Esterbrook Camden Composition Fountain Pen Giveaway

We have a good one today readers, courtesy of my friends at Kenro Industries. They just released the Esterbrook Camden Composition Fountain Pen, which is a fun throwback in style to the composition notebooks of my youth. So here is the deal: They sent me two pens - one in Back to School Black, one in Spring Break Fluorescent Green. The winner will get to pick the barrel color of their choice, and I will keep and review the one not picked in the future. So, read the rules below, and enter away!

If you would like to check out the Esterbrook Camden Composition, you can see them at site sponsors Goldspot and Pen Chalet.

Esterbrook Camden Composition Fountain Pen Giveaway

Esterbrook Estie Lilac Fountain Pen Review

There is a style of pen that I have been enjoying immensely over the past year or two. I don’t know if this particular grouping has a name, but they share the same style of design, and fall in the same general price point. Leonardo Officiana and Montegrappa make pens that meet whatever this artificial criteria is, as does Esterbrook, which I am finally getting around to reviewing.

I know, I’m a little late to the new Esterbrook party, but I’m here now. And the Esterbrook Estie in Lilac has been proven to be worth the wait.

The story of Esterbrook is a long one, primarily as one of the great American writing brands for a period of over 100 years. It saw a small, yet ultimately failed, reappearance in 2014, prior to being bought out by US luxury goods distributor Kenro Industries in 2018. And from what I’ve seen so far, Kenro has Esterbrook on the right track as a new representation of the brand, not a direct throwback to history.

Any expectation that Kenro would mimic the past was thrown out quickly with the release of the flagship pen in the lineup, the appropriately named Estie. It is a traditional cigar-shaped pen, made in various acrylics from basic Black, to Tortoise Shell, to the Lilac I am currently using, and many more in between - including some limited editions.

The barrel sizes offer range as well, with a Slim model, a Standard, such as this one, and a few Oversized models mixed in for good measure.

While they may not look like your grandparents Esterbrook pens, Kenro did make sure that you could use your vintage Esterbrook nibs with these new pens by creating the MV Nib Adapter. It’s an add-on, but well-worth it if you have a hoard of vintage Esterbrook nibs laying around (I know who you are!) It’s a great way for the brand to be able to discuss the wonderful history of the product while bringing in a group of new users, like myself.

So let’s get into why I like it, and why I think this range of pens in the overall market is as strong as its been in years. First off, the Lilac acrylic is stunning. That’s what caught my eye originally, but there were plenty that came before it, such as Honeycomb and Blueberry, and hopefully many more to come after.

Secondly, the build quality is excellent. This is not an inexpensive pen at $156, nor is it a budget-breaker in the grand scheme of fountain pens. It uses Esterbrook-stamped Jowo Steel nibs, fills by standard international cartridge or converter, and has a cushion cap to keep the nib from drying out when closed.

Finally, the Esterbrook Estie feels wonderful to write with. It’s a large pen which you won’t want to post, but not too large or weighted poorly to make it uncomfortable to use. The acrylic has some density to it, and even my preferred Extra Fine nib glides across the page. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed using it since Kenro provided it to me at the Philadelphia Pen Show in January, and I can see more Esterbrooks in my future.

The one thing I can’t figure out about the Esterbrook Estie - and Leonardo Momento Zero and Montegrappa Elmo that I mentioned above - is why this section of the market is popping off, at least in my eyes. You can buy gold-nibbed pens for cheaper, and you can buy small-batch custom poured and machined acrylic pens for around the same price. And many of the existing designs in the $150-$200 range are considered all-time classics.

Is it that we like the new shiny materials of the pens? I know I do. The louder the material the better as far as I am concerned. And we already have the inks to match. I talk about fountain pens as being the most customizable writing instruments on the market, and these are prime examples. Are manufacturers now willing to break the black and gold mold of yesteryear into more modern styles? And have them perform as well, if not better? Is the modern fountain pen market separating itself from a sometimes stodgy history?

I don’t know what it is, but as a fountain pen fan, I like it. And I want more of it. Show us what you got in 2020, Esterbrook. I’m here for it.

(Kenro Industries provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Modernizing the Esterbrook FJ Ballpoint

If you have been following me for any length of time, you will have heard me discuss the cigar box pen storage I use on my desk. They are made by a friend of mine named John, better known online as Bamapen.

John is a tinkerer at heart, and a lover of pens of all types. These two things came into play with the latest toy he sent me: A 3-D printed adapter to allow D1 refills to be used in the Esterbrook FJ ballpoint pen.

It took me a while to get to this review (sorry John!) and I’m sorry I waited so long because this is a fun pen to use, and a part of what makes this hobby of ours so great. There was a time not so long ago where pens like this Esterbrook with proprietary refills were a lost cause. With the advancements and accessibility of 3-D printing technology over the past several years, enterprising writers can get their old favorite pens up and writing again.

John did just that by designing an adapter based on the original Esterbrook refill, and making it compatible with a common refill from the modern market - in this case the D1 sized refill. The D1 is commonly used in mini pens and multi pens due to its short, skinny format. It has become popular enough that many top manufacturers, such as Uni-ball, have added them to their product lineup using their best ink formulations, like the Jetstream.

I’m using a black 0.7 mm Jetstream refill with the Esterbrook adapter in this FJ pen, and it works like a champ. The fit is perfect, almost as if it is the original setup. That’s kind of the point, right? The original pen, with a modern writing experience.

Using Shapeways, or other 3-D printing services, has become a great way for us to get old pens back in action, or make changes to modern pens - like adding clips - to better fit our respective styles. The growth and popularity of services like these can only benefit us all.

Maybe I need to 3-D print one of my old favorite pens, The Pilot Explorer, and get it back into the market.

My thanks to John for entrusting me with his creation. I may just need to buy this one off of him.

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!