Years ago, I heard an observation that NASA had spent millions of dollars developing a pen that would write in zero gravity; the Russians solved the problem more cheaply by simply using a pencil.
Ah, the humble pencil. We have them lying around the house. Who can guess how many have crossed our palms over the years of elementary school and into the present day? My main complaint about a standard pencil is that they never give you enough eraser to balance typical use.
When were pencils invented, and by whom? Many people can name the inventors who made electric light bulbs or wireless radios, but who among you knows the person responsible for one of the most common household items that we would be hard-pressed to live without?
According to Wikipedia – “Pencils were invented in the late 16th century, with the first wooden pencil created by an Italian couple named Simonio and Lyndiana Bernacotti in 1560. The modern pencil, using a mixture of graphite and clay, was developed by Nicholas-Jacques Conte in 1795.” Now you know who to thank the next time you want to write or draw something physically in an easily removable medium.
I have been drawing with pencils since my awkward childish fingers could hold one, and about 25 years ago, I designed an opportunity quilt for my Quilt Guild. That quilt – Evening Song – was featured on the cover of Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine.
It was the guild’s custom at the time to hand quilt our opportunity quilts, and the quilt, in progress, would be displayed and quilted on in a frame as a demonstration at the quilt show before the year the guild would raffle it. As the designer, I brought my original scale drawing on graph paper to display with the quilt. On the first morning, a man attending the show walked around admiring the quilt and then noticed the drawing I had laid on the corner. He examined it and asked if the designer was present. I introduced myself, and he gestured to the drawing, asking what ‘program’ I had used to create it. When I explained that I had not used any program, he looked astonished and asked how I had made the drawing. “The old-fashioned way,” I replied, “with a pencil and an eraser.”
Yes, it’s true. With today’s high-tech computers and programs like Electric Quilt, I still draw my designs the old-fashioned way – with a pencil. Although I do ultimately scan and digitize quite a few of my designs, particularly ones I intend to use as class handouts or marketable patterns, almost all of my designs start as pencil drawings on paper. Below are examples of a pencil drawing on graph paper and the completed quilt. Note the changes from the original design to the finished quilt. I often make such changes as I see the quilt evolving from paper to fabric.
While I appreciate the amenities of mechanical pencils—the consistent, fine leads and the way they extrude at the touch of a button—I still have a soft spot for the good old wooden pencils that I must sharpen. These artists’ drawing pencils are a ‘must’ if I am creating drawings that I will fill in with tonal shading, as mechanical pencils are almost useless for achieving fine transitional shading that defines tone drawing. This has led me to the quest for the perfect pencil sharpener.
In my 20s, I attended a community college, taking advanced art and design classes, and I had the perfect hand-held pencil sharpener. It was one of those self-contained ones with a removable compartment to catch the shavings, but most importantly, it sharpened a pencil to a long, finely tapered, delicate point. It was not an artist’s pencil sharpener but designed for an eyeliner pencil, and it did a superb job of sharpening drawing pencils to provide exposure on the side of the point for shading tone drawings. The ultra-sharp tapered point also meant it continued producing a fine line at the tip long beyond when most pencils would require resharpening. You can guess from my context that I don’t have it anymore. I lost it at college and have never encountered anything like it since.
To get such a fine, tapered point, you need either an electric sharpener—plug-in or battery-operated—or the old-fashioned crank type that mounts on the wall; every classroom had one in the 1960s. I have two vintage hand crank models and two electric ones, but they aren’t exactly portable, and neither type fits into a small pen/pencil tote or canvas book bag that I use to carry my design notebooks. And so, I continue seeking the ideal, small, portable pencil sharpener.
Over the years, I have bought and tried plenty, ranging from the annoying small open ones that strew shavings all over the place to compact ones with snap-on shaving reservoirs. Most failed to satisfy in the long run. After spending a hefty fee for a petite open type one made from metal that my local deluxe art supply store recommended, I found the plastic set of 6 sharpeners sold by the Dollar Store did as good a job. However, both became dull in a few months and were messy.
I prefer the type with the compartment that catches the shavings, though this feature bumps up the size of the sharpener so that it no longer tucks neatly into a pencil box or pouch. Still, they are portable enough to slip into a book bag. Some sharpen to that elongated point I strive for, while others create that short point that is sharp but wears down to a thick line quickly. My current favorites are tied between one by Faber-Castell, which flips open on one side to access three sharpeners (two universal ports for thick and standard drawing pencils and one designed for colored pencils) while the other flips open to dispose of the collected shavings. This sharpener creates an elongated point; the only drawback is paying attention to which side you are opening if you don’t want a pile of pencil shavings in your lap.
My second favorite is one made by a German company called Blackwing. It’s a high-tech-looking black metal cylinder that fits comfortably in your hand. One end of the sharpener unscrews to access the shavings reservoir and the shaving blade should you ever need to replace it. It’s impossible to dump the shavings accidentally, but its drawback is that there is only one port for a standard-diameter pencil.
In all cases, these hand-held sharpeners have a screw that holds in a replaceable blade though you must be careful to find a blade that fits your sharpener. Reviews on replacement blades vary as to whether they fit as specified or are of good quality steel, so homework is needed to ensure you get suitable replacement blades. You can also sharpen the blades if you have the patience. There are a few tutorials online on how to do this. More often than not, finding and replacing a correct blade is more difficult than simply replacing the whole sharpener. However, the Blackwing sharpener is expensive enough to make me consider blade replacement when it finally becomes dull.
Despite all the computerized drawing programs and digital equipment that the current era has brought, I will always love the feel of a pencil as I translate images in my brain into images on paper. When I hold a pencil, I feel a direct connection between my eyes, brain cells, and the nerves in my fingers. It’s a very Zen sensation, and the feel of the graphite flowing from the pencil onto paper is like feeling your blood pulsing through your veins.
Meanwhile, check out this cool video showing the evolution of automatic pencil sharpeners over the ages: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25knkBhLSVA