Existing comment:
Pencils & Pens:
Lead pencils were first used in England in the 1500s. Although the material was later found to be graphite (carbon), the name stayed with the pencil. Since pure graphite was rare, a mixture of powdered graphite, powdered clay and water became the standard in 1795 and is still used today. Cheap reliable "lead" pencils were widely used by the time of the Civil War.
The first pens were reeds and brushes, and later the flight feathers of geese were used as short-lived pens. Modern metal pen points were invented in 1803 and mass-produced points were available by 1830. Because of the longer life of the points and the greater ease of use, these "stick pens" rapidly replaced the goose quills. They were widely available in the United States at reasonable prices by the Civil War. |