How Lead Pencils are Made Today

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Pencil lead is a form of carbon, called graphite: derived from the Greek word 'graphein' meaning, to write. During pencil manufacture,natural graphite is reduced to a powder, blended with clay,then formed into a paste. This graphite paste is then compressed and extruded into long thin rods,which are then baked.The finished lead is then infused with wax to facilitate smooth drawing and encased in cedarwood shafts.