This post-Depression pencil, from the Diamond Point Pen Company, New York City, is an example from a company in decline, yet still producing something usable and reasonably attractive. Before the Great Depression, Diamond Point's nose-drive pencils were well-built and colorful, and they also made attractive middle-twist-operated pencils in nice materials. This particular pencil is still of reasonable quality, enough so that L. Norris Post had it personalized with his signature incised on the barrel. It is a warm, tobacco-colored marble with gold trim and a black bullseye jewel on top. The band has two black stripes and two rows of engraved dots. It has typical nose-drive grip on the tip of the pencil. The mechanism is still working well.
The clip has a vertical "DIAMOND" inscription and also "PATD" inscribed along the top arch of the clip, in tiny letters. It seems more of a deco-style clip, than a WWII style.
The top screws off to provide access to an eraser. This is an unusual feature for a nosedrive pencil. Spare leads could be stored in the barrel. This one still had two leads, 0.9 mm, dating the lead size to after 1938.
This is the first Diamond Point I have come across. All-told, I could have done worse; for a nose-drive pencil, it's several notches above average. L. Norris, wherever you are, I'll be happy to use your Diamond Point.
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