SHELBYVILLE, Tenn. — Inside one of the nation’s last surviving pencil manufacturers, Jason Glines heaved slats of wood imported from China through a cutting machine. He watched as blades ...

About 75 years ago, this Bible Belt town with access to railroads and red cedars produced the majority of wood-cased pencils in the United States.

"Wood case pencils are trending up at a slightly higher rate than mechanical pencils in the marketplace," said Jason Shockley, communications director for Office Depot, an office supplier.

Pencils formally date to the days when real lead was used (today graphite forms the core of our wood-cased pencils). And though they may at first blush seem anachronistic, some really fabulous ...

Pencils formally date to the days when real lead was used (today graphite forms the core of our wood-cased pencils). And whether you know it or not, some really fabulous—and quite elegant ...

Frida Kahlo, "View of New York (Dedicated to Dolores del Rio)," 1932, pencil on paper, private collection, courtesy Galeria Arvil. 2021 Banco de Mexico Diego Rivera Frida Kahlo Museums Trust ...

While the wood-cased pencil soon became commonplace, more sophisticated versions of a rigid sleeve in which the lead could move independently took longer to appear. In one 1636 example, a brass ...

It’s just such a nice little object. It’s reassuringly weighty while still light enough to carry everyday. It has one job: it ...

"Wood case pencils are trending up at a slightly higher rate than mechanical pencils in the marketplace," said Jason Shockley, communications director for Office Depot, an office supplier.