This is an early version of the 5649 made in Italy. There was also a US made variant, which I believe was the first 5649.



Top and Side of the Italian made 5649.

A circa 1980 Italian made variant.	courtesy Luca Panaro collection

This little stub was a nice suprise to find. If someone had told me Koh-I-Noor once made a leadholder half the size of the model 5649 and called the 5649-and-a-half, I would have punched him in the nut sack. Hard. It takes the same 5.6 mm lead as its big brother. In addition to the size difference, this one also has a round barrel rather than hexagonal.

This mighty leadholder and those like it below are, obviously, identical except for the imprint. The "AG" appended to the brand on the one above refers to the Post WWII Austrian arm of the L&C Hardtmuth company. L&C Hardtmuth AG ceased operation in 1996. Their Austrian manufacturing facilities are now operated by Cretacolor. All of these leadholders were manufactured by the Czech L&C Hardtmuth A.S.