Inside One of America’s Last Pencil Factories

NYT ^ | Jan 12, 2018 | SAM ANDERSON

[Daffynition]

[snip]

Such radical simplicity is surprisingly complicated to produce. Since 1889, the General Pencil Company has been converting huge quantities of raw materials (wax, paint, cedar planks, graphite) into products you can find, neatly boxed and labeled, in art and office-supply stores across the nation: watercolor pencils, editing pencils, sticks of charcoal, pastel chalks. Even as other factories have chased higher profit margins overseas, General Pencil has stayed put, cranking out thousands upon thousands of writing instruments in the middle of Jersey City.

[Daffynition]

Words to live by :)

[Daffynition]

NB: *Pumice* bag with demeaning Indian logo.

[Daffynition]

*If it's not broke, don't fix it.*

That may be the owner's philosophy. ;)

[fella]

Companies that treat their employees well tend to have longtime loyal employees. I worked at a Peterbilt factoty for 33 years.

[Daffynition]

That is absolutely WONDERFUL cyclotic! Thank you so much!

[Yardstick]

Interesting to hear an inside scoop on the pencil industry. This is why FR is so cool. You just never know what kinds of interesting things people will have to say around here.

[Daffynition]

Most EXCELLENT as well. Thank you for that addition. Reflecting on something so simple is a great break from all this world's madness. :)

[mairdie]

The only episode of “You Asked For It” that’s embedded in my head from the 1950’s is the one where they explained how they got the lead in the pencil. NEVER occurred to me that pencils were glued together and paint covered the joins.

[Yardstick]

Ticonderoga — what a great name for a pencil.

[Daffynition]

Yes! Yes! and Yes! That was one of the coveted *jobs* the teacher handed out. I recall the best part was the sharpener was mounted near the window, and while sharpening, you could look out into the schoolyard and see what was *going on*; like the kids who were late for school. Ah ha!

Then there were the kids who chewed their pencils. They were gross to touch! LOL

And there was always the class clown who put the pencil in his nose or ear! Or made a cross bow!

[Daffynition]

From Wiki:

The company was formed by the merger of Joseph Dixon Crucible Company of New Jersey with the Bryn Mawr Corporation of Pennsylvania, dating to 1795. The company was founded by Joseph Dixon and his son.[1][2]

The pencil’s name originates in the graphite ore mined on Lead Mountain and processed in Ticonderoga, New York, since 1815.

In 1999 they ceased US production of the Ticonderoga Pencil, but own and operate facilities outside the US in Italy, France, Asia, Latin America and Germany. Dixon Ticonderoga Pencils are no longer made in the USA.

[Daffynition]

I love your recollections MM! Thank you!

[mairdie]

So the trick is to keep all the old pencils in my supply boxes. Thanks, Daffy.

[Daffynition]

Yes darling! So you can do stuff with them, when you get bored. :)

[CJ Wolf]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSDYcpV7Ez0

Pencil fight!

[mairdie]

Jaw dropped. Intensely impressed. You find the BEST!

[M Kehoe]

Hi.

Many years ago I was CFO of a company that owned a pencil factory. A production company from Hollywood rented it out to shoot a movie. Lemon, Durning and a few other well known actors. It was about the owner, in the 40’s molesting a female. Damn, don’t remember the title.

Senior moment...

5.56mm

[M Kehoe]

Forgot. In Richmond VA.

5.56mm

[mrmeyer]

http://writedudes.com/about/

[Daffynition]

LOL...if those were HS students...I'll eat the pencil. LOL