Oxford's Beginnings

Wahl Eversharp, unlike most other companies, was proud of its subbrands. Usually it takes quite a bit of detective work to sort out which company made which subbrand, because quality manufacturers generally didn’t want to be associated with low-end products, although most gladly competed in the low-end market for dollars that were every bit as green as the ones they brought in on their flagship lines.

When Wahl decided to introduce a lower priced line, it was the Wahl Oxford, and if using the Wahl name with it weren’t enough, many were stamped "Made in USA from the makers of Eversharp." Wahl Oxfords – at least as far as the pencils went – tended to be every bit as good as the company’s Eversharps, and they were even in many cases identical.

Here are about the earliest Wahl Oxfords I’ve been able to find. They surfaced as a pair in an online auction a couple months ago . . .

NOTE:  This article is now included in the print version of The Leadhead's Pencil Blog, available anywhere you buy books, or also from The Legendary Lead Company.

To order, here's the link:  Volume 1 at Legendary Lead Company