indicating that it is the “Star Edition”, a special refill that features a Star Ferry route map and a brief history. There is also a certificate for a free ride on the ferry, should you find yourself in HK and out of pocket change.
The notebook kit costs $54 but if you already own a passport-sized Midori notebook, the special Star Ferry insert is $11US. There is currently a delay in Star Edition notebooks coming into the US, postponed until June, but you can pre-order them and have them shipped when they are available.
Additional items are available in the Star Edition line including stickers, metal charms, clips a rubber stamp, printed masking tape and a Midori Bullet Pencil in bright green with Star Ferry branding.
