Hey, that’s how I got my first TOMBOW SH-1500LP. It had a clip, but not a TOMBOW signed one. I had to buy an old TOMBOW eraser holder to get the one needed. I had been looking around for another one but it didn’t look like they were coming up much. Did you spot yours on Mercari?
I got the SH-1500LP from ebay, the clip from Mercari and the Uchida KD set from Yahoo auctions.
That one is a FISSO 05mm
Indeed! I found one mention on Reddit some time ago but this design really doesn’t show up very much. Will take proper photos this weekend.
Low balance point, nice! ![]()
Alvin is an American company. Founded by Alvin Shoham in Windsor NJ in 1950 (according to the company website and his obituary).
Edit: Windsor CT
Interesting. Just 8 years before Alvin and the Chipmunks debuted. ![]()
![]()
ALVIN and the FEDRAs
FEDRA (Germany) made all of ALVIN’s early , USA marketed holders. First ones may have been hard rubber, then they were all Bakelite …The Constructor model 5022 (either label) was a “flat” lead pencil..used for “lofting” ( very olde school process used to draw ships, then planes, at wall-sized scale. No stinkin’ pointer needed…). The single mdoel is a sales piece from the ALVIN co touting all of their goods…and labeled “Connecticut”..
I’m loving that ALVIN box more than the pencil! 1960s comics vibes!
A very late reply. Here are my favourite pencil extenders that I can recommend (left to right):
- STAEDTLER 900 25 (https://www.staedtler.jp/products/pencil/r04.html)
- uni UPH-8000 (introduced in 2008 on the occasion on uni’s 80th anniversary; only 8000 were made, difficult to find)
- Mimic Penguin (made from cellulose acetate; Stationery Program)
- Mimic Drops (made from cellulose acetate; Stationery Program)
- Mimic Short (made from ebonite; Stationery Program)
- YARN (made from Japanese oak and brass and the thinnest of the bunch; 木の補助軸、エクステンダー | YARN(ヤーン))
- Rosetta (out of production, but now and then they pop up)
- Rosetta (see above)
- Craft A (out of production, very difficult to find)
The clip of the Mimic extenders can be removed, and since it is only held by friction there’s no ugly recess.
They all can hold pencils as short as 1 cm, and since all are almost completely hollow the pencil can be up to about 9 to 11 cm long.
If I had to limit myself to three I’d choose the Mimic extenders; they’re just fantastic. And if I had to choose four I’d add the YARN.
Beautiful! I’m particularly impressed by the grooved caps on the pencils.
I assume that the Staedtler leadpointer doesn’t have holes on the bottom like later variants (e. g. the KUM-onit № 250). It’s so silly to fasten the inserted pointer in such a way that holes appear.
Thank you so much!
Where did you order it (web)?
I do not understand japanese and their websites are not (?) in english…. am I right?
Mercari?
What phrase should I search for?
just a few… ![]()
write on ![]()
so you twist the barrel on these?
On the Uchida, yes. You can see it in action here. The Tombow uses a classic knock mechanism.










