WORLD WAR ONE ERA SURGEONS SKIN MARKING PENCILS IN
THE ORIGINAL BOX – EXCELLENT CONDITION: An
unusual offering of a scarce medical collectable, this
original box of “Skin Marking Pencils Especially Adapted
For Use Of Physicians and Surgeons”. Manufactured by
Eberhard Faber, these blue pencils were made with a blue
lead which would contrast against the skin and be
readily visible to the surgeon. From what research I
have done on these, apparently the type of blue lead
used in these pencils would not leave the residue as a
graphite or standard lead pencil would which could lead
to an infection.
John Eberhard Faber (12-06 1822 – 03-02 1879) founded
his well known writing pencil manufacturing firm in New
York City in 1861, and the company continued in business
under that name until 1994. Since then, through a
series of acquisitions, the company has been absorbed
into the Papermate Corporation.
This box was obtained from the estate of an elderly,
retired US Army Medical Department officer. While the
inside of the box lid is annotated in hand written ink,
“Bought through Lloyd’s 3/15/26”, these same skin
marking pencils were available during the First World
War and would be very appropriate for a US Army
Surgeon’s display.
The box, measuring 7 ½” long, 2 ¼” wide, and ¾” deep, is
full form with a complete legible label and with all of
the corners and seams intact with no apparent damage.
The box contains five (5) “like new” unused pencils, all
full length, all with the original points intact and all
complete with the silver metal point protectors. The
pencils and the point protectors are marked with the
Eberhard Faber manufacturing legend. Note that the
lead in these pencils appears to be white, but it marks
blue - why? I dunno, but that's the way it is.
In
excellent condition, this would be a unique addition to
your World War One medical display.
SOLD
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