I'm showing today a small group of Kaweco mechanical pencils. These were produced in Germany from the late 1920s thru the early 1950s. From a pencil sizing perspective, the slotted background is 7 1/2 inches long by 5 1/2 inches wide.

  Sampson Mordan like many companies produced porte crayon pencils. Typically, a porte crayon pencil was designed to hold solid plugs of graphite in both ends of the device. Sliding circular compression rings tighten and hold the plugs in place for writing. This pencil is a bit unique in that it was designed to use wooden pencil inserts rather than the typical plugs of graphite.  Circa 1879-1909. The piece is almost exactly 4 inches in length without the wooden inserts.  

   I'm showing today a nice group of mechanical pencils from the 1920s thru the 40s. From left to right they are Parker, Parker, Salrite, Parker, Parker, Fyne Poynt, Parker, Eversharp, Parker, Wahl-Eversharp, Eversharp, and Holland.

   Sampson Mordan of England produced this silver, figural mechanical pencil. It is styled as a cross with an anchor and heart. The heart represents charity. The cross represents faith. The anchor represents hope. F H & C. The writing section is deployed by pushing and pulling the heart-shaped button in and out along the connected channel. Circa 1880s - 1890s. The piece without the ring assembly is 1 7/8 inches long closed and 2 3/8 inches extended.

   Demonstrator mechanical pencils were created by writing instrument makers to show the operations of their internal mechanisms. Cutouts and clear barrels accomplished the goal. Shown here are pencils from the 1920s into the late '50s. Salesmen might carry these around to retailers or retailers might show them to customers. They typically were not 'for sale' items. From left to right here are Sheaffer, Sheaffer, Pelikan, Wahl-Eversharp, Sheaffer, Sheaffer, Parker, Sheaffer, Eversharp, Wahl-Eversharp, Sheaffer, and Eversharp. Outside the box: Parker (above) and Eagle (below).

   Victorian figural mechanical pencils were often styled as weapons. Known examples produced include handguns, rifles, swords, canons, and others. I'm showing today a combination mechanical pencil/toothpick built to resemble a long-barreled personal weapon (gun). The piece is unmarked. It was likely made in England around the 1880 period (give or take a decade or two). The pencil section and toothpick are deployed for use by button-controlled slider channels located on the underside of the barrels. They push the working sections in and out for use and storage. The device is about 2 3/4 inches closed and 3 1/4 inches ready for work.

  Omas produced short celluloid mechanical pencils in Italy. The dates of production were the late 1930s into the 1940s. Pencils I'm showing here measure approximately 3 1/4 inches in length.