This is an exceptional bundle: a beautiful 9ct gold square / 4-sided Yard-o-Led / Lady Yard-o-Lette purse pencil with suspension loop, and an art-deco patterned square / 4-sided sterling silver Yard-o-Lette pocket pencil, in the "Lucky" design. Both are cased and are from the early days of Yard o Led (the 1930s).
Both are dainty in dimensions - being designed for pockets / purses. The 9ct gold pencil is clipless, and was thus likely to be in a purse or leave no unsightly bump if slipped in a pocket. The silver pencil has a clip, thus is more likely to have been targeting the gentlemen's market. The "Yard-o-Lette" was not a diminutive design solely for ladies, it was also for the gentleman who required a discrete, portable writing instrument. This pairing of pencils seems to have all the options covered.
The gold pencil has no clip and has an elegant smooth gold finish to the 9ct gold barrel. It is in genuinely very good condition for c 90 years of age, it appears to have been carefully used and stored. In neat, clean condition, good gloss and shine to the gold, there is some age-related handling wear, and micro scratches / pin nicks are visible under magnification (see photos and video). The smooth gold design is the least forgiving for showing marks and handling, so this pencil's condition is testament to its careful handling.
The pencil is stamped "9CT" to all the separate parts (barrel, finial and top).
The sterling silver pencil has a clip, and is otherwise identical in structure to the 9ct gold pencil. It has the beautiful art-deco "Lucky" / "Deco 34" pattern engraved to the barrel (the "Lucky" has been reincarnated in the Yard o Led range of today, and sells for £475 on their website (currently sold out) - see photo). It is stamped "STERLING SILVER" to the finial and condition is, once again, admirable for an item c. 90 years old. The pencil is glossy, polished and clean - there are no dents to the barrel from the ball to the clip (a common mark) and the pencil carries some age-related wear visible under close inspection. The top of the finial has some marks (see photos and video).
Both twist propel-repel lead mechanisms are working perfectly, and the lead storage is not the usual honeycomb chamber, but a short-lived design with 4 lead holes to the empty chamber under (like a pepper pot). This design is outwardly neat - however it is a bit like one of those games you get in a cracker - lots of lining up and shaking to get the lead out. Both pencils' storage contains several vintage Yard-o-Led leads which were found inside and I have topped them both up so they have a good supply on board.
Both are in hinged hard leather Yard-o-Led cases, which are lined with silk and velvet. The blue case has had its hinges repaired, and both boxes are in clean and good condition.
Note that both of these Yard-o-Lettes are the rare square design. Square pencils had not been sold by Yard-o-Led for decades - they were considered the 2nd rarest shape (after triangular). However they are having something of a renaissance as you can see on their website. In my view both these pencils trump the modern incarnations - they are the original and best, have the earliest design features and of course, have c. 90 years of gravitas.
To their age: these pencils can be dated as notably early due to:
1. There is no reference to the Yard o Led patent number on the finial top (of the gold pencil) or clip (of the silver). This number was included in later models. The clip on the silver pencil has the rare "PAT. APPD. FOR." stamp, which clearly dates the pencil pre-patent-grant - and the patent was granted in 1935. So we can reasonably date both pencils to pre-patent grant, and conclude they are at least from 1935 and not later (Note: Yard o Led started producing these pencils in 1934).
2. The lead propulsion system is identical to subsequent designs - however, the finial / top of the pencil is in two parts: there is a top portion which turns to propel / repel the lead, and it is like a 4-sided bolt head. It is only this very top part which is turned (not the entire pencil top) to activate the propel / repel. This is the earliest Yard-o-Led design, and lasted until the late 1930s / pre-war. It's a really exquisite action and very satisfying to operate.
3. There is a square-shaped section to the finial top which separates. In later designs, this is part of the entire pencil top / finial section, which turns and withdraws as a single piece to activate and remove the mechanism. Probably subsequently integrated with the top bolt for cost reasons.
4. Dating the pencil is a combination of evidence: its two-piece finial design was short lived (c 1934 - 1936), its lead storage design was likewise quickly replaced, but was not present in the 1934 first editions. The lack of patent number. The patent was applied for in 1934, granted in 1935. I think it is reasonable to assume both of these pencils are from 1935, manufactured when the company was still finding its feet and evolving its designs.
Yard-o-Leds / Yardolettes are famed for their almost unwavering designs - so these version, being early, did not last long in production, and were superseded by the "fixed" designs which have covered the subsequent years (eg single piece finial, patent stamped to finial, honeycomb lead storage).
Approximate dimensions:
Length (gold pencil): 9.1cm (not including suspension loop), 9.4cm (including suspension loop)
Length (silver pencil): 9.2cm
Width: 0.7cm across the flat faces, 0.9cm across the diagonal
Weight (gold pencil): 14.4g
Weight (silver pencil): 15.0g
Lead size: 1.18mm (available online and via Yard o Led)
I have included a non-original copy of the appropriate instructions for these pencils.
I will send this valuable pairing of pencils under fully insured tracked Royal Mail in the UK. Please note if you are buying from outside the UK, this paring of Yard o Lettes will be delivered by the eBay Global Shipping Programme, and it will take around 10 days to get to your door.