So today, I wanted to figure out who actually built those monster-sized pencils you see in record books. Grabbed my notebook and just started digging online like a squirrel hunting acorns.
The Frustrating Search Begins
First, I typed “world’s longest pencil maker” into search engines. Kept getting tourist attraction pages or pencil company ads – zero actual answers. Felt like chasing my own tail! Started adding words like “craftsman” and “behind the scenes” to the search. Finally, hit some old forum threads buried deep.
Tracking Down Clues
One thread mentioned this dude Ashrita Furman – holds tons of Guinness records. Dug up his foundation’s site. Turns out his team built a 76-foot pencil back in 2007 using telephone poles! But the forums said someone else broke that record later.
- Called stationery shops nationwide asking about giant pencil suppliers
- Emailed museum curators who display oddities
- Messaged woodworkers on forums who build novelty items
The Tennessee Connection
After three days of dead ends, a museum guy in Memphis gives me a lead: “Try Hester & Cook, but they’re wholesalers.” Called their Tennessee workshop directly. Bingo! Found Jim – the foreman who actually assembled the current record holder in their factory.
Inside The Pencil Factory
Jim walked me through their 2021 project:
- Used cedar logs normally meant for fence posts
- Hand-poured graphite core like pancake batter (kept cracking!)
- Eraser was literal foam cut from mattress material
- Spray-painted yellow with car detailing equipment
They nearly gave up when the 65-foot beast snapped during drying. Jim’s crew ended up building custom saw horses just to support the dang thing. Took six guys sweating bullets to flip it.
Why Bother?
When I asked Jim why they’d torture themselves making a useless giant pencil, he laughed: “Corporate wanted viral marketing. We just wanted to see if we could.” Perfect answer.
Turns out record-breaking pencils ain’t made by fancy engineers – just regular factory crews getting wild assignments on Wednesday afternoons. Feels good to finally know.
