Esterbrook Spoon Pen #854 (Vintage)

With a fine, hand-ground tip and an elegant neoclassical shape, the Esterbrook Spoon Pen #854 is one of the most beautiful and significant pens in our vintage collection. These steel nibs were manufactured around 1910 and were packaged in strikingly modern Art Nouveau-style boxes with shiny gold details and psychedelic hand-lettering.

We've sourced a couple of boxes of Spoon Pens and have carefully inspected each century-old nib to ensure it's in perfect condition. Amazingly, the steel nibs produced by Esterbrook in those days are almost never found with rust if the package is intact—they were well-coated in a protective oil and made from high-quality steel.

Our #854 Spoon Pens look like they came off the production line yesterday, with perfectly intact grey steel and the consistent hand-craftsmanship (actually a bit of a misnomer since most of the work was done by women) characteristic of Esterbrook's early 20th century pens. They write smoothly, make fine hairlines, and flex easily for expressive script.

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.

About R. Esterbrook & Co.:

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.