The earliest preserved copy of a mechanical pencil was found in the wreckage the HMS Pandora, which sank in 1791. The frigate was sent out to arrest the mutineers of the Bounty.

Kaweco has been producing all kinds of mechanical pencils since the beginning of the 20th century. The Kaweco clutch pencils had become very popular in the fifties, the heyday of technical drawing. Until this very day the clutch pencils of the SKETCH UP series are very popular among sketch artists.