Archive

THE FABER-CASTELL ARCHIVE

In the Archive of Faber-Castell one can find a lot of interesting old things related to the pencils history. Not only old pencils and pens, but nicely designed historic packings of the Faber-Castell pencils and amongst other things pencils of famous historic persons, too.

The oldest pencil

During renovation work this unusual pencil was discovered between the roof joists of a house dating back to the 17th century. Evidently the carpenter had forgotten it there. It is the oldest surviving example of a pencil.

Travelling case

Lothar von Faber laid great store by elegant and elaborate presentations and displays for his first-class products. For this purpose he created an exclusive handcrafted travelling case in which his pencils were beautifully displayed (about 1880).

Polygrades pencils

Lothar von Faber offered his Polygrades pencils sorted by different grades of hardness in a richly ornamented case. With it he conquered the world market by the middle of the 19th century. This case dates from about 1855.

Historical pencils "Castell 9000"

PENCILS USED BY FAMOUS PERSONS

Pencil of Bimarck

The long Faber easel pencil which the imperial chancellor Otto von Bismarck used not just to make notes during parliamentary sessions but also – practical man as he was – to tamp the tobacco in his pipe.

Pencil of Ulysses Grant

The Faber pencil belonging to President Ulysses Grant, who is said to have used it to sketch out battle plans while he was a general in the civil war.

The Faber penholder belonging to King Ludwig II of Bavaria.