A new day is dawning brightly as technology begins to affect even the simple little things that we grew up with. Today's technology is improving things even those as elementary as a pencil. I just love it when the old and the new come together to make a better product for us all!

The simple pencil is one of the most useful tools ever invented. But you have to sharpen pencils and they wear down to a stub. Both of these negatives were eliminated by the mechanical pencil, but the lead in mechanical pencils is messy and breaks often.

Enter the new Pentech patented liquid graphite pencils which solved all the problems. These pencils never break and they never need sharpening.

The Pentech UltraSharp Wood Pencils by JAKKS Pacific look just like the yellow pencils that you have been using for years. They are No. 2 compatible and write just like common pencils. They erase beautifully and since you don't sharpen them, the wood never wears down. Although the graphite remains sharp, it will eventually run out. Although I haven't tested one to the bottom, the company claims that they will last about 2 ½ times longer than a common pencil. Perhaps they will last even longer for me because like most people I throw out ordinary pencils before all the lead is used up.

The Liquaphite Mechanical Pencils also by JAKKS Pacific look, feel, and write just like mechanical pencils. Each mechanical pencil comes with 2 eraser refills and one enclosed cartridge that can be used to refill the pencil without having to touch any messy lead. Like the wood liquid graphite pencils, the tip is always sharp and never pops or breaks.

I've been testing these pencils for about a month and have been impressed by their durability and usefulness.

A set of 3 Pentech UltraSharp Wood Pencils retails for $3.49. The Pentech Liquaphite Mechanical Pencils sell for $3.99. They are available at Wal-Mart, Target, K-Mart, Longs, Rite-Aid, and many other department and drug stores.