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.