) ▁applied ▁the ▁world ' s ▁first ▁pat ent ▁( F rench ▁pat ent ▁# 2 4 4 4 ) ▁on ▁a ▁p enc il ▁sharp ener ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 8 . ▁P enc il ▁sharp ener ▁devices ▁using ▁his ▁pat ent ▁were ▁actually ▁produced ▁and ▁sold ▁by ▁Bin ant , ▁a ▁shop ▁for ▁painting ▁access ories ▁in ▁Paris . ▁In ▁ 1 8 3 3 ▁in ▁England , ▁Cooper ▁& ▁E ck stein ▁pat ented ▁the ▁so - called ▁St y lo x yn on , ▁a ▁simple ▁device ▁consisting ▁of ▁two ▁sharp ▁files ▁set ▁together ▁at ▁right ▁angle ▁in ▁a ▁small ▁block ▁of ▁rose wood . ▁This ▁is ▁the ▁oldest ▁p enc il ▁sharp ener ▁that ▁has ▁surv iving ▁examples . ▁▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 3 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 8 4 0 s , ▁some ▁French ▁people , ▁all ▁based ▁in ▁Paris , ▁were ▁engaged ▁in ▁construction ▁of ▁simple ▁p enc il ▁sh ar pen ing ▁tools , ▁like ▁François ▁Joseph ▁L ah aus se ▁. ▁ ▁These ▁devices ▁were ▁partially ▁sold , ▁but ▁without ▁sup ra - reg ional ▁significance . ▁In ▁ 1 8 4 7 ▁the ▁French ▁no blem an ▁Th ier ry ▁des ▁Est iv aux ▁invent ed ▁a ▁simple ▁hand - h eld ▁p enc il ▁sharp ener ▁in ▁its ▁recogn izable ▁modern ▁form . ▁The ▁first ▁American ▁p enc il ▁sharp ener ▁was ▁pat ented ▁by ▁Walter ▁K itt red ge ▁F oster ▁of ▁Bang or , ▁Maine ▁in