View source for Pencil

A '''pencil''' is a [[writing implement]] or [[art medium]] constructed of a narrow, solid [[pigment]] core inside a protective casing which prevents the core from being broken and/or from  leaving marks on the user’s hand during use.

Pencils create marks by physical [[abrasion (mechanical)|abrasion]], leaving behind a trail of solid core material that adheres to a sheet of paper or other surface. They are distinct from [[pen]]s, which instead disperse a trail of liquid or gel ink that stains the light colour of the paper by absorption.

Most pencil cores are made of [[graphite]] mixed with a [[clay]] binder which leaves grey or black marks that can be easily [[eraser|erased]]. Graphite pencils are used for both [[writing]] and [[drawing]] and result in durable markings: though writing is easily removable with an eraser, it is otherwise resistant to moisture, most chemicals, ultraviolet radiation, and natural aging. Other types of pencil core are less widely used, such as charcoal pencils, which are mainly used by artists for drawing and [[sketch (drawing)|sketching]]. [[Coloured pencils]] are sometimes used by teachers or editors for [[[[blue pencil (editing)|blue pencil editing]]]], but are typically regarded as art supplies, especially those with waxy core binders that tend to smear on paper instead of erasing. [[Grease pencil]]s have a softer, [[crayon]]-like waxy core that can leave marks on smooth surfaces such as glass or porcelain.

The most common type of pencil casing is of thin wood, usually hexagonal in section but sometimes cylindrical, permanently bonded to the core. Similar permanent casings may be constructed 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 pencil]]s have more elaborate casings which are not permanently bonded to the core. Instead, the casing supports a separate, mobile piece of pigment core that can be extended or retracted through the casing tip as needed; these pencil casings can be re-loaded with a new core (usually graphite) when necessary.

==History==
[[File:PENCILWI.JPG|thumb|Old Soviet colored pencils with box (circa 1959)]]

===Camel's hair pencil===
''Pencil'', from Old French ''pincel'', from Latin penicillus  a "little tail" (see ''penis''; ''pincellus'' is Latin from the post-classical period<ref>{{cite book|title=[[Oxford English Dictionary]]|edition=3|year=2005|publisher=Oxford University Press|chapter=pencil, n}}</ref>) originally referred to an artist's fine brush of camel hair, also used for writing before modern lead or chalk pencils.<ref>{{cite book|title=Notes and Queries|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UnpIAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA419|series=3|volume=12|year=1868|publisher=Oxford University Press|page=419|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180117163455/https://books.google.com/books?id=UnpIAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA419|archivedate=17 January 2018|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Though the archetypal pencil was an artist's brush, the [[stylus]], a thin metal stick used for scratching in [[papyrus]] or [[wax tablet]]s, was used extensively by the Romans<ref>{{cite book|author1=Steven S. Zumdahl  |author2=Susan A. Zumdahl |lastauthoramp=yes |title=Chemistry|year=2008|publisher=Cengage Learning|location=Belmont, CA|isbn=0-547-12532-1|page=343|chapter=No lead pencils}}</ref> and for [[palm-leaf manuscript]]s.

===Discovery of graphite deposit===
Prior to 1565 (some sources say as early as 1500), a large deposit of [[graphite]] was discovered on the approach to Grey Knotts from the hamlet of Seathwaite in Borrowdale , Cumbria, England.<ref name="norgate">{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.geog.port.ac.uk/webmap/thelakes/html/lgaz/lk00976.htm
 |title       = Old Cumbria Gazetteer, black lead mine, Seathwaite
 |year        = 2008
 |author      = Martin and Jean Norgate, Geography Department, Portsmouth University
 |accessdate  = 19 May 2008
 |deadurl     = no
 |archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20090107062352/http://www.geog.port.ac.uk/webmap/thelakes/html/lgaz/lk00976.htm
 |archivedate = 7 January 2009
 |df          = dmy-all
}}</ref><ref name="wainwright_western" >{{Cite book|title=A Pictorial Guide to the Lakeland Fells, Western Fells
  |author=Alfred Wainwright
  |year=2005
  |isbn=0-7112-2460-9
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.phy.mtu.edu/~jaszczak/borrowdale.html
 |title       = Graphite from the Plumbago Mine, Borrowdale, England
 |publisher   = Department of Physics at Michigan Technological University
 |accessdate  = 27 March 2008
 |deadurl     = no
 |archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20080314044343/http://www.phy.mtu.edu/~jaszczak/borrowdale.html
 |archivedate = 14 March 2008
 |df          = dmy-all
}}</ref><ref>[[#Petroski, 1990|Petroski, 1990]], pp. 168, 358</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.cumbria-industries.org.uk/wad.htm
 |title       = Lakeland's Mining Heritage
 |publisher   = cumbria-industries.org.uk
 |accessdate  = 27 March 2008
 |deadurl     = no
 |archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20080315083301/http://www.cumbria-industries.org.uk/wad.htm
 |archivedate = 15 March 2008
 |df          = dmy-all
}}</ref> Chemistry was in its infancy and the substance was thought to be a form of [[lead]]. Consequently, it was called ''plumbago'' (Latin for "lead ore").<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.answers.com/topic/plumbago
 |title       = Definition of Plumbago
 |publisher   = Answers.com
 |accessdate  = 21 April 2007
 |deadurl     = no
 |archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20070813202330/http://www.answers.com/topic/plumbago
 |archivedate = 13 August 2007
 |df          = dmy-all
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
  |url=http://www.thefreedictionary.com/plumbago
  |title=Definition of Plumbago
  |publisher=Thefreedictionary.com
  |accessdate=21 April 2007
}}</ref> 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,<ref>''The big book of questions and answers'', Publications International LTD, (1989), p.189, {{ISBN|0-88176-670-4}}</ref> and the black core of pencils is still referred to as ''lead'', even though it never contained the element lead.<ref>{{cite web|title = Why is lead used in pencils even though lead is poisonous?|url = http://sciencequestionswithsurprisinganswers.org/2013/04/04/why-is-lead-used-in-pencils-even-though-lead-is-poisonous/|website = Science Questions with Surprising Answers|accessdate = 5 October 2015|deadurl = no|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20160305202446/http://sciencequestionswithsurprisinganswers.org/2013/04/04/why-is-lead-used-in-pencils-even-though-lead-is-poisonous/|archivedate = 5 March 2016|df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|title = Ever wondered about the lead in pencils?|url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/ever-wondered-about-the-lead-in-pencils/2014/11/26/f8b5869c-548a-11e4-809b-8cc0a295c773_story.html|newspaper = The Washington Post|date = 26 November 2014|access-date = 5 October 2015|issn = 0190-8286|first = Howard J.|last = Bennett|deadurl = no|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20151106222853/https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/ever-wondered-about-the-lead-in-pencils/2014/11/26/f8b5869c-548a-11e4-809b-8cc0a295c773_story.html|archivedate = 6 November 2015|df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title = Pencil swallowing: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia|url = https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002817.htm|website = www.nlm.nih.gov|accessdate = 5 October 2015|deadurl = no|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20151006022505/https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002817.htm|archivedate = 6 October 2015|df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title = graphite pencils {{!}} The Weekend Historian|url = https://umeshmadan.wordpress.com/tag/graphite-pencils/|website = umeshmadan.wordpress.com|accessdate = 5 October 2015|deadurl = no|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20151007164114/https://umeshmadan.wordpress.com/tag/graphite-pencils/|archivedate = 7 October 2015|df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.historyofinformation.com/expanded.php?id=1586|title=Origins of the Pencil (Circa 1500 – 1565) :  HistoryofInformation.com|website=www.historyofinformation.com|access-date=2016-10-29}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/metals/lead.html|title=Lead Facts - Uses, Properties, Element Pb, Plumbing, Pipes, Weights|website=www.sciencekids.co.nz|access-date=2016-10-29|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161030075725/http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/metals/lead.html|archivedate=30 October 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The words for pencil in German (''bleistift''), Irish (''peann luaidhe''), Arabic (قلم رصاص ''qalam raṣāṣ''), and some other languages literally mean ''lead pen''.

The value of graphite would soon be realised to be enormous, mainly because it could be used to line the moulds for cannonballs; the mines were taken over by the Crown and were guarded. When sufficient stores of graphite had been accumulated, the mines were flooded to prevent theft until more was required.

The usefulness of graphite for pencils was discovered as well, but graphite for pencils had to be smuggled. The news of the usefulness of these early pencils spread far and wide, attracting the attention of artists all over the known world.Because graphite is soft, it requires some form of [[encasement]]. Graphite sticks were initially wrapped in string or sheepskin 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 Italy. However, the distinctively square English pencils continued to be made with sticks cut from natural graphite into the 1860s. The town of Keswick, near the original findings of block graphite, still manufactures pencils, the factory also being the location of the [[Cumberland Pencil Museum]].<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.pencilmuseum.co.uk/
 |title       = Keswick Pencil Museum
 |publisher   = Pencilmuseum.co.uk
 |accessdate  = 23 July 2009
 |deadurl     = no
 |archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20090803153941/http://www.pencilmuseum.co.uk/
 |archivedate = 3 August 2009
 |df          = dmy-all
}}</ref> The meaning of "graphite writing implement" apparently evolved late in the 16th century.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=pencil&allowed_in_frame=0 |title= pencil |author= Douglas Harper |date= 27 June 2012 |publisher= Online Etymology Dictionary |accessdate= 27 June 2012 |deadurl= no |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20120823161324/http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=pencil&allowed_in_frame=0 |archivedate= 23 August 2012 |df= dmy-all }}</ref>

===Wood holders added===
[[File:Palomino Blackwing 602 pencils.jpg|thumb|Palomino Blackwing 602 pencils]]
Around 1560,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rocketcityspacepioneers.com/space/who-invented-the-pencil |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111022205245/http://www.rocketcityspacepioneers.com/space/who-invented-the-pencil |dead-url=yes |archive-date=2011-10-22 |title=Who invented the pencil? |publisher=[[Rocket City Space Pioneers]] }}</ref> an Italian couple named Simonio and Lyndiana Bernacotti made what are likely the first blueprints for the modern, wood-encased [[carpentry pencil]].  Their version was a flat, oval, more compact type of pencil. Their concept involved the hollowing out of a stick of juniper 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.historyofscience.com/G2I/timeline/index.php?era=1500 |title=Timeline Outline ViewEra: 1500 - 1550 |publisher=Historyofscience.com |accessdate=18 August 2012}}</ref>

===New pencils from graphite powder, and graphite and clay===
The first attempt to manufacture graphite sticks from powdered graphite was in [[Nuremberg]], Germany, in 1662. It used a mixture of graphite, sulphur, and antimony.<ref>{{cite web|title = Pencil|url = http://www.fact-index.com/p/pe/pencil.html|website = www.fact-index.com|accessdate = 23 November 2015|deadurl = no|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20120524123804/http://www.fact-index.com/p/pe/pencil.html|archivedate = 24 May 2012|df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title = FREE Essay on The Pencil|url = http://www.directessays.com/viewpaper/64691.html|website = www.directessays.com|accessdate = 23 November 2015|deadurl = no|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20151123135734/http://www.directessays.com/viewpaper/64691.html|archivedate = 23 November 2015|df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title = Pencils|url = https://borrowdalepoints.wordpress.com/2015/02/10/pencils/|website = Borrowdale Points|accessdate = 23 November 2015|deadurl = no|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20151123161832/https://borrowdalepoints.wordpress.com/2015/02/10/pencils/|archivedate = 23 November 2015|df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title = Gyaat:The weapon we use from adolescence|url = http://www.gyaat.com/post_view.php?id=16|website = www.gyaat.com|accessdate = 23 November 2015|deadurl = no|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20151123145543/http://www.gyaat.com/post_view.php?id=16|archivedate = 23 November 2015|df = dmy-all}}</ref>

English and German pencils were not available to the French during the Napoleonic 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 in Napoleon's army to change this. In 1795, [[Nicolas-Jacques Conté]] discovered a method of mixing powdered graphite with [[clay]] and forming the mixture into rods that were then fired in a kiln. 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 Austrian [[Joseph Hardtmuth]], the founder of the [[Koh-I-Noor (company)|Koh-I-Noor]] in 1790, remains in use.<ref>{{cite book|author=Jeremy Norman|chapter=Invention of Modern Pencil Lead|url=http://www.historyofinformation.com/expanded.php?id=1588|title=From Cave Paintings to the Internet|publisher=Jeremy Norman & Co.}}</ref> In 1802, the production of graphite leads from graphite and clay was patented by the [[Koh-I-Noor (company)|Koh-I-Noor]] company in Vienna.<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.koh-i-noor.cz/en/history
 |title       = History of Koh-i-noor Hardmuth company
 |publisher   = Koh-i-noor Hardmuth company
 |accessdate  = 11 September 2015
 |deadurl     = no
 |archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20150910213838/http://www.koh-i-noor.cz/en/history
 |archivedate = 10 September 2015
 |df          = dmy-all
}}</ref>

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.<ref>Henry Bessemer (1905) [https://archive.org/details/sirhenrybessemer00bessuoft ''Sir Henry Bessemer, F.R.S: An Autobiography''], London, Offices of "Engineering," Chapter 3.</ref>

===The pencil in America===
[[File:Pencil, perhaps made by Henry David Thoreau - Concord Museum - Concord, MA - DSC05641.JPG|thumb|right|Pencil, perhaps made by Henry David Thoreau, in the Concord Museum]]
[[File:Pencil manufacture.svg|thumb|Pencil manufacturing. The top sequence shows the old method that required pieces of graphite to be cut to size; the lower sequence is the new, current method using rods of graphite and clay.]]
American colonists imported pencils from Europe until after the [[American Revolution]]. [[Benjamin Franklin]] advertised pencils for sale in his ''[[Pennsylvania Gazette]]'' in 1729, and [[George Washington]] used a three-inch pencil when he surveyed the [[Ohio Territory]] in 1762.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pencils.com/famous-pencil-users/|title=Famous Pencil Users - Pencils.com|language=en-US|access-date=2016-09-08|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009151127/http://pencils.com/famous-pencil-users/|archivedate=9 October 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref>It is said that [[William Munroe (pencil maker)|William Munroe]], a cabinetmaker in [[Concord, Massachusetts]], made the first American [[wood]] pencils in 1812. This was not the only pencil-making occurring in Concord. According to [[Henry Petroski]], [[transcendentalist]] philosopher [[Henry David Thoreau]] discovered how to make a good pencil out of inferior graphite using clay as the [[Binder (material)|binder]]; this invention was prompted by his father's pencil factory in Concord, which employed graphite found in [[New Hampshire]] in 1821 by Charles Dunbar.

Munroe's method of making pencils was painstakingly slow, and in the neighbouring town of [[Acton, Massachusetts|Acton]], a pencil mill owner named Ebenezer Wood set out to automate the process at his own [[Nashoba Brook Pencil Factory Site|pencil 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 was [[Eberhard Faber]] of New York, who became the leader in pencil production.<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.actontrails.org/EAPencils.htm
 |title       = Acton Conservation Lands, Early American Pencils
 |publisher   = Actontrails.org
 |accessdate  = 23 July 2009
 |deadurl     = yes
 |archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20090625130359/http://www.actontrails.org/EAPencils.htm
 |archivedate = 25 June 2009
 |df          = dmy-all
}}</ref>

[[Joseph Dixon (inventor)|Joseph Dixon]], an inventor and entrepreneur involved with the [[Tantiusques]] granite mine in [[Sturbridge, Massachusetts]], developed a means to [[mass production|mass-produce]] pencils.  By 1870, The [[Joseph Dixon Crucible Company]] was the world’s largest dealer and consumer of graphite and later became the contemporary [[Dixon Ticonderoga]] pencil and art supplies company.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dixonusa.com/index.cfm/fuseaction=history.dixon |title=Joseph Dixon 1799–1869 |publisher=Dixon Ticonderoga Company |accessdate=23 July 2009 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013191609/http://dixonusa.com/index.cfm/fuseaction%3Dhistory.dixon |archivedate=13 October 2007 |df= }}</ref><ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.thetrustees.org/pages/368_tantiusques.cfm
 |title       = Tantiusques Graphite Mine
 |publisher   = Thetrustees.org
 |accessdate  = 23 July 2009
 |deadurl     = no
 |archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20090418023739/http://www.thetrustees.org/pages/368_tantiusques.cfm
 |archivedate = 18 April 2009
 |df          = dmy-all
}}</ref>

By the end of the 19th century, over 240,000 pencils were used each day in the US. The favoured timber for pencils was [[Juniperus virginiana|Red Cedar]] as it was [[aromatic]] and did not splinter when sharpened. In the early 20th 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.

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."<ref name=Petroski>{{cite book|title=The Pencil: A History of Design and Circumstance|author=Henry Petroski|year=2010|location=New York, NY|publisher=Random House LLC|isbn=0307772438}}</ref>

It was soon discovered that [[Calocedrus|Incense cedar]], when dyed and perfumed to resemble Red Cedar, was a suitable alternative and most pencils today are made from this timber which is grown in managed forests. Over 14&nbsp;billion pencils are manufactured worldwide annually.<ref name="Readers Digest, pencil users" /> Less popular alternatives to cedar include [[basswood]] and [[alder]].<ref name=Petroski/>

In Southeast Asia the wood [[Dyera costulata|Jelutong]] may be used to create pencils (though the use of this rainforest species is controversial).<ref>{{cite news|title=In World Of Politically Right, Pencils Can Be Wrong Stuff|date=1 September 1993|author=Janita Poe|work=Chicago Tribune|url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-09-01/news/9309010106_1_jelutong-pencils-incense-cedar-institute|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222013536/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-09-01/news/9309010106_1_jelutong-pencils-incense-cedar-institute|archivedate=22 February 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Environmentalists prefer the use of [[Alstonia scholaris|Pulai]] – another wood native to the region and used in pencil manufacturing.<ref>{{cite web|title=Forest Management Public Summary for: PT Xylo Indah Pratama |url=http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/forestry/documents/pt-xylo.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091229141343/http://www.rainforest-alliance.org/forestry/documents/pt-xylo.pdf |dead-url=yes |archive-date=29 December 2009 |date=15 March 2000 |publisher=Rainforest Alliance }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fantasiapencil.com/aboutus.html|title=Fantasia – The Quality Pencil Company – About Us|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130825111536/http://fantasiapencil.com/aboutus.html|archivedate=25 August 2013|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

===Eraser attached===
[[File:LipmanPencilEraserPatent.jpg|thumb|Attached eraser on the left; Pencil lead on the right]]On 30 March 1858, [[Hymen Lipman]] received the first [[patent]] for attaching an [[eraser]] to the end of a pencil.<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=19783
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170502041232/http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?patentnumber=19783
 |dead-url=yes
 |archive-date=2 May 2017
 |date=30 March 1858
 |title=US Patent 19783 Combination of Lead-Pencil and Eraser
 |author=L. Lipman
 |publisher=Patft.uspto.gov
 |accessdate=23 July 2009
}}</ref> In 1862, Lipman sold his patent to Joseph Reckendorfer for $100,000, who went on to sue pencil manufacturer Faber-Castell for infringement.<ref>[[#Petroski, 1990|Petroski, 1990]], p. 171</ref> In 1875, the Supreme Court of the US ruled against Reckendorfer declaring the patent invalid.<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://supreme.justia.com/us/92/347/case.html
 |title       = Reckendorfer v. Faber 92 U.S. 347 (1875)
 |publisher   = Supreme.justia.com
 |accessdate  = 23 July 2009
 |deadurl     = no
 |archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20090608084015/http://supreme.justia.com/us/92/347/case.html
 |archivedate = 8 June 2009
 |df          = dmy-all
}}</ref>

===Pencil extenders===
{{Main|Pencil extender}}

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 a ''porte-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."<ref name=Petroski/> Artists currently use extenders to maximize the use of their [[colored pencil]]s.

==Types==

===By marking material===
[[File:Colored-Pencils.jpg|thumb|right|Coloured pencils]]
[[File:3 promotional pencils (ubt).JPG|thumb|Promotional pencils]]
;Graphite pencils: These are the most common types of pencil, and are encased in wood. They are made of a mixture of [[clay]] and [[graphite]] and their darkness varies from light grey to black. Their composition allows for the smoothest strokes.
;Solid graphite pencils: These 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:  These are pencils that write like [[pen]]s.  The technology was first invented in 1955 by [[Scripto]] and [[Parker 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.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://parkerpens.net/liquidlead.html | title=Vintage Pen Blog | publisher=GoPens.com | deadurl=no | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170906034612/https://parkerpens.net/liquidlead.html | archivedate=6 September 2017 | df=dmy-all }}</ref>
;Charcoal pencils: Are made of [[charcoal]] 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 for [[duotone]] techniques.
;Carbon pencils: They generally are made of a mixture of clay and [[lamp black]], but are sometimes blended with charcoal or graphite depending on the darkness and manufacturer.  They produce a fuller black than graphite pencils, but are smoother than charcoal.
;[[Colored pencil|Coloured pencils]], or pencil crayons: These have wax-like cores with pigment and other fillers. Multiple colours are often blended together.<ref name="wax pencil">[https://web.archive.org/web/20080609001054/http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/waac/wn/wn19/wn19-3/wn19-308.html Categories of Wax-Based Drawing Media], palimpsest.stanford.edu</ref>
;[[Grease pencil]]s: They 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).<ref name="wax pencil" />
;Watercolour pencils: These are designed for use with [[watercolour]] techniques. 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.<ref name="wax pencil" />

===By use===
[[File:Speciality artists pencils 051907.jpg|right|thumb|Two "woodless" graphite pencils, two charcoal pencils, and two grease pencils]]

;[[Carpenter's pencil]]s: These are pencils that have two main properties: their shape prevents them from rolling, and their graphite is strong.<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.pencilpages.com/articles/carpentr.htm
 |author      = Doug Martin
 |year        = 2000
 |title       = Carpenter's Pencils
 |publisher   = Pencilpages.com
 |accessdate  = 23 July 2009
 |deadurl     = no
 |archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20090227043613/http://pencilpages.com/articles/carpentr.htm
 |archivedate = 27 February 2009
 |df          = dmy-all
}}</ref> The oldest surviving pencil is a German carpenter's pencil dating from the 17th Century and now in the Faber-Castell collection.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080430183938/http://www.faber-castell.com.au/docs/default-news.asp?id=19463&domid=1010&sp=E&addlastid=&m1=14248&m2=16959&m3=19364&m4=19463 "History Pencils & Historic Packaging"]. Faber Castell Australia</ref><ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.pencilpages.com/gallery/oldest.htm
 |title       = Oldest Known Pencil in Existence
 |publisher   = Pencilpages.com
 |accessdate  = 23 July 2009
 |deadurl     = no
 |archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20090220153349/http://pencilpages.com/gallery/oldest.htm
 |archivedate = 20 February 2009
 |df          = dmy-all
}}</ref>

[[File:Censored mail Spain Australia 1943.jpg|right|thumb|Obliteration by indelible pencil to censor mail in 1943]]
;[[Copying pencil]]s (or [[Copying pencil|indelible pencils]]): These are graphite pencils with an added dye that creates an indelible mark. They were invented in the late 19th century for [[Printing press|press]] 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 referenda.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.senato.it/istituzione/108452/152259/genpagspalla.htm |title=L. 6 febbraio 1948, n. 29 |accessdate=1 August 2011 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009001506/http://www.senato.it/istituzione/108452/152259/genpagspalla.htm |archivedate=9 October 2012 }}</ref>

;Eyeliner pencil: Eyliner pencil is used for make-up. Unlike traditional copying pencil, eyeliner pencil usually contains non-toxic dyes.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ulta.com/gel-eyeliner-pencil?productId=xlsImpprod4370701 |title=Gel Eyeliner Pencil by ULTA |accessdate=15 November 2017 |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171117001354/http://www.ulta.com/gel-eyeliner-pencil?productId=xlsImpprod4370701 |archivedate=17 November 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

;Erasable colour pencils: Unlike wax-based coloured pencils, these can be easily erased. Their main use is in sketching, where the objective is to create an outline using the same colour that other media (such as wax pencils, or watercolour paints) would fill<ref>{{cite web
  |url=http://www.mccannas.com/sketch/supply.htm |title=Art Supplies
  |publisher=Mccannas.com
  |accessdate=23 July 2009
}}</ref> or when the objective is to scan the colour sketch.<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/tutorials/index.cfm?FeatureID=1625
 |title       = Sketch to Paint in Photoshop
 |publisher   = Digitalartsonline.co.uk
 |accessdate  = 23 July 2009
 |deadurl     = no
 |archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20090227140128/http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/tutorials/index.cfm?FeatureID=1625
 |archivedate = 27 February 2009
 |df          = dmy-all
}}</ref> Some animators prefer erasable colour pencils as opposed to graphite pencils because they don't smudge as easily, and the different colours allow for better separation of objects in the sketch.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://smacktalk.smackjeeves.com/03-paperpencilserasers |title=Tools of the Trade Papers Pencils and Erases |publisher=smackjeeves.com |accessdate=23 July 2009 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070708213710/http://smacktalk.smackjeeves.com/03-paperpencilserasers |archivedate=8 July 2007 }}</ref> Copy-editors find them useful too, as their markings stand out more than graphite but can be erased.<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.pencilrevolution.com/2005/10/writing-in-color/
 |title       = See comment "As a professional copy-editor..."
 |publisher   = Pencilrevolution.com
 |accessdate  = 23 July 2009
 |deadurl     = no
 |archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20090512082141/http://www.pencilrevolution.com/2005/10/writing-in-color/
 |archivedate = 12 May 2009
 |df          = dmy-all
}}</ref>

;Non-reproducing: or [[non-photo blue]] pencils make marks that are not reproduced by photocopiers<ref>{{cite web
 |url=http://www.epinions.com/review/Sanford_Col_erase_Copy_not_colored_pencil_20028_blue/content_285308063364
 |title=Sanford Col-Erase Copy Not Pencils-You Can't Copy This Baby!
 |publisher=Epinions.com
 |accessdate=23 July 2009
 |deadurl=bot: unknown
 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080524004821/http://www.epinions.com/review/Sanford_Col_erase_Copy_not_colored_pencil_20028_blue/content_285308063364
 |archivedate=24 May 2008
 |df=
}}</ref> (Sanford's Copy-not or Staedtler's Mars Non-photo) or by [[whiteprint]] copiers (Staedtler's Mars Non-Print).

;[[Shorthand|Stenographer]]'s pencil: Also known as a '''steno pencil'''. These pencils 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.penciltalk.org/2006/06/reporter-pencils |title=Paper and Pencil Blog 'Reporter Pencils' |publisher=Penciltalk.org |accessdate=23 July 2009 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728175447/http://www.penciltalk.org/2006/06/reporter-pencils |archivedate=28 July 2014 }}</ref>

;Golf pencil: '''Golf pencils''' are usually short (a common length is {{Convert|9|cm|abbr=on}}) and very cheap. They are also known as '''library pencils''', as many libraries offer them as disposable, unspillable writing instruments.

===By shape===
* Triangular (more accurately a [[Reuleaux triangle]])
* Hexagonal
* Round
* Bendable (flexible plastic)

===By size===
;Typical: <!-- deleted file removed [[File:PencilMeasurement.jpg|thumb|right|Typically sized pencil under a [[ruler]].]] --> A standard, hexagonal, "#2 pencil" is cut to a hexagonal height of {{convert|1/4|in|mm|0|sing=on}}, but the outer diameter is slightly larger (about {{convert|9/32|in|mm|0|sing=on}})
A standard, #2, hexagonal pencil is {{Convert|19|cm|abbr=on}} long.

;Biggest: On 3 September 2007, [[Ashrita Furman]] unveiled his giant US$20,000 pencil – {{convert|76|ft|m}} long, {{convert|18000|lb|kg}} (with over {{convert|4500|lb|kg}} for the graphite centre) – after three weeks of creation in August 2007 as a birthday gift for teacher [[Sri Chinmoy]]. It is longer than the {{convert|65|ft|m|sing=on}} pencil outside the Malaysia HQ of stationers Faber-Castell.<ref>[http://www.pencilpages.com/gallery/largest.htm World's largest pencil] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081229044243/http://www.pencilpages.com/gallery/largest.htm |date=29 December 2008 }}. The Pencil Pages.</ref><ref>[http://www.srichinmoybio.co.uk/news/ashrita-furman/worlds-largest-pencil-unveiled-in-new-york/ World’s largest pencil unveiled in New York] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170517160754/http://www.srichinmoybio.co.uk/news/ashrita-furman/worlds-largest-pencil-unveiled-in-new-york/ |date=17 May 2017 }}. Sri Chinmoy News.</ref><ref>[http://www.metacafe.com/watch/835380/worlds_largest_pencil/ World's largest pencil] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090105115204/http://www.metacafe.com/watch/835380/worlds_largest_pencil/ |date=5 January 2009 }} (video). Metacafe.com.</ref>

===By manufacture===
;[[Mechanical pencil]]s:
[[File:Mechanical pencil lead spilling out 051907.jpg|thumb|right|Lead for mechanical pencils]] [[File:Biegsame Bleistifte fcm.jpg|thumb|Flexible pencils]]
There are also pencils which use mechanical methods to push lead through a hole at the end. These can be divided into two groups: propelling pencils use an internal mechanism 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 {{Convert|2.00|mm|abbr=on}}, {{Convert|1.40|mm|abbr=on}}, {{Convert|1.00|mm|abbr=on}}, {{Convert|0.70|mm|abbr=on}}, {{Convert|0.50|mm|abbr=on}}, {{Convert|0.35|mm|abbr=on}}, {{Convert|0.25|mm|abbr=on}}, {{Convert|0.18|mm|abbr=on}}, and {{Convert|0.13|mm|abbr=on}} ([http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_catalogue/catalogue_tc/catalogue_detail.htm?csnumber=16778 ISO 9175-1])—the {{Convert|0.90|mm|abbr=on}} size is available, but is not considered a standard ISO size.

;Pop a Point Pencils:
Pioneered by Taiwanese stationery manufacturer [[Bensia Pioneer Industrial Corporation]] in the early 1970s, the product is also known as '''Bensia 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.

;Plastic pencils:
Invented by Harold Grossman<ref>Harold Grossman. [http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect2=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&p=1&u=/netahtml/PTO/search-bool.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&d=PALL&RefSrch=yes&Query=PN/3360489 US Patent 3,360,489], issued 26 December 1967</ref> for Empire Pencil Company in 1967 and 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.<ref>For information about this invention see the writeup on ADL Chronicles [http://adlittlechronicles.blogspot.com/2008/07/epcon-plastic-pencil.html The Epcon Plastic Pencil] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708022148/http://adlittlechronicles.blogspot.com/2008/07/epcon-plastic-pencil.html |date=8 July 2011 }}, adlittlechronicles.blogspot.com.</ref>

== Health ==

Residual graphite from a pencil stick is not poisonous, and graphite is harmless if consumed.<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Detail_Chemical.jsp?Rec_Id=PC33124
 |title       = Graphite – Identification, toxicity, use, water pollution potential, ecological toxicity, and regulatory information
 |publisher   = Pesticideinfo.org
 |accessdate  = 23 July 2009
 |deadurl     = no
 |archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20090618000853/http://www.pesticideinfo.org/Detail_Chemical.jsp?Rec_Id=PC33124
 |archivedate = 18 June 2009
 |df          = dmy-all
}}</ref>

Although [[lead]] has not been used for writing since antiquity, 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.<ref>{{cite journal|date=7 July 1972|title=Pencils, paint and pottery can give you lead poisoning|journal=[[Life (magazine)|Life]]|volume=73|issue=1|page=46|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_1QEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA46&lpg=PA46&dq=life+Pencils,+paint+and+pottery+can+give+you+lead+poisoning&source=bl&ots=QlNXqz-sQB&sig=8TBI4CB_ykihPI24dKZsN3xWP18&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjhw9jysc3QAhWMyoMKHb0YCq8Q6AEIHzAB#v=onepage&q=life%20Pencils%2C%20paint%20and%20pottery%20can%20give%20you%20lead%20poisoning&f=false}}</ref>

==Manufacture==

The lead of the pencil is a mix of finely ground [[graphite]] and [[clay]] 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 intended [[#Grading and classification|pencil hardness]] (lower proportions of clay makes the core softer),<ref>{{cite web |publisher=Pencils.com |title=The HB Graphite Grading Scale |accessdate=14 March 2012 |url=http://www.pencils.com/hb-graphite-grading-scale |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321203027/http://www.pencils.com/hb-graphite-grading-scale |archivedate=21 March 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> and the amount of time spent on grinding the mixture determines the quality of the lead. The mixture is then shaped into long [[spaghetti]]-like strings, straightened, dried, cut, and then tempered in a [[kiln]]. 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. A [[juniper]] or [[incense-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 an [[eraser]] 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 metal [[ferrule]] 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.<ref>[[#Petroski, 1990|Petroski, 1990]], "Appendix A</ref>

==Grading and classification==
[[File:TwoHBpencils2 and2 5.jpg|thumb|Two graphite pencils. Both are labelled "HB", but the numeric label differs between "2" and "2{{half}}"]]
[[File:PencilGradingChart.png|thumb|right|A grading chart ranging from 9B to 9H]]

[[#By marking material|Graphite pencils]] are made of a mixture of [[clay]] and [[graphite]] and their darkness varies from light grey to black: the more clay the harder the pencil.<ref>
{{cite web|url=http://www.staedtler.com/upload/graphite_video_eng_16461.mpg |title=Staedtler Pencil, video |accessdate=23 July 2009 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130121070208/http://www.staedtler.com/upload/graphite_video_eng_16461.mpg |archivedate=21 January 2013 }} Staedtler.com</ref><ref>[[#Petroski, 1990|Petroski, 1990]]</ref><ref>
{{cite web|url=http://www.pencils.co.uk/heritage.aspx?id=6&sid=1 |title=Derwent Manufacturing Process |publisher=Pencils.co.uk |accessdate=23 July 2009 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517110307/http://www.pencils.co.uk/heritage.aspx?id=6&sid=1 |archivedate=17 May 2013 }}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://pencils.com/hb-graphite-grading-scale |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2017-02-05 |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170206105031/https://pencils.com/hb-graphite-grading-scale/ |archivedate=6 February 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Two pencils of the same grade but different manufacturers will not necessarily make a mark of identical tone nor have the same hardness.<ref>Pencil grades vary "depending upon the manufacturer, when the pencils are made, and the source of graphite and clay. One analyst found that graphitic carbon content, for example, to vary from about 30 to about 65 in a variety of different pencils bearing the same designation." [[#Petroski, 1990|Petroski, 1990]], p. 229</ref>

Most manufacturers, and almost all in Europe, designate their pencils with the letters ''H'' (commonly interpreted as "hardness") to ''B'' (commonly "blackness"), as well as ''F'' (usually taken to mean "fineness", although F pencils are no more fine or more easily sharpened than any other grade. Also known as "firm" in Japan<ref>[http://www.mpuni.co.jp/museum/qa/mistery05.html えんぴつのナゾを解く] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151003141714/http://www.mpuni.co.jp/museum/qa/mistery05.html |date=3 October 2015 }}. [[Mitsubishi Pencil Company]](in Japanese)</ref>).  The standard writing pencil is graded ''HB''.<ref>[https://pencils.com/hb-graphite-grading-scale/ "Graphite Grading Scales Explained"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170206105031/https://pencils.com/hb-graphite-grading-scale/ |date=6 February 2017 }}. Pencils.com.</ref> This designation might have been first used in the early 20th century by Brookman, an English pencil maker. It used ''B'' for black and ''H'' for hard; a pencil's grade was described by a sequence or successive Hs or Bs such as ''BB'' and ''BBB'' for successively softer leads, and ''HH'' and ''HHH'' for successively harder ones.<ref>[[#Petroski, 1990|Petroski, 1990]], p.&nbsp;157</ref> The [[Koh-i-Noor Hardtmuth]] pencil manufacturers claim to have first used the HB designations, with ''H'' standing for Hardtmuth, ''B'' for the company's location of [[České Budějovice|Budějovice]], and ''F'' for Franz Hardtmuth, who was responsible for technological improvements in pencil manufacture.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.koh-i-noor.cz/en/interesting-information-about-the-company | title=Interesting information about the company | publisher=Koh-I-Noor Hardtmuth | accessdate=12 October 2016 | deadurl=no | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161013001501/http://www.koh-i-noor.cz/en/interesting-information-about-the-company | archivedate=13 October 2016 | df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref name="The New Yorker April 28, 2016">{{cite news |last=Norris |first=Mary |authorlink=Mary_Norris_(copy_editor) |url=https://thescene.com/watch/thenewyorker/comma-queen-on-impact |format=Video |title=Comma Queen: On "Impact" |work=The New Yorker |publisher=Condé Nast |date=28 April 2016 |page=2:35 |accessdate=14 May 2016 |deadurl=no |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160605053709/https://thescene.com/watch/thenewyorker/comma-queen-on-impact |archivedate=5 June 2016 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

As of 2009, a set of pencils ranging from a very hard, light-marking pencil to a very soft, black-marking pencil usually ranges from hardest to softest as follows:

{| style="margin:auto; text-align:center;"
|- style="height:10px"
|  style="background:#ddd; width:25px;" | ||  style="background:#ccc; width:25px;" | ||  style="background:#c7c7c7; width:25px;" | ||  style="background:#bbb; width:25px;" | ||  style="background:#b7b7b7; width:25px;" | || style="background:#aaa; width:25px;" | ||  style="background:#999; width:25px;" | ||  style="background:#888888; width:25px;" | || style="background:#777; width:25px;" | ||  style="background:#666; width:25px;" | ||  style="background:#555; width:25px;" | || style="background:#4a4a4a; width:25px;" | ||  style="background:#444; width:25px;" | ||  style="background:#3a3a3a; width:25px;" | || style="background:#333; width:25px;" | ||  style="background:#2a2a2a; width:25px;" | ||  style="background:#222; width:25px;" | || style="background:#1a1a1a; width:25px;" | ||  style="background:#111; width:25px;" | ||  style="background:black; width:25px;"|
|-
| 9H || 8H || 7H || 6H || 5H || 4H || 3H || 2H || H || F || HB || B || 2B || 3B || 4B || 5B || 6B || 7B || 8B || 9B
|-
| style="text-align:left" colspan="3" |Hardest|| colspan=5|→ ||colspan=4|Medium||colspan=5|→||colspan=3 style="text-align:right"|Softest
|}
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:pencilGrades.png|left]] -->

[[Koh-i-Noor Hardtmuth|Koh-i-noor]] offers twenty grades from 10H to 8B for its 1500 series;<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20071029104124/http://www.koh-i-noor.cz/main/main.php?pageid=3211&lang=4&=&filter=&cat=24&position=30 Koh-i-noor Catalog: Graphite Pencis], koh-i-noor.cz</ref> [[uni-ball|Mitsubishi Pencil]] offers twenty-two grades from 10H to 10B for its Hi-uni range;<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20081106131833/http://www.mpuni.co.jp/product/category/pencil/uni/spec.html コード表], mpuni.co.jp (Japanese)</ref> Derwent produces twenty grades from 9H to 9B for its graphic pencils<ref>
{{cite web|url=http://www.pencils.co.uk/products/derwent.aspx?sid=3&p=1 |title=Derwent Graphic |publisher=Pencils.co.uk |accessdate=23 July 2009 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090619105057/http://www.pencils.co.uk/products/derwent.aspx?sid=3&p=1 |archivedate=19 June 2009 }}</ref> and [[Staedtler]] produces sixteen from 6H to 8B for its Mars Lumograph pencils.<ref>[http://www.staedtler.com/Mars_Lumograph_gb.Staedtler?ActiveID=2213 Staedtler Mars Lumograph Pencils] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070911035033/http://www.staedtler.com/Mars_Lumograph_gb.Staedtler?ActiveID=2213 |date=11 September 2007 }}. Staedtler.com. Retrieved 5 April 2014.</ref>

Numbers as designation were first used by Conté and later by John Thoreau, father of [[Henry David Thoreau]], in the 19th century.<ref>
Conté used integer numbers that started at 1, with higher numbers indicating softer leads, while Thoreau used higher numbers to designate harder leads ([[#Petroski, 1990|Petroski, 1990]], p. 157). It is believed that Thoreau developed independently his method of mixing clay and graphite, and his use of numbers to designate grades is evidence that he was at least aware of Conté methods and tried to reverse engineer them.
Thoreau offered pencils graduated from 1 to 4 in the mid-1800s ([[#Petroski, 1990|Petroski, 1990]], p.&nbsp;119), see also {{cite episode
 | transcripturl=http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi339.htm|transcript=Transcript
 | series=The Engines of Our Ingenuity |serieslink=The Engines of Our Ingenuity
 | number=339
 | title=Thoreau's Pencils
 | airdate=1989
 | credits=John H. Lienhard
 | network=NPR
 | station=KUHF-FM Houston
}} uh.edu</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="margin:auto; text-align:center;"
|+ Conté/Thoreau<ref>[[#Petroski, 1990|Petroski, 1990]], p.&nbsp;230</ref>
|-
! Tone                        !! US           !! style="text-align:right" | World
|-
|style="background:#444;"|    || #1           || style="text-align:right" | B
|-
|style="background:#555;"|    || #2           || style="text-align:right" | HB
|-
|style="background:#666;"|    || #2½{{sup|*}} || style="text-align:right" | F
|-
|style="background:#777;"|    || #3           || style="text-align:right" | H
|-
|style="background:#888888;"| || #4           || style="text-align:right" | 2H
|-
|colspan=3 | {{sup|*}}Also seen as 2{{sfrac|4|8}}, 2.5, 2{{sfrac|5|10}}
|}

Although Conté/Thoreau's equivalence table is widely accepted{{cn|date=October 2017}}, not all manufacturers follow it; for example, Faber-Castell uses a different equivalence table in its ''Grip 2001'' pencils: 1 = 2B, 2 = B, 2½ = HB, 3 = H, 4 = 2H.

=== Pencil hardness test ===
Graded pencils can be used for a rapid test that provides relative ratings for a series of coated panels but can't 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.<ref>This testing method is approved by the [[International Organization for Standardization|ISO]] as standard ISO 15184:1998 Paints and varnishes – Determination of film hardness by pencil test [https://www.iso.org/standard/55329.html?browse=tc ISO.org] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026111219/https://www.iso.org/standard/55329.html?browse=tc |date=26 October 2017 }}. See [http://www.pra-world.com/technical/testingphysicalhardness.htm pra-world.com]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929224302/http://www.pra-world.com/technical/testingphysicalhardness.htm |date=29 September 2007 }} for a description of the test. Unfortunately the hardness of pencils is not standardised. For this reason the standard specifies various brands of pencils that are to be used in this test.</ref><ref>
{{Cite journal
 |author      = Mac Simmons
 |title       = The Pencil Hardness Test
 |journal     = Woodwork
 |date        = April 2000
 |page        = 76
 |url         = http://www.pencilpages.com/articles/simmons.htm
 |accessdate  = 13 September 2007
 |deadurl     = no
 |archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928042339/http://www.pencilpages.com/articles/simmons.htm
 |archivedate = 28 September 2007
 |df          = dmy-all
}}</ref> For standardized measurements, there are [[Mohs hardness]] testing pencils on the market. <!-- Sorry, no ref. A Google search shows many brands, such as http://mahavirgems.in/Gem-Hardness-Pencils-1-to-10-on-Moh's-Scale, but I couldn't find an overarching discussion. -->

{{Clear}}

==External colour and shape of pencils==
<!-- removed as this section is about the color of pencils and not colouring pencils [[File:Colouring pencils.jpg|right|thumb|Coloring pencils.]]-->
[[File:Number-2-pencil.jpg|thumb|left|A typical yellow no. 2 pencil]]

The majority of pencils made in the US are painted yellow.<ref>75% of the 2.8&nbsp;billion pencils made in the US are painted yellow (Steve Ritter "Pencils & Pencil Lead", ''Chemical & Engineering News'', Volume 79, Number 42 page 35, 15 October 2001). [http://pubs.acs.org/cen/whatstuff/stuff/7942sci4.html Pubs.acs.org]</ref> According to [[Henry Petroski]],<ref>[[#Petroski, 1990|Petroski, 1990]], pp.&nbsp;162–163</ref> this tradition began in 1890 when the L. & C. Hardtmuth Company of [[Austria-Hungary]] introduced their [[Koh-I-Noor (company)|Koh-I-Noor]] brand, named after the [[Koh-i-Noor|famous diamond]]. It was intended to be the world's best and most expensive pencil, 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 the [[Austria-Hungary#Flags and heraldry|Austro-Hungarian flag]]; it was also suggestive of [[the Orient]] at a time when the best-quality graphite came from [[Siberia]]. 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)<ref>Eagle Pencil Company applied for the trademark [[Mirado]] in 1947 (US Trademark 71515261). It is common belief that this was an attempt to disassociate the pencil brand from Japan, as one of the meanings of [[Emperor of Japan|Mikado]] is emperor of Japan.
[[#Petroski, 1990|Petroski]] states that Eagle Pencil Company changed the name after the [[Attack on Pearl Harbor]].</ref><ref>Mikado/Mirado pencils were originally made by Eagle Pencil Company—today [[Berol]]--but can also be found today under the trademark [[Papermate]] and [[Sanford (writing products)|Sanford]] as Sanford owns Berol and the trademark Papermate [http://www.brandnamepencils.com/brands/eagle/mikado174.shtml Brandnamepencils.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929081527/http://www.brandnamepencils.com/brands/eagle/mikado174.shtml |date=29 September 2007 }} Mirado Pencil</ref> and Mongol.<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.pencilpages.com/gallery/eberhard-faber/mongol.htm
 |title       = Eberhard Faber Pencil Gallery
 |publisher   = Pencilpages.com
 |accessdate  = 23 July 2009
 |deadurl     = no
 |archiveurl  = https://web.archive.org/web/20090408015423/http://www.pencilpages.com/gallery/eberhard-faber/mongol.htm
 |archivedate = 8 April 2009
 |df          = dmy-all
}}</ref><ref>Originally made by [[Eberhard Faber]] the Mongol trademark is now owned by Sanford [http://timberlines.blogspot.com/2005/08/mongolized.html Timberlines.blogspot.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304030943/http://timberlines.blogspot.com/2005/08/mongolized.html |date=4 March 2016 }} Timberlines Blog "Mongolized" 31 August 2005. Retrieved 23 August 2007.</ref>

Not all countries use yellow pencils. German and Brazilian pencils, for example, are often green, blue or black, based on the trademark colours of [[Faber-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. 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 by various companies.

Pencils are commonly round, [[hexagonal]], or sometimes triangular in section. [[Carpenter pencil|Carpenters' pencils]] are typically oval or rectangular, so they cannot easily roll away during work.

==Notable pencil users==
* [[Thomas Edison]] had his pencils specially made by [[Eagle Pencil]]. Each pencil was three inches long, was thicker than standard pencils and had softer graphite than was normally available.<ref name="Readers Digest, pencil users">{{cite web|work=The Point of it All – History of the Pencil |author=Michael Franco |title=Famous Pencil Pushers |url=http://www.readersdigest.com.au/content/printContent.do?contentId=109024 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090617220924/http://www.readersdigest.com.au/content/printContent.do?contentId=109024 |archivedate=17 June 2009 }}</ref>
* [[Vladimir Nabokov]] rewrote everything he had ever published, usually several times, in pencil.<ref name="Readers Digest, pencil users" />
* [[John Steinbeck]] was an obsessive pencil user and is said to have used as many as 60 a day{{By whom|date=January 2016}}. His novel ''[[East of Eden (novel)|East of Eden]]'' took more than 300 pencils to write.<ref name="Readers Digest, pencil users" />
* [[Vincent van Gogh]] used only [[Faber-Castell|Faber]] pencils as they were "superior to Carpenters pencils, a capital black and most agreeable".<ref name="Readers Digest, pencil users" /><ref name="Faber Castells famous friends">[https://web.archive.org/web/20100526211137/http://www.faber-castell.co.nz/20874/History-Information/History-of-the-Pencil/Faber-Castells-friends/default_news.aspx Faber Castell's friends]. Faber-castell.co.nz</ref>
* [[Johnny Carson]] regularly played with pencils at his ''[[The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson|Tonight Show]]'' desk. These pencils were specially made with erasers at both ends to avoid on-set accidents.<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055708/trivia?tr0701188 The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) – Trivia – IMDb<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921055609/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055708/trivia?tr0701188 |date=21 September 2013 }}</ref>
* [[Roald Dahl]] used only pencils with yellow casing to write his books. He had 6 sharpened pencils ready at the beginning of each day and only when all 6 pencils became unusable did he resharpen them.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://whatshed.co.uk/the-humble-garden-shed-writing-hut-of-roald-dahl/|title=The Humble Garden Shed Writing Hut of Roald Dahl|last=|first=|date=|website=What Shed|publisher=|access-date=2 August 2016|deadurl=no|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808035920/http://whatshed.co.uk/the-humble-garden-shed-writing-hut-of-roald-dahl/|archivedate=8 August 2016|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Manufacturers==
The following table lists the prominent manufacturers of wood-cased (including wood-free) pencils around the world.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Manufacturer !! Country of origin!! Remark
|-
| [[Caran d'Ache (company)| Caran d'Ache]]||Switzerland||
|-
| China First Pencil Co. || China || "Chung hwa" and "Great Wall" brands  
|-
| [[Cretacolor]] Bleistiftfabrik ||Austria|| 
|-
| [[Derwent Cumberland Pencil Company]]|| UK || Derwent brand
|-
| [[Dixon Ticonderoga Company]] ||USA ||Dixon, Oriole, Ticonderoga brands (manufactured in Mexico, China) 
|-
| [[Faber-Castell]] AG||Germany|| Plants in Germany, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Brazil 
|-
| [[F.I.L.A._(company)|FILA Group]]||Italy || Owns Lyra, Dixon, Ticonderoga brands
|-
| General Pencil Co.||USA|| General's, Kimberly brands
|-
| [[Hindustan Pencils]] ||India|| Apsara, Nataraj brands
|-
| Kita-Boshi ||Japan || 
|-
| [[Koh-i-Noor Hardtmuth]] || Czech Republic || Koh-i-Noor brand
|-
| Lyra Bleistift-Fabrik ||Germany || Parent: FILA Group 
|-
| [[Uni-ball|Mitsubishi Pencil Company]] ||Japan|| Mitsu-Bishi, Uni brands
|-
| Musgrave Pencil Company ||USA ||
|-
| [[Newell Brands]] ||USA || [[Paper Mate]] brand
|-
| Palomino ||USA || Division of California Cedar Products, USA;
|-
| [[Staedtler|Staedtler Mars GmbH & Co.]]||Germany || Staedtler brand
|-
| [[Tombow|Tombow Pencil Co.]] ||Japan ||
|-
| Viarco ||Portugal ||

|}

==See also==
{{Wikipedia books|Pencils}}
* [[Blackwing 602]]
* [[IKEA pencil]]
* [[Pencil drawing]]
* [[Tortillon]]
* ''[[I, Pencil]]''
* [[Pencil fighting]]

==References==
{{Reflist|35em}}

==Bibliography==
* {{Cite book
  |last=Petroski  |first=Henry
  |year=1990
  |title=The Pencil: A History of Design and Circumstance
  |location=New York  |publisher=Alfred A. Knopf
  |isbn=0-394-57422-2
  |ref=Petroski, 1990
}}

==Further reading==
* {{Cite book
  |last=Petroski  |first=Henry
  |title=H. D. Thoreau, Engineer.
  |journal=American Heritage of Invention and Technology
  |volume=5
  |issue=2
  |pages=8–16
  |ref=Petroski, H. D. Thoreau
}}

==External links==

* [http://www.sciencechannel.com/tv-shows/how-its-made/videos/how-its-made-pencils/ How pencils are made] (video)
* {{YouTube|zZHp1fGdAWE|How A Pencil Is Made}}
* [https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/12/magazine/inside-one-of-americas-last-pencil-factories.html?action=click&contentCollection=Politics&module=Trending&version=Full&region=Marginalia&pgtype=article Inside one of America's last pencil factories] NYTimes, January 12, 2018

[[Category:Pencils| ]]
[[Category:Art materials]]
[[Category:Stationery]]