How do they put the lead into the pencil?
The pencil is actually made up of two pieces of wood stuck together, with each piece having a groove running along its inner side. What is commonly known as `lead` is actually a mixture of graphite and clay. It is placed inside the grooves before the pieces are stuck together. However, these days most pencils have six sides. This is because unlike the rounded ones, six sided or hexagonal pencils can be made out of one piece of wood. Moreover, the chances of a six-sided pencil rolling off the desk and the `lead` breaking, are less as compared to the rounded ones.