May 19 (UPI) -- An Indian man who picked up miniature carving as a hobby five years ago broke a Guinness World Record when he carved pencil graphite into a chain with 212 links.
M. Manoj, an assistant professor at Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, carved the 17.7-inch chain of freely movable links from an Artline Black Beauty pencil using surgical blades.
"I made the chain by strictly adhering to the guidelines set by the Guinness Book authorities. I did not use any adhesives to attach the links," Manoj told The Hindu.
Manoj received word this week that his chain broke the Guinness record set by Taiwan man Lee Chien Chu, who carved 168 links from a graphite pencil.
"The major constraint I faced was the number of links I could carve in a single pencil and hence I used two pencils to carve the 212 links. Connecting the links of two pencils was a problem, but I solved it by making a crack on the last link," he said.
Manoj said he worked for about four hours a day for a month to complete his chain. He said he would not mind if someone else breaks his record.
"It is the biggest recognition that I could achieve as a pencil carving artist, and am sure that it will inspire other artists to come forward and attempt the same record title," Manoj told Guinness.