fountain pens

[John in Covina]

Esterbrook nibs!

For the fountain pens most Esterbrook nibs have a 4 digit number on them which you can then tie to a style by doing a google of "Esterbrook Nib Chart". Also since most of the Esterbrook nibs for Fountain pens are screw in screw out you can change out your nib for something else. New Old Stock nibs are regularly available on EBAY and at some pen stores that have vintage. One pen 52 nibs = 52 different pens.

 

[binkmeisterRick]

Looked at the nib on my Esterbrook last night and it's got the number 2556 on it. It is a fine nib, which goes well with my handwriting style!

 

[Hemingway Jones]

Here we go, gang! I gently laid them on my scanner, since it's the only current way I have to getting pics of them. I thought I'd share pics of two of my other favorites. Apart from two other not-so-special pens, this is my collection. Currently...

On top is an Esterbrook in icicle blue (an uncommon color), followed by the 1940s Eversharp Skyline which got me back into loving fountain pens, and finished with the 1930s Parker Vacumatic which belonged to my late grandfather. The images don't do justice to the colors, but before being refurbished, you couldn't see the transparency of the barrel on it, it had darkened so.

What'd'ya think?

Beautiful collection, bink. Your grandfather's pen is amazing.

Boy, if that's the only way you can take pictures right now, I sure hope you don't post any hat pics!

 

[binkmeisterRick]

Thanks, Hemingway! ...Now to take a "pcture" of me wearing one of my hats!

 

[John in Covina]

Fanfare for the common nib.

Looked at the nib on my Esterbrook last night and it's got the number 2556 on it. It is a fine nib, which goes well with my handwriting style!

********
2556 = Fine, firm, general writing. This is a very common nib for Esterbrooks, it has the fine line, but being firm, you can press a bit if you are making carbon copies. 1-3 maybe. Manifold was the ones where you need to press hard for a lot of copies.

 

[binkmeisterRick]

Works for me!

 

[Big Man]

Vintage Waterman Ideal

My father-in-law gave me this old fountain pen the other day. He said it was the pen he carried during the war (he was USMC serving on the battleship USS Arkansas). The pen is about 5 inches long, has a screw on cap, is black (or very dark navy) with translucent blue ends (top and bottom). The pen is marked "Waterman Ideal".

The pen writes very smooth and has a fine point nib. It had been stored in an old desk drawer for many, many years and will not take ink (I suppose the pen's bladder has gone bad), but will hold enough ink with a "dip" to write a short note.

 

[Chainsaw]

When my mother went to school in England they still had the fountain wells on all the desks. In Poland, my Grandmother says they used fountain pens exclusively. As ball points had not been invented yet.

John in Covina, if you go to any art store you can purchase a plastic holder for a couple bucks, and nibs used to be 50 cents for straight ones. Caligraphy nibs can cost 5-10 bucks a piece, depending on style et-cetera.

Sketching or writing with a nib is very rewarding. I have a Taiwanese ink set, and also a Japanese set. Totaly different concept, but very interesting. I have a couple different ink wells that are hand carved. One mixes ones own ink from a dry stick & water. Basically black and white water colours. very complicated though.

I'll post some pics if you want, but I have to dig them out.

 

[fluteplayer07]

John, I know I asked you about this on the other thread, but I have another question on the Waterman Ripple 55 I'm waiting for. What is the difference between the 55, N*52 and the 56 and the other woodgrained hard rubber pens? Info on the 55 seems fairly thin... Is it just less collectable, or does the 52 just overshadow it? And do you have some book recommendations for me for research on the Golden Era pens?

Thanks a lot,

 

[Shangas]

My father-in-law gave me this old fountain pen the other day. He said it was the pen he carried during the war (he was USMC serving on the battleship USS Arkansas). The pen is about 5 inches long, has a screw on cap, is black (or very dark navy) with translucent blue ends (top and bottom). The pen is marked "Waterman Ideal".

The pen writes very smooth and has a fine point nib. It had been stored in an old desk drawer for many, many years and will not take ink (I suppose the pen's bladder has gone bad), but will hold enough ink with a "dip" to write a short note.

You know, there are people who fix fountain pens like those. Try Richard Binder, Ron Zorn, John Mottishaw and countless others to see who can fix it for you. Hell, I would do it myself...

 

[Tooch]

I can recommend Ron Zorn. He did an excellent job restoring a Parker 51 for me.

 

[zeus36]

Great to see a five-year old post resurrected!

I've been using a Waterman Phileas Medium nib at work these days. Don't like to have the Parker 51's around all those sticky fingered co-workers.

 

[fluteplayer07]

The Phileas writes great! I bought mine from Office Max on clearance for under $30. Bottle of ink, cloth, blotter paper, 5 ink carts, and a converter. The whole set... A real bargain!

Cheers,

 

[John in Covina]

John, I know I asked you about this on the other thread, but I have another question on the Waterman Ripple 55 I'm waiting for. What is the difference between the 55, N*52 and the 56 and the other woodgrained hard rubber pens? Info on the 55 seems fairly thin... Is it just less collectable, or does the 52 just overshadow it? And do you have some book recommendations for me for research on the Golden Era pens?
Thanks a lot,

THe numbers of the Waterman Pens corresponds to size from what I understand.

THe book by Paul Erano is a good start.
Books & magazines:
http://www.pendemonium.com/books.htm

 

[fluteplayer07]

Thank you!

 

[LordBest]

I just found an old Parker 45 someone gave my mother several decades ago. I believe it dates to either 1960 or 1965. I've (carefully and gently) cleaned it out and hope to purchase some ink for it tomorrow. I'm rather excited, though I find the nib rather inelegent on an aesthetic level.

 

[SGT Rocket]

Birthday

Hi All,

I have a quick question that sort of goes with this thread. My birthday is coming up and my wife wants to get me a fountain pen. I've been writing with the Pilot Varsity Disposable fountain pens for quite some time. I really like them. They seem to write every time I pick them up.

Is there a nicer/yet cheap (under $50) fountain pen that writes similar and one can recommend?

Thanks

edit: I just saw the earlier post from John, do these recommendations still stand? Or, has there been another inexpensive pen that you love and has made it's way into your pen stable?

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Reviving the finish on a waterman ripple hard rubber pen.



Stupidly I had imagined a massive University like University College London would be able to get an air conditioning system to work. I forgot that I was in Britain, where even the simplest tasks are beyond Estates and Facilities staff.

So, I left my 1929 hard rubber Orange Ripple in my lab over the weekend (Saturday afternoon and Sunday). Got into the lab this morning and the lab was stinking hot (It had reached a mammoth 65 Farenheit on Sunday ). All the ink had expanded out of the ink sac (no biggie), but horrifyingly the lustre of the hard rubber has gone matte. More of a dusty orange dusty grey ripple now. I assume a consequence of the rubber reacting to the heat. Is there any way to reinvigorate the shiny lustre? Does the rubber just need to be rehydrated?

I only paid $16 for the pen, and £30 for a re-sac and service, so it's not a great financial problem, but the pen doesn't look right. It bothers me. Any advice appreciated.

bk

 

[Shangas]

Ooooh dear.

One of the BIGGEST curses of the vintage 1910s, 1920s HR pens is that they are very susceptable to heat and especially...sunlight.

Resaccing the pen is easily done. As for restoring the lustre on the rippled R&B hard rubber...I don't know if you can do that.

You can reblacken BHR, but woodgrain or mottled red & black HR...I don't think you can do anything to it.

It's for this reason that you *NEVER* leave your hard rubber pens in sunlight. The heat and the sunlight leeches the colour from the rubber and leaves it looking all dull and...melk!!

 

[Baron Kurtz]

It's for this reason that you *NEVER* leave your hard rubber pens in sunlight. The heat and the sunlight leeches the colour from the rubber and leaves it looking all dull and...melk!!

Wasn't in sunlight. Was in a drawer in a very hot room that I had suspected would be air conditioned. :eusa_doh: Don't trust British workers!

bk