Writers, artists and draftsmen are just some of the creative types whose lives and careers have been transformed by these ingenious tools. Celebrated novelist John Steinbeck used 300 pencils to write East of Eden. Trail-blazing animator and entrepreneur Walt Disney first sketched Mickey Mouse’s ears with a pencil and the rest is history.

The origins of the pencil and pen are actually just as fascinating as the words and pictures they have recorded throughout time. The earliest means of writing with pen and paper as we know it was developed by the Greeks, and perfected by the Romans.

The writing instrument that dominated for the longest period in history – over 1,000 years — was the quill pen. Introduced in Europe around 700 A.D. and made from a bird feather, quill pens lasted for only a week before it was necessary to replace them. Lewis Waterman of New York patented the first practical fountain pen in 1884 and in 1931, Hungarian Laszlo Biro invented the ballpoint pen — the writing implement of choice for most people today because of their neatness and reliability.

(A sketch of Saturn by Galileo)

The idea for the pencil came much later in human history and quite by accident. Some time prior to about 1560, graphite was discovered near Borrowdale, England, supposedly when a large tree was uprooted in a storm, exposing a black substance beneath its roots.

Because graphite is soft, it requires some form of encasement.  Graphite sticks were initially wrapped in string or sheepskin for stability. Shortly after, a superior technique was discovered: two wooden halves were carved, a graphite stick inserted, and the halves then glued together—essentially the same method in use to this day.

Because graphite is soft, it requires some form of encasement.  Graphite sticks were initially wrapped in string or sheepskin for stability. Shortly after, a superior technique was discovered: two wooden halves were carved, a graphite stick inserted, and the halves then glued together—essentially the same method in use to this day.

Although the pencil was first officially documented in 1565 by Conrad Gesner, and its invention is sometimes attributed to him, it wasn’t until the late 1700s that manufacturing techniques similar to those practiced today were developed.

The method of making pencils was painstakingly slow, so Joseph Dixon, an inventor and entrepreneur, developed a means to mass-produce pencils. By 1870, The Joseph Dixon Crucible Company was the world’s largest dealer and consumer of graphite and later became the contemporary Dixon Ticonderoga pencil and art supplies company.

In 1858, Hymen Lipman did us all a great favor when he received the first patent for attaching an eraser to the end of a pencil. As we continue to use the pencil to help sketch the future, we can also rely on the eraser to make a few revisions along the way.

Copyright Davison 2013

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Fast, Fresh Food

Ordering pizza has never been so fresh. The Pizza Keeper keeps your leftover pizza fresh and ready to reheat, so you have much more time to concentrate on the things you need to do. Pizza Keeper is a neat, convenient way to store leftover pizza compactly in the refrigerator. The air-tight container has a second tier and a separator, so one unit can hold four large slices of pizza neatly and easily. The product also can be used to microwave all the slices at once, making reheating as easy as three, two, one, beep.

Study Storage

Despite the pervasiveness of electronic media, highlighters, pencils and pens will be part of college life as long as you’re paying $200 a pop for that Intro to Philosophy text book. Save time by keeping your study accessories organized with Davison’s Magna Jars. Davison’s team of designers created a small jar that has a magnetic lid and can hold up to a pound of pens, highlighters and various other study materials. The powerful one-way magnet embedded in the jar lid makes it easy to attach the set of four jars to metal cabinetry and other metal objects.

Rooting Rack

You don’t need to mess around when it’s time to suit up and root for the alma mater, and with college teams spanning sports from chess team to NCAA football, you are going to need a variety of hats. Davison will help you keep those hats organized. Cap Racks mount to most doors and walls and are perfect for organizing, storing and protecting hats, as well as belts and bags.

Pamper Products

At school, you’re on your feet a lot. Between hustling to class and squeezing in that lunch-hour Zumba class, your feet and knees take a beating. Pamper yourself during your downtime with the TheraPED, a wearable product that offers moist heat as well as cooling therapy to soothe sore feet and toes. Or, soothe your knee pain with the Hot/Cold Therapy Brace.

Transitioning from summer vacations to midterm cram sessions can be a difficult task. Let these Davison products make the transition a little smoother.

A typical project does not get a royalty agreement, sell in stores or generate a profit.

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