What are the parts of a pencil?

3rd March 2020


What are the parts of a pencil?


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		Body
		The body of a carpenter’s pencil is usually made from wood. It differs from a normal pencil insomuch as it is not round and its body is typically bigger.

		Bigger body The bigger body of a carpenter’s pencil makes it stronger and less likely to break during or between uses when it may be thrown into a tool box or lie amongst heavy-duty hardware. Its overall bigger size makes it easier to handle when wearing protective gloves.

		Rectangular, oval and octagonal bodies The carpenter’s pencil’s cross-section will either be rectangular, flat-octagonal, octagonal or oval.

		The flat-octagonal or rectangular carpenter’s pencils are by far the most common available. These pencil shapes are preferred as they will not easily roll away if put down on an unlevel work surface. The disadvantage of having a flat body is that it cannot be used in standard pencil sharpeners, though there are special sharpeners for these types of pencil.

		The oval carpenter’s pencil is a fairly common shape and is perhaps a little more comfortable to handle. It has a wide, flat lead like the rectangular and flat-octagonal types which is preferred for heavy-duty use.

		The octagonal carpenter’s pencil is the least common shape available. This is because, although robust, its lead does not have the advantage of having a thin and thick side and its octagonal body shape means it is more likely than its flatter counterparts to roll away if laid down on an unlevel work surface.

		Lead
		The lead of a carpenter’s pencil is typically much harder than that of a normal pencil. It usually has a rectangular profile.

		Tougher lead The tougher lead of a carpenter’s pencil means that it will not easily break when used in heavy-duty marking jobs.

		Rectangular lead The rectangular lead allows the user to sharpen the lead to a fine, flat or chisel pointed tip. This gives the user the ability to draw thick or thin lines depending on which angle of the tip they use.

		Being able to draw parallel lines with a single stroke is particularly useful when marking out guidelines prior to carving.