--- title: "Esterbrook Estie: Nib Options, Size & Filling" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/esterbrook-estie/" description: "Esterbrook Estie fountain pen explained: a 149 mm, 26 g acrylic pen with a JoWo #6 nib, specialty grinds, a cushion cap, cartridge or converter, and versions." category: "Pens" type: "Fountain pen" published: 2026-10-23 updated: 2026-10-24 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 8 products: - name: "Esterbrook Estie fountain pen, Nouveau Bleu with gold trim, Fine nib" brand: "Esterbrook" brand_origin: "United States" made_in: "Not stated" material: "Blended and turned acrylic (resin), gold-plated trim, JoWo gold-plated steel nib (Goulet Pens; Esterbrook)" price_band: "$$$$ (over $75 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count), typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "Kenro Industries" model: "Estie Nouveau Bleu, gold trim" mpn: "ENB156-F" gtin: "196704176629" url: "https://www.esterbrookpens.com/products/esterbrook-estie-nouveau-blue" --- # Esterbrook Estie: Nib Options, Size & Filling > The Esterbrook Estie is the flagship fountain pen of the revived Esterbrook brand: a 1930s-style acrylic pen with a screw cap and a threaded JoWo #6 nib. Goulet Pens measures it at 149.1 mm closed and 26.0 g. It takes international cartridges or a converter, comes in many colors and nib grinds, and sits in our $$$$ band. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/esterbrook-estie/ - Category: Pens - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-23 - Updated: 2026-10-24 ![Esterbrook Estie fountain pen in Nouveau Bleu drawn to scale at 149.1 mm closed, with a close-up of the gold-plated JoWo #6 nib](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/esterbrook-estie-16x9.png) *The Nouveau Bleu Estie, 149.1 mm closed, per Goulet Pens.* Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | Esterbrook Estie fountain pen, Nouveau Bleu with gold trim, Fine nib | Esterbrook (by Kenro Industries) | United States | Not stated | Blended and turned acrylic (resin), gold-plated trim, JoWo gold-plated steel nib (Goulet Pens; Esterbrook) | – | $$$$: over $75 per pen (multi-packs divided by the count) | - Made in (Esterbrook Estie fountain pen, Nouveau Bleu with gold trim, Fine nib): Not stated. Esterbrook's store, Goulet Pens and Pen Chalet (read October 23, 2026) don't state where the Estie is made. Esterbrook says only that the nib is German-made by JoWo. ### Esterbrook Estie fountain pen, Nouveau Bleu with gold trim, Fine nib colors - Body colors (11 standard, 14 special edition): Ebony Black; Honeycomb; Nouveau Bleu; Sea Glass; Tortoise; Botanical Gardens; Back to the Land: Quirky Leaf (Green); Back to the Land: Funky Lake (Blue); Back to the Land: Incredible Rock (Brown); Black Halloween Pastel with Bat; Pink Halloween Pastel with Ghost; Raven (special edition, Esterbrook's page address calls it a limited edition); Amber Tortoise (special edition, seasonal special release); Funky Town Yellow (special edition, limited release); Funky Town Orange (special edition, limited release); Funky Town Pink (special edition, limited release); Funky Town Green (special edition, limited release); Funky Town Purple (special edition, limited release); Sakura Street (special edition, with artist Cindy Duong (Sakuradragon)); Esterbrook x PEANUTS Charlie Brown (special edition, limited edition); Esterbrook x PEANUTS Lucy (special edition, limited edition); Esterbrook x PEANUTS Sally (special edition, limited edition); Esterbrook x PEANUTS Snoopy (special edition, limited edition); Esterbrook x Ferris Wheel Press Rockstar (special edition, collaboration); Esterbrook x Accutron Spaceview (special edition, collaboration). - Per Esterbrook (https://www.esterbrookpens.com/products/esterbrook-estie-nouveau-blue), checked 2026-10-24. Colors from Esterbrook's own store (its Estie product pages, read October 24, 2026). Standard here means the core colors Esterbrook sells in every Estie format (fountain pen, button piston, oversized, rollerball and ballpoint). Special means Esterbrook calls it a limited edition, limited release, seasonal special release or collaboration. Esterbrook doesn't say either way for Back to the Land or the two Halloween pastel pens, so they carry no edition. Most tints were sampled from Esterbrook's product photos. Charlie Brown is drawn as its yellow and black checks, and Accutron Spaceview as its clear body with the green section, both from Esterbrook's photos. Funky Town Purple has no tint: Esterbrook's Funky Town page and the retailers we checked show only the other four colors. Shops stock different colors; check the listing. ## Key takeaways - Goulet Pens measures the Estie at 149.1 mm (5.9 in) closed, 170.3 mm (6.7 in) posted and 26.0 g. - Esterbrook offers the Nouveau Bleu with more than a dozen nibs, from EF to a 1.1 stub plus grinds such as the Journaler, Scribe and Fude. - A cushion closure inner cap is meant to keep the nib from drying out, Esterbrook says. - The Estie also comes as a button-filler, an Oversized model and with 18k gold nibs, on Esterbrook's store. - Esterbrook was founded in Camden, New Jersey, in 1858 and revived in 2018 under Kenro Industries. ## What is the Esterbrook Estie? **It's the main fountain pen of the revived Esterbrook brand: a ringless acrylic pen with a screw cap, a slim clip and a large JoWo nib.** Pen Chalet says it was designed to give the feel of the 1930s, and that "Estie" is short for Esterbrook. Esterbrook's site says the original company was founded in Camden, New Jersey, in 1858, closed in the 1970s and was reborn in 2018 under Kenro Industries. The Estie is now sold in a long list of regular, special and limited editions. Goulet Pens listed regular, special and limited Esties when we checked on October 23, 2026; the regular Nouveau Bleu had 24 reviews averaging 4.75 stars. ## Esterbrook Estie specs | Spec | Goulet Pens (measured) | Pen Chalet | |---|---|---| | Length closed | 149.1 mm (5.9 in) | 148.3 mm (5.8 in) | | Length uncapped | 127 mm (5.0 in) | 127.8 mm (5.0 in) | | Length posted | 170.3 mm (6.7 in) | 171.5 mm (6.8 in) | | Cap length | 70 mm (2.8 in) | 69.9 mm (2.8 in) | | Diameters | 13.3 mm body, 15.2 mm cap, 10.8 mm grip | 14.3 mm body, 15.5 mm cap, 11.2 mm grip | | Weight | 26.0 g (17 g body, 9 g cap) | 25.23 g | | Ink capacity | 1.67 ml cartridge, 1.13 ml converter | Not given | The two retailers agree to within about a millimetre. Goulet counts 1.75 turns to uncap; Pen Chalet lists one. ![Esterbrook Estie lengths to scale: 149.1 mm closed, 127 mm with the cap off and 170.3 mm posted, 26.0 g](https://stationerytimes.com/images/esterbrook-estie-lengths.svg) *Closed, uncapped and posted, from Goulet's measurements.* ## Which Estie nib should you choose? **Start with F or M for everyday writing, and look at the Journaler if you want a little line variation.** Esterbrook's store lists the Nouveau Bleu with EF, F, M, B and a 1.1 stub, flexible EF and F, and grinds called Journaler, Needlepoint, Mini Stub, Scribe, Techo and Fude. Goulet describes the Journaler, by Gena Salorino, as a medium ground to a stub, and the Mini Stub, by Kirk Speer, as a narrower stub ground from a medium. Pen Chalet says the Scribe, an architect-style grind, is made in New York by nibmaker Josh Lax. The nib unit is threaded, so you can swap widths; Esterbrook says each JoWo nib is inspected by hand. See our [nib sizes guide](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/fountain-pen-nib-sizes-explained/) for how the letters compare. ## How do you fill the Esterbrook Estie? **With a standard international cartridge, short or long, or the converter in the box.** Goulet measures a maximum of 1.67 ml by cartridge and 1.13 ml in the converter. Esterbrook also makes a Button Fill Estie that draws ink straight into the barrel: unscrew the end, dip the nib and press the button a few times. Our [converters guide](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/fountain-pen-converters-explained/) explains the standard cartridge-converter route. ## What versions of the Estie are there? **Standard, Oversized and Button Fill fountain pens, plus a rollerball and a ballpoint.** On Esterbrook's store, the Nouveau Bleu comes with gold or palladium trim, and with 18k gold nibs at a much higher price. | Version | What changes | |---|---| | Standard (cartridge/converter) | Gold or palladium trim; steel or 18k nibs | | Button Fill | Built-in button filler, larger ink capacity (Esterbrook) | | Oversized | Larger body; about 34 g per retailers | | Vintage-nib option | MV adapter, sold separately, fits old Esterbrook nibs | ## How does the Estie compare to the Conklin Duragraph? **The Estie is longer, takes the same JoWo #6 nib size and costs more.** The [Conklin Duragraph](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/conklin-duragraph/) is 140 mm and 26.0 g with a flat top, in our $$$ band; the Estie is 149.1 mm and 26.0 g in our $$$$ band. At the Estie's price, Italy's [Leonardo Momento Zero](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/leonardo-momento-zero/) is another cartridge-and-converter option. Our [best fountain pens under $200](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-fountain-pens-under-200/) lists more. ## Where is the Esterbrook Estie made? **Esterbrook doesn't say.** Its store, Goulet Pens and Pen Chalet give no country of manufacture for the pen; Esterbrook says only that the nib is German-made by JoWo. For the original Esterbrook pens, see our [vintage fountain pens guide](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/vintage-fountain-pens/). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the Journaler nib on the Esterbrook Estie? A medium nib ground into a stub by Gena Salorino, giving wide downstrokes and thinner cross-strokes, Goulet Pens says. It costs more than the standard nibs. ### Can you use vintage Esterbrook nibs in the Estie? Yes, with an MV adapter sold separately. Pen Chalet says the Estie was the first collection to accept it; the piston version doesn't. ### What cartridges fit the Esterbrook Estie? Standard international cartridges, short or long, Goulet Pens says, or the converter that comes in the box. ### Is the Esterbrook Estie heavy? Not for its size: 26.0 g with the cap, Goulet measures, of which 9 g is the cap. Pen Chalet lists 25.23 g. ### What's the difference between the Estie and the Estie Oversized? The Oversized is a larger version of the same pen. Retailers list it at about 34 g, and Esterbrook prices it above the standard Estie. ### Who owns Esterbrook now? Kenro Industries, which revived the brand in 2018, according to Esterbrook's site. The original Esterbrook Pen Company closed in the 1970s. ### What colors does the Esterbrook Estie come in? Esterbrook's store sells six core colors in every Estie format: Ebony Black, Honeycomb, Nouveau Bleu, Sea Glass, Tortoise and Botanical Gardens. It also sells the three Back to the Land colors and a changing set of limited and collaboration editions, such as Raven, Amber Tortoise, Funky Town and the PEANUTS pens. ## Sources - [Esterbrook: Nouveau Bleu Estie (nib list, button piston and Oversized versions, 18K nibs, cushion closure inner cap, German JoWo nib, item codes and UPCs; read October 23, 2026)](https://www.esterbrookpens.com/products/esterbrook-estie-nouveau-blue) - [Esterbrook: About Us (founded 1858 in Camden, New Jersey; closed in the 1970s; reborn in 2018 under Kenro Industries)](https://www.esterbrookpens.com/pages/about) - [Goulet Pens: Esterbrook Estie Fountain Pen, Nouveau Bleu Gold (149.1 mm closed, 127 mm body, 70 mm cap, 170.3 mm posted, 13.3/15.2/18 mm, 10.8 mm grip, 26.0 g, 1.67 ml cartridge, 1.13 ml converter, 1.75 cap turns; 24 reviews; read October 23, 2026)](https://www.gouletpens.com/products/esterbrook-estie-fountain-pen-nouveau-bleu-gold) - [Pen Chalet: Esterbrook Estie Fountain Pen, Sea Glass Gold (148.3 mm, 171.5 mm posted, 25.23 g, 1930s styling, MV nib adapter, Scribe nib)](https://www.penchalet.com/fine_pens/fountain_pens/esterbrook_estie_fountain_pen/Sea+Glass+~+Gold/) - [Pen Chalet: Esterbrook Estie Piston Filling Fountain Pens (piston version does not take the MV vintage-nib adapter; seen in search results)](https://www.penchalet.com/fine_pens/fountain_pens/esterbrook_estie_piston_filling_fountain_pens.html) - [Goldspot: Esterbrook Estie Oversize Fountain Pen, Ebony with Chrome Trim (about 34 g; seen in search results)](https://goldspot.com/products/esterbrook-estie-oversize-fountain-pen-in-ebony-with-chrome-trim) - [Esterbrook: Esterbrook x PEANUTS Charlie Brown Estie](https://www.esterbrookpens.com/products/cp) - [Esterbrook: Esterbrook x Accutron Spaceview Estie Fountain Pen](https://www.esterbrookpens.com/products/esterbrook-x-accutron-spaceview-estie-fountain-pen)