Pencil
A pencil is a widely recognized writing instrument typically made of a wooden cylinder containing a stick of graphite, which emerged as a popular tool after the discovery of graphite in the 16th century. Graphite, a form of carbon, was first identified in England and was initially mistaken for coal. Early pencil designs involved hollowing out wooden sticks to hold graphite, evolving from primitive forms to more refined versions that we use today. The first pencil-making industry started in Nuremberg, Germany, around 1662, and innovative methods, such as mixing graphite with clay, were developed to enhance the strength and usability of pencils.
By the 19th century, pencil manufacturing had expanded globally, particularly in the United States, where the availability of suitable wood, such as Eastern red cedar, influenced production. Modern pencils are produced in various hardness levels, rated on a scale from soft (9B) to hard (9H), catering to different uses, including artistic applications. Additionally, colored pencils incorporate pigments and binders to create a wide array of colors. Over time, pencils have also seen aesthetic changes, such as the introduction of paint and branding, with yellow paint becoming particularly associated with quality due to its royal connotations in China.
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Pencil
A pencil is usually a wooden cylinder that contains a stick of graphite. It is used as a writing instrument. It came into use after 1564, when graphite was discovered. Until this time, people used lead to make marks, but graphite marks were darker. Pure graphite, which strongly resembles lead, is soft and brittle, however, and difficult to use. People tried a variety of methods to make graphite sticks easier to use, and eventually they began hollowing out wooden sticks to make holders. Through experimentation, graphite was later mixed with other materials to make it sturdier.
Overview
Graphite, which is a form of carbon, was discovered near Borrowdale, England, following a storm sometime between 1500 and 1564. The violent weather uprooted a large tree, and the shepherds who discovered the dark material beneath it thought they had found a coal deposit. It did not burn like coal, however. They soon realized that the mineral, graphite, was useful as a marking tool.
Writing instruments were greatly improved when someone decided to hollow out a wooden stick and insert graphite into it. This was the first wood-cased pencil. Early, primitive pencils were not round and symmetrical. The oldest known pencil, which dates to at least 1630, is a piece of wood with a slot running its length; in this slot is a wide piece of graphite. The first pencil-making industry was established in Nuremberg, Germany, around 1662.
French scientist Nicolas-Jacques Conte experimented with graphite. In 1795, he mixed it with clay and fired it in a kiln. The graphite-clay sticks were stronger and better than pure graphite. Conte found that by adding more clay, he could make stronger writing instruments. These sticks are called lead, and have changed little in more than two centuries. The graphite-clay sticks were placed into wood tubes through a time-consuming process. By the 1830s, pencil factories in Europe were mass-producing wooden writing instruments.
Massachusetts cabinetmaker William Monroe began making wood pencils in 1812. By the late nineteenth century, German pencil manufacturers had established a number of factories in the United States. Most were located in the South because the Eastern red cedar growing there was the most commonly used wood. As supplies of Eastern red cedar dwindled, manufacturers turned to other species, in particular the incense cedar growing in California.
To assemble pencils, leads are placed into slats grooved into wood. Glue is applied and a second grooved slat is placed on top, sandwiching the leads in between. After the glue dries, machines cut the slat sandwich and mill away the excess wood, making hexagonal or round pencils. Pencils are then painted and erasers are added, if desired.
Until the 1890s, pencils were unpainted, so the quality of the wood was visible. Eventually, manufacturers began painting and adding brand names to their products. The best graphite in the world came from China, and manufacturers wanted consumers to know the source of their pencil leads. Yellow is associated with royalty in China; therefore, many manufacturers painted their pencils this color.
Modern pencils are manufactured to twenty degrees of lead hardness. They are rated for hardness (H) and blackness (B). The softest is 9B, while the hardest is 9H. Soft leads, called charcoal pencils, are commonly used by artists. Colored pencil leads generally contain pigments, binders, and extenders.
Bibliography
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Petroski, Henry. The Pencil: A History of Design and Circumstance. Knopf, 2011.
Popova, Maria. "The Surprising History of the Pencil." Brain Pickings, www.brainpickings.org/2013/06/24/history-of-the-pencil/. Accessed 25 Oct. 2016.
"The Yellow Pencil." Pencils.com, pencils.com/why-are-pencils-yellow/. Accessed 25 Oct. 2016.