Save this article to read it later. Find this story in your account’s ‘Saved for Later’ section. Because they are erasable, pencils are often the first tool creative people use when sketching out a ...

True or false: You can get lead poisoning if you’re stuck with a lead pencil. False. Lead pencils contain graphite (a form of carbon), not lead. In fact, contrary to what many people believe, lead ...

Often tucked behind an ear or rolling off desks unnoticed, the pencil is one of those rare objects that’s both ordinary and extraordinary. While it may seem simple—just wood, graphite and a rubber tip ...