Buzz
While No. 2 pencils are the go-to for almost every exam, educator, and standardized test, are there other options available?
Yes, there are. Pencil manufacturers create pencils in Nos. 1, 2, 2.5, 3, and 4, with some even producing additional intermediate numbers. As the number increases, the core becomes harder and the marks lighter. No. 1 pencils are known for their darker marks, favored by editors and those working in publishing.
The design of modern pencils is based on the ones invented by Nicolas-Jacques Conté in 1794. Prior to his innovation, pencil hardness varied depending on the maker and region. Early pencils were made by inserting raw graphite into a wooden casing, which eventually led to the development of a universally accepted production method.
Conté's approach involved combining powdered graphite with finely ground clay, creating a mixture that was then shaped into a long cylinder and baked in an oven. The ratio of clay to graphite determined the pencil's hardness. While the method was universally adopted, the ways in which companies classified and labeled pencils remained inconsistent.
Today, many American companies use a numerical system to classify pencils based on the hardness of their lead. However, for graphic and artist pencils, and for companies outside the U.S., the classification system is more complex, employing a combination of numbers and letters known as the HB Graphite Scale.
The 'H' stands for hardness, and 'B' stands for blackness. At the extreme end of the scale, 9H represents a pencil with very hard lead that makes a faint mark. At the other extreme, 9B is a pencil with extremely soft lead that creates a dark mark. An 'F' indicates a pencil that sharpens to a fine point. The middle of the scale contains everyday writing tools: B = No. 1 pencils, HB = No. 2, F = No. 2½, H = No. 3, and 2H = No. 4 (though exact conversions can vary by brand).
Why do test centers insist on using only No. 2 pencils? The answer lies in technology. Early machines used the electrical conductivity of the lead to detect pencil marks. Harder pencils like No. 3 and No. 4 produced marks that couldn't be read by early scanning machines, leading to errors. Softer pencils like No. 1s smudged too easily, making them impractical. This is why No. 2 pencils became the standard for the industry.
