I am so busy and SOO out of ideas today; here is something to stall until I can think of something important…..
On this day in 1858, Hymen Lipman of Philadelphia patented the first pencil to have an attached eraser. The eraser-tipped pencil is still something of an American phenomenon; most European pencils are still eraserless. The humble pencil has a long and storied history, going back to the Roman stylus, which was sometimes made of lead, and why we still call the business end of the pencil the “lead,” even though it’s been made of nontoxic graphite since 1564.
Pencils were first mass-produced in Nuremberg, Germany, in 1662, and the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century really allowed the manufacture to flourish. Before he became known for Walden and “Civil Disobedience,” Henry David Thoreau and his father were famous for manufacturing the hardest, blackest pencils in the United States. Edison was fond of short pencils that fit neatly into a vest pocket, readily accessible for the jotting down of ideas. John Steinbeck loved the pencil and started every day with 24 freshly sharpened ones; it’s said that he went through 300 pencils in writing East of Eden (1952), and used 60 a day on The Grapes of Wrath (1939) and Cannery Row (1945).
Our common pencils are hexagonal to keep them from rolling off the table, and they’re yellow because the best graphite came from China, and yellow is traditionally associated with Chinese royalty. A single pencil can draw a line 35 miles long, or write around 45,000 words. And if you make a mistake, thanks to Hymen Lipman, you’ve probably got an eraser handy.
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March 30, 2011 at 5:10 AM
Jay
I love pencils. I used to have a whole mug of them sharpened and ready on my desk when I taught. Thanks for the post. I learned something I had not known.. (any you can use them safely in your hot tub)
March 30, 2011 at 5:16 AM
Nick
Where do find all these historical tidbits?
March 30, 2011 at 5:20 AM
Aunt Barb
Interesting………..and traditionally golf pencils and those used by CPA’s don’t have an eraser, honesty being the rationale on the former and inerrata for the latter. I can tell you that we modern golfers cherish those with erasers, not because we lack honor, just we acknowledge our falibility!
March 30, 2011 at 6:02 AM
Will
I’m going to look into the process of getting you declared a National Treasure. When the time comes, the bow ties and the shirts would go directly to the Smithsonian.
March 30, 2011 at 6:11 AM
Sean
I love pencils and prefer to use them over pens whenever possible. I use them at work and home and always have a large supply on hand and a sharpener handy.
March 30, 2011 at 6:55 AM
Tiger Chanter
Very informative!!!
March 30, 2011 at 7:12 AM
Mark
Hmmm, good point!
m.
March 30, 2011 at 7:41 AM
Doug
I’d sign Will’s petition.
I feel sorry for Mr. Lipman. That first name must have caused him some grief. Of course, in 1858, maybe that part of the body wasn’t named or well known. I wonder what his siblings were named.
March 30, 2011 at 9:13 AM
gregory
I love this kind of learning!
March 30, 2011 at 9:51 AM
Greg
Interesting and not the least bit dull.
March 30, 2011 at 10:48 AM
jefferyrn
Hymen, rubber erasers, hardest, blackest, one might read into this story. As a lefty I hate pencils. They turn my hand black and if the ink doesn’t dry my hand turns blue. Sometimes hover over the page and only my pinky gets dirty trying to balance the pen. Typing is so much better.
March 30, 2011 at 1:41 PM
Eileen
Eating pencil erasers is bad and wrong. Often a sign of Pica and/or poor coping.
March 30, 2011 at 1:58 PM
Diederick
If any mundane object is ever to receive an honorary day of the year, it should be the pencil. Even before fire, the wheel and steam-power.
I strongly prefer pencils over pens, the same way I prefer classic blackboards and chalk over whiteboards or digi(tal)boards. I used to make pencil drawings starting at 12 all the way to 15 or 16, it was a healthy pastime and I remember being rather good at it. One of the many regrettable drop-outs of childhood.
March 30, 2011 at 2:09 PM
Ron
I asorbed information like this as a sponge asorbs water. Did you ever read “John’s Bathroom Reader”? It’s chock full of interesting information like this. By the way, I hate pencils. If I spot on in my house, they go directly into the trash. Fine tip Uni-balls (get your mind out of the gutter -this is a brand name) and Pilot Ultra-fine point ballpoint pens are the only way to go. One must have confidence when one writes.
March 30, 2011 at 2:10 PM
Ron
“ONE” in the house. I know I should proof-read before I post. I just think I shot my whole argument for writing with pens and not pencils. You know, the ‘confidence’ thing when you write?
March 30, 2011 at 6:04 PM
anne marie in philly
I too like pencils; they disappear the fastest from my office desk!
and a PHILLY BOY thought of this; fascinating, captain! gotta love my homies!
March 30, 2011 at 7:19 PM
jason
well, I, for one, am deeply grateful to Mr. Lipman. He’s saved my life many a time.
March 30, 2011 at 11:07 PM
zephyr
I remember pencils. I think I still have one around here somewhere, just in case. Writing is so convenient and… probably getting a bit obsolete. Mom would be horrified, she loved the ink and the page.