Eversharp is an American brand of writing implements founded by Charles Rood Keeran in 1913 and marketed by Keeran & Co., based in Chicago. Keeran commercialized Eversharp mechanical pencils (manufactured by two companies, Heath and Wahl), then expanding to fountain pens when the company was acquired by the Wahl Adding Machine Co. in 1916 and it was named "Wahl-Eversharp". The company continued until 1957 when it was acquired by Parker Pen, which continued to use the Eversharp brand for a time.
Keeran is considered a pioneer maker of mechanical pencils,[1] as the inventor of the first successful one.[2]
History
Charles Rood Keeran, a native of Bloomington, Illinois,[3] had worked for the Bloomington Pickle Co. in his 20s. Around 1911 he partnered with J.F. Funk to manufacture White Crown Mason jar lids, though his attention soon turned to mechanical pencils.