Pencils & Charcoal

An eraser or rubber is an article of stationery that is used for removing pencil and sometimes pen writings. Erasers have a rubbery consistency, and they are often white, brown or pink although with modern materials they can be of any color. more...

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Many pencils are equipped with an eraser on one end. Typical erasers are made of rubber, but more expensive or specialized erasers can also contain vinyl, plastic, or gum-like materials.

History

Prior to using rubber, white bread (without crust) was used to erase the mark of graphite pencil and charcoal. This method is still sometimes used by modern charcoal artists.

Also in 1770, Edward Nairne, an English engineer, is credited with creating the first rubber eraser, and reportedly sold natural rubber erasers for the high price of 3 shillings per half-inch cube. According to Nairne, he inadvertently picked up a piece of rubber instead of breadcrumbs, discovered rubber's erasing properties, and began selling rubber erasers. Incidentally, this was the first practical application of the substance in Europe, and rubbing out the pencil marks gave it its English name.

However, rubber in its raw form shared the same inconveniences as bread, since it was perishable and would go bad over time. In 1839, inventor Charles Goodyear discovered the process of vulcanization, a method that would cure rubber and make it a durable material. Rubber erasers became common with this advent of vulcanized rubber.

On March 30, 1858, Hymen Lipman of Philadelphia, USA, received the first patent for attaching an eraser to the end of a pencil. It was later invalidated because it was determined to be simply a composite of two devices rather than an entirely new product .

Types

The type of eraser often attached to pencils is usually pink, red or green, and has a smooth, rubbery texture. Erasers also come in many different colors in order to match the pencil to which they're attached, especially for novelty purposes. It is good for most erasing purposes, though it tends to smear and can damage the paper if used too heavily. It leaves eraser residue that must be brushed away; care must be taken in brushing away residue, as the eraser particles can leave marks on the paper. Some erasers do not erase well because there is not enough flexibility in the eraser to clear the paper of the pencil markings.

Another eraser type that is popular with artists is the art gum eraser, made of soft, coarse rubber. It is especially suited to removing large areas, and does not damage the paper. As gum erasers tend to crumble as they are used, this type leaves a lot of eraser residue, however, and is not very precise. Many artists use a broad brush to sweep away the loose eraser residue. Art gum erasers are commonly tan or brown.

Read more at Wikipedia.org