Thursday, September 22, 2016

Three Interesting Hicks Patents

This article has been edited and included in The Leadhead's Pencil Blog Volume 4; copies are available print on demand through Amazon here, and I offer an ebook version in pdf format at the Legendary Lead Company here.

If you don't want the book but you enjoy this article, please consider supporting the Blog project here.

As I sifted through the victorians I had awaiting photographing and a note or two here, three had interesting patent dates worth mentioning.  The first I’ve discussed here before (See 
http://leadheadpencils.blogspot.com/2013/09/maybe-not-mabie.html):


I’ve had this one photographed for awhile but haven’t had the chance to write about it.  The patent date is December 24, 1867:


The unique thing about these is the nose pulls out to reveal a reversible pencil section, which actually retracts into the body:


The patent refers to Ryne’s patent number 72,684, which was assigned to Hicks:


This next one was in a small collection I purchased:


Since this one was not the primary objective of my purchase, it wasn’t until later that I noticed it had something more than good looks going for it:


“Pat. May 14 72.”  This is a reference to design patent number 5,851, applied for and issued to William S. Hicks himself, for “the combination of metallic and pearl surfaces, by which a highly ornamental case is produced.”


This last one came from Jim Carpenito at the Raleigh show a few years ago:


It’s more than a little rough, but I thought it was interesting because of the hard rubber extension rod, as well as its sheer size.  Here it is next to a December 24, 1867 patent Hicks:


What clinched the sale for me was a very faint imprint still legible on the barrel:


“Hicks’ Pat. Feb. 19, 67.”  That refers to Richard H. Ryne’s patent for a version of the combination magic pencil/slider dip pen, assigned number 62,227:


No comments: