Today I'm showing three mechanical pencils represented as life-size acorns. All are unmarked, likely made in England or America. Circa 1880 - 1895.  All move the writing tip section in and out via a twist mechanism. The middle pencil nut features a built in stanhope at it's top.. Think of a stanhope as an optical lens installed on various objects - like a pencil, which displays a group of miniature pictures (typically beach or religious scenes). Measurement lengths are an average 1 3/8 inches closed and 1 1/2 inches ready to write.

  A Victorian pencil collection in it's infancy (over fifteen years ago). The can is not a prop.  😀

  Today I'm posting about the Palmer Method of handwriting. To quote from Wikipedia: 'The Palmer Method of penmanship instruction was developed and promoted by Austin Palmer in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was largely created as a simplified style of the "Spencerian Method", which had been the major standardized system of handwriting since the 1840s.'
The Palmer Method was widely taught in the K12 school system up into the 1950's. The company produced the sales brochure showing below (likely dating to the second half of the 1920's). It features a shapely, ergonomically pleasant mechanical pencil. That curvish pencil style was popularized by the competition - Zaner-Bloser. Superimposed on the cover side of the brochure's pictures here is a later made Palmer Method pencil. That would be from my stash. Pencils marketed by the company were made for them by a third party mechanical pencil maker(s). The end.   😀

  Sampson Mordan of England created this nicely engraved, reversibly deployed wooden pencil holder. The material is metal with a gold filled finish. The piece was produced during the 1879 - 1909 period. Measurements are 3 1/2 inches closed and 4 3/8 inches ready to write.

Inexpensive mechanical pencils were created during the 2nd half of the 19th century. Many were made of wood, hard rubber and cheaper metal materials. They were often very creatively executed, well made, and stylish. Some featured seriously unique and fascinating mechanisms. In other words, they were and remain quite likable. Simply - they worked. Pictured from the top showing are: an Eberhard Faber, Eberhard Faber, American Pencil Company, A. W. Faber, A. W. Faber, Eagle Pencil Co., Eagle, Eagle, and L & C Hardtmuth. All shown here were made in America with the exception of the Hardtmuth. The Hardtmuth was produced in what is now the Czech Republic. Yes, Faber's were produced in Germany and America.

  Showing today are three mechanical pencils represented as a cluster of canon. All are different. Circa 1880. From the top they are made by: 1.) likely Sampson Mordan and unmarked, 2.) Sampson Mordan and 3.) Fairchild. All are made of sterling silver (except the inner workings). The top piece features a manual pull telescopic section/writing tip. With the middle piece, a telescopic section/tip is driven out to writing position via a stiff spring. The smallest and lowest pictured pencil extends by pulling the back ring away from the body This action simultaneously forces the working section/tip out to the writing position.. Generically, this pull/push style is referred to as a magic pencil. Internal gearing supplies the actual magic. The longest pencil is 2 3/8 inches long closed and 4 inches ready to write. The smallest of the bunch measures 1 7/8 inches compacted and 2 15/16 inches deployed. Measurements do not include the stirrups and rings. Boom! 😀

Physically it might appear we have a smokers pipe pictured here. Under closer examination it is a metal, combination traveling inkwell, dip pen and wooden pencil. The piece has no maker markings. Likely made during the 1890 -1915 period. Country of origin is probably England, possibly America. Material is of a very light gauge tin. yet the unit is still in remarkable condition. For the purists out there, the pen, or nib as it was later called, is not correct to the era of this piece. Smoke em if ya got em.