The origins of the Esterbrook brand date back to 1858, when British immigrant Richard Esterbrook founded a fountain pen factory in Camden, New Jersey, called The Esterbrook Steel Pen Manufacturing Company. In the mid-19th century, the writing industry in the United States was just beginning to develop, and Esterbrook was one of the first fountain pen manufacturers. A lack of skilled labor and pen-making machinery forced Richard Esterbrook to seek and create his own solutions.

From the very beginning, the Esterbrook brand has cultivated values ​​such as craftsmanship, original designs, and the highest quality of workmanship, which has gradually gained popularity. Initially, the brand produced nibs for dip pens, and in 1920, the first fountain pen under the Esterbrook name was created.

As early as 1896, the brand began expanding beyond the United States, opening a branch in Great Britain. At its peak, Esterbrook employed 450 workers and produced 600,000 pens a day.

The Historical Role of Esterbrook Feathers

Esterbrook pens, through their history, or rather the history of their users, have become a permanent part of American DNA.

The pen used by President Lyndon Johnson
to sign the Civil Rights Act

Abraham Lincoln, Lyndon B. Johnson, and John F. Kennedy were just some of the prominent figures in American politics who used these pens in their work. The Esterbrook brand was also chosen by artists. Carl Banks created Donald Duck with the 356 nib, while Charles Schulz used the 914 nib to create his "Peanuts" comic book series. Schulz liked the 914 so much that he bought the entire stock of this nib that remained after the Esterbrook brand ceased operations.

After the death of founder Richard Esterbrook in 1895, the brand passed into the hands of many other companies, which introduced new improvements to the pen production process and also changed the brand name from The Esterbrook Steel Pen to The Esterbrook Pen Company and then to Venus Esterbrook.

In 1940, the brand's British headquarters was destroyed in a bombing raid and half of its production capacity was used for government purposes, which, together with the post-war crisis and numerous administrative changes, led to the end of Esterbrook pen production in 1971.

The rebirth of the Esterbrook brand

In 2014, Esterbrook fountain pen production resumed, and the brand's offerings expanded to include ballpoint pens. This was all thanks to Kenro, a company known in the States for distributing fountain pens from renowned brands. While reintroducing the Esterbrook brand to users, they continue to embrace the brand's traditions with evolving technology.

Esterbrook's guiding principle, "a rich past will always be part of a promising future," is reflected in their pens. The brand's current offerings include collections inspired by the first Esterbrook pens. The Estie, Phaeton 300, and Camden models are timeless classics that transport us to America in the first half of the 20th century. Visit our online store to learn more about individual Esterbrook pens.