A seemingly small, modest, and even ordinary writing tool, the pencil holds immense significance for humanity.
Margaret Atwood, the Canadian author recognized as one of the outstanding postmodern writers in the world, emphasizes the importance of the pencil by presenting 10 writing rules, placing the pencil at the forefront. “Write with a pencil on the plane. Pens can run out of ink, but you can’t sharpen a pencil because knives are prohibited. So, prepare two pencils.” Many famous figures have also used pencils for various purposes: Marilyn Monroe used them to write heartfelt love poems, artist Lisa Congdon used pencils to create stunning portraits, and David Byrne sketched diagrams for his famous installations.
The modern pencil was invented in 1795 by Nicholas-Jacques Conte, a scientist who served in the army of Napoleon Bonaparte. The main material that makes up the pencil is pure carbon, commonly referred to as graphite. This material was first discovered in Europe, specifically in Bavaria, Germany, in the early 15th century. Centuries earlier, the indigenous Aztecs had used graphite as a marking tool.
Nicholas-Jacques Conte, a scientist in Napoleon Bonaparte’s army – The inventor of the modern pencil
Initially, the material for pencils was referred to by the term plumbago or leads. It wasn’t until 1789 that this material was called graphein, which in Greek means to write. The current popular term “Pencil” originates from the Latin word “pencillus”, meaning little tail, a term used to describe a small quill used for writing in the Middle Ages.
However, the history of the pencil also has a rather dark aspect. The largest deposits of graphite were first discovered in Borrowdale near Keswick in the Lake District (England) in 1564, leading to rampant smuggling in the area. Throughout the 19th century, a large-scale pencil manufacturing industry developed around Keswick to exploit high-quality graphite.
The first pencil factory was established in 1832 in Keswick, and Cumberland Pencil Company became one of the leading manufacturers of pencils at that time. The company continues to operate today, although the local graphite mines have closed, and the primary supply of graphite now comes from Sri Lanka and other distant regions. Cumberland pencils are known for their high quality, as the graphite is non-powdery and “writes” on paper excellently. Faber-Castell, which recently celebrated its 250th anniversary, is also one of the largest and oldest stationery manufacturers in the world, renowned for its colored pencils favored by children and artists alike.
The smallest pencil in the world owned by the oldest stationery manufacturer, Faber-Castell
The process of manufacturing a pencil begins with firing a mixture of water, clay, and graphite in a kiln at nearly 1,100 degrees Celsius before encasing it in a wooden shell. The shape of this wooden casing can be square, hexagonal, or round, depending on the intended use of the pencil; for example, carpenters never use round pencils as they tend to roll off the workbench. The hardness or softness of the finished pencil can only be determined by adjusting the relative proportions of clay and graphite in the firing mixture. Pencil manufacturers advertise that there are 20 types of pencils, ranging from the softest, 9B, to the hardest, 9H, where H stands for hard, and B stands for black, while the pencil labeled F is commonly used for writing rather than drawing.
Interestingly, graphite is a form of pure carbon that is also one of the softest solids known, and it serves as one of the best lubricants due to the presence of up to six carbon atoms bonded to form adjacent rings.
The oldest recognized pencil in the world was found in a wooden house built in 1630. The reason for its existence is that a carpenter accidentally left it there due to memory confusion. The pencil is made from two pieces of wood, with a piece of pure graphite inside, and it currently belongs to the Faber-Castell archives. The most expensive pencil in the world is adorned with three diamonds weighing 0.05-0.06 carats, while the smallest pencil in the world is only 17.5mm long and about 3mm thick.
