The Estie Peacock – the plume is ready to be unfurled, are you ready for the magic?
Esterbrook is a legacy name in the world of writing instruments. Established in 1858, Esterbrook, once synonymous with the spirit that is Americana, in its hay days was not only the largest pen manufacturer in the United States employing six hundred people, but was also the chosen instrument of the rich, famous, big and the mighty. From Presidents who made history, to artists who created timeless art, not to mention innumerable people going about their daily lives, the Esterbrook was the chosen instrument of the icons – peerless.
This iconic brand was revived in 2018 to write the next chapter in its illustrious history and has regaled the fountain pen aficionados around the world with the introduction of one eye-candy after the other. The Estie line, needless to say, is the jewel in the crown, being particularly loved and favoured by enthusiasts and connoisseurs alike. And now, in keeping with the Esterbrook philosophy of prolific release of winners, the Estie Peacock is being readied for a grand unveiling. Experts in the know are excited, for the Estie Peacock promises to be the most flamboyant and colourful, yet.
Says Bryan Hulser, the “patron of the pen” like no other: “to illuminate the magnificent colours of the peacock, the Diamondcast material for these writing instruments was developed in collaboration with McKenzie Penworks and gleams just like the glimmering feathers of this majestic bird. Available in rollerball, standard and oversized fountain pens, the Estie is nevertheless available in extremely limited quantities, making it just as rare as the glorious avian the Estie Peacock represents”.
The Estie Peacock will be available as an Oversize fountain, traditional fountain size and as a rollerball. All trim and appointments are gold plated and standard nib sizes will apply, including EF, Fine, Medium, Broad, 1.1 Stub and the Custom Journaler.
“For the Estie Peacock, we have turned to the Peacock’s fabled place in the mythology of India, where the Peacock has been revered for thousands of years” said Bryan. “The pride of the peacock has long been depicted in temple art, writings and music. The peacock’s place in Indian folklore cannot be overemphasized: one of the most important deities, Lord Krishna was known to have adorned his head with the peacocks’ feathers and in illustrations of Shiva, the God of War, he is often accompanied by the peacock as a sign of strength. The peacock symbolized wisdom, royalty and power and it still does today, as the national bird of India”.
Esterbrook designing the Estie Peacock, with India central in its thought process, is particularly interesting and needless to say encouraging for us, fountain pen fanatics in these parts of the world. As a matter of fact, however, Esterbrook is not alone in its eagerness to enter into the Indian domain and if the grapevine is to be believed, there are other such offerings to which the final touches are being applied even as I write this. And there is reason behind such a move. For one, the Indian writing instruments market is huge and virtually untapped by most, especially the niche players, save a few global brands. The fountain pen segment of the market too, is not inconsequential in either size or scope and the way the hobby is fast gathering momentum, is attracting the attention in the right places. The pandemic, paradoxically, seems to have added fuel to the fire, as people have got more integrated in the virtual space all the while largely remaining forced indoors, which has encouraged many to pick up the fountain pen as a hobby, a means of seeking a cathartic release even. Footfalls to brick and mortar stores have seen a drastic fall with some amount of the action shifting to the ecommerce space, where a lot of action is expected in the future, especially with the global brands turning on the charm offensive to woo the Indian connoisseurs.
I for one, will not be surprised if we see a major reorganisation in the space, as the fountain pen majors churn up the oceans in search of the nectar of the consumer’s eyeballs, bringing in its wake their global marketing expertise and competitiveness, which are bound to ultimately benefit the buyers. It will not be a far shot to surmise that this may even turn out to be the litmus that will ultimately lead to a change in the Indian consumer’s psyche, but that is another story and we will save it for another day.
In the meantime, a piece of good news. Esterbrook has very kindly offered a special introductory discount to our readers. You can use the code “inked10” to receive 10% discount. The collection can be viewed here: Readers can view the collection here – https://store.kenroindustries.com/collections/esterbrook
awesome pen with the lovely offer…