But In My Defense . . .

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Every time I’ve written about the Doran “Deliance,” I’ve complained about how difficult it is to photograph the faint imprints, and how I’ve not been able to learn anything else about the brand:

I found one recently that had a better imprint . . . and it taught me something:

It isn’t the “Deliance.”  It is the Doran “Reliance”:

Meh . . . at least I didn’t print it wrong in a book or anything . . . 

Oh wait.  I did.  Well, at least I said that I was having trouble reading it!

Doran Deliance Update

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I’ve written about the Doran Deliance recently, at 

http://leadheadpencils.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-shot-i-couldnt-wait-to-take.html.  I still don’t have any more information about the Dorans of Providence, Rhode Island, but I have since found a couple other examples which fill in some gaps:

Both of these share the same, difficult-to-photograph imprint found on the other two examples which have turned up:

“Doran Deliance Providence RI Pat Pend.”  The fact that none have surfaced with a “Patented” imprint is a good indication that these were extinct by the time the Dorans’ patent was granted in 1925.  So now we know they also came in ringtops.  Also, note that terrific clip on the other example?  That explains the slits in the barrel of the first example of these I found:

So here’s an updated family picture . . .

The Shot I Couldn't Wait To Take

This article has been edited and included in The Leadhead's Pencil Blog Volume 4; 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.

When “the lights came one” recently and a couple friends provided me the valuable suggestions I needed to take better pictures, I could hardly wait to get behind the camera and take some good pictures.  There was one, in particular, that I wanted to take:

I’ve had this pencil for a couple of years now, marked “Doran Deliance / Prov. R.I. Pat Pend / Sterling Silver,” and I’ve tried to photograph it a dozen times or so.  I had no trouble with the full length shots, including this one showing the sterling example missing its clip as well as a gold filled version:

But something about the faintness of that imprint and the curvature of the barrel had detailed shots of the imprint out of my grasp.

The fact that I finally got a decent picture of the imprint on a Doran Deliance may be the biggest news I have for you about these right now, since I haven’t been able to learn anything about these yet . . . which is why this story is running on a lazy Sunday.  The only tangible lead was for a hit in my patent book for James A. Doran and Joseph D. Doran of Providence, Rhode Island, who applied for a patent for a screw drive pencil on October 19, 1921.  The patent was issued as number 1,521,802 on January 6, 1925:

However, I find no record of the Doran boys, a Doran company that had anything to do with writing instruments or anything called the “Deliance.”