Sampson Mordan produced many cedar holder pencil models in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Pure cedar holders hold a cedar pencil (obviously?). A ring then pushes the pencil in and out for use/carrying. Some cedar holders accept threaded end refills. Some do not. Pure cedar holders all work the same. The pencil shown here has elements of cedar holder and porte crayon. With the porte crayon, the ring moves in a channel tightening and loosening the inner diameter of the barrel. Simply, that tightening then holds the medium (lead), in place for writing. The porte crayon design goes back hundreds of years to when a hunk of graphite (the British call them wads) was stuffed into one end of the device and simply tightened down by the collar. Mine shown here features the functionality of the much earlier designed porte crayon and the newer technology of an easily replaceable wooden pencil. Remember, the wad pre-dates the wooden pencil by hundreds of years. The piece is hallmarked sterling, London, and 1898.