pencil (thing)

1. Pencils with leads made of actual lead were used by the Egyptians and Romans. Artists were reported to use sharpened sticks of graphite as early as the 16th century. Rumor has it that the actual birth of the pencil came when a tree was blasted apart by lightning, and happened to be growing over a graphite deposit, and when people were cleaning up the mess, they discovered that sticks with graphite on them worked great to write with. We're not sure whether this is true. We do know that, in 1795, Nicholas Conté invented the process of producing leads for proper pencils, by firing a mixture of graphite clay.

2. In 1824, "John Thoreau & Son," a pencil manufacturing business, was founded by Henry David Thoreau and his dad. Really. Thoreau pencils were very much in demand as a superior writing instrument. In 1847, the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association awarded their pencils a diploma for excellence.

3. Until 1876, almost all pencils were square - easier to manufacture, not to mention stack.

4. Plant growers use pencils to mark plant labels because it won't fade in sunlight.

5. NASA spent bazillmillions for research to develop a writing instrument that would function in zero gravity. The Russians just use pencils. Please note: this is not actually true.

6. This carpenter's pencil - http://www.pencilpages.com/gallery/oldest.htm - is the oldest known pencil in existence. It was found in the roof of a 17th century German house, and is part of the Faber-Castell private collection.

7. Most American pencils are made of cedar wood. In Russia they prefer white pine.

8. In the early days of pencils, they were much more expensive. There was such a thing as a "pencil extender," a hollow tube into which a pencil stub could be inserted, like a cigarette holder. Doing this could get you another mile or two of pencil markings, but you didn't get an new eraser. There's a picture of one at http://www.pencilpages.com/articles/length.htm , but it's not exciting.

9. The American Pencil Collectors Society is a non-profit organization devoted to "the exclusive interests of establishing and maintaining communication among pen and pencil collectors." The group has been around for fifty years, and is up to about 300 members, worldwide. Members attend conventions where they disaplay and compare their collections. Items such as models of log cabins, windmills, and other structures made entirely of pencils are also likely to be on display.

   It is customary but not required to have wood pencils or ball point pens printed with a member's name, complete address, and APCS membership number. These "number woods" are traded and collected by the members.

   Annual dues are $10; a spouse may join for $5 more and becomes a voting member at the business meeting of the conventions. Members receive a list of all active members, a membership card, and a subscription to the newsletter. For membership contact APCS president, Bill Bean, 3351 Jeffrey Lane, Eau Claire, Wisconsin 54703.

thanks to:

http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/waac/wn/wn10/wn10-1/wn10-106.html
http://www.sci-ctr.edu.sg/ScienceNet/cat_physical/cat_gen06586.html
www.pencilpages.com

(p.s. Did you hear about the constipated mathematician?