My husband is a mechanical drafter, and was previously a carpenter.  I just
showed him the pictures and he said, judging from the size, they look like
pencil "lead" from a carpenter's pencil.  You might want to check one out at
a hardware store, preferably one that has been in business for a very long
time, maybe since the 1870s?  I know of one in Placerville, California.  Or
you could try to hunt down the beginning of use of graphite as writing . . .
if you don't already know.
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Douglass <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tuesday, March 23, 1999 9:41 PM
Subject: Graphite objects
 
 
>Hello:
>I'm asking for help in identifying three graphite objects recovered at
>an Overseas Chinese laborers domestic site at an 1870's California
>sawmill.  I've posted a picture of them at:
>
>http://www.sonic.net/~dougtr/graphitepage.html
>
>Thanks for your interest.
>
>Robert Douglass
>