Esterbrook Natural Slant #761 Nib (Vintage)

Natural Slant was one of a vast number of competing handwriting systems in the early 20th century. For many of these systems, a pen manufacturer (or several—it was a hotly competitive industry at the time) would release a nib designed for those practicing their handwriting, with the promise that their nib was ideally suited to the specific type of script.

But you don't need to have a position on "Vertical or Slant?" (the headline of a 1901 Esterbrook ad) to appreciate the #761 Natural Slant dip pen. It's a classic pointed pen with good flexibility and a distinctive, rectangular breather hole. It's a fairly large nib, so it also holds a lot of ink. In addition to its intended use as a writing instrument, we like the Natural Slant as a sketchy, expressive drawing tool.

This is a vintage Esterbrook dip pen, most likely manufactured in the 1930s. Thanks to the varnish applied to all dip pens (even new ones produced today), they are in excellent vintage condition. They've been checked for rust and other defects by our experts and are ready to return to service on your desk.

As with any dip pen, you will need to remove the protective coating so that ink will stick to the nib consistently. To remove the coating, simply dip your new pen in ink a couple of times and wipe it off. Repeat until the ink coats the nib completely and doesn't bead up. This process takes about 15 seconds and only needs to be done once, before you use the pen for the first time.

Sold individually. Made in the United States.

Founded in 1856, R. Esterbrook & Co. was the United States' very first manufacturer of steel dip pens. Formerly, these important 19th century tools had to be imported from Europe, but Richard Esterbrook brought expertise and craftspeople from England and opened a factory in Philadelphia.

For over 100 years until the company finally went out of business in 1970, Esterbrook produced the finest steel pens in the country, with a level of quality and a range of shapes that would put contemporary nib manufacturers to shame. Whenever we're able to get our hands on a vintage batch of Esterbrook pens, we're excited to offer them to you. Supplies, of course, are limited.