Why Pencils Are Yellow (2017) • Hacker News Board

Re: Why Pencils Are Yellow (2017)

#11

Post by eterm » Wed, Oct 31, 2018, 6:33 PM UTC

HarryHirsch wrote: post #8

ThePadawan wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We did have yellow pens in Germany, but thinking back on it, the forest green of Faber-Castell [0] was the color I would associate with pencils the most. [0] https://www.faber-castell.com/products/GraphitepencilCastell...

Also blue. Staedler was blue, with a black top.

Our school Staedler HB pencils were all yellow and black such as these: https://www.glsed.co.uk/product/stationery/pencils/blacklead...

The occassional ones were red and black, I think those were more likely to be 'B' or '2B' ones, but it's been longer than I can remeber since I used such a pencil.

Re: Why Pencils Are Yellow (2017)

#12

Post by wccrawford » Wed, Oct 31, 2018, 6:36 PM UTC

airstrike wrote: post #9

In my mind, Faber-Castell will forever be the ultimate pencil. I think yellow pencils are a staple of American culture but in my mind pencils are green... http://www.fabercastell.com/products/pencils/GraphitepencilC...

I must say, I did always think those pencils were higher quality than the ones I got.

But I didn't get just yellow ones. I had many different colors and patterns.

I do instinctively recognize yellow as "the color of pencils" but it's from so many cartoon graphics of them, not because they were all that color.

Re: Why Pencils Are Yellow (2017)

#13

Post by dv_dt » Wed, Oct 31, 2018, 6:46 PM UTC

At the time, many yellow paints had lead in them. I wonder of that was the true then... makes me think about chewed-upon pencils.

Re: Why Pencils Are Yellow (2017)

#14

Post by keerthiko » Wed, Oct 31, 2018, 6:54 PM UTC

airstrike wrote: post #9

In my mind, Faber-Castell will forever be the ultimate pencil. I think yellow pencils are a staple of American culture but in my mind pencils are green... http://www.fabercastell.com/products/pencils/GraphitepencilC...

Staedller, the most stable graphite lead pencil brand across Asia (not colored pencils) were black and yellow striped hexagonal, and of wonderful quality (iirc, better than Faber Castell for art pencils).

Re: Why Pencils Are Yellow (2017)

#15

Post by cannam » Wed, Oct 31, 2018, 7:00 PM UTC

airstrike wrote: post #9

In my mind, Faber-Castell will forever be the ultimate pencil. I think yellow pencils are a staple of American culture but in my mind pencils are green... http://www.fabercastell.com/products/pencils/GraphitepencilC...

I suppose it's quite easy to monopolise the visual imagination of one child. I picture pencils as black, because someone once gave me a nice mixed tin of Caran d'Ache pencils which were all matte black, and I used them endlessly to do drawings of 16x16 sprites and 8x8 fonts on graph paper.

Re: Why Pencils Are Yellow (2017)

#16

Post by moate » Wed, Oct 31, 2018, 7:00 PM UTC

airstrike wrote: post #9

In my mind, Faber-Castell will forever be the ultimate pencil. I think yellow pencils are a staple of American culture but in my mind pencils are green... http://www.fabercastell.com/products/pencils/GraphitepencilC...

FWIW, the article mentions that Faber also jumped on the yellow trend.

Re: Why Pencils Are Yellow (2017)

#17

Post by viburnum » Wed, Oct 31, 2018, 7:01 PM UTC

Borrowdale is only seven miles from Derwent. Were there other English pencil makers in the area?

Re: Why Pencils Are Yellow (2017)

#18

Post by t3ra » Wed, Oct 31, 2018, 7:01 PM UTC

Explains my confusion with early internet "cliparts" and icons being always in yellow. I am sure most non westerns might be equally confused.

Pencil meant black and red for us in India - Natraj FTW

Re: Why Pencils Are Yellow (2017)

#19

Post by jimjimjim » Wed, Oct 31, 2018, 7:06 PM UTC

Red and Black stripes. I don't think i've ever held a yellow pencil.

Re: Why Pencils Are Yellow (2017)

#20

Post by rdtsc » Wed, Oct 31, 2018, 7:08 PM UTC

dv_dt wrote: post #13

At the time, many yellow paints had lead in them. I wonder of that was the true then... makes me think about chewed-upon pencils.

Or cadmium is also a yellow pigment. I do remember chewing on my pencils. Maybe I should get a lead blood test. Or maybe I shouldn't cause it's too late anyway...