Yard-O-Led
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Yard-O-Led
| logo = Yard o led logo.png
| logo_size = 200
| type = Private
| industry = Writing implements
| fate =
| predecessor =
| successor =
| founded = {{start date and age|1934}}
| defunct =
| hq_location_city = London
| hq_location_country = England
| area_served =
| key_people = Tim Tufnell {{small|(Honorary President)}}
| products = Fountain and ballpoint pens, mechanical pencils
| owner =
| num_employees =
| num_employees_year =
| parent = Filofax Group (1988–2015)
| website = [https://www.yard-o-led.com/ yard-o-led.com]
}}
The Yard-O-Led Pencil Company is a manufacturing company founded in London, England in 1934.
History
It was founded by German immigrant Ludwig Brenner[https://www.yard-o-led.com/pages/our-story Company history] on Yard-O-Led website to produce his patented propelling pencils which contained twelve three inch leads (that is to say, 36 inches or a yard of lead). Originally based in Premier House, 12-13 Hatton Garden, London, the company relocated in the late 1940s to 1 Great Cumberland Place, London.
After World War II, the company merged with Sampson Mordan Ltd whose founder had patented the first mechanical pencil in 1822. They built a new factory in Birmingham and acquired Edward Baker Ltd, another pencil maker.[https://web.archive.org/web/20130616214758/http://www.pentrace.net/penbase/Data_Returns/full_article.asp?id=502 The story of Yard-O-Led]
In 1988, the company was acquired by Filofax Group,{{cite news |author= |title=Filofax in swoop for city pen firm |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0002139/19880408/020/0020 |newspaper=Birmingham Mail | location=England |date=8 April 1988 |access-date=27 December 2024 |via = British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription }} which owned it until 2015, when it was re-established as "Imperial Yard Ltd".
Yard-O-Led continues to produce fountain and ballpoint pens as well as mechanical pencils, most of which are made from hallmarked sterling silver.
References
{{Reflist}}
Further reading
- Collecting Old Pencils, John Watkins, Collectors Press (1970,) ASIN: B000J2HUQG
- Victorian Pencils: Tools to Jewels, Deb Crosby, Schiffer Publishing Ltd (Oct 1998), {{ISBN|0-7643-0413-5}}
- The Pencil: A History of Design and Circumstance, by Henry Petroski
External links
- [https://www.yard-o-led.com/ Official website]
- [https://quillandpad.com/2019/10/26/yard-o-led-the-most-traditional-writing-instruments-youve-never-heard-of-reprise/ Yard-O-Led: The Most Traditional Writing Instruments You’ve Never Heard Of]
{{Pen manufacturers}}
{{Fountain pen manufacturers}}
{{Portal bar|Companies}}
Category:Fountain pen and ink manufacturers
Category:Manufacturing companies based in London
Category:Manufacturing companies established in 1934