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Pick YOUR choice of "The Quintessential Esterbrook"


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Poll: Pick "The Quintessential Esterbrook" (11 member(s) have cast votes)

It's the Poll Title, pick from these two choices (for now, you can change your vote later if the choices change).

  1. The Visumaster (1 votes [9.09%])

    Percentage of vote: 9.09%

  2. The Transitional J (10 votes [90.91%])

    Percentage of vote: 90.91%

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#1 OcalaFlGuy

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Posted 30 December 2013 - 04:29 PM

So my buddy Rick Krantz and I are having a small discussion over on Faceplant.

 

Rick says the Quintessential Estie is the Visumaster.

 

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I on the other hand, say it's the Transitional J. Preferably the Toaster jewel 1st rendition.

 

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My reasoning is that while the Visumaster does indeed have some of the same styling clues, the Visumaster was Esterbrooks (Failed) attempt to Mimic the OTHER higher priced pens of the day. To be more like The Other pens.  THAT'S the reason I say it's not "Quintessential Esterbrook".  With it's plastic single jewel, to me, that makes the Tranny the Father of the Double Jewel J, probably the most well known and popular Esterbrook ever.

 

Which say ye?

 

(I MAY consider Adding Your Choice OTHER than these two to the poll if you are able to Convince me why it should be there.)

 

Feel free and post your arguments for or against as a post to this thread.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl

 

 



#2 david i

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Posted 30 December 2013 - 04:38 PM

Well, I disagree with Rick on this one.  Visumaster is an elegant and nifty variant, but quintessential means typical (representative), perfect (again, to me, with hint of "representative") , perhaps classic.    One can argue whether the Visumaster is an ultimate Estie, but it is an exotic in that arena, not a typical/perfect/classic version, though we can argue "perfect" in sense of "ultimate" or "best".

 

Quintessential in this case perhaps is best left to the most classic and recognized, "screams 'Estie!' sort.

 

regards

 

d


David R. Isaacson MD. Website: VACUMANIA.com for quality old pens with full warranty.
Email: isaacson@frontiernet.net

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#3 Paul M

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Posted 30 December 2013 - 05:01 PM

I cannot agree with either of the above. If you look beyond the shores of the US for just one moment, then the name Esterbrook is synonymous with the name Relief. Therefore to my mind any quintessential Esterbrook ...  (typical, representative, perfect, classic, was I think used)  should include the name Relief.

 

As I cannot possibly nominate a clear 'Conway Stewart rip-off' such as the Relief 12, I would nominate the Relief 2L for inclusion.

 

....and a Brit made pen has about as much chance of winning this vote as any non-US team has of  ever winning the "World Series" ;-) 



#4 OcalaFlGuy

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Posted 30 December 2013 - 05:17 PM

We are a lot more receptive to outside GENUINE contenders than you might think.

 

The Little League World Series has been won numerous times by foreign teams.  (Even though we didn't know many were cheating at the time...)

 

I would say 8 of 10 FP users would look at Any Relief and save the visible branding, have No Clue it relates to Esterbrook at all.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl



#5 pajaro

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Posted 30 December 2013 - 06:03 PM

The Visumaster is a rare pen.  I don't expect I'll ever see one.  Even the Transitional J is not exactly run of the mill.  I would think it would have to be one of the Js.  If you wanted to actually name one of the oddball Esties as quintessential, how about the pump filler or even the M2?

 

I don't really like lever fillers, because they tend to dig me under the fingernail.  So, I like the M2, because it is the Estie that fills most like the Parker 51 aerometric.  Please don't belabor me about the swirl ecstasies of the Js or the all plastic Estie squeeze fillers.

 

I wonder if we could move the Estie loaner program to this site.  This site is way faster than the other place.



#6 OcalaFlGuy

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Posted 30 December 2013 - 06:27 PM

Even the Transitional J is not exactly run of the mill.  I would think it would have to be one of the Js. 

 

FWIW, Brian Anderson puts Both the Visu and the Tranny in "The J Family".

 

To use a prior wording, to me, The 3 ribbed Tranny does indeed Scream! Esterbrook!, in fact, it does so Without (save the imprint) Actually having to Use the word. No other Estie looks more Clean and Classic to me either.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl



#7 pajaro

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Posted 30 December 2013 - 09:58 PM

On second thought we should forget about moving the Estie Loaner Program.   Too much hassle.



#8 ac12

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Posted 31 December 2013 - 12:48 AM

As a very new Esterbrook collector of only a few months, it was the J series (J, LJ, SJ) clip pens that I first recognized as an Esterbrook.  I did not even know of the other models.

The only other Estebrook that I was aware of was the desk pen in the 8-ball holder, and that was because my mother had one.



#9 OcalaFlGuy

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Posted 31 December 2013 - 01:28 AM

I don't think that "quintessential" Necessarily means the model that had the most sales.

 

In the car world for example, I would say the '56 or '57 are The quintessential Thunderbirds.  

 

I suspect there were other years though with higher sales figures.

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl



#10 FarmBoy

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Posted 31 December 2013 - 02:05 AM

Any balck Esterbrook that has something related to Bell Systems is the answer.

#11 OcalaFlGuy

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Posted 31 December 2013 - 02:12 AM

So saith Commander Skunk of the Lost Planet Airmen.   ;) 

 

Bruce in Ocala, Fl 



#12 rpk1204

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Posted 31 December 2013 - 03:48 AM

Well, following the car analogy (which I like) the quintessential chevy has to be the 57 (even though I prefer a 56).  It was a regular car, but became a classic,the one eveyone would want to own now, but not likely to achieve without some serious financial comittment. I don't think you could call the Corvette the quintessential chevy - just my opinion.  In that vein, I think I would have to go for the Visumaster - even though I just scored my first transitional.  I may never have one, without some financical comittment. 



#13 AZuniga

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Posted 01 January 2014 - 06:27 PM

Here are some “Esties”, the first three on the left and the gray one above are made in Mexico, I never had the time to make some research about how they came to be produced here (I hope I will soon). Any information you can share is welcome.

When I was in primary school, too long time ago, that was the pen we used, the cheapest and the most popular… although we all wanted a Parker like the one from the teacher with its gold nib. The one on the right was my grandfather’s and it has his name.

I would not know which would be the quintessential Estie but I tend to believe it would be the “J” but rpk1204 has an argument there.

Happy 2014, Ariel

 

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#14 rpk1204

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Posted 01 January 2014 - 07:15 PM

Very cool you have your grandfathers pen!  Wish I had more family pen items.  Very nice Estie colleciton!  I have a "horizontal" collection of full-sized J's in all the original colors that match exactly down to the shape of the lever.  I also have a growing "vertical" collection of everything in green - so far the full sized dollar pen, J, LJ, SJ double jewels, the pencil, and now a transitional.  I've seen a desk pen, so I need to get that, and of course the smaller dollar and the holy grail - a Visumaster.  Its fun collecting towards something - like a scavenger hunt!  Thanks for sharing yours!

 

Randy



#15 Rick Krantz

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Posted 02 January 2014 - 02:55 AM

I only have one esterbrook in my collection...

 

anyone care to guess what it is?

 

Charlie/Abby have a run of pastels, but they are not technically mine.



#16 FarmBoy

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Posted 02 January 2014 - 05:53 AM

Rick-
My guess:
Type I Visumaster in Black or Red.
-Todd

#17 Rick Krantz

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Posted 07 January 2014 - 01:53 AM

this one... .

 

estie.JPG



#18 rpk1204

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Posted 07 January 2014 - 01:55 AM

Very nice and particularly handsome in copper!



#19 FarmBoy

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Posted 07 January 2014 - 06:42 AM

Well I was close it is a type I and if you mix black and red you get brown.

#20 Jerry Adair

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Posted 07 January 2014 - 02:18 PM

As an outsider looking in, I subscribe to the Mike Fultz philosophy regarding Esterbrooks

Jerry






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