The seller is Michal. Ulfe knows him better than me …
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How have I only just found this amazing picture!?!?
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Here’s a question for all you TK-Matic owners:
Have you found any significant differences in how these pencils were made?
I’m working on a video and I’m trying to find out if they made any production changes that may help identify early from later models.
I have the black, green and L (thanks again, @DarkwingDuck) that I plan to show, and a few similarly griped pieces and a couple early automatics that I have in my collection.
BTW I’m always looking for and open to suggestions as far as things to make the videos more informative or engaging, so please feel free to DM me. Same goes for productive criticism- I’m making this up as I go 
I see there is a 4th (@Stu ‘s image above) - are there others? When was that one sold?
I’ve scooped up all the catalog (83&84) references and TK-Matic promotional advertising that’s been posted here (I think) so thank you to everyone who has shared that stuff.
Thanks!
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There were just the three - green 9725, black 9725 S and full metal 9725 L. The internals didn’t substantially change over the years except for materials used - mostly metal with small bits of plastic being swapped in at points along the way. This is a great article that @Raheal made detailing all the various changes over the years: 샤프연구소 : 네이버 카페
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A TK-matic / Alpha-matic expert once pointed out to me that the ‘early’ versions used a metal c-collar inside the cone to act as the lead retainer; ‘later’ versions switched to a plastic/elastomer piece.
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Thanks guys. So - been meaning to ask - what’s the difference between the TK-Matic and the Alphaamatic?
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TK-matic is the drafting tip version and it came first. Alpha-matic is the conical tip ‘executive’ version that came later. Can be argued that the DS75 was the original ‘executive auto’ alongside the Tk-matic… and (perhaps) the Alpha-matic was introduced based on the sales of the Tk-matic to replace the less popular DS75.
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Thank you very much!
Doing my best Elvis impersonation)
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I’d like to contribute a bit of material for the video as well—if any of this is useful, that would be great.
The TK-Matic 9725L was the pencil involved in my very first face-to-face deal with a real collector, about 12 years ago. Even now, whenever I have a little extra budget, I still circle back to alpha-matic and TK-Matic pieces to grow the collection. Besides TK-Matics, I’ve also been lucky enough to secure a few alpha-matics along the way.
The TK-Matic is an absolute classic in the collector community and often where many people start. Because of that, there’s already a wealth of solid reviews and documentation online. Its writing-style sibling, the alpha-matic, is also very well covered.
However, when it comes to the alpha-matic executive 230th Anniversary Gold, most information stops at exterior looks and auction results. Discussion tends to focus on prices, with only brief appendix-level notes—something that happens to many vintage pencils.
So this time, I’d like to shift the focus a bit and spend more time on the 230th Anniversary Gold, adding more photo documentation here.
From right to left, my three small favorites are:
- Faber-Castell alpha-matic Titanium
- Faber-Castell alpha-matic executive
- Faber-Castell alpha-matic executive 230th Anniversary Gold
The two executive variants share an extra metal ring at the knurled grip; otherwise, their construction is nearly identical. The biggest difference is the barrel material.
The grip feel and lead-advance mechanism are well known for being reliable and consistent—but while photographing them, I kept getting distracted by the tactile experience and that unmistakably German click: pure metal-on-metal. Solid, confident, dependable. Using it is deeply satisfying and feels exactly like what “Made in Germany” should feel like.
The clip engravings are consistent across all three. Personally, I think the black-and-gold colorway of the executive looks fantastic (it took me a long time to finally track one down). The glossy black barrel with restrained gold accents feels refined rather than flashy.
As for the 230th Gold, honestly, I rarely bring it into daily rotation—it feels too special. That said, gold resists oxidation well, so compared to the Titanium version, it’s actually easier to maintain as a collection piece.
I once tried to identify the material of the Titanium clip. Its sheen is clearly different from titanium, so my guess is stainless steel with some kind of plating—but I don’t have enough evidence to be certain. I do know it has a tendency to oxidize, and until the surface material is confirmed, I’m hesitant to polish it.
That said, the titanium alloy barrel itself can safely be treated with mild stainless-steel polishing compound without issue.
Above the knurled grip (above the executive’s metal ring):
– The 230th Gold has no text
– The Titanium looks like high-pressure stamped lettering
– The executive appears engraved, with what looks like exposed brass underneath
So… is this a titanium sleeve over a brass barrel? Macro shots clearly show brass peeking through on the inside. Strange—CNC machining wasn’t really available at the time, which makes this another small mystery.
(The black residue along the recessed lettering edges is simply leftover polishing compound from pre-shoot cleaning.)
As for the different fonts and barrel colors, VitOne has a deep and very informative post that goes into this in detail.
I’ve been out of my younger AOL-media days for a long time now, and my typography knowledge hasn’t progressed much beyond a few old favorites—so I’ll gracefully bow out of the font-analysis rabbit hole for now.
The 230th Gold and executive are both marked as West Germany production, while the Titanium was made after reunification. (Yes, I really want a West-German clear-window matic engine too.)
That said, the font-spotting game begins again: all three clips show subtle differences. The executive and 230th Gold are closer to each other—possibly mold deformation from thermal expansion or long-term wear—but the overall shapes are similar.
Still, the Titanium’s “G” has a tail, while Futura’s “G” doesn’t… so am I overthinking this? Probably. (Let’s drop it again.)
Here’s a teardown of the Faber-Castell alpha-matic executive 230th Anniversary Gold.
It’s been a busy week and I haven’t had a proper full night’s sleep in a while, so I missed removing the metal ring that connects the grip to the barrel. Aside from that, I haven’t found many teardown references for the 230th Gold—maybe I just haven’t searched hard enough. Either way, this is at least a record.
Inside the 230th Gold, four components are plastic, as shown in the photos. Compared to the all-metal construction of West-German TK-Matics, this feels a bit disappointing. For a commemorative model, I had hoped for a bit more engineering romance rather than cost optimization—but whatever the reason, I accept it.
Maybe the internal discussion went like this:
“We’re only making 1,761 sets. Everyone will just collect them—no one will actually use them. Let’s save a bit.”
Motion carried unanimously.
The internal metal parts are also gold-plated. Based on the uniform coating—even inside threads—I believe this was done via vacuum deposition, similar to modern titanium coating processes. From what I know, only vacuum plating can achieve this level of internal coverage.
Given that West Germany’s industrial “golden age” was around the early 1980s—right when vacuum deposition matured and became widespread in mass production—maybe the timing also supports this assumption.
This tiny plating difference may also explain why the 230th Gold has the highest rotational resistance when disassembled (though it’s still easy to take apart). It’s another small reminder that German tolerances earning their reputation isn’t just marketing talk.
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Thank You @TomYang !
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I love the amount of energy and care that everyone puts into being as thorough as possible!
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Me too! The level of detail and care everyone here puts into their responses is exactly what helps me get the facts straight and keep my videos as accurate and authentic as possible. I genuinely appreciate the time and effort you all invest—it makes a real difference in the content I put out.
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I really enjoy the process of figuring things out together (and the treasure-hunting part too). If I were to casually snap a sloppy photos of the pencil cases, it would honestly ruin my mood for the rest of the day—simply because I’m a bit obsessive about details.
But hey, I actually enjoy that “condition.” (lol)
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I understand that completely, I truly have music playing in my head AT ALL TIMES. Every day I wake up and there’s a song repeating in my head (whether I like the song or not)
I wouldn’t want anything to turn it off or silence it.
It’s become a coping mechanism and a comfort through no fault or intervention of mine.
I don’t mind it
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US4180339A - Mechanical pencil with automatic lead feed - Google Patents
or
US4149813A - Mechanical pencil with automatic and manual lead advance - Google Patents
is this the patent for the TK-Matic?
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This is a patent record for the Faber-Castell TK-Matic that I found earlier.
However, I haven’t been able to confirm which country the patent was filed in.
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That’s the German patent DE2611608 and is mentioned in a 1981 German print ad:
Digging into patents always seems like a circular maze, but US4180339 is on a number of TK boxes
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- the Alpha Range is also super cool.
O
M
G
That is an impressive battalion lined up there!
Thanks for sharing.
Cheers,
Tim
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That quantity is honestly astonishing—it’s gone beyond “a collection” and straight into warehouse territory.
If I weren’t seeing this here, I’d genuinely think this was a QC desk right before shipment. 
I’m guessing the grip section is loosened for storage to help preserve the spring’s elasticity? I remember seeing a case where the internal mechanism suffered from oxidation. Humidity control matters too.
Quite enviable.
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