Do wooden pencils give you fond memories? You are not alone. These pencils have been around from time immemorial. Many of us have come to associate them with our grade school years. The natural woody feeling coupled with the ease of use make wooden pencils a favourite among artists and students alike. Wooden pencils come in a variety of shapes and sizes and have found use in drawing, sketching and writing school assignments. Do you know the different types of wooden pencils? Do you know what to look out for when buying them? This guide tells you all you need to know about wooden pencils.
TYPES OF WOODEN PENCILS.
Carpenter Pencils
These are flat or octagonal shaped pencils with a very strong lead core. Their shape prevents them from rolling off from hands while it is being used. The strong lead is suitable for making dark heavy marks on rough wood. They are typically used by carpenters to make markings on wood.
Golf Pencils
They are shorter than the typical pencil. They are also very cheap. Their length and price make them disposal. Usually, they are used during a golf game and tossed off after the game. Some libraries also hand them out for free. If you have small hands, you will like this pencil.
Stenographer’s pencils
This pencil is designed to handle a lot of writing. It has a break-proof lead core and can be sharpened on both sides. They are also round in shape. The round shape decreases pressure during writing.
Non-reproducing
The blue marks produced by these pencils cannot be copied by a printer or copier. It allows you to make sketches on your work that will not appear in the final printout. This pencil is used commonly by graphic designers, illustrators and artists. It is a cool device for adding ideas to your artwork.
Art pencils
Art pencils vary in lead hardness, blackness and quality. An artist will usually use several different pencils of various lead thickness and colour to create different effects.
Colour pencils are also available for adding colour to drawings. These do not have graphite in their core. Instead, they have a waxy coloured material in their core. Erasable colour pencils are also available.
CHARACTERISTICS OF A WOODEN PENCIL
Graphite core
Graphite is the material used in pencils. It is the material which makes marks on paper. It is erroneously referred to as lead. Graphite core comes in various grades.
Wooden casing
The graphite core is encased between two pieces of wood which are then glued together. The wood comes in a variety of shapes and lengths. The casing can be round, flat and octagonal. The lengths can be as short as nine centimetres or as long as fifteen centimetres.
THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING.
Lead Grade
In Europe pencils are graded as H,B, HB and F. H stands for hardness, B stands for blackness, HB and F are intermediate with HB being darker than F. Hardness increases with increase in H number. For instance, 10H is harder than 4H. The lead becomes lighter with an increase in hardness. Similarly, when the B number is high, the pencil mark is dark. The appropriate grade depends on personal preference as well as the use of the pencil. HB pencils are suited for school use.
Lead quality
Lead quality varies according to the manufacturer. Some pencils have thick graphite thus will smudge on the paper easily, others will put thin lead which is likely to break easily. Are the marks easy to erase?
Look at the wooden casing. It should be easy to handle. It shouldn’t pressure the fingers too much otherwise writing will be very uncomfortable.
Shape
The shape can be octagonal, hexagonal, round, even triangular. Most pencils are hexagonally shaped to make finger grip easy. The shape may also increase pressure on the fingers or make the pencil slide when you write. Try out many pencil shapes to know which one will suit you best.
Length
If you want a pencil that you can use many times, then length should be a consideration. Choose one that is at least fifteen centimetres tall.
CONCLUSION.
Wooden pencils are beautiful, natural and fun. They bring a traditional as well as modern twist to writing. They come in hexagonal, octagonal or triangular shapes. There are various lead grades, lead quality and hardness. Wooden pencils find their use in schools, carpentry,golf virtually everywhere. Always use the best electric pencil sharpeners for wooden pencils to get perfect results. The place of wooden pencils in modern ages therefore, cannot be ignored.