Written by: Pasang Doma Sherpa - 30019, Grade VI
Posted on: 25 December, 2023
It is a fact that we all use pencils in our daily lives. There is no doubt that we do, don't we? Pencils leave a thin line on the paper which is readable and can be erased. Which is because of the black substance in the middle of the pencil. Many people believe that the core of the pencil is made of lead. But, let me tell you something, it is not true. What we refer to as lead is actually the core of the pencil which is made up of graphite. They are made up of thousands of graphite flecks and it takes 3,000,000 graphene layers to make a graphite of a millimetre in a pencil. Now, where did the word ‘Pencil’ originate from? The word ‘Pencil originated from the Latin words ‘Penis’ meaning tail and ‘Peniculus’ which means a brush. It was known as ‘Pincel’ in old French to ‘Pencil’ in Middle English. But have you ever wondered where the pencils originated from, though? I will tell you one thing, you all have to thank all of it to the Romans. Long, long ago. A long time ago, I assure you, the Romans of the Roman Empire used a thin rod of lead to write a light and readable mark on papyrus(an early form of paper). Then, during 1564, English men found a massive graphite deposit in Borrowdale of England. At that time graphite started being widely used. They use graphite mixed with fine clay for the lead of the pencil. The pencils there were mostly wrapped in strings, not wood. Only later on they used wood. It is quite interesting, isn’t it? Do you know some more interesting things about the pencil? The thing is that a pencil can draw a line of 70 miles and can write 45,000 words in its lifetime. Not only that but it can be sharpened 17 times on average. Many famous writers also wrote their books using pencils instead of pens. And one thing, do you know why pens are better than pencils? It is because they can write anywhere; in space, underwater, and even upside down. 14 billion pencils are made every year and they travel all around the world 60 times. Pencils without erasers are found common in the United Kingdom and pencils with erasers are common in the USA. Talking about pencils with erasers, they were only invented on the 30th of March, 1858, 164 years ago when Hymen Lipman of Philadelphia got a patent to join an eraser with a pencil. An average-sized cedar tree can create around 300,000 pencils. Knives were used to sharpen pencils and bread crumbs to erase pencil marks. And if moths are bugging you, you should use pencil shavings as they are excellent moth repellents. During the 1990s there was a trend in which pencils wrote “Too Cool To Do Drugs' ' which was an anti-drug slogan. But they do not write that now because when sharpened they read “Do Drugs”. Isn’t it hilarious? These pencils can also kill as they can penetrate skulls! Pencils were also used by Union soldiers as their basic equipment during the Civil War. The world’s largest pencil weighs 98.43 tons and is 23.23 metres long. It is located in the City Museum in St. Louis, Missouri. However, the world’s most expensive pencil is the limited edition Graf von Faber-Castell Perfect Pencil. Its cost is $12,800. And do you know why it is this expensive? It is because it is made from 240-year-old olive wood and 18 Karat white gold.
