Comments on: The hidden life of copying pencils

By: Kris

Kris — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 12:46:00 +0000

Are copying pencil similar to hectograph pencils, can it be used for making tattoo stencils?

By: penciladmin

penciladmin — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:54:29 +0000

Erling, thanks for your comments.

This type of pencil seems important to a number of professions. I think I should forward some of this input on to the pencil industry.

To the best of my knowledge, no Japanese or North American manufacturer makes this variety. Nor do Derwent, Staedtler, Bic, Faber-Castell, Lyra, Koh-I-Noor, or Stabilo. (Lyra does make a carpenter copying pencil.) There are still a number of smaller manufacturers in Europe that I’m not familiar with – they might be possibilities. But Viarco for sure still makes the “272D Copia Violeta” in Portugal. India I am even less familiar with – but Peter mentions a version made by Hindustan Pencil Co. as well.

By: Erling Larsson

Erling Larsson — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 11:27:43 +0000

Sorry – I completely missed Peter’s comment of jan. 2009. Still a lot of interesting facts in your post, though.

By: Erling Larsson

Erling Larsson — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:17:15 +0000

Hi! Thanks for an interesting post.
I work as an prosthetist/orthotist and, even if CAD/CAM is well on its way, it is still common practice to use plaster bandages to make a negative model of a patient’s limb or amputation stump. The negative cast is then poured with plaster to create a positive model of the arm/leg/stump, which is then used for manufacturing the device. I have used the purple indelible pencil to mark areas of interest, i. e. bony prominences, on the patient, these markings will appear on the inside of the negative cast and then transfer as easily to the positive plaster model in order to make the rectification of the plaster more correct.
We’ve tried several types of pencils over the years, but it is really only the purple ones that give satisfactory results. And at least in Sweden, they are almost impossible to come by these days. I will check out Viarco. Thanks!

By: penciladmin

penciladmin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 02:06:54 +0000

Hi Eagle, Do you have an industry association that could make this need known to pencil manufacturers? I'm sure some of them would love the business. I'm trying to think of who makes the traditional purple copying pencil in 2010. Viarco does look like best source for purple, unless you can use another colour. They have a website here and are very responsive to enquiries in my experience.

By: Eagle

Eagle — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:59:43 +0000

The tattoo industry worldwide uses the purple ink copy pencil for stencil transfers. As these pencils are becoming a dying breed, it is becoming more difficult to find them for our industry. We need them but the manufacturers do not take that into consideration to continue manufacturing them. I’m researching them to purchase too. Let me know if you’re selling!

By: manuela

manuela — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:08:50 +0000

Dear Sorry no english interested hectograph pencils violet
thanks
manuela for spain

By: Lexikaliker - Markiges Marketing (5)

Lexikaliker - Markiges Marketing (5) — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 04:06:33 +0000

[...] Interessante Details, Farbmuster und weiterführende Informationen zu Kopierstiften gibt es unter “The hidden life of copying pencils” bei pencil [...]

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 02:40:53 +0000

Interesting post. I came across your site after doing a search for this pencil I just found around the house. I reads “Carlisle’s Indelible Election Pencil”. It seems to be the same as a copying pencil as it turns blue when moistened and is really hard to erase.

By: peter

peter — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 04:54:26 +0000

And Jolly from Austria, Koh-I-Nor and Staedler made them also since I have a few.

The ones from hindustan pencils are branded Apsara

Bye

By: peter

peter — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 04:48:40 +0000

While looking to purchase 10000 copy pencils (indellible. aniline etc) I came across your article. I have used copy pencils the last 30 years.
(I got your attention) In the manufacturing of prostheses and orthoses, a plaster of paris (negative) mould is made from a limb, that is filled with plaster slurry to create the (positive) cast. In order to transfer the position of boney points to the mould (negative) and later on the cast (positive) the copy pencils are used.

I look for cheap ones with our name on it to donate to the prosthetic projects we support around the world and the supplier I had before (hindustan pencils) now only sells their own brand.

Thanks for the info on your article

Peter

Any tip where to buy????

We are located in C-America

Regards

Peter

By: Vicki Olson

Vicki Olson — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 00:44:06 +0000

I have a indellible pencil that is patent dated 1867 and has its complete paper lable on it by The Indelible Pencil Company, Northampton, Mass. Can anyone email me and tell me about it? manylittle@aol.com