![]() Numbers often precede the letters the higher the number, the greater the degree of hardness or softness. ![]() In the USSR lead drawing pencils are made in several degrees of hardness, which are indicated by the letters M (soft), T (hard), and MT (medium hard). Special types of pencils include pastels and sanguine (red chalk). There are also pencils used for retouching, marking, and labeling various materials. Pencils are also classified according to their use for example, there are school, office, drafting, drawing, lettering, carpentry, and cosmetic pencils. Mechanical, or automatic, pencils appeared in the second half of the 19th century and became particularly popular in the 20th century.ĭepending on various manufacturing techniques and writing properties, there are different kinds of pencils, including black lead (graphite) pencils, colored pencils, and copying pencils. In principle, this method forms the basis of the modern process of pencil manufacture. Hardtmuth proposed the manufacture of writing instruments made of a mixture of pulverized graphite and clay. At about the same time, the Czech scientist J. Charred powdered bone produces mat black marks. Graphite pencils provide dull strokes with a slight luster. Beginning in the 16th century, graphite pencils and pencils made of charred powdered bone bound with gum were widespread. The black chalk pencil, which was made of black clayish shale and produced a soft dull shade of black, was introduced in the 14th century. Used from the 12th to the 16th century, metal points produced a dark gray tone. Prototypes of the pencil included metal points, lead and silver pins that were inserted into metal holders. It is often encased in a wood or metal holder. Mechanical pencils are commonly made of metal or plastic, the cores (or leads) being advanced by operating a screw mechanism or a propel-repel ejector mechanism.Ī rod made of coal, lead, graphite, or dry pigment that is used for writing, drawing, or sketching. Pencils are also manufactured with cores of colored pigments mixed with clay and wax and of other materials. The rods are laid in grooves of a thin board, a similar board is placed over them, and the wood is shaped into pencils, usually of round or hexagonal cross section. Today the mixture is forced through dies, cut to the required length, and kiln-fired. pulverized graphite was mixed with clay to bind it and to provide different degrees of hardness-the more clay, the harder the pencil. ![]() The so-called lead pencil-a rod of graphite encased in wood-came into use in the 16th cent. The Egyptians ruled lines with metallic lead, as did medieval monks. From prehistoric times lumps of colored earth or chalk were used as markers. For example, an 8B is softer than a 6B.įor more information on these and other details, see The Pencil: A History of Design and Circumstance, by Henry Petroski (Knopf, 1990).Pencil, pointed implement used in writing or drawing to apply graphite or a similar colored solid to any surface, especially paper. So whereas an H pencil would be hard (and light), a B would be soft (and dark) HB is in the middle. According to a more common classification system, a No. 1 (which makes darker marks), but more than the harder No. 2 pencil leaves less graphite on the paper than the softer No. 2 pencil” (lowercase n) doesn’t even chart in an ngram (unless its absence stems from a limitation in Google’s data).Īs most editors who work on paper would know, the “2” refers to hardness. It’s maybe not surprising, then, that the form “no. ![]() 1.” That’s how “number one” in that sense is “often written” according to Merriam-Webster. But as with dress sizes (and page numbers), a numeral matches what’s usually on the item itself.Īs for the capital N in “No.,” there’s a close analogy in “No. 2” will be more familiar to readers.Ī third option-spelling out the whole thing (“number two”)-would be okay also (it’s the second most common usage). 2, under “noun + numeral or enumerator”)-we’d argue from the evidence above that “No. Book editors often default to spelling out abbreviations and numerals in running text, but even so, most of the spelled-out forms trail the abbreviations:Īnd though “number 2 pencil” would be okay with us-in line with “type 2 diabetes,” “size 10 dress,” and “type A executive” (see CMOS 7.89, sec. According to Google’s Ngram Viewer, those forms also happen to be at or near the top of the list of how such pencils have been referred to in books published since 1900. 2” (as on this page from Dixon Ticonderoga), though “#2” is also common. Pencil companies seem to prefer the form “No. This often means looking to Merriam-Webster, but since there’s no entry there, you’ll have to do some digging. Where CMOS fails to offer a specific ruling, follow common usage. 2 pencil,” which isn’t a proper name, but nearly so? If I write “Number 2,” it doesn’t seem to be “better.” Thoughts?Ī.
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