Eagle “Automatic” pencils were available in a range of sizes for a variety of purposes. This “Copying” model was intended for general office use, but others were marketed to artists, reporters, and possibly draftsmen.

This is the earliest known pencil utilizing the pushbutton spring lock clutch which would be perfected by Caran d’Ache in their Fixpencil of 1929 and be ubiquitous on leadholders by the early 1950s. These early types were not adopted by draftsmen or artists in any numbers because the clutch relied on fairly sharp jaws to pinch the lead and prevent it from sliding back into the barrel under the pressures of drawing. This had the effect of scoring the lead at the pinch point and so greatly weakened it. The less “automatic” twist lock clutch could grip the lead much more firmly and so did not require such sharp jaws. These early twist lock pencils, however, were far from perfect and they also tended to facilitate the breaking of the lead at the pinch point.

courtesy Allan Macdonald collection

The Stop Gauge Pencil was also available in smaller sizes.