Pencil, from Old French pincel, from Latin penicillus a "little tail" (see penis pincellus is Latin from the post-classical period ) originally referred to an artist's fine brush of camel hair, also used for writing before modern lead or chalk pencils. Old Soviet colored pencils with box (circa 1959) Camel's hair These casings can be reloaded with new cores (usually graphite) as the previous ones are exhausted. Mechanical pencils have more elaborate casings which are not bonded to the core instead, they support separate, mobile pigment cores that can be extended or retracted (usually through the casing's tip) as needed. To use the pencil, the casing must be carved or peeled off to expose the working end of the core as a sharp point. Casings may be of other materials, such as plastic or paper. The most common pencil casing is thin wood, usually hexagonal in section but sometimes cylindrical or triangular, permanently bonded to the core. Grease pencils have a softer, oily core that can leave marks on smooth surfaces such as glass or porcelain. Coloured pencils are sometimes used by teachers or editors to correct submitted texts, but are typically regarded as art supplies, especially those with cores made from wax-based binders that tend to smear when erasers are applied to them. Other types of pencil cores, such as those of charcoal, are mainly used for drawing and sketching. Graphite pencils (traditionally known as "lead pencils") produce grey or black marks that are easily erased, but otherwise resistant to moisture, most chemicals, ultraviolet radiation and natural aging. Most pencil cores are made of graphite powder mixed with a clay binder. They are distinct from pens, which dispense liquid or gel ink onto the marked surface. Pencils create marks by physical abrasion, leaving a trail of solid core material that adheres to a sheet of paper or other surface. Solid pigment core (typically graphite, commonly called pencil lead)Ī pencil ( / ˈ p ɛ n s ə l/ ( listen)) is a writing or drawing implement with a solid pigment core in a protective casing that reduces the risk of core breakage, and keeps it from marking the user's hand.If your pencil doesn’t come with a rod, any thin, sturdy wire should do the trick. If the lead jams inside your pencil, you can poke the clean-out rod down through the top of the pencil tip to clear out the lead. Some mechanical pencils come with a thin wire called a clean-out rod attached to the underside of the eraser. Lead jamsĪ final note for users of mechanical pencils: occasionally the thin leads in a mechanical pencil may get jammed inside the pencil tip. ![]() However, they’re less ideal for shading, and writers with a heavier hand may find the lead snaps frequently. Because mechanical pencil leads are so thin, they produce fine lines without any sharpening. It’s easiest to find mechanical pencils that hold the most popular lead sizes, 0.5mm and 0.7mm. Mechanical pencils, on the other hand, use very slim leads, which range in size from very tiny (0.2mm) to rather large (0.9mm and even wider). If you prefer bold lines, write with a heavier hand, or do a lot of shading, you might prefer a wider lead. These wide leads can be sharpened to a point for fine writing or used for shading broad areas. Wooden pencils and clutch pencils use wider leads, usually around 2mm. ![]() The other thing to consider when choosing a pencil lead is size. ![]() The popular #2 is equivalent to an HB pencil. On this scale, the higher the number, the harder the lead will be. (Sometimes the HB scale also includes an F pencil, which falls between H and HB and indicates a lead that sharpens to a fine point.)īut what about the ubiquitous #2 pencil? The #2 pencil is graded on the numerical scale, which is used solely by American pencil manufacturers. The higher the number in front of the letter, the harder or softer the pencil is. ![]() A pencil might be marked H, 2H, 3H, or B, 2B, 3B, and so on. On the HB scale, H pencils are on the harder end of the spectrum and B pencils are on the softer end. However, they usually follow one of two grading scales: the HB scale or the less common numerical scale. There’s no universal standard for these pencil grades, so they may vary slightly from brand to brand. The numbers and letters on the side of a wooden pencil or on a pack of pencil lead, like “HB” or “#2,” indicate the grade or hardness of the lead.
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