Pencils You Should Know: A History of the Ultimate Writing Utensil in 75 Anecdotes

By Caroline Weaver

Pencils You Should Know traces the evolution of pencils over time and across the globe. From the humble, handcrafted pencil of the 19th century to the novelty writing implement of the 1990s, each object in this book tells a different story.

This book features a selection of 75 modern and vintage pencils curated by pencil powerhouse Caroline Weaver, owner of legendary New York pencil emporium CW Pencil Enterprise. Pencil fanatics will find old favorites here—the original Blackwing 602 puts in an appearance, of course—and make exciting new discoveries, too.

• Vintage pencils and accessories are photographed against vibrant, colorful backgrounds and accompanied by Weaver's insightful commentary.
• A love letter to one of the most important inventions in human history

This supremely charming book celebrates the enduring magic of the pencil.

Trace the history of the pencil over time and across the globe, and discover everything you need to know about this simple yet ingenious invention.

• A great book for pencil collectors, admirers, historians, artists, writers—anyone who gets excited about the new Palomino Blackwing, a perfectly sharpened No. 2 Ticonderoga
• Fans of The Pencil by Henry Petroski, How to Sharpen Pencils by David Rees and John Hodgman, and The Pencil Perfect by Caroline Weaver will want this in their collection.

The perfect book for pencil devotees, analog and vintage ephemera lovers, designers, and fans of CW Pencil Enterprise

• Language: English
• Publisher: Chronicle Books Digital
• Release date: Feb 4, 2020
• ISBN: 9781452178509

Caroline Weaver

Caroline Weaver is a lifelong pencil lover. Her New York City shop, CW Pencil Enterprise, is a haven for like-minded collectors and pencil worshippers.

Book preview

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Introduction

The pencil is a curious object. Everyone is familiar with it, yet most people don’t actually know much about it. Since the advent of electronic transcription technology (a.k.a. computer keyboards), pencils are no longer the focus of innovation in the mainstream world—but this wasn’t always the case. The pencil has been around for nearly four centuries and, over the course of its history, has undergone many small but meaningful changes. It is primarily made up of a few simple materials: graphite, water, and clay for the core, which is glued into a wooden casing. Everything additional is cosmetic, though the embellishments often say the most about a specific pencil and its history.

In fact, when it comes to telling the difference between one pencil and another, it’s the little things that set them apart. The identity of a pencil has almost as much to do with where and when it comes from as it does with its intended function. The pencil industry was once an international giant, with manufacturers producing their own unique models in countless factories on almost every continent. Found everywhere from Pakistan to Portugal to Mexico, the pencil has existed in many forms and many cultures. Even today, companies produce myriad wonderful, well-designed pencils that just don’t make it into global circulation; they’re made purely and simply to supply the needs of their local markets. It’s my job (and my pleasure) to bring these objects to light and to share what makes them beautiful. Each one is its own mini anthropology lesson.

As word processing technology has advanced, the primary function of the pencil has also changed. It has become less of a daily necessity and more of a fashion accessory. It is a symbol of the analog lifestyle and an icon of creativity. It functions as a meditative object, a grounding tool that helps us feel connected to something when we use it or hold it. Not all pencils are created equal, but they all serve the same purpose.

I’ve always been drawn to the pencil as an object. As a kid, I was fascinated by their compactness and simplicity. I love that this affordable little commodity is also highly collectible. After traveling the world and studying the pencils of places near and far, I can glean meaningful information about a culture through each unique object. What is easy to forget sometimes is that the pencil, as seemingly simple as it is, took hundreds of people and hundreds of years to come into being. It’s the innovation and creativity of those people that made the pencil the perfect utilitarian writing and drawing tool, requiring nothing more than a blade to sharpen it and a hand to hold it.

The history of the pencil is a circuitous one. Graphite was first discovered in the 1560s in the Lake District of England, and though the substance was recognized early on for its transferable qualities, it wasn’t until the mid-1600s that graphite was first cased in wood. Early pencils were flat instead of round; contained a cut sliver of pure, unprocessed graphite; and were made strictly for ease of use and tidiness. By the mid-1800s, cabinetmakers and skilled craftsmen, working by hand, were making and selling the slim, 7-inch-long pencil that we know today. The advances of the industrial revolution eventually catapulted the pencil industry into the modern age,