1. There is no risk of lead poisoning if you stab yourself (or someone else) with a pencil because it contains no lead — just a mixture of clay and graphite. Still, pencil wounds carry a risk of ...

Understanding the Context

For simplicity, I tend to use a #2 graphite pencil for most of my deep-sky drawings. After all, a pencil and paper are all that’s really needed to record an observation. Is a minimalist approach the ... Happy 158th birthday to the pencil with attached eraser!

Key Insights

It was on , that Hymen L. Lipman received a patent for his remarkable invention — a tube of wood with graphite at one end and a ... Which mechanical pencil is best? Mechanical pencils are a useful tool for any student, educator or artist, making up part of the reason why they’ve become so popular. While many of the world’s best ...

Final Thoughts

As much as I’d like to mix metaphors and puns with phrases like “get the lead out” and “full metal jacket,” this pencil speaks for itself: it’s a thoroughly over-built mechanical writing implement ... On , inventor Hymen L. Lipman patented the first pencil with a built-in eraser—then sold it for $100,000. Believe it or not, this is not the first time in history that a little stick of ... International design and art direction awards D&AD is set to replace its In Book and Nomination Awards with two newly designed Pencils as part of an Awards-wide refresh. Coming into effect from the ...