There are currently 2 pencil rating systems. One is in Europe and one is in the US. The one in the US is a numerical system while the European system is based upon a lettering scheme. The European system is the one that most drawing pencils use. In this system, pencils are rated by hardness (H), blackness (B), and rather the point is fine (F). The softest pencil in this system is rated 9(B) while the hardest is rated 9(H).
From centuries, pencils have recorded our thoughts and dreams. They have been used to create masterpieces in art as well as literature. Famous novelists, Ernest Hemmingway and John Steinbeck used pencils to write their books. Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner using a pencil. Children all over the world have used the humble pencil to learn great facts and bring their imaginations of life on paper. There is more than fourteen billion pencil produced in the world every year. There are enough pencils to circle the globe sixty two times! Yet no one ever gives a thought to this humble device. Let’s take a closer look at this remarkable tool.
Stylus was the first ever item that is used as a pencil. Used in ancient Rome, a stylus was a thin metal stick that was used to scratch on papyrus. The stylus was often made of lead. That is why many people still believe that pencils are made of lead.
A pencil is an art medium or writing implement constructed of a slender, solid tincture core inside a protective covering. Pencils design marks via physical scuff, leaving behind a lingering trail of solid core stuff that adheres to a sheet of paper or any other surface.