Super happy with this recent
E-bay find: the
EagleTurquoise 3375 Drawing Lead Holder which happens to be the first
reverse twist lock clutch type
leadholder to be added to my collection. Manufactured in the
USA between 1939 and 1954 according to the
Leadholder Museum, it features 2 sturdy jaws of chrome plated machined brass that clutch the lead securely with a slight twist of its knurled grip. Another
unique feature is the design of its
patented degree indicator.
Six lead degrees (
H through
6H) are actually inscribed in a
hexagonal metal ring, and the chosen grade is displayed through a
rectangular opening in the metal end cap. Originally a second indicator ring with softer lead grades was included with each leadholder. Its aluminum barrel feels quite strong, and I would not think twice about using this vintage drafting pencil in my regular sketching kit. With its
slender profile, the lead can easily be sharpened with a
Koh-I-Noor precision lead pointer. This pencil was bundled with a generous supply of
drawing leads, and it even came within its original gold-foiled covered box with turquoise lettering and its
instructions sheet. Interestingly the
white metal end cap with rounded edges of the lead degree indicator assembly actually had its own function: "after erasures, the white cap will burnish the roughened paper to a smooth drawing surface". Perhaps a minute detail that we might not think much about in our digital age, or a sign of the poorer performance of erasing technology in the mid XX century. The included packages of
Eagle Turquoise lead in this auction lot were
H,
2H, and
3H. While their outer cardboard sleeves might not be in pristine condition, the wooden slat block and drawing leads themselves were in great shape and work just fine. So remember that vintage lead packaging might grow brittle and discolored with the passage of time, but do not hesitate to use the graphite drawing leads themselves since they pretty much last forever. Highly recommended addition to a leadholder collection.
Super happy with this recent E-bay find: the EagleTurquoise 3375 Drawing Lead Holder which happens to be the first reverse twist lock clutch type leadholder to be added to my collection. Manufactured in the USA between 1939 and 1954 according to the Leadholder Museum, it features 2 sturdy jaws of chrome plated machined brass that clutch the lead securely with a slight twist of its knurled grip. Another unique feature is the design of its patented degree indicator. 
Six lead degrees (H through 6H) are actually inscribed in a hexagonal metal ring, and the chosen grade is displayed through a rectangular opening in the metal end cap. Originally a second indicator ring with softer lead grades was included with each leadholder. Its aluminum barrel feels quite strong, and I would not think twice about using this vintage drafting pencil in my regular sketching kit. With its slender profile, the lead can easily be sharpened with a Koh-I-Noor precision lead pointer. This pencil was bundled with a generous supply of drawing leads, and it even came within its original gold-foiled covered box with turquoise lettering and its instructions sheet. Interestingly the white metal end cap with rounded edges of the lead degree indicator assembly actually had its own function: "after erasures, the white cap will burnish the roughened paper to a smooth drawing surface". Perhaps a minute detail that we might not think much about in our digital age, or a sign of the poorer performance of erasing technology in the mid XX century. The included packages of Eagle Turquoise lead in this auction lot were H, 2H, and 3H. While their outer cardboard sleeves might not be in pristine condition, the wooden slat block and drawing leads themselves were in great shape and work just fine. So remember that vintage lead packaging might grow brittle and discolored with the passage of time, but do not hesitate to use the graphite drawing leads themselves since they pretty much last forever. Highly recommended addition to a leadholder collection.
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