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Having tackled a tough pencil question in the past, we decided to revisit our resources by drawing a straight line to The Pencil Pages web site. Once there, we doodled around until we found an explanation of the numbering system. As the page explains, the number indicates the hardness of the pencil core—the higher the number, the harder the lead. Although we refer to the "lead" of a pencil, the core is acually a mixture of graphite and clay. Manufacturers can vary the pencil's hardness by adjusting the ratio of the two materials. Although the site didn't mention number 1 pencils, we figured in theory, they should exist. Of course, we aren't the type to accept mere
conjecture, so we put our theory to the test by heading to the site of a random pencil manufacturer and attempting to purchase number 1 pencils. It took a few searches, but we met with success. Judging by our findings, number 1 pencils are primarily used for things like scoring bowling (the soft lead works well on acetate) or drawing. These soft-lead pencils may also go by other designations, such as "B" for "black." Number 1 pencils don't seem to be very common, but despite their scarcity, these second cousins to the famous number 2 do in fact exist.
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