tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15148858.post112400533035114195..comments2023-10-11T01:10:51.843-07:00Comments on Timberlines: We're a Proud Bunch: Who's Got the Biggest Pencil?WoodChuckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17463614041405036323noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15148858.post-88730237930148522822008-08-14T13:52:00.000-07:002008-08-14T13:52:00.000-07:00Hi, Irv Arons again. I've recently added a second ...Hi, Irv Arons again. I've recently added a second blog, this one devoted to products and inventions that came out of the Arthur D. Little labs. <BR/><BR/>I've included my writeup of the EPCON plastic pencil, along with some photos from some of the pencils I have in my collection.<BR/><BR/>The link is:<BR/><BR/>http:adlittlechronicles.blogspot.com<BR/><BR/>Irv AronsIrv Aronshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05719664806219249867noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15148858.post-1167939924030750612007-01-04T11:45:00.000-08:002007-01-04T11:45:00.000-08:00I work in Lewisburg, TN just a few miles from Shel...I work in Lewisburg, TN just a few miles from Shelbyville. Here in Lewisburg, the majority of the pencils for Sanford are now produced in the old Faber facility (over 2 million pencils per day). In our facility, the old Empire Berol USA "World's Longest Pencil" resides. The pencil was extruded to a length of 1,091.75 feet. This is the pencil John is referring to as being wrapped in a spiral. Just thought you would be happy to know, it is still in safe keeping.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15148858.post-1142446940219552512006-03-15T10:22:00.000-08:002006-03-15T10:22:00.000-08:00Hi, just wanted to throw my "two cents" in. I'm on...Hi, just wanted to throw my "two cents" in. I'm one of the co-inventors of the Epcon plastic pencil developed for Empire Pencil Company and commercialized in 1974.<BR/><BR/>I have a picture of a 25' pencil we produced in our laboratory at Arthur D. Little that was featured in a "Where's Boston" exhibit in the mid-1970's.<BR/><BR/>I'm in the process of putting a writeup of the development of the "plastic pencil" on my web Journal. It should be up in about a week or so. The link is:<BR/><BR/>www.irvaronsjournal.blogspot.com<BR/><BR/>Irv AronsIrv Aronshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05719664806219249867noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15148858.post-1125526349117784452005-08-31T15:12:00.000-07:002005-08-31T15:12:00.000-07:00John -Yes the old Empire plastic extrusion process...John -<BR/>Yes the old Empire plastic extrusion process is very interesting. Having been to this facility and as a frequent visitor to Shelbyville (aka "Pencil City USA"), I can fully imagine your march to the courthouse in the town square. Of course the plant is now shut down and shuttered given relative cost performance issues of wood to plastic for casing and of the graphite-clay compounding in a wooden pencil core vs. graphite-plastic core in the extruded pencil.<BR/><BR/>I believe one thing about these other "___est" pencils is that they were all produced to the proportionate dimensions of an actual pencil. So perhaps Guinness rejected on the basis that your town long pencil would not have been to proportion.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the post on your blog.WoodChuckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17463614041405036323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15148858.post-1125435980959812882005-08-30T14:06:00.000-07:002005-08-30T14:06:00.000-07:00I'm a little shocked at the listing for the longes...I'm a little shocked at the listing for the longest pencil. I live in Shelbyville, Tenn., home to several pencil manufacturers, and around 1990 or 1991 -- as a United Way kickoff -- Empire Pencil Corp. (it may have been known as Berol by then; it's now Sanford Corp.) extruded an enormous pencil which community volunteers carried from the factory to our county courthouse. We tried to get a Guinness listing at the time, but were refused, probably because Empire had the only extrusion process at the time and there was no way for anyone else to produce that type of pencil. It was much, much longer than the size mentioned here.<BR/><BR/>The pencil carried to the square was snapped into pieces and carried home as souvenirs by the crowd, but a similar-length pencil was (while still warm and flexible) wound into a tight spiral and mounted to a large wooden plaque. Someone in the organization should still have it.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07656497823028071167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15148858.post-1125062767388114292005-08-26T06:26:00.000-07:002005-08-26T06:26:00.000-07:00I think making the "-est" pencil is part of the hu...I think making the "-est" pencil is part of the human condition. When we don't have enough measures between Us and Them, we create our own. Tribal identity, and all that.<BR/><BR/>As a writer and artist, I'm enjoying your insights into an industry upon which I rely heavily.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com