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Thread: "Ever Sharp Patented" Mechanical Pencil

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    Senior Member gweddig's Avatar
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    Default "Ever Sharp Patented" Mechanical Pencil

    Before I go and photograph it I wanted to see if what I found is common:

    Full size (5-1/8")
    Normal girth (5/16" apx)
    Silver Plate (assumed), plain (no pattern)
    No clip, no ring
    Marked "Ever Sharp
    Patented"

    The lack of clip caught my eye on this full size pencil and just wondering if it's known and how well known. Do we think this was produced before the "Heath Clip" patent?



    --greg
    Last edited by gweddig; June 5th, 2014 at 05:20 PM. Reason: added pictures

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    Default Re: "Ever Sharp Patented" Mechanical Pencil

    Hello Greg, nice pencil.

    The answer to your question whether this pencil was made before Heath's patent was issued is absolutely, unequivocably yes -- but not for the reasons you are thinking.

    The Heath Clip patent actually wasn't issued until after Charles Keeran quit using the Heath clip on his Ever Sharp pencils - when Wahl took over production of Keeran's Ever Sharp. In fact, I've never seen a Heath clip on anything with a patent date on it (they all say "Pat. App. For"). Wahl-made pencils are found either with the trowel clip (for which he applied for and received a design patent) or Wahl's familiar clip used on millions of Eversharps from 1917 forward.

    Wahl changed the name from "Ever Sharp" (2 words) to "Eversharp" (1 word) in 1918.

    Full sized pencils without clips are unusual but not unheard of, and it doesn't mean it was pre-Heath clip - just that it wasn't fitted with one. Be sure there's no traces of solder to indicate that a trowel clip came off, or piercing marks for a Heath clip or a tombstone-shaped hole for a Wahl clip.

    Assuming it's a straight clipless model, it is a neat find, but unfortunately without a clip all I can tell you is that it was made prior to Wahl's rebranding in 1918. It could have been fitted with any of the three known clips.

    If you've got my pencil book, there's a rundown on all this stuff in there. There's also some good info at my mechanical pencil museum, but the pictures are pretty low-res and it's due for an update.

  3. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to jonveley For This Useful Post:

    Cob (June 12th, 2014), Jeph (June 13th, 2014)

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    Senior Member Cob's Avatar
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    Default Re: "Ever Sharp Patented" Mechanical Pencil

    Quote Originally Posted by jonveley View Post
    Hello Greg, nice pencil.

    The answer to your question whether this pencil was made before Heath's patent was issued is absolutely, unequivocably yes -- but not for the reasons you are thinking.

    The Heath Clip patent actually wasn't issued until after Charles Keeran quit using the Heath clip on his Ever Sharp pencils - when Wahl took over production of Keeran's Ever Sharp. In fact, I've never seen a Heath clip on anything with a patent date on it (they all say "Pat. App. For"). Wahl-made pencils are found either with the trowel clip (for which he applied for and received a design patent) or Wahl's familiar clip used on millions of Eversharps from 1917 forward.

    Wahl changed the name from "Ever Sharp" (2 words) to "Eversharp" (1 word) in 1918.

    Full sized pencils without clips are unusual but not unheard of, and it doesn't mean it was pre-Heath clip - just that it wasn't fitted with one. Be sure there's no traces of solder to indicate that a trowel clip came off, or piercing marks for a Heath clip or a tombstone-shaped hole for a Wahl clip.

    Assuming it's a straight clipless model, it is a neat find, but unfortunately without a clip all I can tell you is that it was made prior to Wahl's rebranding in 1918. It could have been fitted with any of the three known clips.

    If you've got my pencil book, there's a rundown on all this stuff in there. There's also some good info at my mechanical pencil museum, but the pictures are pretty low-res and it's due for an update.
    Off-topic slightly, but having read your interesting contribution, I thought I'd take the liberty of asking a question - apologies in advance if this is "bad form."

    I have two Eversharp pencils: one came in the original box, is rolled gold and called a Wahl Eversharp; the other is English made, in sterling silver. My question concerns the mechanism. The American golden one has a double set of "teeth" on the plunger thing (sorry I don't know what it's called) that drives the lead, whilst the English one has only a single set. I'm merely curious about this difference.

    Thanks in advance,

    Cob

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