Review: Esterbrook Journaler Nib

Esterbrook Journaler nib by Gena Salorino

Two weeks ago, I reviewed and featured Esterbrook's MV (modern to vintage) Adaptor, a pen accessory that allows collectors to enjoy vintage Esterbrook nibs in modern Esterbrook fountain pens. The MV Adaptor is a brilliant accessory, but the Esterbrook Pen Company's efforts to continue the Esterbrook story do not end there. 

To keep on with the tradition of providing good quality specialized nibs, the company launched the Esterbrook Custom Nib Program to highlight exceptional American nibmeisters. Gena Salorino of the Custom Nib Studio in Los Angeles has created the first edition nib in the series, and I am so excited to try it.

The Journaler nib is a medium nib modified into a medium stub.

Gena's nib work for Esterbrook Pen Company is called the Journaler. In her own words, the Journaler 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.”

The vintage Esterbrook 9314M nib is a Relief medium stub. Gena produces a similar nib by grinding a modern No. 6 Esterbrook nib into a stub. The result is the Journaler, a smooth medium stub nib. 

The Journaler fits the Slim, Standard, and Oversized Estie fountain pens, as well as the new Camden. The Journaler nib is available for US$50 from Esterbrook and is purchased with a fountain pen. It will be a replacement for any standard nib, and the pen will come with the Journaler and not as a second nib unit. 

The Journaler is a reproduction of the vintage Esterbrook nib 9314M, a Relief Medium Stub.

A comparison: nib on left is a regular 1.1, the nib on the right is the Journaler.

I love broad and stub nibs, and I have several stub nibs that were modified from broad nibs. After trying the Journaler, it has become the perfect medium stub nib for me. The modern steel nib is firm, but not hard, and writing with it produces modest line variation. It makes my block letters look great with wider vertical strokes and slimmer horizontal lines.

To try the Journaler nib, I chose my favorite Robert Oster Orange Zest, a wet and expressive ink. There wasn't much shading, but the strokes and lines were uniform and consistent. I did not experience any skipping or hard starts and the stub nib wrote smoothly.

The Journaler's line variation is perfect for my shape art. The combination of wide and slim strokes is so beautiful!

I'm so happy with the Journaler nib and I think it's been made perfectly for my slim block print writing style, but I bet it can also be used for sketching, cursive writing, or even freehand calligraphy!

Gena did an excellent job with the Esterbrook Journaler nib.

Gena and Esterbrook Pen Company have done an excellent job and the Journaler is a great nib. This nib would be a great companion to a new Esterbrook fountain pen. It's like writing with a vintage medium stub using a modern No. 6 stub nib! Get one for your writing pleasure now!

Rants of The Archer thanks the Esterbrook Pen Company and Kenro Industries for providing the Journaler nib for this review. The nib is available at Esterbrookpens.com. To learn more about the Esterbrook Pen Company, where to buy their pens and accessories, and for other details on purchasing  their products, visit their website at https://www.esterbrookpens.com/ or follow them on social media:

• Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/esterbrook_official/)
• Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/esterbrookpens)