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The items below are listed alphabetically by maker, with featured items grouped at the top. You can also keep track of our new items by RSS 
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Magic pencils have long been out of production, but the way they extend at both ends when pulled is timelessly appealing. Their heyday was the last quarter of the 19th century and the examples we have listed here exemplify the craftsmanship and stylistic variety of the era. For more on magic pencils, see our new Pen Profile page
16991: Aikin Lambert magic pencil: sterling silver, suspension sheath holder, double-extension pencil, 6.3 cm long closed, 13.7 cm extended, hand-chased scrollwork, uses 2 mm lead; large and fully marked.
DATE: c. 1890 • CONDITION: exc • SOLD
16709: Cross magic pencil: gold filled ringtop with engine turning and typical Cross-style black enamel bands; 5.4 cm long closed, 10.2 cm long extended, uses standard 1.1 mm lead; some inpainted losses to the bands (see details), fully marked.
DATE: c. 1900 • CONDITION: VG-fine • $145
16972: Cross (?) magic pencil: gold filled ringtop with engine turning and typical Cross-style black enamel bands; 5.55 cm long closed, 10.7 cm long extended, uses 1.5 mm lead.
DATE: c. 1895 • CONDITION: fine • $120
16979: E. S. Johnson magic pencil: gold filled with lustrous pearl overlay, engine turned shaft with Dec. 5, 1871 patent imprint; 12.65 cm extended, unusually long, uses 1.5 mm lead.
DATE: c. 1872 • CONDITION: exc • SOLD
16984: E. S. Johnson magic pencil: beautiful gold filled ringtop with checkerboard abalone inlays, hand-engraved diamond starbursts, engine turned shaft; 8.9 cm extended, Oct. 29, 1872 patent imprint, name and monogram neatly engraved on end piece; uses standard 1.1 mm lead.
DATE: c. 1875 • CONDITION: exc-near mint • SOLD
16995: E. S. Johnson magic pencil: sterling silver, suspension sheath holder, 5.4 cm long closed, 10.2 cm extended, uses 1.5 mm lead; fully marked, several shallow dings.
DATE: c. 1890 • CONDITION: fine • $95
16974: Fairchild magic pencil: gold filled ringtop, 5.1 cm long closed, 10.75 cm extended, uses 1.4 mm lead.
DATE: c. 1885 • CONDITION: VG-fine • $65
16978: Gorham magic pencil: sterling silver ringtop with noteworthy deeply-cut hand chasing, 5.25 cm long closed, 9.9 cm extended, uses 1.95 mm lead; fully marked, silver is unusually thick and heavy.
DATE: c. 1890 • CONDITION: exc • $450
16714: Hicks magic pencil: gold filled ringtop, 7.05 cm long closed, 12.7 cm extended, uses 1.5 mm lead, unmarked but for March 21, 1871 patent date -- a Hicks patent.
DATE: c. 1872 • CONDITION: fine • $125
16694: Hicks magic pencil watch fob: gold filled, ring fitting at center for use as watch chain toggle; 4.5 cm long closed, 8.9 cm extended, fully marked, made to use 1.5 mm lead but can use more common 1.4 mm as well.
DATE: c. 1880 • CONDITION: VG • $120
16698: Hicks magic pencil: sterling silver ringtop, 4.95 cm long closed, 8.6 cm extended, hand-chased scrollwork decoration, fully marked, uses 1.05 mm lead.
DATE: c. 1880 • CONDITION: fine • $80
16990: Hicks magic pencil: sterling silver ringtop, 4.9 cm long closed, 9.1 cm extended, uses standard 1.1 mm lead; unusual decoration of alternating panels of relief scrollwork and engine turning, crisply preserved.
DATE: c. 1890 • CONDITION: exc • SOLD
16702: Hicks magic pencil: sterling silver, suspension sheath holder, 4.3 cm long closed, 8.65 cm extended, uses 1.5 mm lead; initials engraved on outer holder, a couple of shallow bumps to inner pencil, fully marked with crisp line chasing.
DATE: c. 1895 • CONDITION: fine • $120
16696: Hicks magic pencil: large, gold filled, with sheath carrying suspension ring; 12 cm long extended, uses standard 2 mm lead, propels and retracts; fully marked, scattered shallow bumps and a couple of test marks (see details), functionally excellent.
DATE: c. 1905 • CONDITION: VG • $220
16971: Hicks (?) magic pencil: sterling silver, 7.45 cm long closed, 13.2 cm extended, hand-chased scrollwork, uses 1.4 mm lead.
DATE: c. 1890 • CONDITION: fine-exc • $175
16695: Hicks (?) magic pencil: sterling silver, 6 cm long closed, 11.8 cm extended, acid etched Art Nouveau decoration, uses .075 inch (1.9 mm) lead, mechanism propels and retracts lead; back end is open, likely originally had a soldered-in closure disk with ringtop fitting.
DATE: c. 1895 • CONDITION: VG-fine* • $165
16985: Mabie Todd (?) magic pencil: sterling silver twist pattern ringtop, 5 cm long closed, 9.4 cm extended, marked only "STERLING"; some shallow dings, uses standard 2 mm lead.
DATE: c. 1895 • CONDITION: fine • $150
16986: Mabie Todd (?) magic pencil: sterling silver twist pattern ringtop, 5.8 cm long closed, 11.25 cm extended, marked only "STERLING"; propels and retracts lead, uses standard 2 mm lead.
DATE: c. 1895 • CONDITION: fine-exc • $200
16205: Mordan magic pencil: solid gold but not hallmarked, coarse barley pattern ringtop, 5.35 cm long closed, 9.5 cm extended, uses "VS" 1.5 mm lead; weighs 15.12 grams.
DATE: c. 1890 • CONDITION: fine • $985
16989: Mordan (?) sheath pencil: sterling silver, three-draw extension tail, 10.8 cm long extended, 6.9 cm closed in suspension holder; marked only with British design registration number, excellent quality, uses thick "W" lead (2 mm). Scattered shallow marks to the holder, otherwise excellent.
DATE: c. 1895 • CONDITION: fine • $295
16993: Murat magic pencil: gold filled ringtop with patterned silver barrel, gold filled applique escutcheon engraved with initial "G", French manufacture, 5.65 cm long closed, 10.7 cm open, uses 1.5 mm lead, marked "C.M." for Charles Murat.
DATE: c. 1905 • CONDITION: exc • SOLD
16976: Murat magic pencil: ringtop in vermeil and hammered silver with rose gold filled applique work, French manufacture, 5.6 cm long closed, 10.5 cm open, uses 1.9 mm (.075") lead, marked "C.M." for Charles Murat.
DATE: c. 1905 • CONDITION: fine • SOLD
16975: unmarked magic pencil: gold filled ringtop, 5.3 cm long closed, 10.3 cm extended, unusual hand-engraved and chased figural decoration of nesting birds; some plating wear to edges, uses 1.5 mm lead.
DATE: c. 1875 • CONDITION: VG-fine • $265
16708: unmarked magic pencil: gold filled fine barleycorn pattern including shaft, 7.5 mm long closed, 12.55 cm extended, uses 1.5 mm lead; an earlier design, unusual form.
DATE: c. 1875 • CONDITION: VG-fine • $125
16973: unmarked magic pencil: gold filled, 6.95 cm long closed, 12.5 cm extended, uses 1.5 mm lead.
DATE: c. 1880 • CONDITION: fine • $145
17003: unmarked magic pencil: gold filled ringtop, 4.7 cm long closed, 8.6 cm extended, engine turned barrel, smooth action, uses standard 1.1 mm lead.
DATE: c. 1880 • CONDITION: VG-fine • $75
16721: unmarked magic pencil: gold filled ringtop, black celluloid barrel sleeve with inlaid piquet work; 4.8 cm long closed, 8.9 cm extended, uses 1.0 mm lead; dents to tip of nozzle, otherwise clean.
DATE: c. 1885 • CONDITION: VG-fine • $225
17002: unmarked magic pencil: sterling silver ringtop, 5.4 cm long closed, 10.6 cm extended, crisp barleycorn engine turned barrel, USA manufacture, uses 1.5 mm lead.
DATE: c. 1895 • CONDITION: exc-near mint • SOLD
16994: unmarked magic pencil: silver ringtop, 4.4 cm long closed, 8.2 cm extended, engraved fleur-de-lys pattern with inset seed pearls; French manufacture, mechanism extends and retracts lead, uses standard 1.1 mm lead.
DATE: c. 1895 • CONDITION: fine • SOLD
17001: A. A. Waterman/Johann Faber Cardinal: black chased hard rubber straight-cap eyedropper-filler, 13.2 cm long, gold filled trim, long tined slender #2 nib is 18K with French hallmark, distinctive A. A. feed with T-shaped hard rubber insert in channel, US patent 638,779 of 1899; crisp chasing and imprints, excellent overall but for scratches on section and posting end (see details), a rare example of a USA pen branded for European retail.
DATE: c. 1903 • CONDITION: fine-exc • NIB: extra-fine flex • $450
17059: Esterbrook TTH: white Pastel series purse-size repeater pencil, 11.3 cm long, stainless steel trim, black clip button, uses .9 mm lead, new old stock with sticker.
DATE: c. 1958 • CONDITION: near mint • $60
17060: Esterbrook TJ: white repeater pencil, 12.5 cm long, stainless steel trim, black clip button, uses .9 mm lead, new old stock with sticker, slight barrel shrinkage at top of barrel at imprint.
DATE: c. 1958 • CONDITION: exc* • $60
17061: Esterbrook CH: pastel blue "purse pen", 11.2 cm long, lever-filler, stainless steel trim, black end buttons, good imprints, #1551 nib unit, like new but with a stress line in the cap lip (see detail).
DATE: c. 1958 • CONDITION: exc* • NIB: extra-fine • $80
17062: Esterbrook TTH: pastel green purse-size repeater pencil, 11.3 cm long, stainless steel trim, black clip button, uses .9 mm lead, new old stock with sticker.
DATE: c. 1958 • CONDITION: near mint • $45
17063: Esterbrook TTH: pastel green purse-size repeater pencil, 11.3 cm long, stainless steel trim, black clip button, uses .9 mm lead, new old stock with sticker.
DATE: c. 1958 • CONDITION: near mint • $45
17057: Esterbrook CH: green Pastel series "purse pen", 11.2 cm long, lever-filler, stainless steel trim, grey end buttons, #1551 nib unit.
DATE: c. 1960 • CONDITION: near mint • NIB: fine • $95
17058: Esterbrook CH: red Pastel series "purse pen", 11.2 cm long, lever-filler, stainless steel trim, red end buttons, #1551 nib unit, new old stock with stickers.
DATE: c. 1960 • CONDITION: near mint • NIB: extra-fine • $125
17084: H. C. Hook torpedo pencil: chrome plated brass, 11.2 cm long, brass propellers, minor scratching from clip; excellent quality and workmanship, uses 1.1 mm lead, propels only, does not retract. Unmarked, but now known to be a product of the H. C. Hook Company of Auburn, Massachusetts.
DATE: c. 1946 • CONDITION: VG-fine • $95
17085: Parker Duofold Senior: classic oversize orange button-filler with black hard rubber ends, gold filledt trim; well used but sound, a pen with some history: barrel is red hard rubber, large early nib, blind cap with "6" imprint, but cap is a Permanite (celluloid) replacement, as is the finned feed. Barrel imprint worn away, brassing to cap band, nib has hairline crack from breather hole (does not affect usage, as the nib material is so thick and stiff). Stublike tip writes an elegantly shaded line.
DATE: c. 1926 • CONDITION: G-VG* • NIB: fine stub rigid • $295
17086: Parker Duofold Junior: orange streamline button-filler, 11.5 cm long, gold filled trim, good imprints, spearhead feed, Duofold nib with serial number; orange streamlines are relatively uncommon.
DATE: c. 1933 • CONDITION: fine • $225
17080: Pelikan M400: piston-filler, black with green pearl striped barrel, 12.5 cm long, gold plated trim, scarce very early production version with friction-fit nib unit; nib is marked "F", shows signs of having been straightened, a smooth writer with flexibility.
DATE: 1982 • CONDITION: fine • NIB: medium fine flex • $395
17041: Pelikan M816 Golf: limited edition version of the M800 in dark green, 14.1 cm long, gold plated trim, two-tone 18K nib is marked "B", tip is a smooth writing rounded italic -- likely a quality custom grind. With brochure but no other packaging.
DATE: 1996 • CONDITION: exc • NIB: broad italic • $650
17087: Sheaffer Gregg: black flat-top lever-filler, 12.8 cm long, gold filled trim, enameled Gregg emblem on top of cap; no Sheaffer markings, made for resale by Gregg shorthand schools; special "Gregg" marked nib is springy but not soft, for responsiveness writing quickly using limited line width variation.
DATE: c. 1936 • CONDITION: fine-exc • NIB: extra-fine semiflex • $175
17088: Wahl-Eversharp Gold Seal set: rare "X-seal" variant, oversize green and gold "Deco Band" lever-filler, 13.55 cm long, gold filled trim, Personal Point nib unit with Wahl-made #5 warranted nib, matching 1.1 mm pencil has later mechanism which propels and retracts lead, later style clip as well. Moderate discoloration of pen barrel, touch of brassing to clip top. The purpose of the X-seal is still a mystery, but this set is likely to have been assembled towards the end of the 1930s when Wahl-Eversharp was clearing out older designs.
DATE: c. 1937 • CONDITION: fine-exc • $1200
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