Nibless wonders

Eberhard-Faber pencil extender for pocket use, early 1920s.

A very early "combo" pen/pencil combination. The dip-nib end screws into the holder, apparently, while the pencil can be replaced.

Eberhard-Faber's classic Mongol No. 2 pencil.

Dixon's pencil lengthener, showing grips that hold pencil when it's inserted into the tube.

Dixon's Ticonderoga No. 2 pencil, which saw many of us through grade school.

Rubens' Crayons, a brand that no longer exists (or at least isn't sold in the U.S.).

The Eagle Pencil Company's "Chemi-Sealed" Mirado pencil.

Carpenter's Union, Eagle Pencil Company. They haven't changed much since 1920!

Venus Velvet pencil floor display shaped like--what else?--a pencil.

The quintessential Scripto mechanical pencil, ca. 1950. Remember these in bright translucent colors?

My dad, a math teacher, never left home without these clips on every pencil in his pocket.

Election Pencil No. 279. "With metal top, string, and screw-eye. 1/2 gross in box, all sharpened. With black (graphite) leads. 7" long, maroon finish, soft black leads. Gross, $10.80."

Moore full-sized Pyramid model with chevron engraving, an elegant design for the 1920s.

Eberhard-Faber program pencil. This elite model provided a satin cord for hanging pencil around the neck so you could keep track of your dance card while on the run.

Eversharp Autopoint school pencil, a model that many will remember from their childhoods.

Great value for your money. An Eberhard-Faber pencil lengthener with a replaceable eraser.

Moore ladies' Pyramid pencil with faceted sides and chevron engraving.

The Weldon Roberts Whisk, a wheel-shaped eraser with a small brush for erasing typewriter mistakes while paper was still in the machine.

Moore full-sized Grotesque model pencil with chevron engraving. By today's standards, a very bad product name!

Early Moore mechanical pencil in Colonial design.

Eberhard-Faber Van Dyke pencil with a big square eraser... and if you note the arrow on the side of the eraser, you'll see the eraser could be replaced when worn.

Engagement pencil by unknown maker. A stripped-down version of the model provided with string above, for keeping track of one's dance partners.

Early Crayola Crayon box with 12 colors. Remember that wonderful waxy crayon scent?

Venus Velvet pencil, another old classic.

Eberhard-Faber's answer to the need to both lengthen the pencil to use it all and protect the point--a product that did both.

Dixon Ticonderoga pencil with wheel eraser. These were used with typewriters--remember those?

Velvet Pencil counter display with pencils spelling out brand name, early 1920s.

Double-ended Eversharp Autopoint mechanical pencil, for using two colors of lead at once.

Eversharp Autopoint DeLuxe automatic pencil with a shape similar to the elegant Dorics, early 1920s.