The New Esterbrook Model J!

I've been a fan of the pens that the new Esterbrook has been making under Kenro Pens, and this new Model J is no exception. It's bigger than the original, vintage J, and that's a big bonus for me. The ebonite feels great, and the nibs are as good as you'd expect from a JoWo #6 nib. You can also find them with a variety of excellent nib grinds from some of my favorite grinders.
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[@austonlopez4270]

I picked up the CAPRI BLUE one last week. I love it. I got it as a homage to my vantage Model J I have. Got to meet the guy who works for Kenro Industries and he took us through the process of making some Esterbrook pens.

[@inkdependence]

That's fun. Was it at the Atlas Sidewalk Sale?

[@austonlopez4270]

@@inkdependence yes and when my nib was scratchy they just swapped it out :-).

[@drew......]

I’ve got this model on my radar for sure. I bought an Oversize Estie “Gold Rush”. Kind of a premium price for an acrylic torpedo shaped pen _however_ I was really impressed with the quality. The acrylic is denser than lots of pens I’ve gotten over the years. Meaning it just feels like it has thick walls. Sturdy and doesn’t exhibit my pet peeve of semi-translucent acrylic threads.

[@inkdependence]

There's nothing translucent about the J, that's for sure. I also don't love semi-translucent bits on pens for some reason.

[@ruthfeiertag]

I like “design language” as a term/concept. The understated contrast between the body and section is very pleasant. I like that sage ink. I agree that the price seems rather high. Thanks for the review!

[@inkdependence]

I do wish they were less expensive, but it is a really nice pen. I like "design language" too. It's a weird idea, but also really intuitive.

[@robertcalkjr.8325]

Thanks, Mike. Nice looking pens. I've not had much luck with Jowo nibs and I'm nearly to the point of never buying another pen that uses them. Even though I have many hobbies and tools that most people don't have, I just can't stand working on something that is supposed to be brand new. I've had zero problems with my Pilot 912 or the Lamy Safari's that I've bought, only those with Jowo nibs. And I've used Noodler's inks in all of them. My Pilot 912 has only been inked with Texas Black Bat since it was new with no problems. I can leave it capped for days and it just takes right off with no problem.

[@inkdependence]

What sorts of problems have you been having with them? JoWo are usually pretty reliable nibs, but they're not always perfect. Some brands (like Franklin-Christoph) have someone who checks and adjusts all of them. Others (like Diplomat) get them specially made. Others don't, and it's a little more hit/miss. Pilot is making their own nibs, though, and they're almost always awesome. I don't like or trust Noodler's inks these days, though I remember Black Bat being good (and maybe really wet?), but it's been a long while.

[@robertcalkjr.8325]

@@inkdependence Thanks for answering my comment. Hard starts and just not writing well, mainly my Opus 88 Omar. I fixed up a Jowo nib that I bought on Amazon with a brass shim pack that I bought. My TWSBI Eco's are writing well for the most part. But they don't cost a lot. I'll repair the Omar nibs before too long, but I don't know if I'll ever pay more than $40 for a pen that uses Jowo nibs. And I only blame myself for not sending it back because it was my choice to try and fix the nibs myself. So, I'm not angry or anything but it has made me more distrusting of them. I love Noodler's inks. I just can't trust writing letters and important stuff that a cup of water can destroy - may as well use a ball point pen... I think that people are too quick to blame the ink for problems with their nib performance. The Texas Black Bat is great black ink and even gets darker when you get it wet. In my tests I don't just get the ink wet, I also scrub it a few times with a Q-tip, let it dry, and then repeat it with a second wet and scrub.

[@harmonybat]

I just wish they had non-gold ones!

[@inkdependence]

So say we all! I'm sure those will happen, though.

[@idamariegiusti3615]

Nice green

[@inkdependence]

yep!

[@cathrynesten4364]

Green is my favorite color, this pen is definitely going on my wishlist somewhere lol

[@inkdependence]

I also really like green, and I don't have all that many green pens, I don't think.

[@sajjadhusain4146]

Ebonite is always really nice. And I like the green color finish on it. Though the gold trims and the wide band on the barrel are rather tacky and total turn-off. Alas, I still think that the modern Esterbrook pens are really only worth buying with their special nibs. That, though, entails a surcharge on an already quite over-priced pen. I couldn’t care less about another bland generic Jowo steel nib. I own four Esterbrooks with the Journaler, Scribe and Needlepoint and Broad nibs. Esterbrooks mostly selling at MSRP for the last two years is a real let-down. I reckon the Camden is my favorite modern Esterbrook pen.

[@inkdependence]

I do really like the specially ground nibs, especially the Journaler.

[@sajjadhusain4146]

@@inkdependence Yea, the Journaler is maybe the best of the specialty nibs, so far. I bought an Estie with the Techo nib two months ago. No regrets.

[@judyjacobs5827]

Something about re-animating the dead and loved brand but making pens that are, to my eye and my hand, so dissimilar from their namesakes, even giving them the same names as the original New Jersey-manufactured pens with their unusual (no tipping material, but a curl in the end of the nib material) and easily interchangeable nib units is disingenuous. My first "Estie" nuveau was a gift, with all the trimmings, in January. Over time it became balky, the nib becoming harder to use, and now it's cleaned and stored in a folder. I also have a few dozen real Esterbrooks in several iterations, have restored several of them, and like them. Would I pay that much for this pen? Not likely. Thanks for the glowing review, though.