Out_the_Door
Recycles dryer sheets
I use an exacto knife to sharpen my pencils...they are mostly art pencils
I hate dull pencils, so bought a 12 pack of sharpeners for $1 and spread them all over the house and my workshop. It is so nice to have sharp pencils and always a sharpener at my fingertips. Blow that dough.
https://www.dollartree.com/jot-fun-shapes-pencil-sharpeners-12ct-packs/26571
My first memory of using a pencil was about 1952 or so in grade school. I think the "teach" had a crank sharpener on her desk and we little ones would have to raise our hand and ask permission to use it. I used to use it on in conjunction with a run to the boys room. (efficient little lad was I) (we had crayons too)
Then in junior high school, I had a small wooden hand held one and used that a lot. I remember Mom buying us kids pencils to take to school in our "pencil case". (remember those?)
I went to technical high school in Connecticut and my major was Drafting, where we (9 of us drafting students) were in drafting class two weeks "on" then two weeks in regular subjects for four years. No wonder I have less than respectable use of the English language (and spelling) because we only got about 1/2 the courses in traditional subjects that were taught in "normal" high schools!
In Drafting class, we used mechanical pencils and I really got to like those! We had a plastic shirt pocket insert for holding our mechanical pencil! Very cool in 1957! Ahead of the "crowd" and coupled with a belt carried slide rule, you were envied!
Once graduated, I worked as a draftsman for a couple of years, using, of course, a mechanical pencil! When Uncle Sam called me, I turned in my mechanical pencil for a Colt 45 side arm! Lots of "lead" in that baby!
After the war ended and I was back home in Connecticut, I went to engineering college in 1968 using the G.I. Bill which at that time provided me $222/month. That money, and a part time job in a drug store, paid the tuition, books, some beer money and about 1/3 the rent of a flat in Oakville, Ct. I used mechanical pencils throughout college. Once in a while, I did revert back to the good old wooden ones when in a pinch!
Mechanical pencils followed me through a career and marriages (3 actually-- I was good at picking pencils, but not women) and now that I am retired, my "go to" pencil is a wooden No. 2 with a hand sharpener bolted to my workbench.
There's more to tell here, but let's just say that in a pinch, any sharpener will do!
I used to be a civil draftsman. Started in 1974 - Used 2mm drafting pencils for most engineering plans because they would always have lots of revisions. Used to sharpen them with sandpaper.
Moved into CAD drafting late 70's and gradually acquired draftspersons to do drafting on my projects. But I made rough sketches for the rest of my career. Still draw something almost daily - hand sketches for my woodworking projects.
I’m curious, what does one use a pencil for these days?
I’m curious, what does one use a pencil for these days?
I’m curious, what does one use a pencil for these days?
I switched to mechanical pencils long ago and never looked back.
... Retired so use for hobby project plans, and marking cut lines.
I splurged with my birthday money one year while in high school and bought a matching Cross pen & pencil. I still have them and they are still excellent.
It stabbed me in the palm of the hand and broke off. I still have that tiny graphite pencil point embedded in my palm comfortably lodged under my epidermis and visible. It never really caused a problem, so I never had it removed. It's an instant reminder of that day some 50-plus years ago!
OP, what do you need such outdated, PREHISTORIC writing instrument called pencil, for? Unless you are into CAD drawing, a construction architect, or in the wood working trades ... buy a fountain pen for God's sake .
I hate pencils, of any kind. And I can't figure out why their use is encouraged so much here in North America (both US and Canada). Using a fountain pen (or at least a ballpoint pen) makes you think twice or thrice, before writing your final result stuff. Also, the fountain pens promote good writing skills i.e. cursive, and helps with a better hand-brain coordination, and encouraging better thinking in a way...
I used to use pencil to write helpful notes in some library reference books for the next reader. I consider it a value added service. The library still owes me for it.