For the Gentleman with an Envelope

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.

Last year I had the opportunity to buy a collection of Victorian pencils from Alan Hirsch.  For what I paid, I had to sell a few in order to keep the ones I wanted for my collection, and this was one of the keepers:

The maker’s mark is stamped on the barrel, which indicates that the piece may be Victorian in style, but it was made after 1912 according to the W.S. Hicks trademark for the big H with a W and an S above and beneath the crossbar (see http://leadheadpencils.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-big-h.html and, of course, American Writing Instrument Trademarks 1870-1953).

Best of all, this one was made by Hicks for one of its most loyal and prestigious customers:

Tiffany & Co.