"Sometimes there are questions that simply can't be answered in a library. Sometimes, there are questions too mind-boggling, to ethereal, too earth shattering for any worldy source. And sometimes, even if you ask nicely, Paul McCartney refuses to fork over the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's phone number so you can give him a call."
These are some of those questions...
BURNING QUESTION #1: What makes No. 2 pencils so darn special?
The number system of rating pencils refers to the hardness of the graphite and was invented by 18th century pencil maker Nicolas-Jacques Conte. No. 1 pencils have very soft graphite which means that they smudge easily. No. 3 pencils and above have much harder graphite, making them useful for drafting and other applications where you need a firm, strong point.
No. 2 pencils, however, have been determined to be the most useful graphite weight for general writing, being not too hard, not too soft, but just right.
(Adapted from Mental_Floss)
5 years ago
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