Just the Facts

We take them for granted. We abuse them, we lose them, forget them, chew on the ends when we are nervous, snap them, tap them, toss them around and let them run out of ink. They have been around since the days of the pharaohs, documenting our lives and our history with nary a thank-you. The importance of the writing instrument is so elementary that we forget that without them, history would be lost. There would be no buried scrolls, no signed declarations and no diary from a young girl in hiding. As historian C.E. Bosworth noted in his article "A Mediaeval Islamic Prototype of the Fountain Pen?," in the year 953, Ma'ad al-Mu'izz, the caliph of Egypt, demanded a pen which would not stain his hands or clothes, and was provided with a pen which held ink in a reservoir and delivered it to the nib via gravity and capillary action. With such a history, it is safe to say, wheel be damned—writing instruments and their accessories may not be the first, but they may very well be among the most important inventions in human history.

Pencils

Fact: More than 14 billion pencils are produced in the world every year—enough to circle the globe 62 times.

—Musgrave Pencil Company

"Pencils are an inexpensive way to distribute a message to an audience. Many popular imprints include messages with prevention and safety tips from police and fire departments. Other agencies use pencils to support their causes, look for volunteers or thank people for their support. Distribution is often at community events, fairs [and] parades. Popular slogans [featured] on pencils [include] 'The Write Choice,' … and 'Sharpen Your Skills.'"

Denise Morgan, marketing director, AAkron Rule

Popular for any event, the barrel of AAkron Rule's Mood Pencil changes color from the heat generated from your hands. Available in five colors. ?(800) 828-1570