WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN #2 LEAD AND THE REST?

Resource Center » What's the Difference Between #2 Lead and the Rest?

Differences between #2 lead and other types of pencil lead.

Pencils have been around for longer than you may think! It all started in 16th century England when several trees, downed by a furious storm, revealed a large deposit of a dark substance believed to be lead. In the1800s, an English scientist found this matter to be some form of carbon. It was given the name graphite from the Greek word, "graphein," meaning “to write". The rest is history! Wood pencils were first made in process production in the 1600s. Although modern machinery and technology has helped speed up and simplify the process, the concept remains the same.

You may have been "misled" about pencil lead! The lead in pencils is not really made of lead—it's graphite mixed with other substances. To produce pencil lead, graphite is ground to a fine powder, mixed with clay and water, and then pressed together into thin rods at extreme temperatures.

If you were to glance at the flat end of an unsharpened pencil, it appears as if the outer wooden casing is one solid piece. That would require boring a hold down the center of the wooden dowel and then slipping in a rod of lead. Indeed, that is how the early pencils were constructed, but not in today’s mass production! The English method, which involved cutting a groove into the wood, laying a piece of graphite into the groove, and glueing a small slab of wood on top to encase the graphite, has been improved. Now, blocks of cedar are cut into slats and a machine bores grooves into those slats (they are half the depth of the graphite rod’s thickness). Next, the rods are put in place and a second grooved slat is adhered atop the first. After drying, these slats are cut by machine into eight pencils, varying in shape. After sanding the joints and applying numerous coats of paint, any imperfections are hidden and the pencils are ready to be distributed!

Have you ever wondered what the number printed on the side of the pencil is all about? It describes the hardness and darkness of the graphite it contains. The higher the number is, the harder the graphite will be. A hard core leaves behind less of the graphite’s tracings on paper, so the markings from it will be lighter than a softer core. That's why a #4 pencil's markings will appear lighter than a #2's, because less of the graphite is released. While a #1 pencil would be darker than the most-used #2, its soft core would tend to leave too much graphite residue, thus allowing for easier smearing and smudging.

The introduction of machine-graded tests, such as the standardized tests used in schools, set the standard for use of #2 pencils. If the lead was any harder than #2 lead, the markings would be too light for the machine to read and would therefore cause the inscriber to go over and over the same circle to darken it. This often made a hole in the test paper and rendered the results unreadable. If the lead was any softer than #2 lead, the markings would be too easily smeared which would also render the results unreadable.

How To Guides
How a pen works and why the ink cartridge makes all the difference in the world
How are adhesive sticky note pads and cubes made/printed?
How are golf balls made?
How are golf umbrellas made?
How are paper cubes made/printed?
How are pens printed?
How are stress balls made?
How come different monitors display colors differently?
How did the frisbee get its name?
How do magnets work?
How does a mood color changing pencil, pen, or mug actually work?
How does an LED flashlight work?
How does embroidery work?
How does laser engraving work and why is the engravement the color it is?
How does the emulsion process work?
How is a sports bottle made?
How is denim made?
How much caffeine is in a typical cup of coffee?
How much water should a person drink in a day?
How to add your advertising/commercials to YouTube
How to collect postcards
How to measure and/or determine your hat size
How to properly wash your favorite baseball cap
How to read and properly use a ruler
How to read and properly use a tape measure
How to remove stickers without leaving all that sticky residue behind
Porcelain mugs and ceramic mugs? When should each be used/considered?
The different types of plastics and their number classifications (codes)
What are magnets made of?
What causes the waves that appear in some plastic (drinkware) items?
What is a deboss/emboss and how does it work?
What is digital sublimation?
What is a USB hub and how does it work?
What is ergonomics and what makes a product ergonomical?
What is neoprene? Why is it better than foam?
What is the difference between #2 lead and the rest?
Why do golf balls have those funny indentations?

Quality Logo Products, Inc. is your number one source for stress balls and promotional items.

Quality Logo Products, Inc. • 724 North Highland Avenue • Aurora, Illinois 60506
For assistance, email us at info@qualitylogoproducts.com or call 1-866-312-5646 • Monday - Friday.