Though most of us started our academic education at a relatively young age with the use of a pencil then switched to using a pen and most of us never went back to the pencil.
Just a few of us had to go back to the pencil and I learnt a few things about pencils, the black material inside the pencil is a crystalized form of carbon known as graphite, it is a conductor of electricity and because I did eat some of it when I was a kid, I was curious if it was harmful. Though it is not poisonous, don't make it part of your diet as it can lead to vomiting, stomach cramp and ache.

The Pencil grading system

To get different shades of black, the graphite is mixed with clay and the proportional ratio of clay to graphite determines how light or dark the pencil will be.
The the HB on the pencil stands for Hard and Black, used on an average/medium hard pencil. Lead in an H pencil is very harder resulting in very light strokes while the lead in a B pencil softer making it's markings blacker. And the number that follows the letters indicates the degree.

A Mechanical Pencil

Unlike the conventional pencil where a pencil lead is sandwiched and glued between two layers of soft wood, A mechanical pencil, which is also called a clutch pencil, is a type of pencil that has a mechanically extendable and retractable lead that can be refilled. Let's say it is any pencil that has a lead-advance mechanism which pushes the pencil's lead forward when triggered.

I got this mechanical pencil for ₦1300, the current equivalent of 8.13 Steem at 160.19 Naira per Steem.

Features

No Sharpener:

A mechanical pencil needs no Sharpener, if the tip is broken, got worn-out or retracted for safe storage, you can extain or get a new tip by pressing in the back of the mechanical pencil. No pencil shaves to litter your work space.

Refillable Leads:

The leads can be refilled from the back of the pencil, pull off the cap at the back, remove the eraser and fill in some extra leads

Lead Size:
Mechanical pencils come in a variety of lead tip sizes ranging from 0.2mm to 5.6mm. I have a 0.7mm and this is a 0.5mm lead size mechanical pencil.

Retractable lead Sleeve:
This feature makes sure the sharp tips of your mechanical pencil dose not poke holes into your bags when you store it. Not all mechanical pencils have Retractable lead Sleeves.
To the lead, hold down the push button which opens the pencil’s clutch then press the lead back into the tip.

Egonomics

Designed to give a firm egonomics grip for prolonged usage. The same reasons why wooden pencils have the hexagonal shape to give us a better grip, mechanical pencils are designed with your hands and comfort in mind.

Caution

• Not stable for children younger than 3 years due to sharp and small parts that could be swallowed.

• Do not drop the pencil as it would shatter the fragile lead in the pencil.

• Do not reload with wrong lead size, while a smaller lead my simply slip out, a larger lead my get jam.

• Extending too much lead at once will result in the lead snapping when used.

Photo Credit

Photography by	@manuelhooks
Edited with	PhotoStudio app
Cropping with	removebg

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