| The pencil has been a mainstay in the hand of the | | | | colouring and prepare the slats for the machining |
| scribe, note-taker, artist and doodler for centuries. Its | | | | processes to follow. These treated pieces of wood |
| simple but effective design is central to the sustained | | | | are then shipped off to a pencil factory. The first |
| popularity of this most humble of mark makers. The | | | | task undertaken at the pencil factory is the cutting |
| technique of manufacture used today is heavily | | | | of grooves into the slats to allow for the insertion of |
| based on the method devised by N.J. Conte in 1795. | | | | the writing core (often referred to as the 'lead'). The |
| He discovered that by pulverising graphite and | | | | writing cores, made from a mixture of graphite and |
| combining it with certain types of clay, he was able | | | | clay not dissimilar to Conte's original recipe, are then |
| to fashion an effective drawing and writing tool, that | | | | placed into the grooves of a prepared pencil slat |
| fundamental process remains the foundation of | | | | before another grooved slat is securely glued on top. |
| modern pencil manufacture. Although the principle is | | | | The resulting sandwich is then machined into individual |
| simple and the final product relatively basic, the | | | | pencil shapes, whether that be hexagonal, circular, |
| creation of a pencil from raw materials to sitting on a | | | | triangular or otherwise. |
| desk is a relatively lengthy and complex business. | | | | Once any defective pencils have been discarded, the |
| The life of a pencil begins at a sawmill, where | | | | remainder are put into a machine which applies |
| incense-cedar logs are cut into blocks referred to as | | | | anywhere between four and ten coats of lacquer to |
| 'pencil stock' and then dried in order to reduce the | | | | achieve a smooth, attractive finish. At this point |
| moisture content in a uniform manner. This pencil | | | | some pencils are imprinted with a brand name and |
| stock is then sent to a slat factory, where it is cut | | | | others wrapped in decorative foil, dependent on the |
| into 'pencil blocks' which are slightly longer than | | | | manufacturer. Those pencils which are to feature an |
| standard pencils in order to allow for trimming waste. | | | | eraser tip are put through a tipping machine which |
| These blocks are then cut into pencil slats which are | | | | adds the eraser attached to a metal ferrule. |
| sheets of the lumber that are slightly thicker than a | | | | Once these manufacturing processes have been |
| pencil to further account for the waste resulting from | | | | carried out, the pencils are ready to be shipped out |
| the final shaping process. | | | | to distributors and ultimately end up in your desk |
| Having been reduced to slats, the wood is treated | | | | drawer, pencil case or shirt pocket. |
| with wax and stained to both ensure consistent | | | | |