So when is the last time you picked up a pencil? These writing instruments, it often seems, have gone nearly extinct as a primary method of writing—a sad commentary, since their rich history is one of ...

“Even today in the digital age, the No. 2 pencil remains the required writing implement for students taking standardized tests in the U.S.,” said Ryan Raffaelli, professor at Harvard Business School.

What do the world-famous artists Vincent van Gogh and Paul Klee have in common? Apart from possessing an abundance of creativity and artistic flair, they both used products designed and made by German ...

ULYSSES GRANT, an American general, jotted down battle plans with one. Otto von Bismarck, a Prussian chancellor, used his to tamp down the tobacco in his pipe. Vincent van Gogh used one to “draw a ...