A pencil eraser.

Cap erasers.

Two kneaded erasers. A new eraser is on the left, and an older eraser on the right. The older eraser is darker due to the graphite and charcoal dust that has become incorporated into the eraser.

An eraser or rubber is an article of stationery that is used for removing pencil and sometimes pen writings. Erasers have a rubbery consistency, and they are often white, brown or pink although with modern materials they can be any color at all. Many pencils are equipped with an eraser on one end. Typical erasers are made of rubber, but more expensive or specialized erasers can also contain vinyl, plastic, or gum-like materials. For example, Jake used an eraser to erase his math homework. Then he chucked the eraser at a fish. Look up eraser in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 179 KB)[edit] Summary Took while bored at work. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1600x1200, 179 KB)[edit] Summary Took while bored at work. ... Picture of pencil and erasers from http://www. ... Picture of pencil and erasers from http://www. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (864x502, 92 KB)[edit] Summary Own work. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (864x502, 92 KB)[edit] Summary Own work. ... Stationery is a general name given to paper and office supplies such as envelopes, notepads, pens, pencils, erasers, paper clips, staples, etc. ... This article is about the handwriting instrument. ... A ballpoint pen A pen (Latin penna, feather) is a writing instrument that applies ink to a surface, usually paper. ... This does not cite any references or sources. ... Chemical structure of the vinyl functional group. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Natural gums are polysaccharides of natural origin, capable of causing a large viscosity increase in solution, even at small concentrations. ...

Types

The type of eraser often attached to pencils is usually pink, red or green, and has a smooth, rubbery texture. Erasers also come in many different colors in order to match the pencil to which they're attached. For example, if there is a Halloween pencil, there might be an orange and black striped eraser to match. It is good for most erasing purposes, though it tends to smear and can damage the paper if used too heavily. It leaves eraser residue that must be brushed away; care must be taken in brushing away residue, as the eraser particles can leave marks on the paper. Some erasers do not erase well because there is not enough flexibility in the eraser to clear the paper of the pencil markings.

Another eraser type that is popular with artists is the art gum eraser, made of soft, coarse rubber. It is especially suited to removing large areas, and does not damage the paper. As gum erasers tend to crumble as they are used, this type leaves a lot of eraser residue, however, and is not very precise. Many artists use a broad brush to sweep away the loose eraser residue. Art gum erasers are commonly tan or brown.

The kneaded eraser (or kneaded rubber eraser) is also well-known among artists. It is usually made of a grey or white pliable material that resembles putty or gum. It functions by "absorbing" and "picking up" graphite and charcoal particles. It does not wear away and leave behind eraser residue, thus it lasts much longer than other erasers. Kneaded erasers can be shaped with the fingers and used for precision erasing, to create highlights, or for detailing work. It is commonly used to remove light charcoal and light graphite marks in subtractive drawing techniques. However, it is not well-suited to completely erasing large areas, and may smear or stick if it becomes too warm. Though it does not wear away like other erasers, it can become exhausted, unable to absorb any more graphite or charcoal in which case it will start to smear and actually make marks instead of erasing them. Two kneaded erasers. ... An artist is someone who employs creative talent to produce works of art. ... PuTTY is a free software SSH, Telnet, rlogin, and raw TCP client. ... Chewing gum Chewing gum is a type of confectionery which is designed to be chewed rather than swallowed. ... Graphite (named by Abraham Gottlob Werner in 1789 from the Greek γραφειν (graphein): to draw/write, for its use in pencils) is one of the allotropes of carbon. ... Charcoal is the blackish residue consisting of impure carbon obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. ...

Soft vinyl erasers have a plastic-like texture and erase cleaner than standard pink erasers. They are somewhat softer, therefore less likely to damage canvas or paper. They are prone to cause smearing when erasing large areas or dark marks, so are more frequently used for erasing light marks and precision erasing. Engineers favor this type of eraser for work on technical drawings due to their gentleness on paper. Vinyl erasers are commonly white. Technical drawing, also known as drafting, is the practice of creating accurate representations of objects for technical, architectural and engineering needs. ...

Erasers come in several shapes and sizes. In addition to those that come attached to pencils, they may also be rectangular blocks (block and wedge eraser), or conical caps that can slip onto the end of a pencil (cap eraser). A barrel or click eraser is a device shaped like a pencil, but instead of being filled with pencil lead, its barrel contains a retractable cylinder of eraser material(most commonly vinyl). Novelty erasers are made in a wide variety of shapes, colors, and designs to suit their themes (such as musical notes, animals, confectionery), and they are typically acquired more for their decorative nature than for any practical use. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Pencil. ...

History

Prior to using rubber, white bread (without crust) was used to erase the mark of graphite pencil and charcoal. It is still sometimes used for that by charcoal artists. Charcoal is the blackish residue consisting of impure carbon obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. ...

In 1776, scientist Joseph Priestley noted, "I have seen a substance excellently adapted to the purpose of wiping from paper the mark of black lead pencil." Joseph Frederick Priestley is often credited for the discovery of oxygen. ...

Also in 1770, Edward Naime, an English engineer, is credited with creating the first rubber eraser, and reportedly was selling natural rubber erasers for the astonishingly high price of 3 shillings per half-inch cube. According to Naime himself, he inadvertently picked up a piece of rubber instead of breadcrumbs, discovered rubber's erasing properties, and began selling rubber erasers. Incidentally, this was the first practical application of the substance in Europe, and rubbing out the pencil marks gave it its English name. Edward Naime (1726-1806) was an English engineer, and is credited with creating the first rubber eraser. ...

However, rubber in its raw form shared the same inconveniences as bread, since it was perishable and would go bad over time. In 1839, inventor Charles Goodyear discovered the process of vulcanization, a method that would cure rubber and make it a durable material. Rubber erasers became common with this advent of vulcanized rubber. Charles Goodyear, as illustrated in an 1891 Scientific American article Charles Spencer Goodyear (December 29, 1800 - July 1, 1860) was the first American to vulcanize rubber, a process which he discovered in 1839 and patented on June 15, 1844. ... Vulcanization refers to a specific curing process of rubber involving high heat and the addition of sulfur. ...

On March 30, 1858, Hymen Lipman of Philadelphia, USA, received the first patent for attaching an eraser to the end of a pencil. It was later invalidated because it was determined to be simply a composite of two devices rather than an entirely new product ^[1]. is the 89th day of the year (90th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1858 (MDCCCLVIII) is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar). ... On March 30, 1858 Hymen L. Lipman patented a pencil with an attached eraser (U.S. Patent 19783). ... For other uses, see Patent (disambiguation). ...

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Eraser

• More eraser information A website containing other varieties of erasers.
• Japanese Collectible Miniature Erasers Article by Steve Levenstein at InventorSpot.com on collectible miniature erasers from Japan.

Erasers: Art Supplies Essentials Image File history File links Commons-logo. ...