Pencil Jewelry

Many fountain pen collectors and restorers spend lots of time wandering through antique stores, estate sales, flea markets, and garage sales looking for pens to add to their collections. Most of the time we find very little and usually nothing. One antique mall near where I live has yielded one vintage bottle of ink in the past five years of looking – even enlisting the kids on snowy afternoons to scan the aisles. Yet, a fellow collector and acquaintance found a Waterman 58 in excellent condition a few months ago. It all boils down to timing – being at the right place at the right time.

Back to this weeks find ~ As I mentioned, usually we find nothing or a stray bottle of ink. Recently, I picked up this piece of junk(?) jewelry and as I examined it, a pencil was found. Again, not a fountain pen, but a cool piece of writing history. I paid less than ten dollars for it, so no big investment in this interesting curio.

Here is the pin and its jewels and stones from the front, yet uncleaned.

From the side you can see the clip that would attach to a pin or chain, probably attaching to a jacket or shirt.

Pulling the pin apart reveals the insides …..

and  a telescoping pencil.  I was able to place a 0.9 mm pencil lead securely into the barrel and it writes well.

The pin measures 2 7/16 inches in its closed position and 4 1/16 inches when the base is fully extended.  I am thinking of cleaning it in the Ultrasonic Cleaner, but as yet have not decided.  Sometimes this method can dislodge jewels or ornaments or remove gold plate.  As I have no idea what the stones or jewels on this pen are, I will probably leave well enough alone.

So, when the visits to the flea markets or antique malls get frustrating, check out the old jewelry – you never know what you might find.  Finding this was fun, but I still wish I had found the Waterman 58……