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I am reading a history of the pencil. It would seem that the discovery of graphite in Britain was the key event. Prior to this people could make marks with metallic lead, or scratch wax tablets, or use pen and ink. But once found, everyone wanted graphite, of course making loads of money for Britain
which had the only good source. I have so far made it only to the early 1800s and things might change there forward.
But charcoal - is it so much worse than graphite? It is black, and carbon, and smeary and easy to make. I acknowledge that there exist artist tools which are charcoal in a pencil, and they are smeary and the artists like them that way. Also plain finger blackening charcoal sticks. But when one gets into the Continental graphite extending methods - mixing with sulfur (Germany) or with clay (France) I think this would take care of a lot of the smeary.
I propose a graphiteless Freedom Pencil which will obviate the need to deal with British graphite monopolists, and which will be composed of ground charcoal mixed with clay in a method analogous to the French one. Said substance will be enclosed in wood as with a standard pencil. I here assert that this will not be smeary like regular charcoal and will sidestep the dangers, disadvantages and expense of graphite.
current art ?
https://www.youtube...watch?v=zZHp1fGdAWE pencil making [popbottle, Jan 31 2017]
[link]
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// composed of ground charcoal mixed with clay in a method analogous to the French one // |
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You mean the way the french make cigarettes ? And coffee ? |
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The french like pencils, because surrender documents are only valid if signed in ink. |
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//a history of the pencil// I think I've read it. Who's the author? |
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And it is bizarre that in the whole world, the only graphite deposit suitable for making "traditional" pencils is still the one in the UK. My understanding is that graphite from elsewhere does not come in large, solid chunks, and is therefore powdered and mixed with clay to form pencil cores. |
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The purest graphite - suitable for use as a neutron moderator - is synthesized from petroleum coke. |
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Better than suffering the slips and annos of outrageous fountain pens ... |
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Pencil puns - what's the point? |
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That is quite a slip if it winds up in your annos. |
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Where is this all going to lead to? |
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Perhaps a flammable liquid in the mix - alcohol - Aye, there's the rub. |
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The DeBeers diamond cartel has a lot of diamonds in
storage, entirely to keep the supply low and the prices
high. I therefore suggest they heat the excess diamonds in
a vacuum, which will convert them into graphite. They can
then sell the graphite. |
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For that, you deserve no mercy whatsoever. |
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Pencil history seems to concentrate on the lead, and on the beginnings and ends. I've been having little luck funding info on the wood used in 18th century pencils, and even less in finding anyone making replicas or even plausible imitations. |
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