Esterbrook Estie Back to the Land Funky Lake: A Retro Blue Fountain Pen Review

Introduction

Every so often a pen arrives that feels like it was designed around a mood rather than a spec sheet. The Esterbrook Estie Back to the Land collection does exactly that, and the Funky Lake version is arguably its standout: a deep, saturated blue with just a touch of green, pulling its palette straight from a decade of avocado greens, terracotta reds, and pale yellows. Blue, notably, was the color that survived the 1970s relatively untouched, and it is what gives this pen its character.

The Back to the Land line includes three finishes: Funky Lake, the reddish-brown Incredible Rock, and the green Quirky Leaf. All are available in cartridge-converter and button-filler versions. Here we focus on the cartridge-converter Estie in Funky Lake, and whether it lives up to the rest of the Estie family.

Design and First Impressions

The color is the whole story here. It is a gorgeous, saturated blue with a subtle green undertone, distinct from the paler robin’s-egg blues you often see in this category. There is genuine attention to detail: a pale orange band paired with gold-colored metal trim adds a warm accent against the blue, and a cap ring protects the resin from the inevitable nicks that accumulate around trim. If you are particular about metal accents on resin pens, that ring matters more than you might expect.

Proportions are one of the Estie’s quiet strengths. The pen is nearly a perfect size in the hand, well balanced, and elegant unposted. Posting works fine, but the pen feels long that way; many owners prefer it unposted, and we agree with that instinct.

Filling System and Extras

This cartridge-converter version fills via a clean, easy-to-use converter, and inking it up is refreshingly uneventful. The button-piston filler version at a higher price point adds a small ink window and a filling system you rarely see on production-line pens these days, which is worth knowing about before you choose between the two.

The unboxing experience is genuinely part of the appeal. The packaging has fun gold lettering and colorful detailing on the back, and this release ships with a matching vial of ink in a little medicinal-style bottle. Also included is a magnetic pen holder with a surprisingly strong magnet and soft stitching, designed to attach to a book or journal so you can slide your pen in. It is a thoughtful, well-made extra rather than a throwaway.

How It Writes

Inked with a blue-green ink that complements the body color beautifully, the medium nib delivers a lovely, precise writing experience with a pleasant scribing sound on the page. It is a touch narrower and more refined than a typical medium, with less of the thick, free-flowing line you might expect, but it stays nicely wet.

The nib itself is a Jowo unit, which means the writing experience is predictable and consistent, especially if you already know this nib platform. If you are an extra-fine person or simply want this pen to feel personal, it is worth exploring Esterbrook’s custom nib options: the Funky Lake is offered in at least a needle point, and nib work can also be done after the fact.

Value and Buying Advice

The cartridge-converter version runs $195, with the button-piston filler at $250. For a steel-nib pen around the $200 mark, the value proposition holds up better than it might first appear, because you are getting the lovely packaging, the included ink, the magnetic pen holder, and a pen that writes fantastically.

The honest caveat: if you already own a fleet of Esties, this is fundamentally the same platform wearing a new color. It only makes sense if the theme genuinely resonates with you. If it does, make it matter, choose a distinctive nib option, and let it earn a unique place in your collection. For everyone else, this is a beautiful, well-balanced pen with real personality, and an easy recommendation if the color moves you.

Conclusion

The Estie Funky Lake succeeds because it commits fully to its idea. The color, the accents, the packaging, and the extras all reinforce the same nostalgic vision, and the writing experience underneath is balanced, precise, and dependable. If that deep 1970s blue speaks to you, this pen will fit naturally into a collection. If you need more than a color change to justify the purchase, the button-filler version or a custom nib option may be the better route.