Hey there,
this is my first post in the Forum. Glad to be here. I’m an avid collector and user of mechanical pencils and leadholders.
My first post is on the Dahle 344. yep you heard that right - after the 301, 311, 322 comes the final boss. It’s a Desktop Model that uses a removable cutter. I have 2 specimen here - one has a cast iron base, the other one (non magnetic) probably aluminum.
They’re pretty uncommon probably due to the price back then. Built quality is great! Machining Tolerances are tight af.
These look seriously cool! That rough finish con the outer surfaces says “high-quality industrial product” with such a loud voice. Reminds me of some Theo Alteneder inking contraptions for ruling pens, or the Keuffel+Esser bell-shaped lead pointer.
Are the holes intended for bolting the pointer to a desk?
Yep I have to agree. I love the industrial vibe they have.
To answer your question: the base has 4 holes. 1 for a cotton/paper insert to wipe of your lead the other three for adapters so you can use different diameter pencils
They weight each ~ 2,5lbs and have a non slip material at the bottom so no need to bolt them down
The holes for the adapters are a very clever idea! I keep all my adapters in a tiny drawer nearby the pointers, but it is nowhere close to the effectiveness of having dedicated places in the body of the machine itself.
Also, thank you for the link: a near-complete digital catalogue, albeit unofficial, is an excellent resource to further look around.
I find there are many great websites when you just try searching in different languages. Only tried searching for it because I couldn’t find the 344 on the Leadholder archive
