Esterbrook

Today, Cathy and I went to the local antique store, looking for bargains. She looks for her favorite things (old pictures, antique furniture, lamps, etc), and I look for mine (antique watches, advertising signs, instruments, etc).

Lately, I've been renewing my interest in drawing, handwriting, Moleskines, and fountain pens (hereafter referred to as "FPs"). So while we walked the aisles today, I had my eyes peeled for vintage FPs. And sure enough, I found a bargain - an old FP with a beautiful copper finish & nickel and black accents, in great condition, for $19.99! I talked the guy down to $15 and walked out with my prized find.

After coming home and doing a little internet research here, I determined that my find was a 1950's vintage Esterbrook J model. I found out that Esterbrooks have quite a following among FP collectors. They were not high-end pens in their day, but more of a solidly-built, well made pen for the masses. They are not rare, but are well-respected for their tendency to write perfectly even after sitting for decades.

After a little cleaning and flushing with water, I filled the old Esterbrook up with some copper-colored ink, and gave it a test run. Perfect! To say this pen writes smoothly would be like saying Jordan was "pretty good" at basketball. It is amazing: woo-hoo! Don't you just love when you get something great for a bargain price? (These Esterbrooks typically sell on the internet for $30-$50.)

For those of you who have never used a FP, you need to try one, now. (That means you, Rich Butler.) You'll never be able to go back to a 49-cent Bic again, trust me! Here are some reasons I love FPs:

• Smooth feel - FPs require almost no pressure - they write effortlessly. This means you can hold the pen lightly, and write for much longer without your hand hurting.
  
• Crisp line - FPs lay down a smooth, wet line of ink, that looks great on the page. No light lines like a ballpoint, no gooey mess like a gel pen.
  
• Ink colors - You can get inks for FPs in all kinds of cool colors: check this out.
• Not messy - The stories of people getting big ink spots on their shirt pockets and spilling ink jars are not generally the case, unless you're a klutz. Most modern FPs use ink cartridges, which snap in place and don't leak.
  
• Environmentally friendly - Buy a FP, and refill with ink when it runs out. Stop littering the landfills with worn-out cheap-o pens, and "recycle"!
  
• Well made - Quality FPs are made to last many years, versus "disposable" pens. Who ever said pens should be "throwaway" items?
• Cool looking - FPs are available in every color you can think of, and generally have silver or gold metal accents.
  
• Vintage - Old FPs take us back to an older time, the time of our grandparents, when people weren't so rushed...when they had time to fill a pen with ink, and carefully put their thoughts on paper...

If you are reading this and have never tried a fountain pen, you owe it to yourself to find a buddy who has one and try it. You may never go back.

But be careful, you may get addicted!

Handwriting

Do you remember your grades in elementary school? The only two I can seem to remember are the worst two.

In first grade, I got a "U" (unsatisfactory, like an "F") in music. Why? Well, our old-lady teacher made us stand in a circle, boy-girl-boy-girl, and skip in a circle to some fruity old-fashioned music. I wasn't real big on holding hands with girls in first grade, so while skipping I gave the girl in front of me a good soccer kick in the posterior. That earned me a trip to the principal's office, a good spanking at home, and a U for the class that quarter.

The other bad grade I remember in elementary school was a "C" in handwriting. Try as I might, in third grade I just could not get my pencil to make letters that looked like the ones on that chart above the chalkboard. My cursive back then was kind of ugly, and it never got a whole lot better.

Well, thirty some years later, I have decided I'd like to improve my penmanship. Practically speaking, this makes absolutely no sense. After all, in our modern computer age, the skill of writing by hand has paled in comparison to the skill of typing on a keyboard. Penmanship was a valued skill in our grandparents' day, but no more.

Maybe its the "art" phase I'm gonig through. Maybe its a throwback to my calligraphy skills I tried to learn as a kid. Maybe its somehow related to my fondness for fountain pens. I don't know what it is, but I'm inspired.

Here's the story of my handwriting:

And now...

And there you have it. I'll keep you posted on my progress. Hopefully soon my writing will look like this or even this!