Pencil: Graphite wooden jacketed pencils as are known today date from the end of the 17th century when there was a prosperous British business in the north country and when, as Sir John Pettus commented, 'Black Lead ... Is curiously formed into cases of Deal or Cedar, and so sold in Cases as dry Pencils.' On the Continent they were nicknamed crayons d' Angleterre. It was Nicolas Jacques Conte (1755-1805), the French inventor, who worked out the process of mixing a clay with the graphite to give a selective range of hard and soft pencils. An account of his inventions is given in Jomard's 'Conte, sa vie et ses travaux' (1852).

 

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Pencil: Graphite wooden jacketed pencils as are known today date from the end of the 17th century when there was a prosperous British business in the north country and when, as Sir John Pettus comme . . . View Full Definition

Ebony Pencil: A drawing pencil that features a thick core of graphite formulated to be very black and smooth. Capable of a wide tonal range with rich darks. For sketching and drawing.

Carpenters Pencil: A graphite pencil that features a flat ovoid wooden grip surrounding a wide graphite core capable of creating chiseled thick and thin pencil lines. Used for sketching and drawing. Must be ha . . . View Full Definition

Pencils: Very light weight pins.