Knips Patent Pencils are high-quality mechanical pencils made in the 1930s, with De La Rue & Co. acting as 'Sale Distributors for the British Empire'; actual production took place in Germany with a sourcing name based in Nuremberg, whose role as maker or distribution partner is not conclusively documented (cf. Stephen Hull's book on Onoto). The pencils were offered in five colours plus black and are characterised by an unusual click mechanism with two opposing pressure points which, alternately pressed, advance the lead. Octagonal versions in celluloid in different shades are particularly sought-after; condition and function of the click mechanism are often still flawless on the surviving examples. The pieces are rare and are actively but sporadically offered on the collector market.