The ancient Egyptians are said to have poured molten lead into reeds, bamboo cane or papyrus cane and used them as writing tools around 5000 years ago.

From the 12th century onwards, lead alloy styluses with silver soldered to the tip were used for writing. Pressed into pencil form, these silver pens were also used by many artists of later centuries for rough sketches.

It is said that graphite sticks were occasionally used for writing as early as the 16th century.

As early as the sixties of the 17th century, graphite sticks made of Borrowdale graphite and set in wood were used in many countries.

Finally, in 1662, a »pencil maker«, a certain Friedrich Staedtler, was recorded for the first time in Nuremberg council documents.

The term »pencil lead« is fundamentally wrong, because the graphite pencil, as it is correctly called, does not contain any lead.
At the time, graphite was thought to be lead ore, from which the misleading name pencil is derived.

Graphite and clay are the two main raw materials from which the graphite lead is made. Both materials must be very fine and homogeneous in order to guarantee good quality. To achieve this, graphite and clay are ground very finely and the resulting ground material is mixed together. Different mixing ratios of clay and graphite result in different hardness levels. If a high proportion of graphite is used, the result is a soft lead; if a high proportion of clay is used, the lead is harder. Firing heat and firing time also have an influence on the final hardness.

The resulting mixture is pressed through a mold into a mini strand, cut to the appropriate length and then the leads are baked at very high temperatures. The final lead is then finished with wax to ensure smooth abrasion.

The best-known hardness levels for pencils are the designations from 9H (extremely hard) to 9B (particularly soft).

B = Black; H = Hard; HB = Hard Black = medium hard; F = Firm

Why are pencils so multifunctional? The advantages of a pencil are obvious:

• Pencils are very inexpensive writing instruments

• different hardness levels for different applications (see above)

• Pencils are available everywhere and in a wide variety of designs

• Handling a pencil is very easy

• can write at any temperature and in any position (even upside down and in space!)

• Written something wrong? Made a mistake? No problem - just erase it

• Pencil writing is highly resistant to light

• Writing length up to 50,000 m!

• the sound of writing on paper and the sharpener when the blade cuts away the wood to make the blunt pencil writeable again »in the blink of an eye«

The writing length of different writing instruments is an important aspect that influences their efficiency, sustainability and cost-effectiveness.
However, the actual writing length can vary depending on the use and characteristics of the writing instrument.

Compared to other writing instruments, the pencil is a true master of endurance!

• Pencils: between 20.000 m and 56.000 m

• Ballpoint pens: between 1000 m and 10.000 m

• School fountain pens/fountain pens: approx. 300 m per ink cartridge. Depending on the size of the ink tank

• Rollerball: between 1000 m and 2500 m

• Gel rollerball: between 500 m and 1200 m

In a world where sustainability and economic efficiency are becoming increasingly important, the pencil is an attractive option.
Its unsurpassed writing length, coupled with its versatility and reliability, makes it an indispensable tool for writers of all kinds.

Conclusion: The superb writing length of the pencil, combined with its ecological sustainability, sends a clear message: In the world of writing instruments, the pencil remains an undefeated champion.

Proof of the outstanding writing length of pencils was provided by two young scientists, who won a prize in the Jugend forscht competition!

"You can draw a 56 km long line with a single pencil" (see Unnützes Wissen: 1374 skurrile Fakten, die man nie mehr vergisst, 2008)

After experimenting for a while, the two young scientists set up their experiment:

• A wheel from a teacher's physics collection

• A tripod for attaching the pencil

• A roll of paper from a supermarket checkout

• A scale to measure the pressure of the pencil on the paper
„We used a pencil to draw on a sheet of paper, which we first attached to the scales. Then we transferred the results per hundredth of a second to the PC. We used a data acquisition system called “Cassy”. We used this to determine the force exerted. Then we needed a piece of weight to press on the pencil.“

• Different pencil hardness levels

• a sharpener

The conclusion of the experiment: „The statement made in the book is far too inaccurate, too general.
How long a pencil writes depends on which pencil you use and the force with which it is being pressed [...]"

We therefore conclude that the length of the line depends on various conditions.
A soft pencil (hardness grade 8B) can be completely finished after about 20 km. However, a hard pencil can actually achieve a writing length of significantly more than 50 km.

Colored leads consist of color pigments, fats, waxes, binders and mineral fillers such as talcum or finely ground kaolin. As with graphite lead, the quality of colored leads depends on the fineness of the ground material, but above all on the proportion and quality of the pigments. A high proportion of pigments leads to a higher quality lead and a better color spread. After blending, the mixture is also pressed through a mold into lead shape and the leads are cut to the appropriate length. Unlike graphite leads, however, colored leads are not baked but dried in drying ovens. The colored leads are also given a hot grease bath to improve their gliding properties.

To produce lead and colored pencils, grooves are first milled into two wooden boards, corresponding to the diameter of the lead. The leads are placed between the two boards and all glued together and pressed together until fully hardened. The individual pencils are then sawn and given their outer shape on planing machines: round, triangular, hexagonal or oval. The pens are then further refined, polished, lacquered in color and some are provided with lacquered caps or lacquered rings. Today, many pens are also processed unlacquered. Once the pencil is finished, it is given a company imprint, sharpened and packed in boxes or cases.

Instead of a graphite lead, the › colored pencil has a colored lead made of color pigments, fats, waxes, binders and minerals such as talcum and kaolin.
It is a writing or drawing instrument, usually with a lacquer color that matches the color of the lead.
Colored pencils are mainly used as pencils for children, as artists' materials, but also as highlighters or drawing pencils.
Unlike pencils, the lines of standard colored pencils are very difficult or impossible to erase.
Other special colored pencils are watercolor pencils, which allow subsequent coloring with water.

The › Graphite-/Copy pencil is a writing or drawing instrument with a water-soluble, colored lead, which is used for “document-proof” drawing.
The wooden cover is usually made of lacquered wood, as with pencils.

Carpenter pencils with a harder lead are called › Masonry pencil. Masonry pencils are used for writing on concrete or stone, in other words very hard surfaces..

A special form of carpenter's pencil is the › Multigraph pencil. This pencil has a special graphite lead that is suitable for writing on smooth surfaces such as tiles, glass, metal or even expanded polystyrene. Multigraph pencil leads are usually supplied in red, green or blue.
The different lead colors are important so that the multigraph pencil can be used for differently colored surfaces.
The multigraph pencil is also known as a giant pencil or triangular pencil. The term triangular pencil comes from the fact that the standard wooden form of the multigraph pencil is triangular. However, multigraph pencils can also be supplied with an oval wooden sleeve.

The carpenter pencil is mainly used on construction sites or in the private do-it-yourself sector for marking on materials with a rough, solid surface, such as wood, concrete or masonry.
It differs from the normal pencil in size, shape and function.
The carpenter pencil is mainly used by carpenters, bricklayers and concrete workers, as well as in the DIY sector. It is available sharpened or unsharpened on request. The carpenter pencil is usually sharpened with a sharp knife.
The standard carpenter pencil has a standardized soft lead and a rectangular cross-section, while the wooden sleeve has an oval cross-section.