In the 1870s, Dixon introduced their American Graphite Polygrade pencils which had a natural cedar finish and were graded from VVVS (very, very, very soft) to VVVH (hard). These were the first American made pencils to compete with Europe's high-end drawing pencils. In 1917, the Eldorado was introduced and graded in the now familiar European style of 2B, B, HB, H, 2H, etc. The Eldorado was very popular among draftsmen for a time, but it seems to have disappeared by the mid 1950s and was replaced by the Dixon D.T.R. (Drafting Tracing Reproduction) pencil.


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Dixon’s Eldorado

(single sided imprint, crucible logo)

Joseph Dixon Crucible Co., Jersey City, New Jersey, USA

production date origin available degrees	circa 1917 USA 17: 6B–B, HB, F, H–9H
see also	Dixon's Eldorado Artists' and Draftsmen's Refill Pencils New York Blue Print Paper Co. catalog, 1921, p 261


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Dixon’s Eldorado

(single sided imprint, “made in U.S.A.”, gold degree)

Joseph Dixon Crucible Co., Jersey City, New Jersey, USA

production date origin available degrees	circa 1920s USA 17: 6B–B, HB, F, H–9H
see also	Dixon's Eldorado Artists' and Draftsmen's Refill Pencils New York Blue Print Paper Co. catalog, 1921, p 261


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Dixon’s Eldorado

(single sided imprint, blue degree)

Joseph Dixon Crucible Co., Jersey City, New Jersey, USA

production date origin available degrees	1920s USA 17: 6B–B, HB, F, H–9H
see also	New York Blue Print Paper Co. catalog, 1921, p 261


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side 1 side 2

Dixon’s Eldorado

(three sided imprint)

Joseph Dixon Crucible Co., Jersey City, New Jersey, USA

production date origin available degrees	1920s–30s USA 17: 6B–B, HB, F, H–9H
see also	Eugene Dietzgen Co. catalog, 1928, p 254 Dixon Eldorado display ad, 1935 Frederick Post Co. catalog, 1936, p 285 Keuffel & Esser Co. catalog, 1936, p 296 Charles Bruning Co. catalog, 1936, p 215 Eugene Dietzgen Co. catalog, 1939, p 84

A one-dozen box of Eldorados from the 1920s.

The two sides of an insert from the 1920s Eldorado box.


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side 1

side 2

side 3

Dixon’s “Typhonite” Eldorado

Joseph Dixon Crucible Co., Jersey City, New Jersey, USA

production date origin available degrees	circa 1940s USA 17: 6B–B, HB, F, H–9H
see also	Dixon's Typhonite Eldorado Refill Leads Keuffel & Esser Co. catalog, 1943, p 187 Eugene Diezgen Co. catalog, 1950, p 108 Charles Bruning Co. catalog, 1952, p 223 J.H. Weil & Co. catalog, 1953, p 212

"Typhonite" was the trade name for a process of forming graphite leads developed by Dixon in the 1930s, I believe.

The two sides of an insert from the Eldorado Typhonite box.

A case of six one-dozen boxes of Dixon's Typhonite Eldorados (1/2 scale).


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side 1

side 2

side 3

Dixon’s “Typhonite” Eldorado 175

Joseph Dixon Crucible Co., Jersey City, New Jersey, USA

production date origin available degrees	1950s USA 17: 6B–B, HB, F, H–9H
see also	Defiance Sales Corp. catalog, 1955, p 246

Dixon Typhonite Eldorado 175 metal box of one-dozen pencils.


		© 2001 to 2008 Dennis B. Smith	^ top