Apencil (/ˈpɛnsəl/^ⓘ) is awriting ordrawing implement with a solidpigment core in a protective casing that reduces the risk of core breakage and keeps it from marking the user'shand.

Pencils create marks by physicalabrasion, leaving a trail of solid core material that adheres to a sheet ofpaper or other surface. They are distinct frompens, which dispense liquid or gelink onto the marked surface.

Most pencil cores are made ofgraphite powder mixed with aclay binder. Graphite pencils (traditionally known as "lead pencils") produce grey or black marks that are easilyerased, but otherwise resistant tomoisture, mostsolvents,ultraviolet radiation and natural aging. Other types of pencil cores, such asthose of charcoal, are mainly used for drawing andsketching.Coloured pencils are sometimes used by teachers or editorsto correct submitted texts, but are typically regarded as art supplies, especially those with cores made from wax-based binders that tend to smear when erasers are applied to them.Grease pencils have a softer, oily core that can leave marks on smooth surfaces such asglass orporcelain.

The most common pencil casing is thinwood, usuallyhexagonal in section, but sometimescylindrical ortriangular, permanently bonded to the core. Casings may be of other materials, such as plastic or paper. To use the pencil, the casing must be carved or peeled off to expose the working end of the core as a sharp point.Mechanical pencils have more elaborate casings which are not bonded to the core; instead, they support separate, mobilepigment cores that can be extended or retracted (usually through the casing's tip) as needed. These casings can be reloaded with new cores (usually graphite) as the previous ones are exhausted.

Pencil, fromOld Frenchpincel, from lateLatinpenicillus a "little tail" (seepenis;pincellus)^[1] originally referred to an artist's fine brush of camel hair, also used for writing before modern lead or chalk pencils.^[2]

Though thearchetypal pencil was an artist's brush, thestylus, a thin metal stick used for scratching inpapyrus orwax tablets, was used extensively by theRomans^[3] and forpalm-leaf manuscripts.

As a technique for drawing, the closest predecessor to the pencil wassilverpoint or leadpoint until, in 1565 (some sources say as early as 1500), a large deposit ofgraphite was discovered on the approach toGrey Knotts from the hamlet ofSeathwaite inBorrowdale parish,Cumbria, England.^[4][5][6][7] This particular deposit of graphite was extremely pure and solid, and it could easily be sawn into sticks. It remains the only large-scale deposit of graphite ever found in this solid form.^[8]Chemistry was in its infancy and the substance was thought to be a form oflead.^{[citation needed]} Consequently, it was calledplumbago (Latin for "leadore").^[9][10] Because the pencil core is still referred to as "lead", or "a lead", many people have the misconception that the graphite in the pencil is lead,^[11] and the black core of pencils is still referred to aslead, even though it never contained theelement lead.^{[12][13][14][15][16]} The words for pencil in German (Bleistift), Irish (peann luaidhe), Arabic (قلم رصاصqalam raṣāṣ), and some other languages literally meanlead pen.

The value of graphite would soon be realised to be enormous, mainly because it could be used to line the moulds forcannonballs; themines were taken over bythe Crown and were guarded. When sufficient stores of graphite had been accumulated, the mines were flooded to prevent theft until more was required.^{[citation needed]}

The usefulness of graphite for pencils was discovered as well, but initially graphite for pencils had to be smuggled out of England. Because graphite is soft, it requires some form ofencasement. Graphite sticks were initially wrapped in string orsheepskin for stability. England would enjoy a monopoly on the production of pencils until a method of reconstituting the graphite powder was found in 1662 in Germany. However, the distinctively square English pencils continued to be made with sticks cut from natural graphite into the 1860s. The town ofKeswick, near the original findings of block graphite, still manufactures pencils, the factory also being the location of theDerwent Pencil Museum.^[17] The meaning of "graphite writing implement" apparently evolved late in the 16th century.^[18]

Around 1560,^[19] an Italian couple named Simonio and Lyndiana Bernacotti made what are likely the first blueprints for the modern, wood-encasedcarpentry pencil. Their version was a flat, oval, more compact type of pencil. Their concept involved the hollowing out of a stick ofjuniper wood. Shortly thereafter, a superior technique was discovered: two wooden halves were carved, a graphite stick inserted, and the halves then glued together—essentially the same method in use to this day.^[20]

The first attempt to manufacture graphite sticks from powdered graphite was inNuremberg, Germany, in 1662. It used a mixture of graphite,sulphur, andantimony.^[21][22][23]

English and German pencils were not available to the French during theNapoleonic Wars; France, under naval blockade imposed by Great Britain, was unable to import the pure graphite sticks from the British Grey Knotts mines – the only known source in the world. France was also unable to import the inferior German graphite pencil substitute. It took the efforts of an officer inNapoleon's army to change this. In 1795,Nicolas-Jacques Conté discovered a method of mixing powdered graphite withclay and forming the mixture into rods that were then fired in akiln. By varying the ratio of graphite to clay, the hardness of the graphite rod could also be varied. This method of manufacture, which had been earlier discovered by the AustrianJoseph Hardtmuth, the founder of theKoh-I-Noor in 1790, remains in use. In 1802, the production of graphite leads from graphite and clay was patented by theKoh-I-Noor company in Vienna.^[24]

In England, pencils continued to be made from whole sawn graphite.Henry Bessemer's first successful invention (1838) was a method of compressing graphite powder into solid graphite thus allowing the waste from sawing to be reused.^[25]

American colonists imported pencils from Europe until after theAmerican Revolution.Benjamin Franklin advertised pencils for sale inThe Pennsylvania Gazette in 1729, andGeorge Washington used a three-inch (7.5 cm) pencil when he surveyed theOhio Country in 1762.^{[26][better source needed]}William Munroe, a cabinetmaker inConcord, Massachusetts, made the first Americanwood pencils in 1812. This was not the only pencil-making occurring in Concord. According toHenry Petroski,transcendentalist philosopherHenry David Thoreau discovered how to make a good pencil out of inferior graphite using clay as thebinder; this invention was prompted by his father's pencil factory in Concord, which employed graphite found inNew Hampshire in 1821 by Charles Dunbar.^[7]

Munroe's method of making pencils was painstakingly slow, and in the neighbouring town ofActon, a pencil mill owner named Ebenezer Wood set out to automate the process at his ownpencil mill located at Nashoba Brook. He used the first circular saw in pencil production. He constructed the first of the hexagon- and octagon-shaped wooden casings. Ebenezer did not patent his invention and shared his techniques with anyone. One of those wasEberhard Faber, which built afactory in New York and became the leader in pencil production.^[27]

Joseph Dixon, an inventor and entrepreneur involved with theTantiusques graphite mine inSturbridge, Massachusetts, developed a means tomass-produce pencils. By 1870, TheJoseph Dixon Crucible Company was the world's largest dealer and consumer of graphite and later became the contemporaryDixon Ticonderoga pencil and art supplies company.^[28][29]

By the end of the nineteenth century, over 240,000 pencils were used each day in the US. The favoured timber for pencils wasRed Cedar as it wasaromatic and did not splinter when sharpened. In the early twentieth century supplies of Red Cedar were dwindling so that pencil manufacturers were forced to recycle the wood from cedar fences and barns to maintain supply.^{[citation needed]}

One effect of this was that "during World War II rotary pencil sharpeners were outlawed in Britain because they wasted so much scarce lead and wood, and pencils had to be sharpened in the more conservative manner – with knives."^[30]

It was soon discovered thatincense cedar, when dyed and perfumed to resemble Red Cedar, was a suitable alternative. Most pencils today are made from this timber, which is grown in managed forests. Over 14 billion pencils are manufactured worldwide annually.^[31] Less popular alternatives to cedar includebasswood andalder.^[30]

In Southeast Asia, the woodJelutong may be used to create pencils (though the use of this rainforest species is controversial).^[32] Environmentalists prefer the use ofPulai – another wood native to the region in pencil manufacturing.^[33][34]

On 30 March 1858,Hymen Lipman received the firstpatent for attaching aneraser to the end of a pencil.^[35] In 1862, Lipman sold his patent to Joseph Reckendorfer for $100,000, who went on to sue pencil manufacturerFaber-Castell forinfringement.^[36] InReckendorfer v. Faber (1875), theSupreme Court of the United States ruled against Reckendorfer, declaring the patent invalid.^[37]

Historian Henry Petroski notes that while ever more efficient means of mass production of pencils has driven the replacement cost of a pencil down, before this people would continue to use even the stub of a pencil. For those who did not feel comfortable using a stub, pencil extenders were sold. These devices function something like aporte-crayon...the pencil stub can be inserted into the end of a shaft...Extenders were especially common among engineers and draftsmen, whose favorite pencils were priced dearly. The use of an extender also has the advantage that the pencil does not appreciably change its heft as it wears down.^[30] Artists use extenders to maximize the use of theircolored pencils.

Graphite pencils are the most common types of pencil, and are encased in wood. They are made of a mixture ofclay andgraphite and their darkness varies from light grey to black. Their composition allows for the smoothest strokes.

Solid graphite pencils are solid sticks of graphite and clay composite (as found in a 'graphite pencil'), about the diameter of a common pencil, which have no casing other than a wrapper or label. They are often called "woodless" pencils. They are used primarily for art purposes as the lack of casing allows for covering larger spaces more easily, creating different effects, and providing greater economy as the entirety of the pencil is used. They are available in the same darkness range as wood-encased graphite pencils.

Liquid graphite pencils are pencils that write likepens. The technology was first invented in 1955 byScripto andParker Pens. Scripto's liquid graphite formula came out about three months before Parker's liquid lead formula. To avoid a lengthy patent fight the two companies agreed to share their formulas.^[38]

Charcoal pencils are made ofcharcoal and provide fuller blacks than graphite pencils, but tend to smudge easily and are more abrasive than graphite. Sepia-toned and white pencils are also available forduotone techniques.

Carbon pencils are generally made of a mixture of clay andlamp black, but are sometimes blended with charcoal or graphite depending on the darkness and manufacturer. They produce a fuller black than graphite pencils, are smoother than charcoal, and have minimal dust and smudging. They also blend very well, much like charcoal.

Colored pencils, or pencil crayons, have wax-like cores with pigment and other fillers. Several colors are sometimes blended together.^[39]

Grease pencils can write on virtually any surface (including glass, plastic, metal and photographs). The most commonly found grease pencils are encased in paper (Berol and Sanford Peel-off), but they can also be encased in wood (Staedtler Omnichrom).^[39]

Watercolor pencils are designed for use withwatercolor techniques. Their cores can be diluted by water. The pencils can be used by themselves for sharp, bold lines. Strokes made by the pencil can also be saturated with water and spread with brushes.^[39]

Carpenter's pencils are pencils that have two main properties: their shape prevents them from rolling, and their graphite is strong.^[40] The oldest surviving pencil is a German carpenter's pencil dating from the 17th Century and now in the Faber-Castell collection.^[41][42]

Copying pencils (or indelible pencils) are graphite pencils with an added dye that creates an indelible mark. They were invented in the late 19th century forpress copying and as a practical substitute for fountain pens. Their markings are often visually indistinguishable from those of standard graphite pencils, but when moistened their markings dissolve into a coloured ink, which is then pressed into another piece of paper. They were widely used until the mid-20th century when ball pens slowly replaced them. In Italy their use is still mandated by law for voting paper ballots in elections and referendums.^[43]

Eye liner pencils are used for make-up. Unlike traditional copying pencils, eyeliner pencils usually contain non-toxic dyes.^[44]

Unlike wax-based colored pencils, the erasable variants can be easily erased. Their main use is in sketching, where the objective is to create an outline using the same color that other media (such as wax pencils, or watercolor paints) would fill^[45] or when the objective is to scan the color sketch.^[46] Some animators prefer erasable color pencils as opposed to graphite pencils because they do not smudge as easily, and the different colors allow for better separation of objects in the sketch.^[47] Copy-editors find them useful too as markings stand out more than those of graphite, but can be erased.

Also known asnon-photo blue pencils, the non-reproducing types make marks that are not reproducible by photocopiers^[48] (examples include "Copy-not" by Sanford and "Mars Non-photo" by Staedtler) or bywhiteprint copiers (such as "Mars Non-Print" by Staedtler).

Stenographer's pencils, also known as asteno pencil, are expected to be very reliable, and their lead is break-proof. Nevertheless, steno pencils are sometimes sharpened at both ends to enhance reliability. They are round to avoid pressure pain during long texts.^[49]

Golf pencils are usually short (a common length is 9 cm or 3.5 in) and very cheap. They are also known aslibrary pencils, as many libraries offer them as disposable writing instruments with scratch paper to make notes, such as looking up materials in thecard catalog to note their location.

• Triangular (more accurately aReuleaux triangle)
• Hexagonal (hex and semi-hex)
• Round
• Bendable (flexible plastic)

A standard, hexagonal, "#2 pencil" is cut to a hexagonal height of 6 mm (1⁄4 in), but the outer diameter is slightly larger (about7 mm or9⁄32 in)A standard, "#2", hexagonal pencil is 19 cm (7.5 in) long.

On 3 September 2007,Ashrita Furman unveiled his giant US$20,000 pencil – 23 metres (76 ft) long, 8,200 kilograms (18,000 lb) with over 2,000 kilograms (4,500 lb) for the graphite centre – after three weeks of creation in August 2007 as a birthday gift for teacherSri Chinmoy. It is longer than the 20-metre (65 ft) pencil outside the Malaysia HQ of stationers Faber-Castell.^[50][51][52]

Mechanical pencils use mechanical methods to push lead through a hole at the end. These can be divided into two groups: with propelling pencils an internal mechanism is employed to push the lead out from an internal compartment, while clutch pencils merely hold the lead in place (the lead is extended by releasing it and allowing some external force, usually gravity, to pull it out of the body). The erasers (sometimes replaced by a sharpener on pencils with larger lead sizes) are also removable (and thus replaceable), and usually cover a place to store replacement leads. Mechanical pencils are popular for their longevity and the fact that they may never need sharpening. Lead types are based on grade and size; with standard sizes being 2.00 mm (0.079 in), 1.40 mm (0.055 in), 1.00 mm (0.039 in), 0.70 mm (0.028 in), 0.50 mm (0.020 in), 0.35 mm (0.014 in), 0.25 mm (0.0098 in), 0.18 mm (0.0071 in), and 0.13 mm (0.0051 in) (ISO 9175-1)—the 0.90 mm (0.035 in) size is available, but is not considered a standard ISO size.^{[citation needed]}

Pioneered by Taiwanese stationery manufacturer Bensia Pioneer Industrial Corporation in the early 1970s, Pop a Point Pencils are also known asBensia Pencils, stackable pencils or non-sharpening pencils. It is a type of pencil where many short pencil tips are housed in a cartridge-style plastic holder. A blunt tip is removed by pulling it from the writing end of the body and re-inserting it into the open-ended bottom of the body, thereby pushing a new tip to the top.

Invented by Harold Grossman^[53] for the Empire Pencil Company in 1967, plastic pencils were subsequently improved upon by Arthur D. Little for Empire from 1969 through the early 1970s; the plastic pencil was commercialised by Empire as the "EPCON" Pencil. These pencils were co-extruded, extruding a plasticised graphite mix within a wood-composite core.^[54]

• By factory state: sharpened, unsharpened
• By casing material: wood, paper, plastic
• TheP&P Office Waste Paper Processor recycles paper into pencils^[55]

Residual graphite from a pencil stick is not poisonous, and graphite is harmless if consumed.

Althoughlead has not been used for writing since antiquity, such as in Roman styli,lead poisoning from pencils was not uncommon. Until the middle of the 20th century the paint used for the outer coating could contain high concentrations of lead, and this could be ingested when the pencil was sucked or chewed.^{[56][additional citation(s) needed]}

The lead of the pencil is a mix of finely groundgraphite andclay powders. Before the two substances are mixed, they are separately cleaned of foreign matter and dried in a manner that creates large square cakes. Once the cakes have fully dried, the graphite and the clay squares are mixed together using water. The amount of clay content added to the graphite depends on the intendedpencil hardness (lower proportions of clay makes the core softer),^[57] and the amount of time spent on grinding the mixture determines the quality of the lead. The mixture is then shaped into longspaghetti-like strings, straightened, dried, cut, and then tempered in akiln. The resulting strings are dipped in oil or molten wax, which seeps into the tiny holes of the material and allows for the smooth writing ability of the pencil. Ajuniper orincense-cedar plank with several long parallel grooves is cut to fashion a "slat," and the graphite/clay strings are inserted into the grooves. Another grooved plank is glued on top, and the whole assembly is then cut into individual pencils, which are then varnished or painted. Many pencils feature aneraser on the top and so the process is usually still considered incomplete at this point. Each pencil has a shoulder cut on one end of the pencil to allow for a metalferrule to be secured onto the wood. A rubber plug is then inserted into the ferrule for a functioning eraser on the end of the pencil.^[58]

Graphite pencils are made of a mixture ofclay andgraphite and their darkness varies from black to light grey. A higher amount of clay added to the pencil makes it harder, leaving lighter marks.^[59][60][61] There is a wide range of grades available, mainly for artists who are interested in creating a full range of tones from light grey to black. Engineers prefer harder pencils which allow for a greater control in the shape of the lead.

Manufacturers distinguish their pencils by grading them, but there is no common standard.^[62] Two pencils of the same grade but different manufacturers will not necessarily make a mark of identical tone nor have the same hardness.^[a]

Most manufacturers, and almost all in Europe, designate their pencils with the lettersH (commonly interpreted as "hardness") toB (commonly "blackness"), as well asF (usually taken to mean "fineness", although F pencils are no more fine or more easily sharpened than any other grade. Also referred as "firm" by many manufacturers^[63][64][65]). The standard writing pencil is gradedHB.^[66][b] This designation, in the form "H. B.", was in use at least as early as 1814.^[67] Softer or harder pencil grades were described by a sequence or successive Bs or Hs such asBB andBBB for successively softer leads, andHH andHHH for successively harder ones.^[68] TheKoh-i-Noor Hardtmuth pencil manufacturers claim to have first used the HB designations, withH standing for Hardtmuth,B for the company's location ofBudějovice, andF for Franz Hardtmuth, who was responsible for technological improvements in pencil manufacture.^[69][70]

As of 2021, a set of pencils ranging from a very soft, black-marking pencil to a very hard, light-marking pencil usually ranges from softest to hardest as follows:

Koh-i-noor offers twenty grades from 10H to 8B for its 1500 series.^[71]Mitsubishi Pencil offers twenty-two grades from 10H to 10B for its Hi-uni range.^[72] Derwent produces twenty grades from 9H to 9B for its graphic pencils.^[73]Staedtler produces 24 from 10H to 12B for its Mars Lumograph pencils.^[74]

Numbers as designation were first used by Conté and later by John Thoreau, father ofHenry David Thoreau, in the 19th century.^[c]Although Conté/Thoreau's equivalence table is widely accepted,^{[citation needed]} not all manufacturers follow it; for example, Faber-Castell uses a different equivalence table in itsGrip 2001 pencils: 1 = 2B, 2 = B, 2½ = HB, 3 = H, 4 = 2H.

Graded pencils can be used for a rapid test that provides relative ratings for a series of coated panels but cannot be used to compare the pencil hardness of different coatings. This test defines a "pencil hardness" of a coating as the grade of the hardest pencil that does not permanently mark the coating when pressed firmly against it at a 45 degree angle.^[d][75] For standardized measurements, there areMohs hardness testing pencils on the market.

The majority of pencils made in the US are painted yellow.^[e] According toHenry Petroski,^[76] this tradition began in 1890 when the L. & C. Hardtmuth Company ofAustria-Hungary introduced theirKoh-I-Noor brand, named after thefamous diamond. It was intended to be the world's best and most expensive pencil, as the ends of the pencil was dipped in 14-carat gold,^[77] and at a time when most pencils were either painted in dark colours or not at all, the Koh-I-Noor was yellow.As well as simply being distinctive, the colour may have been inspired by theAustro-Hungarian flag; it was also suggestive ofthe Orient at a time when the best-quality graphite came fromSiberia. Other companies then copied the yellow colour so that their pencils would be associated with this high-quality brand, and chose brand names with explicit Oriental references, such as Mikado (renamed Mirado)^[f][g] and Mongol.^[78][h]

Not all countries use yellow pencils. German and Brazilian pencils, for example, are often green, blue or black, based on the trademark colours ofFaber-Castell, a major German stationery company which has plants in those countries. In southern European countries, pencils tend to be dark red or black with yellow lines, while in Australia, they are red with black bands at one end.^[79] In India, the most common pencil colour scheme was dark red with black lines, and pencils with a large number of colour schemes are produced.^[80]

Pencils are commonly round,hexagonal, or sometimestriangular in section.Carpenters' pencils are typically oval or rectangular, so they cannot easily roll away during work.

Prominent global manufacturers of wood-cased (including wood-free) pencils:

• Blackwing 602
• IKEA pencil
• Pencil drawing
• Plumbago drawing
• Tortillon
• I, Pencil

• Petroski, Henry (1990).The Pencil: A History of Design and Circumstance. New York: Alfred A. Knopf.ISBN 0-394-57422-2.

• Petroski, Henry (1991)."H. D. Thoreau, Engineer".American Heritage of Invention and Technology.5 (2):8–16.doi:10.1215/00382876-90-1-39.ISSN 0038-2876.S2CID 257782890. Retrieved3 June 2023.

• How A Pencil Is Made onYouTube
• Payne, Christopher; Anderson, Sam (12 January 2018)."Inside one of America's last pencil factories".The New York Times.