Stylus for wax tablets

Roman stilus – the stylus

It is quite a special feeling when the point of the cool stylus (lat. stilus), forged of bronze, brass or iron, carves into the soft beeswax of the wax tablet: letters, Roman numerals or simple notes or shopping lists, even love letters in wax will acquire thus quite a personal, unmistakeable look!

And if you don't like any more what was written, then turn around the stylus and smooth the wax with the flattened end to write on the wax tablet again. For the stylus is pointed at one end and flattened at the other. A Roman writing stylus consists usually of metal, bone or, for children, as well of wood.
The expression 'tabula rasa' means, by the way, 'erased wax tablet' - or today, 'blank slate.'