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[[Image:Logo-Esterbrook.svg|center|400px|Esterbrook Logo]]

[[Image:Logo-Esterbrook.svg|center|400px|Esterbrook Logo]]

[[Esterbrook]] was founded in [[1856]], but its fountain pen production is concentrated in the period between '40s and '50s. The company specialized in the manufacturing of cheap fountain pens, focusing in the mass market segment. Their pens had steel nibs and ordinary metal finishes. Despite the fact that [[Esterbrook]] pens were clearly economic models, they were produced with great care using cheap materials but with good quality manufacturing.  

[[Esterbrook]] was founded in [[1856]], but its fountain pen production is concentrated in the period between '40s and '50s. The company specialized in the manufacturing of cheap fountain pens, focusing in the mass market segment. Their pens had steel nibs and ordinary metal finishes. Despite the fact that [[Esterbrook]] pens were clearly economic models, they were produced with great care using cheap but good quality materials.

The sales of economic models had a great success, including the ability to expand the market to areas hitherto not attained. The [[Esterbrook]] pens were extremely robust and functional and produced in a wide variety of patterns and colors. As happened with most of the other fountain pen manufacturers, the company had an inexorable decline when facing the competition from disposable ballpoint pens, ceasing operations in 1971. The company rests, after the fusion with [[Venus]], were bought by [[Faber Castell]] in 1973.{{Infobox_Brand|Esterbrook}}{{BrandData|Founder=Richard Esterbrook|Date=1856|ProdDate=1933|Place=Camden, New Jersey|Country=US|Fullname=United States Steel Pen Manufacturing Company|Closing=1971}}

The sales of economic models had a great success, including the ability to expand the market to areas hitherto not attained. The [[Esterbrook]] pens were extremely robust and functional and produced in a wide variety of patterns and colors. As happened with most of the other fountain pen manufacturers, the company had an inexorable decline when facing the competition from disposable ballpoint pens, ceasing operations in 1971. The company rests, after the fusion with [[Venus]], were bought by [[Faber Castell]] in 1973.{{Infobox_Brand|Esterbrook}}{{BrandData|Founder=Richard Esterbrook|Date=1856|ProdDate=1933|Place=Camden, New Jersey|Country=US|Fullname=United States Steel Pen Manufacturing Company|Closing=1971}}

[[Image:1948-10-Esterbrook.jpg|thumb|A 1948 advertisement]]

[[Image:1948-10-Esterbrook.jpg|thumb|A 1948 advertisement]]

[[Esterbrook]] was founded in [[1856]] in Camden in New Jersey, by ''Richard Esterbrook'', a Cornish Quaker, who was an immigrant in the United States. He was a stationery, and had assisted to the move from goose pen down to steel nibs. Foretelling a great opportunity in the United States nib market expansion he took five English craftsmen (by the ''John Mitchell'' firm of Birmingham) and then start producing steel nibs in the U.S.A.  

[[Esterbrook]] was founded in [[1856]] in Camden in New Jersey, by ''Richard Esterbrook'', a Cornish Quaker, who was an immigrant in the United States. He was a stationery, and had assisted to the move from goose pen down to steel nibs. Foretelling a great opportunity in the United States nib market expansion he took five English craftsmen (by the ''John Mitchell'' firm of Birmingham) and then start producing steel nibs in the U.S.A.

[[File:Esterbrook-J-Green-Open.jpg|left|thumb|100px|An [[Esterbrook J]] model]]

[[File:Esterbrook-J-Green-Open.jpg|left|thumb|100px|An [[Esterbrook J]] model]]

The company operated for the first two years under the name of ''United States Steel Pen Manufacturing Company''; in 1858 it become the ''Esterbrook Steel Pen Manufacturing Company''. The company activities were a great success so that at the end of 1900 [[Esterbrook]] was considered, along with ''Perry & Co.'' (better known as ''Osmiroid''),  as the largest nib manufacturer of the world. In [[1896]] the company launched itself in the British market.

The company operated for the first two years under the name of ''United States Steel Pen Manufacturing Company''; in 1858 it become the ''Esterbrook Steel Pen Manufacturing Company''. The company activities were a great success so that at the end of 1900 [[Esterbrook]] was considered, along with ''[[Perry]] & Co.'' (better known later as ''Osmiroid''),  as the largest nib manufacturer of the world. In [[1896]] the company launched itself in the British market.

The first fountain pen was introduced in [[1933]]<ref>this date is cited [http://www.billspens.com/BillsPens/esterbrook/esterbrook.htm here].</ref> corresponding to the first patent for interchangeable nibs. In [[1935]] the company introduced the  [[Dollar Pen]] model, called so for its price, just a dollar.

The first fountain pen was introduced in [[1933]]<ref>this date is cited [http://www.billspens.com/BillsPens/esterbrook/esterbrook.htm here].</ref> corresponding to the first patent for interchangeable nibs. In [[1935]] the company introduced the  [[Dollar Pen]] model, called so for its price, just a dollar.

==External references==

==External references==

* [http://www.esterbrook.net/] A site dedicated to the company, a mine of information.

* [http://www.esterbrook.net/] A site dedicated to the company, a mine of information.

* [http://www.rickconner.net/penoply/eb.0.html] An article about the company.

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20171216155147/http://www.rickconner.net:80/penspotters/esterbrook.html] An article about the company.

* [http://www.penhero.com/PenGallery/Esterbrook/EsterbrookAds.htm] An advertising gallery.

* [http://www.penhero.com/PenGallery/Esterbrook/EsterbrookAds.htm] An advertising gallery.

* [http://www.richardspens.com/ref/profiles/j.htm] An article on [[Esterbrook J|J model]].

* [http://www.richardspens.com/ref/profiles/j.htm] An article on [[Esterbrook J|J model]].

* [http://www.richardspens.com/ref/profiles/dollar.htm] An article on [[Dollar Pen]].

* [http://www.richardspens.com/ref/profiles/dollar.htm] An article on [[Dollar Pen]].

* [http://www.rickconner.net/penspotters/esterbrook.html] An article about the company.

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20171216155147/http://www.rickconner.net:80/penspotters/esterbrook.html] An article about the company.

* [http://www.vintagepens.com/Esterbrook.shtml] Brand page on David Nishimura website.

* [http://www.vintagepens.com/Esterbrook.shtml] Brand page on David Nishimura website.

* [http://www.billspens.com/BillsPens/esterbrook/esterbrook.htm] Brand page on Bill Acker website.

* [https://web.archive.org/web/20141111173638/http://www.billspens.com:80/billspens/esterbrook/esterbrook.htm] Brand page on Bill Acker website.

* [http://hans.presto.tripod.com/nibs/esterbrook02.html] An article on the company's history.

* [http://hans.presto.tripod.com/nibs/esterbrook02.html] An article on the company's history.

* [http://web.archive.org/web/20080819205512/http://www.zianet.com/jmcdgwin/ebrook.htm] An article on the company's history.

* [http://web.archive.org/web/20080819205512/http://www.zianet.com/jmcdgwin/ebrook.htm] An article on the company's history.