An Eagle Update

Some people have a hard time admitting when they are wrong, but I am not one of them.  When I admit I'm wrong, in doing so I'm saying at the same time that I've learned something new that is right.

Today I get to admit I was wrong twice, in both cases regarding statements I've made about The Eagle Pencil Company.  This article corrects statements I've made concerning the "Stars and Moons" Epenco pencils (page 49 of The Catalogue, as well as my entry here on November 22) and the "Arrow clip" Eagles (page 48 of The Catalogue and my entry here on November 20). 

I'll start with the "stars and moons," because it was a discussion of that article on the Zoss List that led me to make both discoveries.  When Mike Kirk said that he had heard the "stars and moons" pattern was called the "Merlin" (and Mike Little suggested I should be turned into a frog for some reason), I started digging into the history of these pencils a little further to see what I could find . . .

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

And Presto! My Good Deed Definitely Went Unpunished

At some point, most collectors end up buying things against their will.  We've all had someone come up to us and say, "You're the pencil guy, right?  I've got something to show you . . ." and then we end up looking at something they are a lot more thrilled to show to us than we are to look at.

What I always try to remember in those circumstances is that while antique dealers are in the business to make a profit, they wouldn't be doing it if they did not get a sense of pleasure out of finding things that make people happy.   I figure, as I mention in the collecting section of The Catalogue, that if someone has taken the time to put something aside to show me, I'm going to take the time to appreciate the gesture and, unless the price is unreasonable, I'm going to buy what they are offering even if I'm not really interested.  If nothing else, I'll take the time to explain to the dealer what the piece is and how although I'd love to have it (sometimes it's a little hard to keep the straight face when I say this part) I would just have to pass this time.

After all, if this dealer finds a really spectacular piece next week, what I'd want that dealer to remember is to save it for me -- not that I'm the guy who never buys anything from him or her anyway.

This story started out as one of those stories.  One of the regular dealers from the Scott Antique Market still remembers me from a couple of years ago, when I was excited to find a few nice pens and pencils that I bought from him.  Every month since, when he sees me, he says "You're the pen and pencil guy, right?"   Unfortunately, most of the time he follows that with, "You know, I had a bunch of pens here this morning, and I sold them to someone.  They were really nice pens,  Don't remember what they were though."

Yeah.  I love hearing that.   But I've always managed to keep a pleasant face and say "Oh well, maybe next time you will show them to me?"

I thought maybe this time it had finally sunken in.  I arrived at his booth and he said to me, "Hey, I've got a pen to show you that you might be interested in."  He hands me a small box and I open it up to find this . . .

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

Adding a Bit More Balance to the Collection

At page 138 of The Catalogue, I illustrated what I thought was a fairly comprehensive set of the "rigid radius clip" Sheaffer Balance pencils, which date from around 1935 to 1940 . . .

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

The Piercepen

It's early Sunday morning, and Janet and I are getting ready to head back for day two of the Scott Antique Market at the Ohio State Fairgrounds.  I don't have much time this morning to write, so I thought I would just introduce another of the "no-names" that I recently came across . . .

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

A Conklin That May Be a Metal Duragraph

Metal Conklin pencils appear at pages 31 and 32 of The Catalogue and divide nicely into two groups:  the earlier design, patented by Harry P. Fairchild, and the later design, patented by C.N. Johnson.

And then there's this . . .

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

Ford's Junior Junior

In The Catalogue at pages 80 and 81, I include entries for the Ford's Deluxe, a rear drive, middle joint pencil measuring about 5 1/4 inches, and the Ford's Jr., which was a nose drive, middle joint pencil measuring 5 inches and made in some really wild colors.

And then came along this little guy . . .

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

An Imperial to be Thankful For

Happy Thanksgiving, all!

This weekend is always a busy one, with family in town for the holiday and the Don Scott Antique Show starting tomorrow (more on that later).  We've got a full house, but things are still pretty quiet after playing euchre into the wee hours of the morning last night, so I've got a few minutes to post a nice find.

Those of you who are frequent flyers on ebay are probably familiar with the seller "speerbob," who in real life is my friend Robert Speerbrecher.  I've bought a lot of things from Bob over the years, and he's a very honest and reputable guy.  That doesn't mean, however, that we don't haggle, sometimes vigorously. When it comes to today's find, while we were in the midst of a good haggle someone else swooped in and hit the "buy it now" button, but Bob was willing to grant me the use of his picture. . .

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