Writing with pencil has a meditative feel to it, which helps to calm the mind and allow ideas to flow freely. Pencils have been around for years and have evolved over time to make them more user-friendly and convenient. The next time you’re writing or sketching with your favourite pencil, take a moment to consider how far the humble pencil has come. To sharpen up your knowledge, we’ve compiled a list of fascinating facts about pencils.
Here are 13 facts you probably didn’t know about pencils
- On March 30th, 164 years ago in 1858, the American Hymen L. Lipman received the patent for a pencil with an eraser attached to the end
- On average, a pencil can be sharpened 17 times
- During its lifespan, a pencil can draw a 35 miles long line and write around 45,000 words
- The average size tree (Cedar) can produce around 300,000 pencils
- A pencil can be used underwater, in space, and upside down
- Pencils are made of just wood, graphite, and clay
- On average, 14 billion pencils are produced in the world annually, enough to circle the earth more than 40 times
- The world’s largest pencil, which weighs 98.43 tonnes and measures 23.23 metres (76 feet 2.75 inches), is located at the City Museum in St. Louis, Missouri
- During the Civil War, Union soldiers were supplied pencils as part of their basic equipment
- Before the invention of the pencil sharpener, sandpaper and blades were used to sharpen pencils
- Pencil shavings are actually excellent moth repellent
- The most expensive pencil in the world is a limited edition of the Graf von Faber-Castell Perfect Pencil. It’s crafted from 240-year-old olive wood and 18-karat white gold and costs $12,800
- Before the invention of erasers, bread crumbs were used to rub out pencil marks
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