The Research Scrap Reason

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Yesterday (at http://leadheadpencils.blogspot.com/2017/09/let-me-count-ways.html), I listed seven different reasons why I was excited to show you these Prestos, the seventh of which was that I’ve been accumulating some bits and pieces of the Presto story tucked away that I’ve haven’t gotten around to stringing together into a story.

To summarize my research to date, it’s been four years since I was finally able to conclusively esstablish – with a bit of documentary proof supplied by Michael Rosen -- that Samuel Kanner, the assignee on the patents for the repeating pencils known as the Presto, was also the man behind the Nupoint brand (see http://leadheadpencils.blogspot.com/2013/09/it-would-have-been-so-much-easier-had-i.html).

So let’s start at the beginning, with the introduction of the Nupoint.  The first reference I found to the pencil was a short announcement in the Detroit Free Press from September, 1921:

In 1922, several advertisemts also showed these pencils, with their distinctive pivoted tops exposing the eraser mounted on the end:

In 1923, this advertisement appears to show the pencil in the same form, with perhaps a bit of artistic license (the top looks a bit different):

Now have a look at this advertisement, from 1924, and note the clip:

I’ve documented that clip before.  It also appears on pencils marked “Hi-Speed,” like these which, because of that same, patented pivoting top, I’ve always associated with Samuel Kanner and his Nupoint::

On August 22, 1925, in of all places the Helena, Montana Independent Record, this advertisement appeared:

This is the earliest – and so far the only – reference to the repeater version of the Nupoint.  It’s also the last reference I find to Kanner’s use of the Nupoint name.   Since I last visited the subject, I’ve found a few examples of both Nupoint and Presto versions of the same pencil:

(Including, by the way, the demonstrator at the bottom)

The only difference between the Nupoint and Presto versions is the imprint at the top:

Back in 2013, I pondered whether the trademark filing for “Nu-Point” in a different font had anything to do with Kanner at “The Monstor Footnote” (see http://leadheadpencils.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-monster-footnote.html).  I now believe that it was a case of one manufacturer who didn’t file a United States Trademark tripping over one who did, who objected to the use of the same name.  In the Nupouit trademark, as I mentioned in that earlier article, the date of first use claimed is July, 1921 – three months before that first reference I found to the Nupoint being marketed (albeit without a hyphen, and in a different script).

Thanks to a delightful and informative book that was just released, American Writing Instrument Trademarks 1870-1953 (shameless plug), we now have the Presto trademark registration, in which Kanner claimed that he first used the mark on July 1, 1925:

So Kanner abruptly changed the name of his pencils and promptly registered a trademark to protect the new name.  If that doesn’t scream objections from the prior registrant, I don’t know what does!

Kanner introduced the more commanding oversized bakelite models shortly after . . . here’s the first announcement for the “marvelous new” Presto, from the April 25, 1926 edition of the Cincinnati Inquirer:

And another advertisement, from the Philadelphia Inquirer on August 16:

Take a look at this advertisement, from the Winnepeg (Canada) Tribune on March 3, 1927:

That’s the same logo found on my large, oversized bakelite pencil from yesterday’s article:

Now have a look at these two ringtop versions of the Presto metal pencil:

The longer one was featured here before, when I was pondering whether Wahl might have made these early repeating pencils (see http://leadheadpencils.blogspot.com/2013/08/presto-revelation.html).  The shorter one came to me in an online auction, and I was excited to add it to my collection because it’s the only example I’ve found with a price sticker:

But when it arrived, I was surprised, pleased and puzzled by the imprint:

Did Kanner use the new, script style logo earlier, or did he continue making the metal version of his pencils for a time after introducing the snazzy new bakelite models?

Note that the imprint unlike every other metal example I’ve seen, is imprinted “Pat.”  Not “Pat. Pend.”  Abraham Pollak’s patent, assigned to Kanner, was granted on July 13, 1926 . . . and the bakelite models were introduced earlier that year.

So the answer is that this pencil offers proof that the metal pencils remained in production after the introduction of the bakelite models - if only for a short time.

(Note: footnotes coming over the weekend.  Stay tuned.)