I realized I’d never really talked about what I like about vintage pencils, beyond the obvious that they look cool and are old and are often relics of domestic factories of companies still in business. So I thought I’d take a moment to show you some vintage pencils in action.
One of the great things about vintage pencils is that, no matter how old they are, they are going to write if you sharpen them. If it has an eraser, avoid it completely though. The erasers will dry out in a matter of a year or two so trust me when I tell you that a 40 year old eraser will either do nothing at all or leave a dark smudge on your paper. So don’t bother with it. But the lead? Its all good.
Some pencils will have unusual grading as opposed to the modern B (for black or soft leads) and H (for hard and therefore lighter leads). Some vintage pencils may simply say HARD or VERY HARD like the ones shown above or a combination of text.
In the past, pencils were used for lots of purposes beyond just Scantronic tests and math homework. Remember, the pencil had its heyday in the world before computers and the power of the undo.
I have a few “film lead” pencils that were designed to write on plastic film for printing or photography. Hard lead pencils were favored by draftsmen and artists and soft leads could be used to write on wood. Pencils allowed folks to apply pressure to their writing in order to easily and cheaply use carbon copies like a store receipt or invoice.
This is a writing sample of several of my vintage pencils. There were three stand-outs in writing quality: the Futura Medium F, the Eagle Chemi*Sealed Mirado 174 and the USA Black Flyer 4500. I was stunned at how smoothly they wrote.
I also loved writing with the Press 260 Jet Black. It reminded me of the Faber-Castell Design Ebony pencil and the General’s Layout Extra Black but when I compared them, The Press 260 was light years darker and smoother. If you like either of those modern pencils, its worth it to seek out the Press 260 Jet Black.
On the second page, I wanted to also include some modern pencils so you could have a point of reference for how dark or light the writing is.
I would say that the USA Black Flyer is comparable to the Blackwing 602 but the Flyer is a smooth round barrel while the Blackwing is a hexagonal. The Flyer is unfinished on the end. Potentially, you could sharpen it from both ends or add an eraser cap were you to find one of these at a yard sale. The Faber-Castell Grip 2001 has a similar feel, graphite-wise, to the vintage Mirado but the barrel shapes are different, not to mention the overall appearance.
I love modern and vintage pencils with equal enthusiasm. Would I give up my stash of modern Blackwing 602s for another vintage Mirado? No way. I like having the chance to sample old pencils like rare, fine wines. I enjoy them while I can and save the little, stumpy ends like corks. And modern pencils provide me with a steady stream of writing enjoyment.
Writing sample was done on Rhodia blank pad and all erasing was done with a Staedtler Mars Plastic eraser.
Ana, I love LOVE that green bullet pencil. I’d love to see a post more about that beauty. What’s on it; a riverboat?
The bullet pencil is actually a vintage CASTELL 9000 2H stub in the Midori Traveler’s Edition bullet pen/pencil case. Its the limited edition Honk Kong Star Ferry edition from last year. The stumpy CASTELL was too small to hold otherwise.
I purchased a set of your vintage pencils from your shop. That Richard Best Press 260 Jet Black is one awesome pencil! I hope you will make additional vintage pencil packs. What a great idea!
I’m so glad you liked the assortment. When garage sale season starts in earnest, I’ll hopefully find more pencils.
Geez, you have great handwriting! I love the paintjob on the Futura you sent me. I love the matching stripe on the ferrule.
I have some more green pencils to mail you, Ana, when I get around the the PO (soon!). Nothing old, but hopefully cool. 🙂
Super cool! I need to give wooden pencils a whirl more often.
Whoa, the Richard Best Press pencil makes a seriously dark mark! How’s the point retention on it? Its name and the blackness of its lead suggests to me the Press pencil was used by newsbiz people to mark up copy.
I have read on animation websites that modern versions of the Ebony and General’s Layout are not as dark and smooth as once they were. It’s not only nostalgia, pencils really were better back when. Like Johnny I compliment you on your lovely handwriting. Terrific article on pencils, Ana!
The Press pencil is soft so it will require regular sharpening but its not too bad, depending on the paper. I can burn through a Palomino Blackwing 602 on tracing paper in an afternoon. Of course, most of that is on my hand. The R.B. Press Pencil could certainly hold its own.
Thanks for these kind words for old pencils. I still start everything I write in pencil, even if I’m dashing off a one-sentence idea, before I moved to a screen. I have pencils from a business my father and his brothers ran in the 1940s-50s with their company name and slogan, and bright red pencils the Red Sox gave away in Fenway Park up until the mid-70s. I stopped using them so I could preserve them, and their memories. When yard-sale season gets going, I’ll look for more old ones….I always ask for pencils on a new job, and they always end up ordering a box just for me. I have to take them home to sharpen them!
I found a set of Eberhard Fabrr New York USA pencils and fountain pens Ian’s cannot find them anywhere on the internet. Do you have a good resource to find out more about them? Some say Luckstone with a gemstone on the end, and the rest are marked and numbered
I was not aware of many US-made Faber fountain pens. The German Faber continues to make pens under Faber-Castell or Graf von Faber-Castell. If you ant the whole familial history, Caroline Weaver’s “The Pencil Perfect” has a great chapter on the history of the Faber-Castell family.
As for your specific pen, I’m not sure how to research it further other than to check ebay, or poke around on Fountain Pen Network. The folks there tend to be better versed in vintage fountain pens than I am.