What Is an Antique Mechanical Pencil?

A mechanical pencil is a writing instrument that mechanically advances its lead. Its history is very old, and they were reportedly being made in Britain and France as early as the 18th century (the late 1700s).

By the way, "mechanical pencil" is a Japanese-English term that is only commonly used in Japan.
It became widespread when the predecessor of the major electronics manufacturer "SHARP," the Hayakawa Brothers Metal Stationery Manufacturing Company, developed and marketed the "Sharp Pencil."
In English, they are generally called propelling pencils (UK) or mechanical pencils (US).

Types that are telescopic and can become very compact are also called "magic pencils," and they are sized so that they can be used as pendants or Albert chain fobs.

Many of these have silver or gold pen barrels decorated with engraving and enamel, and some have semi-precious stones or seals attached to the end of the pen, making many of them extremely beautiful as works of art.

Variations

Size

Sizes vary, from those that are only about 5 cm long when folded and 8 cm when extended, to those that become over 12 cm long when extended, making them no different in length from regular pencils.

Material

Many are made of sterling silver or gold-plated material, but rare solid gold ones made of 9 ct or 14 ct gold also exist.

End-of-Pen Design

Some have a small ring at the end of the pen so that it can be attached to a chain, some have semi-precious stones embedded, and some come with seals.

Decoration

Decorations also vary, including those with fine engraving, those with diamonds embedded, and those vividly decorated with enamel.

Type with an Integrated Fountain Pen

As a rare variation, some have not only a propelling pencil but also an integrated fountain pen.

How to Use

Most modern mechanical pencils are push-button types, but since push-button mechanical pencils were invented in Japan in 1960, those from this era are propelling pencils, which advance the lead by turning the pen tip.

We will explain how to extend and retract the pen, how to advance the lead, and how to replace the lead in a video.

How to Extend and Retract a Magic Pencil

How to Advance and Retract the Lead in a Magic Pencil

How to Replace the Lead in a Magic Pencil

Replacement Leads

While the thickness of leads for modern mechanical pencils is commonly 0.5 mm, those from this era are predominantly slightly thicker (around 0.6–1.5 mm).
Furthermore, because there were no standardized sizes as there are today, leads of various thicknesses were used.

The precision of the pen tips was also lower, and over many years, some have become deformed and are no longer perfectly round.
In most cases, it is necessary to adjust the lead to fit each pen.

Currently, thicknesses that are relatively easy to find even in Japan include 0.7 mm, 0.9 mm, 1.18 mm, 1.3 mm, 1.4 mm, and 2.0 mm, which are fairly easy to find on online stores and other websites.

If these standardized sizes fit perfectly, there is no problem, but if they do not, please adjust them to the closest thickness as follows.

① Sand the lead with sandpaper

If the lead is slightly too thick, use waterproof sandpaper to sand it down.
Be careful not to sand it down too much, and sand it down little by little.

② Slightly deform the pen tip with a needle file or pliers

If the lead is slightly too thick, insert a needle file into the pen tip to slightly widen it or return it to a perfect circle.
If the lead is slightly too thin, slightly flatten the pen tip to deform it into an oval shape.

If the pen tip is made of sterling silver, it is soft and can be damaged even with light pressure, so handle it carefully.

③ Apply beeswax or similar material

If the lead is slightly too thin, apply beeswax or a plant-based resin called shellac to the lead.
This method adds thickness to the lead to make it fit perfectly.

Summary

Antique mechanical pencils are by no means as easy to use as modern mechanical pencils, and their writing experience is by no means particularly good.
You may also have considerable trouble preparing replacement leads and replacing the lead.

However, rather than being a tool simply for writing, this small writing instrument is packed with the charm of an antique craft, including beautiful jewelry-like decorations and telescopic mechanisms.