Lead pencil cases are polished by hand with lac solutions as used by French polishers. The rounded strips are 22 in. long, the length of three ordinary pencils. Their handling in large quantities greatly facilitates the polishing operation. The colouring matter may be gamboge for yellow, Bismarck for red, and French black or ebony stain for black. The staining is usually done first, the lac solutions being used clear in order to gain a glaze-like or enamel finish. Staining and polishing the pencils at one operation by dipping would give them a very common appearance.