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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
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
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
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
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
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
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 • $685
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
17033: Crystal Jumbo in box: giant Japanese eyedropper-filler, black hard rubber with black urushi finish, 14.75 cm long, gold plated trim, two-tone plated steel nib is smooth with springy flexibility. New old stock with Japanese instructions and box. Ink shutoff shaft seal regreased and tested.
DATE: c. 1959 • CONDITION: mint • NIB: fine flex • $295
17117: Eversharp Skyline set: black lever-filler with stainless steel cap and trim, one of the rarest Skyline variants; 13.3 cm long, early production section with ink window, matching repeater pencil is considerably less common than the pen and is in near-perfect condition, uses 1.1 mm lead.
DATE: c. 1941 • CONDITION: fine-exc • NIB: medium stub flex • $695
17122: Mabie Todd Swan: black hard rubber eyedropper-filler with barleycorn pattern sterling silver overlay, bayonet-style cap attachment with chatelaine suspension ring and chains; 13.25 cm long, New York manufacture for the British market, pen and box marked for Mabie, Todd & Bard, patent dates up to 1888 but not 1895. Over under feed with twisted silver wire tail, nib is notably broad and juicy. Overall appearance is excellent, but a personalized engraving has been polished off the barrel, there are small shallow dings on the section and barrel, and there is some delamination of the gold visible on the underside of the nib (see details)..
DATE: c. 1895 • CONDITION: VG* • NIB: extra broad stub flex • $950
17124: Mabie Todd Blackbird: mottled hard rubber slip-cap eyedropper-filler, 12.5 cm long, made in England, notable writer with factory oblique nib, appearance fine but imprint fully heat-reversed. Mabie Todd eyedropper-fillers in mottled hard rubber are notably uncommon.
DATE: c. 1912 • CONDITION: G-VG • NIB: broad oblique flex • $225
17125: Mabie Todd Swan 300: large black hard rubber slip-cap eyedropper-filler, 13.65 cm long, solid 18K gold barrel bands, notable New York made #3 nib has tremendous flexibility and an unusual tip grind, rest of pen English manufacture. Even wear and fading, mechanically sound.
DATE: c. 1914 • CONDITION: VG • NIB: fine stub flex • SOLD
17123: Mabie Todd Swan Military Safety: uncommon screw-cap black chased hard rubber ink-tablet eyedropper-filler, 14.4 cm long, nickel plated trim, New York production; crisp and glossy with sharp chasing and imprints, like new noting one feed fin chipped (see detail, does not affect function).
DATE: c. 1918 • CONDITION: exc • NIB: fine stub flex • $585
17126: Mabie Todd Swan Safety Screw Cap No. 2: black chased hard rubber clipless screw-cap eyedropper-filler, 13.4 cm long, made in England, even fading and wear, mechanically sound, notably responsive #2 Swan nib gives outstanding line control.
DATE: c. 1918 • CONDITION: G-VG • NIB: extra-fine flex • $175
17105: MacKinnon stylographic pen: unusual extra-long eyedropper-filler, early production with no posting peg; smooth black hard rubber, 15.9 cm long, gold filled end cap, good imprint "D. MACKINNON, PAT. MAR. 21 '76." but no 1878 patent imprint, weighted and sprung needle all intact; slight even fading to hard rubber, cap is a replacement of excellent quality; a scarce example of one of the earliest mass-produced fountain pens.
DATE: c. 1877 • CONDITION: VG • NIB: fine • $285
17116: Parker 75: sterling silver grid pattern, gold plated trim, early model with solid vermeil ends, short-feathered clip; US-made, section with nib angle indicator marks, 14K "M" nib is a smooth wet writer; includes original large squeeze convertor.
DATE: c. 1970 • CONDITION: fine-exc • NIB: medium • SOLD
17113: Parker 180 Imperial: gold plated cap, barrel, and trim, grouped parallel lines pattern; US-made, includes squeeze-filler slender convertor, 14K gold two-way triangular nib (offers two nib grades in one, with a thinner line when the nib is used inverted).
DATE: c. 1982 • CONDITION: near mint • NIB: medium/extra fine • $150
17118: Parker 75 Fougere: vermeil (gold plate over solid sterling silver), made in France, 14K French nib, unusual version with dished tassies, no cap cabochon, cap rim marked "VERMEIL CLUB"; French hallmarked, but not marked "MADE IN FRANCE",.
DATE: c. 1985 • CONDITION: exc-near mint • NIB: medium • $765
17108: Stylographic Pen Co. stylographic pen: black chased hard rubber eyedropper-filler, 12.6 cm long, gold filled trim, made in Providence, RI; sharp chasing and imprints including July 15, 1879 patent date on section; two-part screw-apart section, spring-loaded gold needle and tipping intact, cap is a replacement of excellent quality.
DATE: c. 1880 • CONDITION: fine-exc* • NIB: fine • $265
17121: Waterman 402 in box: English-market black hard rubber eyedropper-filler with fine barleycorn sterling silver overlay, 14.2 cm long, London hallmarks with date letter for 1902/3; some digs to the section, nib tipping is present but scant (see details), overlay is unusually clean, only light marks on posting end, hallmarks and engine turning crisp.
DATE: c. 1902 • CONDITION: fine-exc* • NIB: fine flex • $985
17114: unmarked combination dip pen and pencil: gold filled, 7.4 cm long retracted, 16.3 cm fully extended including bronze nib; lead compartment in front, extending shaft end turns to extend pencil nozzle, uses 1.5 mm lead.
DATE: c. 1880 • CONDITION: fine • NIB: fine semiflex • $80
17115: unmarked combination dip pen and pencil: gold filled, 8.3 cm long retracted, 18 cm fully extended including plated steel nib; lead compartment in front, extending shaft end turns to extend pencil nozzle, uses 1.5 mm lead; wear and dents, mechanically sound.
DATE: c. 1880 • CONDITION: G-VG • NIB: medium stub semiflex • SOLD
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