"What the Heck is This?"

I know that it would be silly to play a "guess what this is" game with this piece.  This is a blog about mechanical pencils.  Of course it's a pencil.

That doesn't mean that I didn't fall for it, though.  A friend approaches me at the Ohio Pen Show and says, "I'll bet you don't know what this is," and I'm thinking to myself "OK, Jon. . . you know this.  Television remote control?  No.  Nuclear weapon detonator?  No, looks a little small.  Pocket pasta maker?   Hmm..." 

Duh.  I'm at a pen show.  I'm a pencil guy with a giant booth promoting my new book about pencils.  Someone approaches me with an object and asks me to guess what it is.  Why did I fall for it?  He should have asked me if I wanted a "hurts donut" while he was at it. 

So here's the pencil . . .

NOTE:  This article is now included in the print version of The Leadhead's Pencil Blog, available anywhere you buy books, or also from The Legendary Lead Company.

To order, here's the link:  Volume 1 at Legendary Lead Company