18th Century Pencil

[nc_cooter]

About a year ago I started researching 18th century pencils.I had been asked by some school classes during a living history event and I did not have an answer.
Graphite was first discovered in England in 1565 and was called "greasy lead" because it resembled lead. In the late 18th century it was determined to a crystalline form of carbon and was named graphite.
By the late 1600's, pencil making had become a wide spread cottage industry and they were being shipped to world markets. Graphite was cut into thin sticks and glued between two pieces of soft wood. In 1761, Kasper Faber, cabinette maker, opened a factory in Germany to mass produce pencils.
See this site for info:http://www.faber-castell.de/20873/History-Information/History-of-the-Pencil/Pencil-Discovery-Innovation/default_news.aspx
Here is a pic of my rendition.

It is 4"long and about 1/2" sq.
Thanks for looking,
Mike

 

[lonehunter]

Thats cool! :thumbsup:

 

[Woods Dweller]

This is very interesting. :thumbsup: If I remember correctly one had to lick the tip of the pencil in order to get it to wright.

 

[nc_cooter]

No licking needed, if you use pure graphite bar. You will get a dark stripe on your tongue with pure graphite. Don't ask how I know that.
In 1794 the Graphite-Clay process was discovered. Powdered graphite was mixed with clay and formed into thin rods. The mixture was fired in a kiln at high temperature to harden. I have read that "licking" the early graphite-clay pencils was common. As the manufacturing process was refined, pencils of different hardness were readily available.
Mike

 

[ladysmithtrading]

Looks like you used a carpenters pencil shaved down for your lead supply?

 

[nc_cooter]

Not from a carpenters pencil. If you look at one closely, that lead is very narrow. The stuff I used is 1/2" wide. I ordered it from an art supply house. It has a 2B/4B hardness. I used cedar for the slabs.
Mike

 

[ladysmithtrading]

cool, looks good!

 

[54ball]

What about erasers?

 

[nc_cooter]

That will be another project down the road. Got to spend some time in the forge. :grin:
Mike

 

[jeffdrown]

What do they call it from Art Supply ???

 

[RushCC]

What about erasers?

I heard somewhere that they used bread crumbs...not sure :idunno:

 

[MSW]

way cool - thanks for the post!

 

[nc_cooter]

Jeff, they are called graphite sticks.
Mike

 

[BillinOregon]

Mike: Your project is truly fascinating. What kind of glue was used in the 18th century, and what glue are you using?

 

[nc_cooter]

Bill, I have not been able to find any references to the type of glue they used. My WAG would be hide glue, but that's just a guess. I resorted to using a thin epoxy colored with lamp black.
I would really like to know what they used.
Mike

 

[Scorpmann3518]

Thats really cool. Had no idea pencils have been around that long.

 

[ohio ramrod]

Could you give us the site for the art supply house? :idunno:

 

[nc_cooter]

Here's where I bought mine. They are 1/2" x 1/4" x 3". I sliced the sticks to half thickness with a jewelers saw. http://www.utrechtart.com/General-...te-Sticks--Box-of-12-MP41875-i1011573.utrecht
Mike

 

[cchipmunk]

Mike, very nicely done and with all the information you have shared... a nicely documented project as well. :thumbsup:

Suz