When did pencils stop being made from lead?

It's a common misconception that pencil lead is or has ever been constituted of the element lead. It's true that thousands of years ago the element lead was formed into cylinders and used to make marks on papyrus, however, wooden pencils or any instrument since does not use lead (lead is a heavy metal and using pure lead in form can cause major health problems with extended exposure). Pencils now are made of graphite or some other pigment. However, graphite in solid form was discovered in the 16th century and at the time was thought to be some type of lead, which is why many people today still call pencil lead: lead.