Nib Guide
One of the joys of loving fountain pens is that there are so many choices when it comes to the color, shape, size of the pen, etc. On the flip side, one of the challenges of being a fountain pen enthusiast is that there are the same amounts of choices. So many options and only so many words and pages to write (not that this ever stopped a pen lover from acquiring another pen, mind you). But now add choosing a nib size to suit your handwriting style and the benefits and difficulties of narrowing down what might suit you best become even more complex.
Most pen aficionados will tell you that it took some time to discover the nib that made their penmanship sing. For many, nib size is determined by how their handwriting looks on the page and for others it is how the width of the nib feels when they write. No matter the priority, we wanted to offer our humble advice on the matter.
Our ability to offer this assistance comes by way of some pretty legit company history. Before a single pen was made, Esterbrook already had more than 250 nib types in production for use with dip pens. In fact, Esterbrook was globally known as a resource for a nib to suit every writers’ whim. So, when we began our quest to breathe new life into the company, nibs were definitely on our minds.
We started with five standard nib sizes and slowly but surely, we are adding our own proprietary nibs in partnership with some of our favorite nibmeisters. We may not get to 250 (that’s just way over the top, don’t you think?) but we recognize that the writing experience is often informed by the nib, so we love to help clients get it right.
GENA SALORINO: THE JOURNALER
As we continue to tell the Esterbrook story, we wanted to continue Esterbrook’s tradition of focusing on specialized nibs.
The Esterbrook Custom Nib Program is our way to highlight exceptional American nibmeisters and we’ve asked some of the most prominent and exceptional nibmeisters in our community to create nibs to be a part of Esterbrook’s storied legacy.
Gena Salorino of the Custom Nib Studio in Los Angeles has created the first edition.
An apprentice to nibmeister John Mottishaw of Nibs.com for nearly four years, Gena’s nib work is derived from his style, but as she’s established Custom Nib Studio, her signature nibs have become well-known in the marketplace for her own trademark style and beautiful handmade quality.
In her own words, the custom nib Gena is grinding for Esterbrook is a “medium stub grind, based on the vintage Esterbrook 9314M nib. The idea is that it’s smooth and friendly enough for everyday use, gives your writing some flair, all without being too huge for practical writing”.
Available for the Slim, Standard and Oversized Estie’s as well as the new Camden, Gena’s custom nib has an MSRP of $50. This nib will replace your standard nib. Meaning, your pen will come with just this nib and not as a second nib unit.
She has named it “The Journaler” and we can’t wait for your clients to have this option as a daily writing nib for their Estie. We look forward to sharing Gena’s custom nib with you and to introducing you to new editions and new artists in the near future.
This project allows users to get a custom nib grind on your pen before you receive it.
