Posted on: May 28, 2020
When test day rolls around, it’s important to make sure you have everything you need. This includes your ticket and photo ID, a bottle of water, a snack, a calculator, and a few trusty #2 pencils.
“But why ‘#2,’ Mike?” you may ask. “All I ever see is #2 pencils. Can I even get a #1 pencil, or a #5, or a #3.1415927? What’s the difference, anyway? Please enlighten me, o wise tutor!”
Wonder no more, my friends, for I shall educate you on the surprisingly interesting history of the humble, useful, and indispensable #2 pencil. (No, seriously: I spent way more time down the rabbit hole of YouTube videos about pencils while researching this post than I ever expected.)
Why is it called a #2 pencil?
The numbers are a measure of the hardness of the lead (graphite, actually, but we’ll get to that). Higher numbers indicate a harder lead, which gives you a finer point and crisper lines. Lower numbers indicate a softer lead, which is good for shading. #2 is the Goldilocks of pencils: not too hard, not too soft, and good for pretty much all of your pencil needs. Unless you’re an artist (artists like using different lead numbers for different techniques), you may well go your entire life using nothing but a #2.
Outside of the US, the labels are different but the idea is the same. When test day comes around, if you are completely unable to find a #2 pencil but you can find the German pencil set that an aunt gave you for your birthday (not the most likely scenario, I know, but work with me here), what you’re looking for is a pencil labeled “HB.”
Why is a pencil graphite called lead?
So what about that graphite thing I mentioned earlier? Well, it turns out pencils don’t actually contain the metal lead, which is probably for the best, because lead poisoning is a thing. The first graphite deposit was discovered in England in the 16th century. No one knew what this mysterious stuff was, but their best guess was that it was some form of lead, so they called it “black lead” and began making primitive pencils out of it. Early pencils were basically just pieces of graphite with string wrapped around them (artists still use those, too).
A brief history of the pencil
Since then, pencil technology has come a long way. In the 18th century, a Frenchman named Nicolas-Jacques Conté developed a way of mixing graphite with clay. Graphite is very brittle, and Conté’s method for mixing it with clay helps it become much more durable without losing its ability to mark paper. The different numbers on pencils indicate how much clay is mixed with the graphite — the more clay, the higher the number and the harder the “lead.” The process was brought to America (or maybe invented independently; the records are a little sketchy) by none other than author and philosopher Henry David Thoreau. Turns out his family owned a pencil factory.
But that wasn’t the end of pencil innovations. In 1858, Hymen L. Lipman filed the first patent for a snazzy new pencil design that had an eraser attached to one end. And that yellow color that we all know and love debuted on a pencil that was a big hit at the 1889 World’s Fair. It was such a big hit, in fact, that soon every pencil maker started painting the outside of their pencils the same shade of yellow.
Why is the #2 pencil the standard for tests?
So why does this matter so much when it comes to standardized tests? The scantron that grades answer sheets has an optical sensor that can tell where the paper is light and where it is dark. A higher number, harder lead might not make a mark dark enough for the scantron to pick up. And softer lead tends to smudge, which means you might leave stray marks on the page that the scantron will interpret as a wrong answer. You’d probably be fine either way, but better to just use a #2 and not worry about it.
And if you’re like me and ever wondered how the heck they get the lead in there at all, it’s probably easier just to go check out one of those YouTube videos I mentioned.
FAQs
Higher numbers indicate a harder lead, which gives you a finer point and crisper lines. Lower numbers indicate a softer lead, which is good for shading. #2 is the Goldilocks of pencils: not too hard, not too soft, and good for pretty much all of your pencil needs.
What is the history of number 2 pencils? ›
"No. 2 was the one that was a happy medium between being too hard and being too soft." said Petroski. That number two rating is based on a scale for hardness: 1, 2, 3, or 4. That scale was created by American poet and philosopher Henry David Thoreau when he was working at his family's pencil factory.
Why are no two pencils special? ›
According to Dictionary.com, early machines that scanned and recorded test scores couldn't properly detect marks made by hard pencils. While No. 1 -- the softest -- pencils were prone to smudging, the No. 2 pencil was the perfect balance of softness and hardness.
What is the number 2 pencil trivia? ›
The No. 2 Pencil can draw a straight line for 1,178 km and has an average mark thickness of only 143 atoms. It is a beloved and trusted tool. It's popular, cheap, and most importantly, reliable.
What is a #3 pencil? ›
A #3 pencil is harder, so the line it lighter, but it is more durable and requires less frequent sharpening. On the standard H-B hardness scale it is usually H, although some manufacturers vary their formula so it might be 2H or even F (between HB and H). H-B Pencil hardness scale. Image from Pencils.com.
What is a #4 pencil? ›
Using the HB scale, B is soft and the higher the number the softer the pencil. The same goes for H, the higher the number the harder the pencil. Using Ticonderoga pencils again as an example, #1 is equivalent to B, #2 is equivalent to HB, #3 is equivalent to H, and #4 is equivalent to 2H.
Is there a #1 pencil? ›
1 Pencil (B Grade): Higher in graphite, softer, prone to smudging, and ideal for artistic or bold writing. No. 2 Pencil (HB Grade): A balanced mix of graphite and clay, offering versatility for writing and drawing, making it a popular choice for schools and offices.
What does the no. 2 on a number two pencil indicate? ›
The first graphite grading scale is a numeric scale. Using this scale, the hardness of the core is often marked on the pencil — look for a number (such as “2” “2-1/2” or “3”). The higher the number the harder the writing core and the lighter the mark left on the paper.
What does f mean on a pencil? ›
The F pencil grade means Fine. This pencil is hard which means that it maintains a fine point. What makes a pencil grade harder or softer? The core of a graphite pencil is a mix of graphite and clay filler.
What is an H pencil? ›
The H in pencil grades stands for hardness, and the B stands for blackness. The harder a pencil lead is, the lighter the lines they produce will be. Conversely, softer leads make darker marks, and thus fall into the 'B' side of the HB Graphite Scale.
Cole explains that it was Henry David Thoreau's father, John Thoreau–owner of a pencil factory–who began classifying the softness of pencils by their numbers. No. 1 pencils were the darkest; No. 2 were the second darkest, and so on.
What makes a number 2 pencil so special? ›
The lead is not too dark and not too light, and it's not too hard or too soft. Pencils numbered higher than 2 have harder leads and are often used by engineers, architects, and draftsmen because of their harder points. The underlying logic here is that the harder point gives the user greater control of the lead.
Is there anything other than a number 2 pencil? ›
Pencils classified consecutively as B, 2B, 3B, 45, 5B, and so on are softer, darker pencils. Working in the "opposite direction," pencils classified as F, H, 2H, 3H, 4H, and so on are lighter, harder pencils.
What are the benefits of a 2B pencil? ›
2B is much softer and won't stay sharp, but it is smoother. It can produce variation between light and dark with different levels of pressure. It's good for filling in dark areas, like shadows and facial contours. You can see the different ways we use graphite drawing pencils here.
Which is better 1 pencil or 2 pencil? ›
1 Pencil (B Grade): Higher in graphite, softer, prone to smudging, and ideal for artistic or bold writing. No. 2 Pencil (HB Grade): A balanced mix of graphite and clay, offering versatility for writing and drawing, making it a popular choice for schools and offices.
