Before the rubber erasers that are used today, tablets of wax were used to erase lead or charcoal marks from paper. Even bread was used back in the 1600s. Then, in 1916, the iconic pink rubber eraser was popularized by Eberhard Faber. The blue and pink eraser was designed by adding pumice to natural rubber to create a more effective eraser. For decades, many people believed that the pink side of the eraser was for erasing pencil marks, while the blue side was to remove ink marks. Anyone who has tried to rub out ink marks with the blue side of the eraser knows that it simply ends up destroying the paper. It turns out that the blue end of the eraser is actually designed to erase graphite from heavier, more absorbent paper because the blue portion is more abrasive. It allows for deeper, more aggressive erasure from thick, textured or art paper. The pink end of the eraser is designed to be used on more delicate papers. While some modern erasers might be designed for ink, the classic blue/pink combo is meant to be a two-stage pencil eraser.
