SKU: 11858476060

Thoreau & Son - Finest Pencil Set of 4

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Description

Thoreau & Son - Finest Pencil Set of 4Did you know that in addition to being an iconic New England author, Henry David Thoreau revolutionized the American pencil business? Thanks to our friends at Big Wheel Press, you too can write with the famous No. 2 pencil that changed American pencil manufacturing forever, all thanks to Henry David Thoreau. Big Wheel Press studied the design and process Thoreau used to create his pencils so long ago and created this replica set as a testament to good

Did you know that in addition to being an iconic New England author, Henry David Thoreau revolutionized the American pencil business?

Thanks to our friends at Big Wheel Press, you too can write with the famous No. 2 pencil that changed American pencil manufacturing forever, all thanks to Henry David Thoreau.

Big Wheel Press studied the design and process Thoreau used to create his pencils so long ago and created this replica set as a testament to good old fashioned Yankee ingenuity.

The set includes 4 graded pencils in a printed package with the history of the Thoreau pencils on the back:

  • No. 1 - Soft
  • No. 2 - Medium
  • No. 3 - Hard
  • No. 4 - Hardest

Produced in the USA by Big Wheel Press in Easthampton, MA.

The Story of the Thoreau Pencils:

John Thoreau entered the pencil business in 1823, after his brother-in-law discovered a vein of plumbago, or graphite, in New Hampshire.  Thoreau & Co. quickly gained recognition for their high-quality pencils.  By 1829, their pencil manufacturing moved to Concord, MA

John’s son, Henry David Thoreau, became involved in the business and started to dig into the manufacturing problems that had made American pencils notoriously inferior to European imports. 

After researching it at the Harvard Library in 1840, he hit upon the idea of using clay—rediscovering what the French had figured out 45 years earlier—to make the perfect graphite mix.

Henry’s formula for kiln-fired pencil leads—a mix of finely ground graphite and clay—could be reliably graded from hard to soft.  John Thoreau & Co. was the first American pencil manufacturer to market pencils using a standard of hardness, graded 1-4.

The improved Thoreau product appealed especially to engineers, surveyors, carpenters, and artists who valued its consistency.

In 1844, Henry made another breakthrough, inventing a grinding machine that produced exceptionally fine graphite powder—the key to a strong, even point. Thoreau pencils won more awards in 1847 and 1849. No one in the United States made better pencils than the Thoreau’s, and the reason for their success was Henry.

Around 1849 John Thoreau changed the name of the family business from J. Thoreau & Co to J. Thoreau & Son.

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SKU: 11858476060

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Emily S
Alexandria, US
★★★★★ 5
Very helpful for writing research papers!
Format: Paperback
I bought this to help with writing papers for grad school. It's now a staple on my desk! Very helpful.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2026
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Elizabeth Robbins
Draper, US
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Good buy
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Arrived on time and as detailed
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Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2026
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RoseJo
Boise, US
★★★★★ 4
Vast improvement in substance and organization; a few downsides
Format: Spiral-bound, Format: Spiral-bound
Among my other writing-related pursuits, I edit PhDs. This APA 7 manual is a big improvement over earlier APA editions. The primary purpose of any edition is to update the APA standards. This manual is packed with content and examples that were IMO long overdue. For instance, there are templates to show the order of data for Reference entries, and there are side-by-side examples of Reference and in-text citations. I ordered the wire-bound version because it works well in any workspace (i.e., you can easily fold the book in half or leave it wide open. The chapters are divided by tabs, with the ToC (table of contents) for that chapter printed on the tab. Compared to earlier versions, the font is smaller, but it remains highly readable. The margins are wide enough for notes. There are several downsides to the manual that I hope will be resolved in the next edition: (a) For such a large manual, the cover on the wirebound copy is both too short and relatively flimsy. It is too short because it is only the width of the pages. It does not extend over the tabs. It is too flimsy because it is the same weight as earlier and less substantial manuals. (b) There is no tab for the index. (c) Although the font in the chapters is a sufficient size, the font in the index is much smaller and the index pages are crowded; there is less room in the margins for taking notes. I dealt with the cover-related problems by cutting up a transparent binder/page sleeve for the front, back, and spine of the cover, and by creating my own tab for the index. There's nothing to be done for the index font except to live with it. You can get the gist of what I've reported here by looking at the pictures I've attached.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2023
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veronica contreras
Waukegan, US
★★★★★ 5
Delivery date was important
Format: Paperback
Needed it for school. Great book
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Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2026
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Miku
San Leandro, US
★★★★★ 5
Great
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Item came as promised in great condition!
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Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2026

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