Ryan Brandstetter

WIFYS/Fall/12:30
Dr. Janifer

Pens and Pencils

I hated pencils when I was in grade school. I'm left handed and I'd typically find the bottom of
my hand covered with a sheen of graphite after writing a paper in class. Erasing usually meant tearing
a small hole in the paper if I became a little too over zealous about it and faded remnants of my mistake
remained. Mechanical pencils were no better, either. The thin lead frequently broke while I wrote, but
at least it saved me a few trips to the pencil sharpener in the class room. It wasn't until my last years of
high school and my first weeks in college that I learned to appreciate pens over pencils.

Some grade school teachers have noticed that pencils may be a detriment to young writers in the
class room. Andrew Pudewa, a member of Institute for Excellence in Writing says In their need to see
contrast while using a pencil, the young student presses hard on the paper. Why then should we be
surprised at complaints of cramps, and moans about tired finger muscles? (Convert). This article also
mentions that frequent sharpening of pencils may be used by students as a form of procrastination. The
constant and perceived need to erase mistakes also slows down the creative process. Pudewa goes on
to say that, Using pens for composition, children will not only escape the temptation to erase, they will
be liberated from the compelling need to sharpen (Convert). This infers that pens help to save time
and lessens the anxiety of having to erase mistakes.

People in and out of the class room and around the world seem to have a greater love for pens
than they do for pencils. In an article in the Wall Street Journal written in 2014, author Rani Molla
states that, Pencil sales are set to increase 4% this year to about $2.7 billion, while pen sales will rise

4.9% to $8.5 billion. (Remember). Even with the current trend of smart phones and tablets, pen sales
continue to grow in the digital age. This is attributed with manufacturers ...not just with surviving
technology, but learning to work with it (Remember), Molla also states. Pens with a normal writing
tip and a rubber tipped stylus on the other side for tablets and touch screens are a good example of this
mindset.

An argument against pens being a better choice is the impact that pens have on the environment.
Pens are made from plastic, a petroleum byproduct, and are disposed of after their ink reserves run dry.
Pencils simply grow smaller as they're used until a little nub of wood is left. Some pen manufacturers,
like Pilot, have found ways to make pens more environmentally friendly. According to their website,
their new B2P, or Bottle 2 Pen, is the, Worlds first pens made from recycled bottles (Pilot).
They are also refillable and do not need to be thrown away when they run out of ink. Pencils aren't
without their issues, however. Justin Pollard of Engineering and Technology writes, Indeed, such
was their love of red cedar for pencils that the three became endangered and
had to be replaced by incense cedar (How). Pencils had so much of an
environmental impact that Britain banned pencil sharpeners due to the waste of
graphite and wood.

While pencils might be the better choice when taking environmental

impact into consideration, there is clear evidence that pens are the more popular
choice. Companies are working on making pens more environmentally friendly
and recyclable which is admirable and might just sway more customers to buy
pens over pencils. Young students are able to more freely express their ideas
while writing without pausing and having to rethink their ideas a different way.

While this doesn't make ideas written by pens without faults and mistakes,
corrections during the editing process can be made and the original idea is not
lost while searching for a new one to take it's place. While I have had my share
of ink stains from uncapped pens being stored in my pockets, it pales in
comparison to how many times I've had graphite stained hands from writing
papers in school. Keep pencils in art and math where they rightfully belong.

Works Cited
Pudewa, Andrew. "Convert ... to Pens!" Institute for Excellence in Writing. 5 Apr.
2013. Web.

19 Nov. 2015

Molla, Rani. "Remember Pens and Pencils? Theyre Doing Just Fine." The Numbers. The Wall Street
Journal, 16 Oct. 2014. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.
"B2P | Power to the Pen | Pilot Pen." Pilot. Pilot. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.
Pollard, Justin. "How Britain's Rule Over Pencils Was Finally Rubbed Out." Engineering &
Technology (17509637) 9.3 (2014): 96. Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.