Esterbrook Introduces the Dollar Pen

Around 1934, we introduced the fountain pens now commonly known as the Dollar Pen series. Produced in Camden, these lever-filling pens were designed as practical, affordable writing instruments and were initially sold for approximately $1, the price that later gave the series its familiar name. A central feature was the replaceable Esterbrook nib unit. Rather than requiring a permanently fitted point, users could unscrew the nib assembly and substitute another point suited to a different style of writing. Esterbrook's expanding range included nibs intended for general writing, shorthand, bookkeeping, fine writing and other specialised purposes. This gave an inexpensive fountain pen a degree of flexibility that drew directly on our long experience manufacturing specialised steel nibs. Dollar Pens were offered in several colours and sizes and became the foundation of Esterbrook's growing fountain-pen business during the 1930s. Period catalogues positioned Esterbrook pens for practical settings including schools, offices and everyday business writing, helping the company broaden its business beyond the traditional dip-pen market.