The pencil has been an aid in recording our thoughts for centuries.  The word pencil comes from the Latin word pencil's which means "painters brush".  Ancient Egyptians, Romans and Greeks all used some for of writing tool that eventually took the form of the pencil we know today.  Pencils now come in a large variety of colors to choose from.   The outside of the pencil has also come a long way in design.  They are no longer only available with the plain wood but in every design you could possibly imagine.