The purpose of the Esterbrook Project is to generate a complete list of dip pen nibs manufactured by The Esterbrook Company over the years. Contributions of information to further this are greatly appreciated.
The Esterbrook Poject Banner

HOME PAGE
NIB LIST
FURTHER TOPICS
COMMENTS RECEIVED
REFERENCES
CONTACT

ESTERBROOK DIP PEN NIB LIST

The number of Esterbrooks nibs I have found has become so large that I had to break the list into blocks. And I think I have still not found them all. So help me out. E-mail info or links where I can discover more Esterbrook dip pen nibs.

I believe
this to be an incomplete list and ask your help to identify and describe nibs and provide information to improve this list. The entries configured as a link will open a page with what information I have and a picture if one is available.


These nibs have been found in Esterbrook catalogs and other publications, on the Internet at such sites as Internet auctions, Internet vendors, Internet collection listings, advertising, ephemera, and a few archival documents found on different websites. Some of the listed nibs may be an erroneous identification by an Internet vendor handling a product they didn't know much about. I have seen on the Internet two different photos of two different nibs but both labeled with the same number. Some nibs were produced with various markings, such as the #556 nib for which I have seen five different imprints.

I am sure I am missing many nibs. Esterbrook advertising in the early 1900's claimed to have 250 different styles of nibs. During World War I, they voluntarily reduced their offerings to a couple of dozen nibs. By the late 1930's, their offerings were back to nearly a hundred or so. The 1930's offerings represent the most commonly found Esterbrook nibs on the market today. Many nibs did not survive the rigors of the marketplace and never became popular enough to justify their continued manufacture. There is little record today that some of these nibs even existed.

The photos are those I have taken of nibs I own, unless otherwise credited.

In the writing samples, I am trying to just show the line capabilities of the nibs, not a calligraphic talent. I tried to use a soft touch and not show the flex capabilities of any particular nib, though this did creep in on a few of the softer flex ones. Most nibs are excellent writers, which is what they were designed for. Only a few of the sharper ones showed any tendency to catch on upstrokes. I don't know how helpful the writing samples are. The best way to judge a pen is to try it out yourself and see how it "feels" to you. The "feel" is the most important factor for dip pen users.

There are a lot of skips in the numbers on this list. Are there any pens out there that are not listed?

If you know of any corrections or additions to this list, please e-mail me and let me know.


Esterbrook Nibs #0 to #99

Esterbrook Nibs #100 to #199

Esterbrook Nibs #200 to #299

Esterbrook Nibs #300 to #399

Esterbrook Nibs #400 to #499

Esterbrook Nibs #500 to #599

Esterbrook Nibs #600 to #699

Esterbrook Nibs #700 to #799

Esterbrook Nibs #800 to #899

Esterbrook Nibs #900 to #999

Esterbrook Nibs #1000 to ABC

Lettering Nibs



HOME PAGE
NIB LIST
FURTHER TOPICS
COMMENTS RECEIVED
REFERENCES
CONTACT
 Copyright Message