Does Dixon still make pencils in the United States?
It is very hard to say, but here are some “Made in U.S.A.” “tri-write” pencils found just last week at a Grand and Toy store here in Canada! They appear to be new, and are sold in a cardboard/plastic package of eight.
The cynic in me wonders if perhaps American Ticonderogas are still made, but solely for export!
My impression is that the lead is significantly higher quality than other recently found Ticonderogas. They also sport a more traditional appearance!
Interesting, I’ll post something if I run across any Tri-writes that say “Made in the USA”. Those other Ticonderoga noir pencils are a joke to me.
I have a eight-pack of tri-writes that says “Made in U.S.A.” (twice). The lead seems better than that of the black Ticonderoga (the one with a flat black finish, not the Noir pencil, which I’ve never tried).
I suspect that any Ticonderogas marked “Made in USA” are just ‘new old stock’ that are working their way through the system. All the Ticonderogas I see now in the big box office supply stores (Office Depot, Staples, etc) and at Walmart here in the US are the non USA pencils.
Though its possible that they haven’t moved production of the Tri-writes to Mexico yet….
I’m fairly sure they are NOS like Steve pointed out. I found a couple boxes of USA made Ticonderogas (not the tri-writes) at the Office Depot in Ford City Mall in Chicago a few months ago.
Can’t say I like them any more than the Mexico made Ticonderogas I bought two years ago (although the quality of the mexico made stuff has fallen since then in my opinion)
This is definitely NOS. Dixon closed the Versailles, MO factory within one year of the 2004 acquisition by FILA. The equipment was moved to Mexico except for some equipment that moved to Atlanta area just to handle their promotional pencil business. No wood working is performed by Dixon in the US any longer.
Most Ticonderogas for the US market are now made in Mexico. Dixon’s Beijing Factory supplies Canada & Europe primarily with Dixon and Fila branded items, although this factory received a favorable anti-dumping ruling about a year ago so certain items may on occasion ship from China.
Since the recent acquisition of Lyra this past summer they have determined the German factory production for this brand will move to China, though many of the Lyra products were already produced in Indonesia on a sub-contract basis.
I bought a pack of Dixon Ticonderoga #2’s this weekend. My eyesight is not what it used to be (44 yrs old) so when I got home was when I first noticed the “Made in China” stamp on the box. Nothing against the fine people of China, (and I have a very good quality drum set from a Chinese company, made in China, nicely machined and great-sounding) but for what reasons do the owners of these companies think people by their products anyway? I’ve been using the Dixon Ticonderoga since my third grade teacher swapped our big fat pencils for regular-sized ones. Not a grand amount of emotional attachment, really, but doesn’t this describe brand loyalty to someone? Anyway, I’ll never buy another DT again. Those pencils went in the trash. Thanks for letting me vent.
I haven’t bought any Ticonderogas since I was in elementary school, still have one black one left though that is made in the U.S., shame they aren’t made there anymore. My Paper Mate Mirados I bought recently aren’t made in the U.S. either. I wonder how many wooden pencils are still made in the U.S.?
I think only the General Pencil Company and Musgrave still make pencils in the USA. The other companies have moved their production outside the US.
There’s a company called Akron that still makes pencils in the USA, and Mega Brands does, too. (The Mega brands aren’t bad at all, with nice dark lead, and with a blue band on the ferrule that, at first glance, looks like a Venus Velvet). J.R. Moon pencils might still be made here, too. (They are quite underrated, in my opinion, and can only be found at teacher stores.) I wonder where the Field Notes pencils are made.
I picked up a Ticoderoga 1397 with a point protector and eraser attached to it. First one I have seen in 30 years of collecting pencils, probably dates back to the 30’s. Just an incredibly rare version of the now famous Ticonderoga. I fyou like pencils and even the Ticonderoga then you should see the variety of the Ticonderogas made back in the day…..truly a work of pride. I will put a pic up on facebook in honor of this once proud American Pencil Company.
Thanks Bobby, it sounds like a gem!
just got a box of 12 -made in Mexico- and it has the lightest graphite!!!… not for me. the thicker black body “ergo” ones are not any better.
Hey guys, I am doing a research project for my Human Geography class, and I was wondering where you came across your information regarding the transition of Dixon’s production of Ticonderogas from within the US to abroad? Today I called the central offices in Georgia, and they said that all of their pencils were made domestically, and that anymore information than that was strictly proprietary. I haven’t been able to find ANYTHING specific about production, either. Please help! -Jen