The W.A. Sheaffer Pen Company, founded in 1912, was one of the first major writing instrument manufacturers in America to fully embrace mechanical pencils as a vital component in its business. For half a century after the introduction of the "Sharp Point" pencil in 1917, Sheaffer led the industry with numerous technical and design innovations which resulted in some of the most beautiful and durable mechanical pencils ever made. A Field Guide to Sheaffer Pencils thoroughly examines the history and taxonomy of these pencils, presented in unprecedented detail by award-winning author Jonathan Veley with the assistance of several of the world's leading experts in Sheaffer writing instruments. Lavish illustrations allow collectors to identify models, variations, and dates of production for nearly every pencil Sheaffer made until the company was sold in 1966, opening up the microcosm of these beautiful and functional works of art for the first time.