Is the pencil an example of perfect design? What is the greatest pencil of all time? What does a fallen down tree in the Lake District have to do with its invention?  Dallas talks to Caroline Weaver, pencil expert and author of “Pencils You Should Know: A History of the Ultimate Writing Utensil in 75 Anecdotes” about the origins of the pencil. Edited by Tom Delargy, Produced by Freddy Chick, Senior Producer is Charlotte Long Discover the past on History Hit with ad-free original podcasts and documentaries released weekly presented by world renowned historians like Dan Snow, James Holland, Mary Beard and more. Get 50% off your first 3 months with code PATENTED. Download the app on your smart TV or in the app store or sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe You can take part in our listener survey here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.