Pencils You Should Know: A History of the Ultimate Writing Utensil in 75 Anecdotes

by Caroline Weaver

Pencils You Should Know traces the evolution of pencils over time and across the globe. From the humble, handcrafted pencil of the 19th century to the novelty writing implement of the 1990s, each object in this book tells a different story.

This book features a selection of 75 modern and vintage pencils curated by pencil powerhouse Caroline Weaver, owner of legendary New York pencil emporium CW Pencil Enterprise. Pencil fanatics will find old favorites here—the original Blackwing 602 puts in an appearance, of course—and make exciting new discoveries, too.

• The long, skinny book was designed to emulate a brand new box of pencils.
• Vintage pencils and accessories are photographed against vibrant, colorful backgrounds and accompanied by Weaver's insightful commentary.
• A pocket-sized love letter to one of the most important inventions in human history

This supremely charming little book celebrates the enduring magic of the pencil.

Trace the history of the pencil over time and across the globe, and discover everything you need to know about this simple yet ingenious invention.

• A great book for pencil collectors, admirers, historians, artists, writers—anyone who gets excited about the new Palomino Blackwing, a perfectly sharpened No. 2 Ticonderoga
• Fans of The Pencil by Henry Petroski, How to Sharpen Pencils by David Rees and John Hodgman, and The Pencil Perfect by Caroline Weaver will want this in their collection.
• The perfect gift for pencil devotees, analog and vintage ephemera lovers, designers, and fans of CW Pencil Enterprise

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Art, Creative

168 pages, Hardcover

Published February 4, 2020

Reviews

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bon-bon of a book for a confirmed pencil nut like me, this is a beautifully designed photographic history of the pencil by the undisputed queen in the field, Caroline Weaver. From its pencil-yellow endpapers to its vertical pencil shape, the book is a pleasure to hold and behold. For all of you out there who are keyboarding away like gerbils on wheels, stop for 15 minutes and take a look at some of the old masters of writing implements.

[Rogue Male · Rating 4 out of 5]

7/10

[Allie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm such a pencil dork and this is a real treasure. It's exciting how many of these I know, own, or have used.

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love pencils you will love this book! A must for any collector.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do…I…want to collect pencils now? Where does one even go to collect antique pencils.

Cute little book, more of a coffee table book than a true history of the pencil. A photo book with extremely informative captions, perhaps. Fair play, as the book is described as a history of the pencil in 75 anecdotes. Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable, quick read with some interesting insights into the pencil.

[Joseph Wetterling · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this on a whim and half as a gag; it seemed like an odd book to be reading with a great title. But I was pleasantly surprised at the history packed into this quick read. I added a page of "history of pencils" to my own commonplace notes, I was so fascinated. You can read this in one or two sittings, so do so if you get an opportunity.

[Nic · Rating 5 out of 5]

My friend sent me this book and I actually mistook it for a box of pencils at first. Impeccable presentation.

I loved the photos on the pop of color, the fascinating little anecdotes, and the great collection of pencils from around the world!

[pea. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want EVERY pencil in here!

[Bonnie|thebookishinsomniac · Rating 3 out of 5]

If this doesn’t prove I’ll read the history of literally anything, nothing will. The pictures in this were perfection and the accompanying blurbs were interesting and informative. I’d actually like longer and more detailed descriptions of each one, though that’s not the purpose of the book. I’d also prefer they were in chronological or other order because the structure confused me. But it was written well, photographed beautifully, and just a light but educational read.

[Claudia Sorsby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, this was fun. It’s a perfect marriage of form and subject, as each pencil gets a page of history and description, and then a full-page photo.

I read it on my phone, and it was a great “pick-up-put-down” book; you can just pick it up and read a few pages before putting it down, and do that every day for a few days without losing the thread of a plot or an argument. Indeed, it’s arguably best read that way, to avoid confusing similar pencils.

[The Contented · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed - I am really not impressed as this collection is too US-centric

The Norris pencil made it here, but what about the rest of the Staedtler collection - including the Mars Lumograph?

One Sharsons gets a mention - the funnily named autocrat

No mention of the Viarco perfumed range or Oxford Helix pencils

I own 26 pencils from the collection mentioned here, but the world has so much more to offer

[E. Kahn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book consists of a series of photographs, each showcasing one or more pencils or pencil-related things, with a brief note regarding the make or some interesting peculiarity. I acquired this book as part of a lot and I'm in no way a pencil fancier so it's outside my area of interest but if you're a pencil-centric artist or collector this might be fun to look at.

[Michael Scott · Rating 2 out of 5]

TO-DO full review:

Better read Victorian Pencils: Tools to Jewels by Deborah Crosby, which covers most of the important early pencils and their makers, and many others to put them into the right context.

++ A book about pencils, from an expert!
+ Pointers to main brands, via some of their iconic pencils.
+/-- Page layouts: Colorful photos, but design-wise page layouts are monotonous.
+/-- Photography: All photos are from above, full pencil seen from the top, so quite monotonous. Worse, because the images do not appear to be natural size, it is difficult to tell the actual size of the pencils, which are larger, etc. Yet worse, there is no way to tell how the core of the pencil - the lead - is shaped and positioned.
--- Information: Very lightweight text, a bit on the main distinguishing features, but not much about how these pencils actually look and feel, how the market received them. This was underwhelming.
- When the material focuses on a non-pencil elements, e.g., boxes, it would still be nice to see the associated pencils as well.

[Kerri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not a pencil enthusiast, nothing more than a previous passing interest in the subject, so keep that in mind. I was intrigued by the book, and it was fun, with full color pictures and easy to read for tidbits of pencil history. Some things I would have preferred: a) chronological order to give a better feel for pencil evolution, b) an even more international scope (I just think it would be interesting to see more popular brands from other countries), and c) more types of pencils, like mechanical pencils, though perhaps that's an entirely different subject.

For a deeper history on pencils, I am aware that other books (including one by the same author) exist. However I liked that this was a short, low committment book that seems to both greatly please enthusiasts and be accessible to randos like me.

I have been told that https://brandnamepencils.com/pencil-b... is a great online spot to continue perusing collectible pencils (saving the website here for personal reference).

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a a clever little book, designed to have the appearance of a pencil box. Inside the covers is a world tour of the humble pencil -- a utilitarian instrument that very few people notice, if they use one at all. Yet through Weaver's prose and photographs, the humble pencil becomes the star of the show. After browsing/reading this captivating book, you'll never look at a pencil the same way again. And you might just buy a few and start writing with them!

[Tracy Bass · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection of pencils is nothing short of stunning. Caroline did an incredible job at finding a vast array of pencils to learn from and learn about. The information is concise and unbiased and the construction of the book is like nothing I have seen before. And the photos..UGH they’re so beautiful!!!!

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone whose known me for awhile will be aware that I have an affinity for pencils; especially highlighting pencils. Received my copy of this in the mail, autographed (yep, in pencil). Such a interesting read.

Now that I’ve peaked your interest.....I get most of my pencils here:

www.cwpencils.com

[Mousellina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting read with lots of beautiful visuals however binding is horrible and doesn’t allow the book to be opened fully - you have to keep it at 90 degree angle.

Order of pencils is inconsistent and goes from chronological to random several times throughout. There’s also no consistency with pictures as sometimes they skip the image of a pencil and display a box instead. The type of box that doesn’t show you what pencil might even look like.


Plus I found a typo.

Overall could’ve been such a brilliant catalog of beautiful images and bite size history. But the execution leaves a lot to be desired.

[Lynn Noel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this - bright beautiful pictures of famous pencils and a progression through time to show how pencils have changed. I never knew there was a pencil subculture in the US, but I'm definitely addicted and hunting around for Blackwings!

[Eric Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every pencil I came across that I knew made me so happy, and it gave me an idea for what types of pencils I should try drawing with. Also I looked some of them up on wikipedia and had a grand old time learning more. All in all, cute and funny, do recommend.

[Stephanie Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brought back a lot of old memories of days when I actually had to use pencils everyday. I was especially ecstatic when I got to the page about the blue jeans pencils. I thought they were special!!!

[Benjamin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun look at an incredible sampling of the history of the modern pencil from the 19th Century to the 21st.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I love pencils and have a pretty good collection. I loved reading about the pencils created during certain historical periods, for voting polls, and as collectibles.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading about collectible pencils and the art of making a pencil! Such a fun book!

[Terry B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading Pencils You Should Know was a great way to start the year. I now realize I am a graphite snob. I will be seeking the purveyors of superior graphite to score my first Mitsubishi.

[Alejandro Jaramillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a book quite charming and fun to read. Full of nice pictures accompanied with a little bit of pencil history. A must-read for all pencil lovers!

[Madeleine Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore this!

[Bill Olson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very quick read, borrowed as an ebook from the library and finished in a day. If you’re interested in wood pencils from around the world, you’ll like it. If not, then pretend I gave it less stars ;)

[Carol Tilley · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 - I would have loved even more photos.

[Mark Kaiser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief histories of pencils and photos of them from the Thoreaus to the present. An excellent consolation prize, or a grand prize for anyone who loves writing implements.