This is a very rare Senator mechanical pencil, made by the Merz & Krell company, who were the production source of Pelikan pens in the 1970s.  Merz & Krell were a very reputable organisation, somewhat under the radar and overshadowed by Montblanc and Pelikan.  Their vintage pens have a strong reputation for being well-made and engineered - and this mechanical pencil is no exception.

This pencil is a remarkable Parker 51 pencil look-a-like / copy, and I can find no other examples out there on the internet to give me any further identification numbers or information.  It is imitating a Parker 51 pencil with an Insignia / Signet gold cap.  It even has a jewel in the cap, which is such a hallmark of a Parker.  I can only imagine Merz & Krell were slapped with some sort of restriction by Parker, as it really is too close for comfort.

I have photographed this Burgundy Senator pencil with a Forest Green 1955 Parker 51 pencil, to show the similarities  - it is quite something to see.  Please note that the Parker 51 pencil does not form part of this sale.

In glossy burgundy resin, stamped with "Senator" and "MADE IN GERMANY" to the barrel, there are no further stamps to the barrel or clip.  The lead cone is very "Sheaffer" with that extruded tip, and indeed the pencil takes the traditional Sheaffer lead size of 0.9mm.  So who knows if this was Sheaffer trying to upset the apple cart with Parker in Europe, via a willing German company.....

This Senator is a very fine pencil and is working perfectly.  Condition is very good, with some clip wear to the gold cap (see pictures) - the clip must have been loose at some time and has scuffed around.  It is fixed firmly now.  The cap is pulled off to reveal an unused eraser (somewhat hardened) and the eraser is removed to access the supply of leads (contains lead).  The twist mechanism is a propel-repel one, and it is working beautifully.  

There is one hairline crack to the plastic which I have detected (see photo) - nothing is loose and it does not impair the function of the pencil.

I have researched vintage Senator pens and pencils, and feel that I can date this pencil to the 1950s or 1960s based on the clip shape, which echoes some of the Senator pens of that timeline.

Quite the niche pencil to add to your collection, and a nice one to trip up the casual Parker fan after they've had a few beers.  

NOTE:  The Merz & Krell company is now officially known as "Senator" in homage to this range of pens and pencils which did so well for the company post-war.  The original company was formed in 1920, and it lasted through some turbulent times - and is now visible on senatorDOTcom (replace DOT with a real dot) - having diversified away from solely writing instruments, and markets a range of products.  It continues to make reference to the company's 1920 origin.

I will send this pencil in a velvet pouch and carefully wrapped via tracked Royal Mail delivery in the UK.  Please note if you are buying from outside the UK, this pencil will be delivered by the eBay Global Shipping Programme and it could take between 10 and 30 days to arrive.