The Write Stuff

Since my first day of kindergarten (almost 30 years ago!), I’ve been writing with a pencil. But I’d never thought about how pencils are made. That changed when I visited General Pencil Company in Jersey City, New Jersey.

General Pencil is the oldest pencil company in the United States. It’s been making pencils for more than 100 years. It’s also one of the last pencil factories in the U.S. Nearly all other factories have either gone out of business or moved to other countries.

The company’s president is Katie Weissenborn Vanoncini. Her great-great-grandfather, Edward Weissenborn, designed 360 machines involved in making pencils. Many of those machines are still in use at General Pencil. I saw them during my visit, and it reminded me how well-engineered machines can last a long time.

My first day of kindergarten was almost 30 years ago! And I’ve been writing with a pencil ever since. But I’d never thought about how pencils are made. That changed when I visited the General Pencil Company. It’s in Jersey City, New Jersey.

General Pencil is the oldest pencil company in the United States. It’s been making pencils for more than 100 years. It’s also one of the last pencil factories in the U.S. Nearly all other factories have gone out of business. Or they have moved to other countries.   

Katie Weissenborn Vanoncini is the company’s president. Her great-great-grandfather was Edward Weissenborn. He designed 360 machines to make pencils. Many of those devices are still used at General Pencil. I saw them during my visit. It reminded me how good engineering can last a long time.

Each of the factory’s large machines is made up of many simple machines, such as screws and inclined planes. These devices use basic physical principles to make work easier. Electric motors power the factory and move the pencil parts through each step.

Weissenborn Vanoncini thinks of her family often at the factory. “As my great-great-grandfather taught us,” she says, “engineers always try to make things better and solve problems.”

Each of the factory’s large machines is made up of many simple machines. These includemachines such as screws and inclined planes. These devices make work easier. They rely onbasic physical principles. Electric motors power the factory. They move the pencil parts through each step.

Weissenborn Vanoncini thinks of her family often at the factory. “As my great-great-grandfather taught us, engineers always try to make things better and solve problems,” she says.