96: The Pencil

Millions of school children, accountants, bankers, engineers, artists, and legal secretaries use pencils nearly everyday even in our digital world. The pencil is a simple and one of the most influential instruments that comes in different shapes and sizes, and densities. The pencil is usually the second writing utensil that most of us learn to write with and you can never find one when you need one.

Like most things, the pencil began in Rome. The scribes of the ancient world use a piece of metal inlaid in a wooden case called a stylus. Remarkably, the stylus used on papyrus made a mark, which was readable or on wax filled tablets. From this point, the Europeans began to experiment with lead as a substitute but it didn’t mark as clearly. It wasn’t until the discovery of graphite in England in 1564. Graphite was so brittle and broke constantly until it was then wrapped in string and then was then placed in hollow sticks to have better control of its physical properties. Graphite made darker marks. With this simple action the modern pencil is born. In the 1880’s pencil factories began to print the brand on their pencils.

It was the Germans who led the manufacturing of pencils in Nuremburg in 1662. It wasn’t until Faber-Castell (1762) began mass-producing pencils. Staedtler, who still produces pencils and writing implements joined the game. The wooden pencil did not come painted at this time, to show off the craftsmanship and wood working of the pencils. What about America?

Clark's Pencils

The colonist had to start producing their own pencils because England had cut them off. That’s okay though, we knew what to do. Mills began to pop up all over the place to make pencils. Most of these pencil factories were built in the north until the discovery of red cedar in Tennessee. Once this happened, factories began to be built closer to the source. Red Cedar is hard and it is a smooth wood, which doesn’t splinter easily. For you Georgia people, check out the Atlanta National Pencil Company.

 Where does the yellow pencil come from? It’s not just a clever color to identify it when you need to find it. In fact, pencil factories began to paint pencils yellow because of the Chinese. Yes, its Chinas

Clark's Pencils

fault that we have yellow pencils. When America began to import graphite from China in the 1890’s, the pencil factory owners thought it was fitting to paint the pencils that came from China yellow so that people would know that the graphite was from China. Why yellow? It’s the color of royalty of China. They also believed that this was fitting to show the building solidarity between America and China.

Now you can tell people how the yellow pencil came into being. You will be a hit at your next social gathering. 

To see how pencils are made click here!