Yard-O-Led Hallmarks and History

[Rob]

I am considering buying some vintage Yard-O-Led's and have been trying
to locate a web site or publication that descirbes history of their
manufacture and what the various hallmarks on the vintage pens mean.

So far, I have found nothing. Can anyone help me out with a ponter?

Thanks,
Rob

remove the underscore and the 123 in my address to reply directly

[June Hughes]

Post by Rob
I am considering buying some vintage Yard-O-Led's and have been trying
to locate a web site or publication that descirbes history of their
manufacture and what the various hallmarks on the vintage pens mean.
So far, I have found nothing. Can anyone help me out with a ponter?
Thanks,
Rob
remove the underscore and the 123 in my address to reply directly

They were originally made by a firm called Mordan, which was bombed out
during WWII. If you type the word Mordan into Google you will find
lots of info.
HTH

[mz]

Post by June Hughes
They were originally made by a firm called Mordan, which was bombed out
during WWII. If you type the word Mordan into Google you will find
lots of info.
HTH

Not quite correct. Let me quote Sue Courtier, Jane Marshall, and Jim
Marshall's wonderful, fact-packed book, "Collectible Pencils."
"Y-o-L was founded in 1934 by L. F. Brenner...After being bombed out
of business in 1941 they started again in 1946...In 1955 they
acquired Edward Baker and thereby the Mordan company patents..."

So Y-o-L acquired the company that had acquired Mordan, not the
other way around. Y-o-L pencils were not made by Mordan.

From the same source, "Hall marked [sic] pencils bear makers' names
JM & Co, Johnson Matthey & Co, E.B., Edward Baker and Y.O.L. Yard
O'Led."

HTH,
Mark Z.

[June Hughes]

Post by mz

Post by June Hughes
They were originally made by a firm called Mordan, which was bombed
out during WWII. If you type the word Mordan into Google you will
find lots of info.
HTH

Not quite correct. Let me quote Sue Courtier, Jane Marshall, and Jim
Marshall's wonderful, fact-packed book, "Collectible Pencils." "Y-o-L
was founded in 1934 by L. F. Brenner...After being bombed out of
business in 1941 they started again in 1946...In 1955 they acquired
Edward Baker and thereby the Mordan company patents..."
So Y-o-L acquired the company that had acquired Mordan, not the other
way around. Y-o-L pencils were not made by Mordan.
From the same source, "Hall marked [sic] pencils bear makers' names JM
& Co, Johnson Matthey & Co, E.B., Edward Baker and Y.O.L. Yard O'Led."

Thank-you for the information. If you simply type 'Yard-O-Lead' into
Google you get no history at all - just lots of people trying to sell
pens. OTOH, If you type Mordan, you get a great deal of info.

For example if you look at the following:

http://www.jimgaston.com/faq.htm

Of course the info may be incorrect....................

[Rob]

Mark - Does the "Collectible Pencils" book explain the various
hallmarks and how to date and authenticate YoL mechanical pencils? This
may be the book I've been looking for.

June - Thanks for the link and tip on Mordan. It provided some
information but a Google still yields a lot of people selling Mordan
pens. There needs to be a 'no sales/auctions' option.

Rob

[June Hughes]

Post by Rob
Mark - Does the "Collectible Pencils" book explain the various
hallmarks and how to date and authenticate YoL mechanical pencils? This
may be the book I've been looking for.
June - Thanks for the link and tip on Mordan. It provided some
information but a Google still yields a lot of people selling Mordan
pens. There needs to be a 'no sales/auctions' option.

Yes indeed. I looked up Yard-o-lead Ltd on the Companies House site and
it filed dormant accounts last year, so must just be kept to protect the
name now.

[mz]

Post by June Hughes
Yes indeed. I looked up Yard-o-lead Ltd on the Companies House site and
it filed dormant accounts last year, so must just be kept to protect the
name now.

Could it be because the proper spelling is Yard-O-Led with no "a" in
led? While I know nothing of the Y-O-L financial status, the Writing
Equipment Society (UK) commissioned a hallmarked silver FP to
commemorate its 25th anniversary. Orders were due by the end of June
with delivery expected in October. Nothing has been said about a
pending demise of the company. Of course this doesn't mean that
something hasn't happened.

Mark Z.

[June Hughes]

Post by mz

Post by June Hughes
Yes indeed. I looked up Yard-o-lead Ltd on the Companies House site
and it filed dormant accounts last year, so must just be kept to
protect the name now.

Could it be because the proper spelling is Yard-O-Led with no "a" in
led? While I know nothing of the Y-O-L financial status, the Writing
Equipment Society (UK) commissioned a hallmarked silver FP to
commemorate its 25th anniversary. Orders were due by the end of June
with delivery expected in October. Nothing has been said about a
pending demise of the company. Of course this doesn't mean that
something hasn't happened.

Being pedantic, Yard-o-Led is the name of the dormant company listed.
There is no actual company called Yard-o-Lead. I suspect a holding
company now produces the pens etc and the original company is kept
merely to protect the name, as already stated. That makes sense. I am
sure there is no expected 'demise', and have never said anything of the
sort. I cannot understand why you thought there should be.

[mz]

Post by June Hughes
Being pedantic, Yard-o-Led is the name of the dormant company listed.
There is no actual company called Yard-o-Lead. I suspect a holding
company now produces the pens etc and the original company is kept
merely to protect the name, as already stated. That makes sense. I am
sure there is no expected 'demise', and have never said anything of the
sort. I cannot understand why you thought there should be.

Just an erroneous conclusion drawn from terms unfamiliar to me. I
equated "looked up Yard-o-lead Ltd on the *Companies House site* and
it filed *dormant accounts*" [emphasis added] in your original with
receivership or bankruptcy. Could you explain what the above means?

TIA,
Mark Z.

[June Hughes]

Post by mz

Post by June Hughes
Being pedantic, Yard-o-Led is the name of the dormant company listed.
There is no actual company called Yard-o-Lead. I suspect a holding
company now produces the pens etc and the original company is kept
merely to protect the name, as already stated. That makes sense. I
am sure there is no expected 'demise', and have never said anything
of the sort. I cannot understand why you thought there should be.

Just an erroneous conclusion drawn from terms unfamiliar to me. I
equated "looked up Yard-o-lead Ltd on the *Companies House site* and it
filed *dormant accounts*" [emphasis added] in your original with
receivership or bankruptcy. Could you explain what the above means?

Just means the company is still alive but not trading. It therefore has
to file what are known as dormant accounts. Sorry, I expected people to
be familiar with the term when there is no reason for them to be so. I
didn't mean to insuIt your intelligence. I expect the trading is done
elsewhere within a group. As the company is still in existence, no-one
can form another company with the same name. Very important for such a
brand as that.

[mz]

Post by June Hughes
Just means the company is still alive but not trading. It therefore has
to file what are known as dormant accounts. Sorry, I expected people to
be familiar with the term when there is no reason for them to be so. I
didn't mean to insuIt your intelligence. I expect the trading is done
elsewhere within a group. As the company is still in existence, no-one
can form another company with the same name. Very important for such a
brand as that.

Thanks for the lesson, June. As the years pass I realize how much I
don't know and will never know, unfortunately. Please believe me
when I say I was sure no offense was meant and none was taken. ;0)

Thanks again,
Mark Z.

[mz]

Post by Rob
Mark - Does the "Collectible Pencils" book explain the various
hallmarks and how to date and authenticate YoL mechanical pencils? This
may be the book I've been looking for.

Sorry, Rob, it doesn't. I understand there are registries for
hallmarks, but I'm not familiar with them.

Post by Rob
June - Thanks for the link and tip on Mordan. It provided some
information but a Google still yields a lot of people selling Mordan
pens. There needs to be a 'no sales/auctions' option.

You might try the advanced search to exclude terms. Looking at the
summaries of some of the pages you're not interested should give
some hints as to terms.

HTH,
Mark Z.

[n***@ntlworld.com]

HiRob

I've just noticed your Y o L posting and the related replies .

I have built up a collection of about 80 YoL items , going back to the
1930's . Like you , I have found it difficult to dig up any detailed
info on the company.

The histoical info in the replies to your original request is , as far
as I am aware , correct ( set up in 1934 , took over Baker and the
Mordan Patents etc.)

The current ownership position is , I think , as follows. The Y o L
brand is now owned by Filfax ( the personal organiser company ) which
is , I believe , in turn owned by Lettes ( best known for diaries ) .
The Filofax website has a link to a YoL site which contains a very
small amount of data on the company.

Y o L have a workshop/ factory in Birmingham ( UK) -- I may be able to
dig out the address sometime if you might be interested in contacting
them .

Why is there so little info available on this company??-- no idea!!

As far as the hallmarks are concerned , they will show the name of the
silversmith making the case ( J.M. E.B. or Y oL ) a symbol representing
the assay office which tested the silver content of the metal, 925 and
a lion which represents sterling silver , and a date letter. Agian , I
might be able to send you more info on these hall marks if you are
interested.

Hope this helps. It's good ( and unusual ) to find someone showing an
interest in Y o L -- I think these represent the very top of the range
in quality silver / gold writing instrument , but they don't seem to
have quite the image of brands such as Montblanc!!

Regards

MIKE

Post by Rob
I am considering buying some vintage Yard-O-Led's and have been trying
to locate a web site or publication that descirbes history of their
manufacture and what the various hallmarks on the vintage pens mean.
So far, I have found nothing. Can anyone help me out with a ponter?
Thanks,
Rob
remove the underscore and the 123 in my address to reply directly

[j fabian]

Post by n***@ntlworld.com
I have built up a collection of about 80 YoL items , going back to the
1930's . Like you , I have found it difficult to dig up any detailed
info on the company.

I wonder if there's something peculiarly British about silly names like
"Yard 'O' Led" and "File 'O' Fax" ... Here in the States we have the
Minneapolis-based "Malt 'O' Meal" and Lipton's ever-present "Cup 'O'
Noodles. Wait -- isn't Lipton a British company? Hmmm. "Pep 'O' Mint",
"Spear 'O' Mint", and "Wint 'O' Green" Lifesavers...

"Koh 'I' Noor" drafting pens -- never understood that one.

Reminds me of the Ford Model A (known at the timer as a "Ford") which came
in "Tudor" (coupe) and "Fordor" (sedan) variations. My grandfather had a
Fordor...

[June Hughes]

Post by j fabian

Post by n***@ntlworld.com
I have built up a collection of about 80 YoL items , going back to the
1930's . Like you , I have found it difficult to dig up any detailed
info on the company.

I wonder if there's something peculiarly British about silly names like
"Yard 'O' Led" and "File 'O' Fax" ... Here in the States we have the
Minneapolis-based "Malt 'O' Meal" and Lipton's ever-present "Cup 'O'
Noodles. Wait -- isn't Lipton a British company? Hmmm. "Pep 'O' Mint",
"Spear 'O' Mint", and "Wint 'O' Green" Lifesavers...
"Koh 'I' Noor" drafting pens -- never understood that one.
Reminds me of the Ford Model A (known at the timer as a "Ford") which came
in "Tudor" (coupe) and "Fordor" (sedan) variations. My grandfather had a
Fordor...

Yard-o-lead was so named because inside the base of the barrel there are
eight holes which contain 'leads' for refilling the pencil.

[BL]

Post by June Hughes
Yard-o-lead was so named because inside the base
of the barrel there are eight holes which contain
'leads' for refilling the pencil.

I read somewhere (you can probably find reference to it via Google) that
Yard-O-Led was so named because their pencils were designed to carry 12
3-inch (ergo a yard of) leads. -- B

[June Hughes]

In message <n_nNe.121$***@trnddc07>, BL <***@SPAMtoad.net>
writes

Post by BL

Post by June Hughes
Yard-o-lead was so named because inside the base
of the barrel there are eight holes which contain
'leads' for refilling the pencil.

I read somewhere (you can probably find reference to it via Google) that
Yard-O-Led was so named because their pencils were designed to carry 12
3-inch (ergo a yard of) leads. -- B

I have just looked at mine. One seems to have 12 holes (which would be
logical), one has four (a short 'ladies' pencil) and one has 8 holes.

[Stephen Hust]

Post by BL
I read somewhere (you can probably find reference to it via
Google) that Yard-O-Led was so named because their pencils were
designed to carry 12 3-inch (ergo a yard of) leads.

| All pencils contain one yard of lead (12 x 3 inch leads), hence
| the name Yard-O-Led

<http://www.filofax.co.uk/corpsales/SEURLF/ASP/SFS/SFE/yardo.htm>

[June Hughes]

Post by Stephen Hust

Post by BL
I read somewhere (you can probably find reference to it via
Google) that Yard-O-Led was so named because their pencils were
designed to carry 12 3-inch (ergo a yard of) leads.

| All pencils contain one yard of lead (12 x 3 inch leads), hence
| the name Yard-O-Led
<http://www.filofax.co.uk/corpsales/SEURLF/ASP/SFS/SFE/yardo.htm>

Not all. (Although the one in question is around 60 years old - short
lady's pencil)..