“Finigraph”

unknown maker (Finigraph?), Germany

face view of diecast version
side view of diecast version

All of the Finigraphs displayed on this page were acquired as a group from Germany.*  They appear to be prototypes of a leadholder that never made it into sustained production.

One can see the supposed course of development from a highly polished, spring loaded, stamped metal version to a stamped aluminum version to a diecast version  Each successive iteration simplified the manufacturing process as would be expected in product development.

The stamped types have a cylindrical part inside the hinge that is avoided in the diecast version.  The stamped type would also require the threads for the nose clamp to be cut in an additional step whereas the diecast type has molded threads.

Regardless of the method of manufacture, the design seems to have little to offer that was not already available in existing models and some significant flaws.  The jaws being integrated into the barrel is advantageous in that it reduces the number of parts and manufacturing steps, but it also dictates that only two rigid jaws clamp the lead which, unless the jaws and lead are perfectly formed, can cause crushing and weakening of the lead.  In the case of the stamped variation one can see upon examining the large-size image of the inside of the barrel that the jaws are poorly formed causing unequal pressure on the clamped lead.  The diecast version has a much more exacting shape to the clamping surfaces of the jaws though the clamping pressure is still concentrated on only two sides of the lead.

One unequivocal advantage to the hinged design is that there is room inside the barrel to store additional 2 mm leads and they can actually be retrieved.  Some other leadholders that have a large enough cavity to store leads leave no way of retrieving them, the double-ended Elastichuck comes to mind.

Oh, I forgot to mention.  They are the the sickest** thing since gum!  The Finigraph is now one of my all-time favorite pencils.

“Why?” I hear you say, “You just spent at least 10 minutes*** ragging on them.”

True enough, but I dig leadholders.  They are inherently impractical.  I have to carry around an eraser and a lead pointer in addition to the pencil everywhere I go.  I’m not going to let a little thing like the lead being crushed deter me.  These pencils are beautiful.  The typography and coloring of the imprints in the diecast versions make me burst into song!  Besides, when you’ve spent as long as I have studying the nuances of drafting pencils, quirky is sick.

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* When acquired by the current owner, the Fingraphs had no lead in them.  It is unknown if some Finigraphs were inteded for use with colored lead.
** My kid is growing up and I'm learning new slang.
*** Probably more like 2 hours to write that tripe, can you believe it?

face view side view
	all Finigraph images are courtesy Allan Macdonald

side view of open stamped, chromed version

inside view of stamped, chromed version (note spring at hinge)

face view side view
	all Finigraph images are courtesy Allan Macdonald

side view of open stamped aluminum version

inside view of stamped aluminum version

face view side view
	all Finigraph images are courtesy Allan Macdonald

side view of open diecast version

inside view of diecast version