Monday, July 17, 2017

The DeWitt-LaFrance Freak

This article has been edited and included in The Leadhead's Pencil Blog Volume 5; copies are available print on demand through Amazon here, and I offer an ebook version in pdf format at the Legendary Lead Company here.

If you don't want the book but you enjoy this article, please consider supporting the Blog project here.

Yes, I’m rabid for all things DeWitt-LaFrance.  That’s the only reason I caught this one:


The online auction included some two dozen pencils all in one go, most of which went straight into the junk box.  What caught my attention was that I had searched for auctions containing the word “Superite,” DeWitt-LaFrance’s flagship brand, and this was the only thing that even remotely resembled anything DeWitt-LaFrance might have made.

And it resembled a Superite only very remotely, with that straight top.  I made sure the seller accepted returns before I bid, just in case nothing in the photos was actually marked Superite.  Imagine my glee . . .


“Superite Desk / Pat. Pend.”  I’ve never heard of one, I’ve never seen one catalogued, and I’m always tickled to find something I didn’t know existed.

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