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[[Image:Logo-Esterbrook.jpg|center|200px|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 but good quality materials.  

[[Esterbrook]] was founded in [[1856]], but its fountain pen production is concentrated in the period between '30s 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.  

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}}

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}}

== History ==

== History ==

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

[[File:Esterbrook-J-DoubleJevel-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 [https://web.archive.org/web/20141111173638/http://www.billspens.com/BillsPens/esterbrook/esterbrook.htm here].</ref> corresponding to the first patent for interchangeable nibs, called [[Renew-Point]]. In [[1935]] the company introduced the  [[Dollar Pen]] model, called so for its price, just a dollar. A British production, made by [[Conway Stewart]] from the mid-1930s to the 1950s is however known,<ref>according to what is reported at [http://www.esterbrook.net/relief.shtml this page].</ref> for the model called [[Relief]].  

The feature that distinguished [[Esterbrook]] production was the interchangeable nib unit,<ref>this feature was protected by the patents {{Cite patent|US|1939753}} and {{Cite patent|US|1999177}} registered respectively in 1933 and 1935, but applied in 1928 and 1933.</ref> but it wasn't the first company offering this feature, that was already used by the [[Personal Point]] nibs made by [[Wahl Eversharp]]. Differently from [[Eversharp]], [[Esterbrook]] used the feature to consent to its clients to easily change their nib as they please, in any moment and not just when buying the pen, helped by the low price of its cheap steel nibs.  

The feature that distinguished [[Esterbrook]] production was the interchangeable nib unit,<ref>this feature was protected by the patents {{Cite patent|US|1939753}} and {{Cite patent|US|1999177}} registered respectively in 1933 and 1935, but applied in 1928 and 1933.</ref> but it wasn't the first company offering this feature, that was already used by the [[Personal Point]] nibs made by [[Wahl Eversharp]]. Differently from [[Eversharp]], [[Esterbrook]] used the feature to consent to its clients to easily change their nib as they please, in any moment and not just when buying the pen, helped by the low price of its cheap steel nibs.  

The most famous model produced by the company is the [[Esterbrook J|J model]], introduced in [[1943]]. (to be completed)

The most famous model produced by the company is the [[Esterbrook J|J model]], introduced in [[1943]]. (to be completed)

[[File:Esterbrook-J-Color-Group.jpg|thumb|An [[Esterbrook J]] set]]

[[File:Esterbrook-J-DoubleJevel-Color-Group.jpg|thumb|An [[Esterbrook J]] set]]

In [[1967]] [[Esterbrook]] merged with ''Venus Pen and Pencil Corp.'', becoming ''Venus-Esterbrook'' but the brand became less and less significant, up to the full closure in [[1971]], when ''Venus-Esterbrook'' become part of the ''Berol Group''. In [[1973]] the rests of the  ''Venus-Esterbrook''  were acquired by [[Faber Castell]].

In [[1967]] [[Esterbrook]] merged with ''Venus Pen and Pencil Corp.'', becoming ''Venus-Esterbrook'' but the brand became less and less significant, up to the full closure in [[1971]], when ''Venus-Esterbrook'' become part of the ''Berol Group''. In [[1973]] the rests of the  ''Venus-Esterbrook''  were acquired by [[Faber Castell]].

==External references==

==External references==

* http://www.esterbrook.net/

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

* http://www.rickconner.net/penoply/eb.0.html

* [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/EsterbrookAds01.htm

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

* http://www.richardspens.com/ref/profiles/j.htm

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

* http://www.richardspens.com/ref/profiles/dollar.htm

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

* http://www.rickconner.net/penspotters/esterbrook.html

* [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

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

* http://www.billspens.com/BillsPens/esterbrook/esterbrook.htm

* [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

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

* http://www.zianet.com/jmcdgwin/ebrook.htm

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

* http://www.kamakurapens.com/Archive/EsterbrookPens.html

* [http://web.archive.org/web/20120313091441/http://www.kamakurapens.com/Archive/EsterbrookPens.html] An article on the company's history.

* http://www.snyderfamily.com/current/estienibs.htm

* [http://www.snyderfamily.com/current/estienibs.htm] An article on nibs numbers.

==Notes==

==Notes==

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