Silver Pencil Gadget Cane

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Masterpiece Cane Auction

By Kimball Sterling

May 24, 2025

Set Reminder 2025-05-24 11:00:00 2025-05-24 11:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Masterpiece Cane Auction https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/kimball-sterling/masterpiece-cane-auction-19479
A European Masterpiece Cane Auction Kimball Sterling kimballsterling@earthlink.net

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• Lot Description
  London 1912 Large fluted silver ball in twisted rag-style presented on an integral, plain silver collar. It is mounted on a stepped partridge shaft and a metal ferrule, adding to its overall elegance. A delightful surprise awaits when the loop at the base of the handle is gently pulled—a silver pencil springs to life, gracefully popping up for use. Always prepared for immediate readability, it swiftly retreats into its chamber, vanishing into a concealed cavity and securing itself with a straightforward downward push. It is worth noting that the silver top part of the pencil has a full set of hallmarks that match those on the knob's collar. The handle is struck with clear London hallmarks from 1907 and marked “CD” for Charles Henry Dumenil as well as “BEN COX” for the famous walking stick and umbrella retailer in London. This cane was highly esteemed by avid turf enthusiasts who enjoyed keeping tabs on their bets at the racecourse, has now become a top-tier collectible, and is highly esteemed by system cane enthusiasts. In addition, the cane's exceptional craftsmanship and attention to detail have garnered praise from fellow collectors who admire its distinct design. H. 2 ¼” x 2 ½”, O.L. 34 ¾” $600-$800 A number of umbrellas and walking sticks bear the maker's mark “CD” for Charles Henry Dumenil stamped on the grip or collar. They are mostly high-quality items with decorative knobs in silver or gold, often taking the form of hares, swans, and ducks. A fair proportion of the surviving examples are what are now called gadget or system canes and umbrellas, with concealed pencils, flasks, atomizers, and other trickery. The gadgetry was very popular in the late Victorian and Edwardian eras, and there was lively competition between manufacturers to produce mechanisms that were ever more intricate and intriguing. Dumenil was at the forefront of these developments, and in February 1894 he patented 'An Improved Combination of a Match Box or the like with a Walking Stick, an Umbrella, or the like'. Later the same year, jointly with William Henry Brigg, he patented 'Improvements in the Combination of Pencils and the like with Walking Sticks and the like'. The joint patent with Brigg was significant. Although a few non-Brigg canes by Dumenil, like this particular one, survive from the 1880s, from 1889 onwards, nearly all of his handles and knops appear on canes and umbrellas stamped with Brigg's retail mark. It is likely, therefore, that he had entered into an agreement to supply them exclusively. This line of work seems to have dried up with the onset of the First World War, so most of his pieces for the company can probably be dated to the quarter century between 1889 and 1914. An identical cane is illustrated on page 25 in the original Brigg catalog of the late 19th century, where it is referred to as Cane With Patent Silver Pencil. The pictures of the original illustrations are published on our website. For some annotations on Brigg, see page 4, lot 6 in this catalog. For similar canes, see also C. Dike, Cane Curiosa, Chapter 14, Writing and drawing, page 159, Nr. 14/13.
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