Vintage Mechanical Pencils, any users/collectors out there?

Was going to put this on the end of the current mechanical pencil thread but it looked like that was mostly concerned with newer pencils and didn't want to threadjack.

Anyway, I've come across some pretty interesting vintage pencils in the lot I picked up recently. Most are in good working shape, a few are sterling silver, some Parkers, a few Sheaffers, lots of older nonames that are still impressive looking. If anyone has a link to information regarding older mechanical pencils I'd be awesome since most (if not all) of the mechanisms seem to be in working shape and I wonder if I'm just doing something wrong with the ones that don't seem to be working.

It seems like some of the mechanisms may have required you to load up individual lead pieces manually? I'm researching now, but wouldn't mind hearing from y'all if there's anyone familiar with that sort of thing here. I don't even know if there's a market/interest for such a thing.

razorrookie said:

It seems like some of the mechanisms may have required you to load up individual lead pieces manually? I'm researching now, but wouldn't mind hearing from y'all if there's anyone familiar with that sort of thing here. I don't even know if there's a market/interest for such a thing.

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I do not know a lot on the topic, but I know a couple of my pencils have to be loaded by inserting the lead in the writing tip. While it does not have any schematics for fixing the mechanisms, the following website - quoted in the other pencil thread - has some notes on the subject: http://davesmechanicalpencils.blogspot.com/2006/08/refilling-mechanical-pencils.html

I have a nice Parker 51 pencil that I never use.
I don't even know how to load it.

I have a fair number, that are all part of pen/pencil sets. Schaffers, Parkers, & Conway Stewart. Modern in Parker, Cross, & Montblanc.

I am an avid wood pencil collector. I consider mechanical lead holding devices (not worthy to be called "pencils") to be abominations and a sign of the coming apocalypse - much like cartridge razors

nEver-Ready: I'll try to get you pictures of the wood pencils I got from the lot I recently purchased. I have zero information on them and you might be able to spot any that are worth keeping around.

I like having some pencils, mechanical and wooden, available, and mechanical is easier to take with me. Don't know if it qualifies as vintage, but I have a "US Government" Skilcraft that I've had since the 1980s. Loading it one lead at a time through the tip isn't as convenient as dropping several leads in the top. I still have some of the original 1.2 mm leads, and apparently some currently available 1.15 mm ones will work, but they are more expensive than "normal" .7 or .5 mm. Still, there's something about it I just like.

nEver-Ready said:

I am an avid wood pencil collector. I consider mechanical lead holding devices (not worthy to be called "pencils") to be abominations and a sign of the coming apocalypse - much like cartridge razors

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Not arguing, as people have different tastes, I'm just curious. What is about mechanical pencils you don't like? My guess, you never get that really sharp point that you do on a just sharpened wood pencil. Am I close?

Do you collect no longer made types of wood pencil? If so, do you use them or display them?

razorrookie said:

nEver-Ready: I'll try to get you pictures of the wood pencils I got from the lot I recently purchased. I have zero information on them and you might be able to spot any that are worth keeping around.

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Sure thing...

Slivovitz said:

I like having some pencils, mechanical and wooden, available, and mechanical is easier to take with me. Don't know if it qualifies as vintage, but I have a "US Government" Skilcraft that I've had since the 1980s. Loading it one lead at a time through the tip isn't as convenient as dropping several leads in the top. I still have some of the original 1.2 mm leads, and apparently some currently available 1.15 mm ones will work, but they are more expensive than "normal" .7 or .5 mm. Still, there's something about it I just like.



Not arguing, as people have different tastes, I'm just curious. What is about mechanical pencils you don't like? My guess, you never get that really sharp point that you do on a just sharpened wood pencil. Am I close?

Do you collect no longer made types of wood pencil? If so, do you use them or display them?

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Honestly, I really have nothing against mechanical pencils and have a few for fine detail and mechanical drafting. It's mainly the variety, nostalgia and sensory experience that appeals to me with wood pencils. I especially like ones with ads or place/event names that are from bygone days. I also like the smell and feel in the hand, as well as the semi-infinite variety of lead hardness/quality. It is also possible to customize the shape and diameter of the point, which is an important feature for creative/art sketching/drawing. I'm both a user and collector. If you want to try the pinnacle of quality and performance, give one of these a spin...

http://www.pencils.com/blackwing

I had a love affair with them in my high school years

My turn to resurrect an old thread. I don't collect old mechanical pencils, but when you collect vintage pens, a few pencils turn up in the mix.



The top one shouldn't count as vintage, perhaps, but I don't think they're being made any more. It's a Skilcraft, very common when I was in the Navy.

The middle one is an Esterbrook. It clicks to advance, will hold more than one lead, and you take off the cap to get to the eraser. I frequently carry this one with me.

At the bottom is a Wearever combo, fountain pen on one end, pencil on the other. The pen is a surprisingly smooth writer, but it's not really something that's practical to carry around.

All of these use the old 0.046 inch lead size. That's 1.1684 mm. Retro Tornado makes a 1.15 mm lead which should work, but I haven't verified that, as I still have a small supply of the old leads left.

Probably 90% of the mechanical pencils I see when prowling the flea markets and junk shops are advertising pencils. Occasionally, I'll find a combo like this Pierce and, if the price is right, I'll grab it.

Here's mine:

http://s1204.photobucket.com/user/chthulhu/library/Pencils

Not trying to compete with Jon Veley ( http://www.jonathanveley.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51&Itemid=84 and http://leadheadpencils.blogspot.com/ ) as I don't have his resources or skill at using them for the necessary research. I would really love to find an all-inclusive forum such as this one dedicated to pencils, "vintage" and modern, mechanical or otherwise ...

maxman said:

I have a nice Parker 51 pencil that I never use.
I don't even know how to load it.

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I have many vintage mech pencils haven't been able to keep them as used them they were either broken or lost the only one I do have is a match for my big red FP. But I still use my modern mech rotring, uni kuru toga and my current fav staedtler w/ metal body nice light not too much money.
I like what I have and use. A site that may be of interest
http://davesmechanicalpencils.blogspot.com/?m=1