Pen and pencil sighting

[From Intruder in the Dust (dir. Clarence Brown, 1949). Click for a larger view.]

That’s Will Geer as Sheriff Hampton. And in his pocket — no question — an Eversharp Skyliner, a pen designed by Henry Dreyfuss. The distinctive cap is a giveaway. But what about the pencil?

[Juano Hernadez (Lucas Beauchamp), Geer, Claude Jarman Jr. (Chick Mallison), David Brian (John Gavin Stevens). Click for a larger view.]

It’s a Dixon Ticonderoga. The ferrule is the giveaway. Notice that the pencil has been accessorized with a clip. You wouldn’t want your pen or pencil falling out of your pocket.

With three dark green bands on its ferrule, the Ticonderoga must be the recognizable pencil in film. I’d put the Eberhard Faber Mongol in second place — it’s sometimes a tough call in black and white. The Eberhard Faber Blackwing? Distinctive, of course, but only if you get to see its ferrule from the proper angle. When we watch movies: “Is that a Blackwing?” “Go back.” And it’s often impossible to decide.

Related reading
All OCA pen and pencil posts (Pinboard)