National Pencil Day is on March 30 and it is the perfect moment to explore these old writing tools. Did you know that one pencil can write up to 45,000 words? Pencils have been used for ages, and have gone through many changes in terms of their design, but have you ever wondered who came up with the brilliant idea of attaching an eraser to a pencil?

HISTORY OF NATIONAL PENCIL DAY
Who would have believed that a graphite core closed inside a wood casing could carry out such various and exceptionally essential jobs?

Prior to the creation of the pencil as we understand it, individuals still wrote, just, they used things like a great brush of camel hair or the stylus (ancient Romans). Back in the first century B.C., the Greek poet Philip of Thessaloníki wrote about ‘leaden writing instruments’.

When the world discovered graphite, pencils are one of the first writing tools and they are known to have originated in the 16th century. This crystallized type of carbon was discovered someplace around 1565 or perhaps previously, near Keswick, England. Legend states a storm rooted out a tree here, and holding on to the tree roots was a shiny black compound– graphite! There is no evidence that this is how graphite was found; what we do know is that this site was changed into an industrial graphite mine a few decades later. This is around the time people started utilizing a piece of graphite wrapped in a string to write.

18th-century German chemist A. G. Werner was accountable for naming it ‘graphite’, from the Greek word ‘graphein,’ which indicates ‘to write’. In the early days after the discovery, local shepherds were the only ones using graphite to mark their sheep. Since it looked a lot like lead, people would call it plumbago– the Latin word for lead, i.e., ‘plumbus’– or even ‘black lead’. This undertone adhered to graphite, and as a result, pencils too.

After Swiss naturalist Conrad Gessner published his drawing of a strip of graphite inside a tube of wood, the ‘pencil’ began to spread out throughout Europe. Britain still had a monopoly over pencil making, and graphite, at this time. By 1794, nevertheless, France was cut off from this supply of pencils due to their war with Britain. Hence, French engineer Nicolas-Jacques Conté was accountable for inventing ‘Crayons Conté’, which was low-quality graphite combined with clay, shaped into rods, and baked. Continental pencil makers no longer required to depend on the British for pencils.

Conté’s invention spurred more innovation in the world of pencil making. And then, at the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris, an Austro-Hungarian pencil company unveiled a new luxury pencil– which was painted yellow. Because of this, yellow came to be associated with quality, and many other pencil makers picked up this color to adorn their pencils.

And what about, the mistakes people made while writing? Prior to there were erasers, individuals would rub out errors utilizing balled-up swellings of old bread. In 1770, a clergyman-chemist named Joseph Priestley noticed the gum harvested from trees in South America was very good at removing pencil marks. Due to the fact that people had to rub to eliminate the marks, this gum was called ‘rubber’.

Germany gave birth to the mass-production of pencils, with business like Faber-Castell, Staedtler, and Lyra that produced pencils in bulk. In Massachusetts, the Dixon Ticonderoga Company started producing pencils in the 19th century. By the late 19th century, pencils were extensively being utilized in the U.S. Because of its aroma and quality, the most famously used wood for pencils was red cedar.

On March 30, 1858, Hymen Lipman patented the ‘modern pencil.’ It was a wooden graphite pencil with a rubber eraser attached, which he later sold to Joseph Reckendorfer for $100,000.

Since then, the manufacturing of pencils hasn’t stopped and there are billions of pencils being made and sold around the world. There are so many types of pencils including graphite pencils, charcoal pencils, grease pencils, and watercolor pencils.

NATIONAL PENCIL DAY TIMELINE
Early 1500s
Large Deposit of Graphite
A large reserve of graphite is discovered in England, which is extremely solid and can be carved into sticks.

1560
Italian Couple Makes Carpentry Pencils
An Italian couple creates pencils that look almost like modern wood-encased carpentry pencils.

1662
New Pencils
A new form of pencils is created using graphite, sulfur, and antimony in Germany.

July 12, 1812
America’s First Wood Pencils
Pencil manufacturer William Munroe creates wood pencils from the popular Eastern Red Cedar trees in Tennessee; his designs inspire other southern manufacturers and are used by other industries too.

1820
The World’s First # 2 Pencils
Henry David Thoreau and his father substitute clay for wax, and the graphite creates very readable text; this pencil becomes standard in classrooms across the U.S.

1858
Hymen Lipman Receives a Patent
Hymen Lipman receives his first patent for attaching an eraser to a pencil.

1861
Mass Production
Pencil maker Eberhard Faber builds the first American mass-production pencil factory, The E. Faber Pencil Company, in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.

2018
The Pencil Comes Full Circle
In the digital age, we go back to using a writing instrument from the Roman ages– the stylus– which erases mistakes, blends colors, and does so much more on Apple devices around the globe.

PENCILS AND FAMOUS PEOPLE
Thomas Edison’s special pencils

These were made by the Eagle Pencil company and were thicker than standard pencils, around three inches long, and had softer graphite than normal.

Vladimir Nabokov’s writing habits

The author of greats like “Lolita and Pale Fire” would rewrite everything he had written, several times, in pencil.

John Steinbeck’s “East of Eden”

John Steinbeck’s “East of Eden” reportedly took more than 300 pencils to write; Steinbeck was also said to be an obsessive pencil user, writing many of his masterpieces in pencil.

Roald Dahl’s pencils

Roald Dahl used exactly six sharpened pencils with yellow casings from the beginning of the day; only once all six became unusable would he resharpen them.

Johnny Carson’s set

On “The Tonight Show,” Carson would often play with pencils while sitting at the desk; to avoid on-set accidents, these pencils were specially made with erasers at both ends.

NATIONAL PENCIL DAY FAQS
Who invented the modern pencil?
The modern pencils were created by Nicholas-Jaques Conte in 1795.

What was used before pencils?
A Roman writing instrument called a stylus was used to write before pencils were made. This instrument left a mark that was light but could be seen on the papyrus easily.

Did pencils always have lead?
This is a common misconception. Lead has actually never been used in lead pencils but, in fact, graphite.

Why is there a National Pencil Day?
National Pencil Day commemorates the day pencil maker Hymen Lipman received a patent for the ‘modern pencil,’ a wood pencil with an eraser attached. The day itself has been observed since the 1970s, but the founder has not been … found.

How do you celebrate National Pencil Day?
There are multiple ways to celebrate this day, including celebrating the pencil itself, reading up on the instrument’s origins, and so on.

When was the pencil invented?
A scientist serving in Napoleon Bonaparte’s army, Jacques Conté, invented the first pencil design in 1795, using graphite.

NATIONAL PENCIL DAY ACTIVITIES
Draw a picture without picking up your pencil
This fun activity is for all artists and non-artists. Draw a picture without picking up your pencil from the paper. You can even draw a picture without looking at the paper. Have fun using this instrument to express yourself.

Find another use for the pencil
If you have a small plant at home, you can give it some support by tying a pencil to it. Find new uses for the humble pencil, then go forth and innovate!

Create your own customized pencils
Get your own customized pencils with your name on them or any funny phrase written on them. There are many ways in which you can get them made. Search the internet for the best customized pencil supplier in your area.

5 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT PENCILS
Pencils are long-lasting
One pencil can draw a line measuring up to 45 miles.

They can be used in unusual circumstances
Pencils can write underwater and in zero gravity too.

They’re in high demand
Almost 14 billion pencils are produced in a year.

Color indicates quality
Pencils in the U.S are painted yellow to indicate the best quality pencils.

The name has French roots
The term ‘pencil’ is taken from the French word ‘pincel.’.

WHY WE LOVE NATIONAL PENCIL DAY.
We celebrate the first writing tool.
Pencils are used by everyone, from toddlers to artists– everyone needs a pencil. National Pencil Day is a great day to honor this essential tool that assists us in many of our writing tasks, explore the history of pencils, and educate ourselves about how and where these writing tools are made.

We love what the pencil symbolizes.
Life is full of possibilities, and the pencil (with an eraser attached) gives you a chance to start over.

They’re more planet-friendly.
They are made of wood, not any plastic material. They don’t even require accessories, and they come with an eraser attached. Plus, they can write for a long time– approximately 45,000 words.

 

 

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