Hold the pencil firmly in the left hand, as in the drawing, allowing
about an inch to project beyond the fingers, and turn it gradually as
the knife removes the wood. The knife should be held so that the blade
alone projects beyond the fingers, and the part of it nearest the handle
used for cutting. The pencil should be placed against the inside of the
thumb of the right hand, as in the drawing (fig. 56), and the wood
removed by slight shaving. The lead should not be cut at the same time
as the wood, but rested on the thumb and pared gently afterwards; by
attention to these directions the pencil will be economized.