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We don't know. Or, at least, we didn't know until we searched the Internet and found out. Here's how: We searched Yahoo! using the word "pencil" as our keyword. That led us to several categories, the most promising of which seemed to be Office Supplies > Writing Instruments. Lucky for us, that category showed up in the search results even though the word "pencil" doesn't appear in the title. From there, we clicked on the Makers sub-category, where we found several pencil-makers
scattered among the companies listed. A few clicks later, we found ourselves at the Dixon Ticonderoga Company's web site. After nosing around, we spotted, "How Ticonderoga Pencils Are Made." The section outlines the steps involved in turning a basic cedar slat into a fine writing instrument. We continued to browse through pencil-makers' sites, but we couldn't find any additional information. That is, until we thought to check out www.pencils.com, which turned out the be The Pencil Pages, sponsored by the Incense Cedar Institute. There we found another nicely
illustrated page on pencil making, plus a great step-by-step account of how they put erasers on pencils! Finally, The Pencil Pages recommend several books for exceedingly curious web surfers. The Pencil by Henry Petroski looked like the best bet for the true graphite-and-wood afficionado.
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