The first widely used erasers weren’t rubber; they were rolled pieces of bread.

The “vegetable gum” eraser was invented in 1770 by British chemist Joseph Priestley. He was also known for the discovery of oxygen (O2) and nine other gases, including carbon monoxide (CO), nitric oxide (NO), nitrous oxide (N2O), ammonia (NH3), sulphur dioxide (SO2), and nitrogen peroxide (N2O4). He also contributed to the discovery of the carbon cycle.

The classic pink eraser is colored with pumice, a volcanic rock.

Erasers don’t erase by “lifting” graphite; they grab tiny graphite particles through friction.

The little shaved crumbs left behind are called “eraser debris” or “eraser dust.”

Pencils with erasers attached were not invented until 1858. The invention was patented by Hyman L. Lipman.

The Magic Rub type of vinyl eraser is made from vinyl plastic, not rubber.

Kneaded erasers work by absorbing graphite rather than rubbing it off. Kneaded erasers never leave crumbs because they stretch instead of break. Pencil artists love kneaded erasers because they can be molded into sharp points.

The blue end of the “blue and pink” eraser was never officially meant for ink; it was meant for rougher paper. However, many people used it to remove ink anyway, often tearing holes in the paper.

Rubber erasers were once called an India rubber because of where the latex originated.

The first synthetic rubber erasers were developed during World War II due to natural rubber shortages.

Some erasers contain sulfur, which gives older erasers a “rubbery” smell.

Erasers don’t work well on colored pencils because colored pencil cores use wax, not graphite.

Erasers can actually age and harden if exposed to air, becoming brittle. The harder an eraser feels, the less effective it usually is on delicate paper.

Novelty erasers shaped like foods, animals, and objects became popular in the 1980s.

Rubber erasers became cheap and common after the industrial vulcanization process of rubber. Vulcanized rubber, invented by Charles Goodyear, made erasers more durable and heat resistant.

The average American student uses about 3 erasers per year.

There is an eraser that costs more than a cheap bicycle. Ultra premium Japanese precision drafting erasers can cost $80+ each because they are hand formed in tiny batches.

Some artists intentionally dirty an eraser before using it. A lightly graphite seasoned kneaded eraser actually lifts highlights more smoothly.

Some vintage pink erasers release a plasticizer that eats into plastic pencil boxes like a science fiction creature.