The "sanitary" replacement is a wax, I always just knew it as sortkwik (? It's been a while), that you dip your fingers in. I'm sure it's still a thing for literal paper pushers to this day.
Sanitary in quotes since I'm not sure a pot of wax collecting stuff from your fingers for months or years is much better than licking.
Sanitary in quotes since I'm not sure a pot of wax collecting stuff from your fingers for months or years is much better than licking.