HOUSE OF GRAPHITE

The My-Pal 2020 is an oversized "mini jumbo" round pencil - about 8.5mm (5/16") in diameter and roughly 7 inches long - made by Musgrave Pencil Company of Shelbyville, Tennessee. It has a soft, untipped (eraserless) graphite core and a black barrel that can look almost navy in some light; teachers favour the missing eraser because it lets them see a child's working. Sold as a beginner pencil for small hands and early handwriting practice, it can also be used for general writing or sketching. No numeric (#2/HB) grade is published - the maker describes the lead only as a soft graphite core. This specimen: My-Pal 2020 in grade Soft.