Sakeb Carpenter’s Pencil: A Circular Material Approach to Creative Tools
The Sakeb Carpenter’s Pencil is a redesigned writing and drawing tool developed using recycled sawdust and biobased binders. Created by Raghad Saqfalhait and Mariam Dahabreh, the pencil responds to the environmental impact of woodworking waste, particularly in Palestinian carpentry workshops, where the raw material is sourced.
Material Composition and Circularity
The core material of the pencil consists of reclaimed sawdust, which is bound using a natural, non-toxic binder. This formulation makes the pencil biobased and biodegradable, aligning it with current sustainability goals in material design. The use of woodworking by-products supports waste valorisation by transforming a typically discarded resource into a functional, value-added product.
A notable feature of the material is its reusability. Once the pencil is worn down or shaved, the remnants can be melted and remoulded into a new pencil. This enables a closed-loop lifecycle, reducing the demand for new raw materials and contributing to lower environmental impact across the product’s lifespan.
Form and Function
The pencil is thicker than conventional writing tools, drawing its proportions from traditional carpenter’s pencils. This scale facilitates bold lines and large surface shading, making it particularly suitable for sketching, conceptual design work, and early-stage visual ideation. The design also aligns with workshop-based applications, offering durability and ease of handling.
The pencil’s matte texture and raw finish reflect the visual and tactile characteristics of the workshop environment in which it was developed. The surface quality and unrefined aesthetic are intentional, distinguishing it from mass-manufactured drawing tools.
Production Method and Craft Context
Each pencil is handcrafted, resulting in slight variations in shape and texture. This manual production process reflects an analog approach, contrasting with standardised industrial methods. The design choice reinforces the connection between material, maker, and end-user, and highlights the variability inherent in natural materials.
Instead of being sharpened using conventional devices, the pencil is filed down with sandpaper. This method complements its material properties and further integrates it into traditional carpentry practices, reinforcing the product’s conceptual and functional ties to its origin context.
Design Relevance and Applications
While the Sakeb Carpenter’s Pencil is intended as a drawing tool, its material system and production model offer insights relevant to a wider range of design disciplines, including product design, interior architecture, and packaging design. The project demonstrates how biobased and recycled materials can be applied in small-scale tools while supporting circularity, regional sourcing, and craft-based production.
Source: Yanko Design
Photos: Raghad Saqfalhait and Mariam Dahabreh via Yanko Design