Monday
Nov102008
Carbon Copy. R.I.P.
Nov 10, 2008 at 3:00 PM 
Pencils made of Dead people???? Yes-- this idea is the brainchild of designer Nadine Jarvis of the UK.
Carbon Copies are pencils made from the carbon of human cremated remains. 240 pencils can be made from an average body of ash - a lifetime supply of pencils for those left behind.
Each pencil is foil stamped with the name of the person. Only one pencil can be removed at a time, it is then sharpened back into the box causing the sharpenings to occupy the space of the used pencils. Over time the pencil box fills with sharpenings - a new ash, transforming it into an urn. The window acts as a timeline, showing you the amount of pencils left as time goes by.
This work forms part of a larger research project into post mortem.
Reader Comments (22)
ummm... the new "must have"
This puts a new meaning to having Grandpa help you with your homework.
Bet if you used those pencils you wouldn't be tempted to chew the ends!
If you drop you pencil is class, someone finds it, picks it up. You leave class without it, the person who found the pencil is in your class again. You see him with the pencil, chewing on it, you feel squimish inside, knowing that, "Doug... Is chewing on my grandma... EW." Or, If some bully comes to your desk, and takes your pencil and snaps it, you can say "You just murdered my dead grandma!", "That pencil is made with her ASHES". Making the bully, completely speechless is somewhat scared. Score one for Grandma and You. Also, in the case of sharpening the pencils... squimish-type feeling, "I'm shapening my Grandma..." Sounds, so wrong.
Can they be made into colored pencils?
This just doesn't seem right.
That's a great concept! While I think old cemeteries are cool, atmospheric locations, new ones are just a waste of land to make for a memorial human landfill. I'm in favor of cremation and scattering whenever possible. This is a unique idea that seem useful.
Wow, that is truly amazing dude!
R
www.real-privacy.net.tc
This is actually really, really cool. If I did this, I would leave the pencils to a college writing course, or even to a local coffeeshop. Immortalized in writing, it doesn't get much better than that.
acreature (Reddit.com) You appear to be a very open, talented person. I did't know participation in Reddit could lead beyond.
I have yet to be so open. I am quite cautious with my anonymity. Figure anonymity will last only so long.
Anyway, I haven't participated in Reddit but recently. Have some talent along your lines.
Along your death-into-life theme, was inspired to draw a picture, hopefully for your enjoyment and amusement (imitation being the sincerest form of flattery). I didn't know you had already produced such an exemplary pencil or photoshopped it, can't tell yet.
Here's my quickie version and quote: "Hey Reddit. I drew a picture of my ancestor with my ancestor." - http://imgur.com/JNgSp.png
BTW: I suspect you are a javascript programmer and more. I am just learning PHP.
Also, BTW: retsotrembla is partially correct when he replies,"The artist needs to learn some chemistry: "ash" is defined as what's left behind after combustion. Carbon burns (to CO2) so the ash would have almost no carbon in it, and would not make a good graphite+clay pencil lead."
You are welcome to cite me as a friend anytime.
"Can they be made into colored pencils?"
Only if the dead person is black.
what if you used the pencil to draw a picture of the person the pencil was made from and then that picture became haunted by the soul of that person?
Talk about life after death! This is it.
Great ..I just rang them.....but apparrently the person you want to turn into pencils has to be dead first.
hey!!sharpenings come from wood, not from ash, so the next generation pencils won't contain your grandpa
You can lead a horse to water but a pencil must be led.
What next? Grandpa Graphite tipped vibrators for the ladies? The Mayans are correct. We near the end of civilization.
Oh great, now you'll get to lose them all over again, comfortable in the knowledge that you've smeared their corpse-resin all over the place. Have fun ever sleeping again when you look over at the notebook with mom smeared all over it
it's good to see this information in your post, i was looking the same but there was not any proper resource, thanx now i have the link which i was looking for my research.
WTF!