# ILLUSTRATIVE DOPERS: what is the "tightest" eraser on the market? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 31, 2003, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illustrative-dopers-what-is-the-tightest-eraser-on-the-market/210596 "2003-10-31T04:07:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![criminalcatalog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@criminalcatalog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/criminalcatalog)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2003, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illustrative-dopers-what-is-the-tightest-eraser-on-the-market/210596/1 "2003-10-31T04:07:42Z")
One of the things I wish I had for illustrations (graphite, various lead choices) is an eraser that can cut down to the finest line. My drawings are on thick white paper. Sort of a “.3mm” eraser. I would guess it must be very hard, like erasing with a stone or something. Does anyone know where I can find a hard eraser (no drink jokes please) 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2003, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illustrative-dopers-what-is-the-tightest-eraser-on-the-market/210596/2 "2003-10-31T10:52:24Z")
I seem to remember there being eraser ‘leads’ for the old-style propelling pencils (not the ultra-fine ones, there used to be clutch pencils that took a lead roughly the same diameter as an ordinary pencil) Did I imagine these? ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2003, 11:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illustrative-dopers-what-is-the-tightest-eraser-on-the-market/210596/3 "2003-10-31T11:01:24Z")
Drink jokes? Nah - I was wondering whether in Britain you would go shopping for the tightest rubber, though. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2003, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illustrative-dopers-what-is-the-tightest-eraser-on-the-market/210596/4 "2003-10-31T17:57:17Z")
Go to an art supply store and get an “eraser shield” – it looks like a very thin aluminum template with circles and lines and triangles and stuff cut in it. Use it as a mask to block the lines and edges you don’t want to erase. This has been a standard piece of drawing equipment invented shortly after the invention of the drawing pencil. You don’t want to use a very hard eraser, but one of the pliable white “magic rub” drafting erasers. Staetler and Sanford are two common manufacturers of these. These work like a miracle, removing pencil lince cleanly and without smudging. Here: [This](http://www4.district125.k12.il.us/faculty/djohanns/TechEdHomePage/TDDraftingTools.html) is a page describing drafting tools, and [this](http://www.officemax.com/max/solutions/product/prodBlock.jsp?prodBlockOID=56404&passPath=/product/prodBlock.jsp&BV_UseBVCookie=yes) is an Office Max page for the eraser I like. ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2003, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illustrative-dopers-what-is-the-tightest-eraser-on-the-market/210596/5 "2003-10-31T18:00:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\*lince \*\* “Lince?” I don’t know how I got “lince” when I meant **lines**. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![furlibusea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@furlibusea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furlibusea)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2003, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illustrative-dopers-what-is-the-tightest-eraser-on-the-market/210596/6 "2003-10-31T18:06:01Z")
**bughunter** is exactly right. You can also cut those white drafting erasers down pretty thin and I always thought they took the lead off better than the pink ones. If you try something that is really hard it will just destroy the texture of your paper. ---
**Author:** ![Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@Bad\_News\_Baboon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bad_News_Baboon)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2003, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illustrative-dopers-what-is-the-tightest-eraser-on-the-market/210596/7 "2003-10-31T22:10:14Z")
**criminalcatalog** , I agree with **bughunter**. If you can’t find an erasing sheild, drop me a line. I have, it seems, a million of them. You don’t want a hard eraser because it can destroy the tooth of your paper. If you are indeed wanting a hard eraser, there are some manufactured with pumice in them. Proceed with caution. Magic erasers are my favorite. Pink ones are fine for letter writing, IMO, not art. I have seen some that leave pink stains on the paper. My next favorite eraser is a kneaded eraser. These are better for softer media, such as charcoal and pastel. two other options: Staedler makes, IIRC, ‘mechanical pencil’ style erasers that are very thin. I have one that is rectangular and one that is round. These can be hard to find. Another option is to use an electric eraser. Again, you have to use with a soft eraser and practice using the eraser first. If you bear down too hard on the paper, the tooth will be ruined. ---
**Author:** ![criminalcatalog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@criminalcatalog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/criminalcatalog)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illustrative-dopers-what-is-the-tightest-eraser-on-the-market/210596/8 "2003-11-01T02:16:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Bad News Baboon \* > Staedler makes, IIRC, ‘mechanical pencil’ style erasers that are very thin. I have one that is rectangular and one that is round. These can be hard to find. This sounds like what I’m looking for. I need the ability to erase fine lines through my artwork, or points. The best thing would be to go to a digital format, but I haven’t bonded closely with my tablet yet. It’s hard to get used to, after paper. ---
**Author:** ![criminalcatalog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@criminalcatalog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/criminalcatalog)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illustrative-dopers-what-is-the-tightest-eraser-on-the-market/210596/9 "2003-11-01T03:26:51Z")
How exactly would you plot your locations before and after in an expanding universe? ---
**Author:** ![criminalcatalog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@criminalcatalog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/criminalcatalog)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illustrative-dopers-what-is-the-tightest-eraser-on-the-market/210596/10 "2003-11-01T03:28:05Z")
criminy, wrong thread :smack: ---
**Author:** ![altoid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/45deac/32.png) [@altoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/altoid)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2003, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/illustrative-dopers-what-is-the-tightest-eraser-on-the-market/210596/11 "2003-11-01T22:25:20Z")
I’d use a [mapped eraser](http://www.dickblick.com/zz210/08/products.asp?param=0&ig_id=4217) , which can also be cut with a razor. I tend to think of erasers as very disposeable objects-- my students live to destroy them (it’s some sort of odd natural instinct teenagers have.) I cut my erasers into points all the time.