The pencil has been around in its basic form, a core of graphite encased in wood, since 1560. A cabinetmaker in Concord, Massachusetts made the first American wood pencils in 1812.
A pencil makes a mark that is easily erased, but otherwise resistant to moisture, most chemicals, UV rays, and natural aging. John Steinbeck, the famous author who wrote literary masterpieces such as The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men, is said to have used as many as sixty pencils a day! Steinbeck, Truman Capote, Chuck Jones, Leonard Bernstein, and Stephen Sondheim were all users of the original Blackwing pencil, known for its uncommonly smooth writing lead and distinctive for its flat rectangular refillable erasers. We are proud to continue the tradition of Blackwing here in the shop.
In addition to the classic wood pencil, we carry mechanical pencils, lead holders, sharpeners, extenders, erasers and refill lead.
