The items below are listed alphabetically by maker, with featured items grouped at the top.
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 • SOLD
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 • SOLD
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 • SOLD
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
Latest featured items here
17207: Eagle Arrow dip pen: unusual drop-action holder, 11.2 cm long retracted, black lacquered brass with nickel plated trim; imprint on nib holder notes Feb. 1, 1887 patent date. Typical losses to barrel lacquer, fully functional. End button is pressed with nib down to extend, pressed again with nib upwards to retract. Will accommodate a wide range of common dip nibs.
DATE: c. 1890 • CONDITION: G-VG • $75
17191: Eversharp Doric desk pen: rare and uncatalogued solid burgundy lever-filler with black taper, 21.3 cm long, gold filled trim, "Skyline" style nib, correct on later production Dorics.
DATE: c. 1939 • CONDITION: fine-exc • NIB: medium fine firm • $225
17187: Eversharp Doric: facetted silver pearl web lever-filler, 12.65 cm long, white gold filled trim, Gold Seal, ink window in barrel, correct late production Skyline-style nib and feed; unusually, cap is imprinted "WAHL EVERSHARP". Nib is springy, smooth, and has a semistub tip.
DATE: c. 1939 • CONDITION: exc • NIB: medium fine flex • $425
17186: Laughlin doctor's pen: black chased hard rubber straight-cap eyedropper-filler, thermometer in compartment at end of barrel; 15.9 cm long, crisp and glossy with only slightest fading; found as new old stock and without a nib, never filled -- we have installed a used but intact Laughlin nib of the same era.
DATE: c. 1892 • CONDITION: near mint* • NIB: fine stub superflex • $1500
17196: Mabie Todd Fyne Poynt pencil: 10K solid gold ringtop, beautifully hand engraved; 10.1 cm long, uses 1.1 mm lead, as new but for tiny fleabite at edge of crown (see detail), 17.09g excluding lead.
DATE: c. 1923 • CONDITION: near mint • $525
17202: Parker Lucky Curve: oversize black line-chased hard rubber button-filler, 13.8 cm long, gold filled trim, same size as a Duofold Senior; narrow spearhead feed with intact Lucky Curve interior end, sharp banner imprint, name on barrel, only slight even fading to hard rubber, crisp end milling; big #7X nib is long-tined and flexible.
DATE: c. 1925 • CONDITION: exc • NIB: fine flex • $695
17183: Parker Pastel pencil: "Mauve" moire ringtop, 12.2 cm long, gold filled trim, clean barrel imprint, uses standard 1.1 mm lead.
DATE: c. 1929 • CONDITION: fine-exc • $75
17179: Parker Vacumatic Maxima: oversize black laminate double-jewel, 13.5 cm long, gold filled trim, Blue Diamond clip, aluminum Speedline filler, crisp barrel imprint with 2nd quarter date code, two-tone Arrow nib is a notably refined and precise writer.
DATE: 1939 • CONDITION: fine-exc • NIB: extra-fine semiflex • SOLD
17193: Parker Vacumatic Maxima: very late production oversize in silver pearl laminate, 13.7 cm long, chrome plated trim, Blue Diamond clip, crisp barrel imprint with 2nd quarter date code, perfect barrel transparency, filler plunger has diamond imprint on end; appears never to have been used, though there is a tiny dig to the back of the clip ring and a shallow dent in the cap band (see details).
DATE: 1947 • CONDITION: exc-near mint • NIB: fine • $650
17189: Parker 51 demonstrator: transparent Vac-filler, strong barrel imprint with 4th quarter date code, Lustraloy cap, plain arrow clip.
DATE: 1948 • CONDITION: fine-exc • NIB: medium fine • $585
17190: Parker Duofold ballpoint and pencil set in box: blue marble, gold plated trim, made in UK.
DATE: 1990 • CONDITION: near mint • $395
17211: Sheaffer 3 Self-Filling: mottled hard rubber lever-filler, 13.7 cm long, nickel plated trim, narrow feed, #3 Self Filling nib; imprints notably crisp, spots of flaking to plating on clip (actually an indication of notable preservation: on most pens of this age, the nickel plating is completely gone, only the nickel silver base material is visible).
DATE: c. 1915 • CONDITION: fine-exc • NIB: extra-fine flex • $985
17203: Sheaffer Touchdown Triumph set in box: pneumatic-filler, gold filled cap and barrel, White Dot, 13.4 cm long, two-tone conical Triumph nib with original grade band, section with transparent ink window; matching twist-action pencil uses .9 mm lead, has original foil clip tag. A scarce and short-lived model introduced early in 1950 and replaced by the more common Snorkel version in late 1952. As new, seals replaced, one tiny bump to pen cap (see detail).
DATE: c. 1951 • CONDITION: near mint • NIB: fine • $385
17197: Sheaffer Imperial ballpoint: sterling silver, 12.9 cm long with tip retracted, White Dot, diamond crisscross pattern, "Reminder" clip retracts and extends tip, insuring that it will not go into a pocket with tip extended.
DATE: c. 1975 • CONDITION: exc • $120
17208: Wahl Tempoint: small black hard rubber ringtop eyedropper-filler, 9.75 cm long, full smooth 1/8 18K gold filled overlay, long-tined #2 Tempoint nib; comb feed original, appears to have been shortened slightly with blunted end. Very early production and largely identical to Boston version with same metal content marks and 1904 patent imprints. Dropper-filling Wahls were only made for a very short time after the Boston acquisition.
DATE: c. 1918 • CONDITION: fine* • NIB: extra-fine flex • $265
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