The pencil “lead” is actually a mixture of graphite and clay. More clay in the mixture makes the lead harder. A harder lead has a higher number. Pencils are numbered from 1-3 but most people use a ...

Pieces of pencil lead on the floor marked up the new carpeting ... Frankie Secchiaroli, 7, prizes his old-school No. 2 pencil. It’s the best thing for pointing at stuff, he said.