The Write Stuff

The sights, smells, and sounds of the factory make it an exciting place to be. During my tour, I learned all about the pencil-making process.

First, machines make the graphite cores—the part of the pencil that marks the paper. They mix clay, water, and carbon to make graphite. After compressing and baking the graphite, it’s cut it into small rods, which become the pencil cores.

The sights, smells, and sounds of the factory make it an exciting place to visit. I learned all about the pencil-making process during my tour.

First, machines make the graphite cores—the part of the pencil that marks the paper. They mix clay, water, and carbon to make graphite. The machines compress and bake the graphite. Then it’s cut it into small rods, which become the pencil cores.

Meanwhile, workers load flat pieces of wood into another machine. The factory uses cedar because it doesn’t splinter like other woods do. The machine carves grooves into the wood to fit the graphite cores. Another piece of wood is attached on top to make what’s called a pencil sandwich.

Meanwhile, workers load flat pieces of wood into another machine. The factory uses cedar because it doesn’t splinter like many other woods do. The machine carves grooves into the wood, then the graphite cores go in the grooves. Another piece of wood is attached on top. This makes what’s called a pencil sandwich.

Finally, machines cut the pencil sandwich into individual pencils. Each is painted and then topped with a metal band and an eraser. Then they’re packed and shipped across the country.

“We love making pencils,” says Katie Weissenborn Vanoncini, president of General Pencil.

In the final step, machines cut the pencil sandwich into individual pencils. Each one is painted and topped with a metal band and an eraser. Then they’re packed and shipped across the country.

Katie Weissenborn Vanoncini is the president of General Pencil. “We love making pencils,” she says.