Esterbrook 940 v1

Esterbrook 940 v1
Manufacturer	Esterbrook
Nib No.	940
Descr.	Radio Pen, Version 1
Tip
Markings	Exterior
Mark 1 lateral L	940
Mark 2	R.ESTERBROOK & CO'S
Mark 3	RADIO PEN
Esterbrook 940 Version 1 - top view, with ruler

Described in contemporary advertising (Zanarian) as: "No. 940. 'Radio.' The points of these pens have a perfect oval that comes in contact with the paper and makes them glide over the surface with a smoothness that is delightful."

The 1938 Esterbrook Catalog says, "Slightly flexible, medium, Radio. Most popular Radio pen. Ultrasmooth. Gray finish. Gold plated"

The Esterbrook Project describes this nib as having "a pinched waist body with a spoon head and sharp, turned-up tip. The vent hole is a large baseball bat shape. Firm flex." The #940 Radio is distinguished from a nib with the same descriptor, but a different number--the Esterbrook #787 Radio Pen.

AAAndrew's Steel Pen blog references a history of Turned Up Point Pens in The American Stationer (2/12/1889): "The first steel pens made in Birmingham about the year 1837, while providing a ready made instrument for penmen, failed to give that ease in writing which was the characteristic of the old quill. [Steel pens] were uniformly fine pointed and naturally more or less scratchy. The remedy for this was not found until a generation later, when ... the happy idea occurred to turn up the points. ... The penman can write longer with less fatigue than with the ordinary styles. The tediousness of writing is almost entirely avoided, and the relief is so complete that it converts a drudgery into a delight."

Brandon McKinney's analysis of the markings and grindings date this version of the #940 Radio Pen as about 1918.

Versions

There are four distinct versions of the Esterbrook #940 Radio Pen in the Chappy's Nibs collection:

• Version 1: gray finish, no location imprint (i.e., no MADE IN U.S.A.)
• Version 1 int imprint: gray finish, company imprint R.ESTERBROOK & CO.
• Version 2 gold: same as Version 2, except gold-plated finish
• Version 3: gray finish, company imprint ESTERBROOK

(These version names are defined for this collection alone, and are not necessarily industry-wide terms.)

The nib pictured below is Version 1.

Photos

Click any image for a full-resolution photo: 1925 x 560. The image with the ruler is 2300 x 1196.

Esterbrook 940 Version 1 - top view

Esterbrook 940 Version 1 - side view, upper

Esterbrook 940 Version 1 - side view, lower

External Links

• The Esterbrook Project - 940 page
• History of Esterbrook - McKinney
• Wikipedia - Esterbrook page
• Blam Nib site - Esterbrook page
• Steel Pen blog - AAAndrew