In 1770, a famous British scientist Joseph Priestly discovered a substance which he found was suitable for wiping the marks made by black lead pencil on paper. English engineer, Edward Nairne is also given the credit for inventing the first commercial rubber eraser in 1770.
An eraser or rubber is a stationery item used for rubbing out pencil and pen marks. Erasers are usually made using synthetic rubber but more expensive erasers also contain plastic, vinyl or gum-like materials. Cheaper erasers are made from synthetic soy-based gum.
Erasers are available in all sizes, colors, styles and shapes. The different types of erasers are art gum erasers, kneaded erasers, electric erasers, soft vinyl erasers and ink erasers. A number of tasks can be completed using these simple rubber tools. It can be used for removing a gummy residue from a surface, such as the residue left behind by a label on a wall or it can be used to remove crayon marks from walls and other surfaces.
Today there are a variety of novelty erasers available in the market and they are available in different colors, designs and shapes such as confectionery, musical notes, alphabets, animals, fruits and others. Pencils with rubber tops are also quite popular today.
