Graf von Faber-Castell pencils.
Wow. I have wanted to write about these pencils for some while. They are the ultimate woodcase pencil. They have an incredible look, feel, and composition. They even smell nice, with an incredibly rich cedar fragrance.
They are sold in various formats, variants and packages, but here I’ll address only the full length standalone pencils. They are round with ribbed grooves, and have a silver-plate cap. Their circumference is larger than the typical office pencil. They look like finely crafted works of art, which incidentally happen to be pencils.
I’ve got a set of five, and also a set of two that came with a white eraser with ribbing that matches the pencils. The eraser also has a silver-plate cover. Until I can get some eraser replacements, I’m leaving the eraser in the plastic, as I don’t find that white erasers tend to stay white too long.
The series extends to silver-plate sharpeners. I have a large one that’s really a joy to use as a desk sharpener.
The pencils are definitely top class, with a smooth writing dark lead. In one’s hand, they are very easy and pleasant to grip. They’re also beautiful and luxurious like no other woodcase pencil. Using this pencil is definitely enjoyable, and I recommend trying them to anyone who likes pencils.
September 12th, 2006 at 10:23 pm
I am really interested in getting some of these pencils. Do you have an address where I might be able to order some? Thanks.
September 14th, 2006 at 9:59 pm
Fountain pen shops that carry Faber-Castell products should be able to get them. I can vouch for Laywine’s in Toronto and Skripta-Paris (online) as good places to get these.
September 16th, 2006 at 7:08 am
In the USA? I purchased mine from 1888store.com (via the SHOP BY BRAND menu, find WRITING INSTRUMENTS, Faber-Castell, then Perfect Pencils). They’re in Washington State I belive. Be prepared for sticker shock!
October 14th, 2006 at 9:57 pm
I like this upper line of pencils. My question is whether or not anyone in the pencil community knows if the pencil for the grip 2001 or the castell 9000 are cedar pencils also?
Thanks!
October 15th, 2006 at 12:57 pm
Thanks for the comment John.
Many believe these pencils are made from pinus caribea (pine), since Faber-Castell manages a 10,000 hectare pine forest in Brazil. But I’ve never seen a formal statement from Faber-Castell, and the wood isn’t stated in product documents.
Which of course doesn’t make it not so! If anyone has any references, let us know!
October 29th, 2006 at 7:42 am
It has been awhile since I checked in at this site and see some interesint new posts. The Graf von Faber-Castell pencils are really beautiful to look at, but even I am hesitant to use them myself. Actually I have just returned from Germany where I even had dinner with Graf Anton this past week.
FYI - Grip 2001 pencils are historically produced from Jelutong or Pulai from Indonesia. However over time Faber-Castell may have begun using Pine or Gmelina from their Latin America operations. The 9000 continues to be produced from Incense-cedar.
October 29th, 2006 at 1:58 pm
Great to hear from you. I imagine there was a lot of wood and pencil talk at that dinner!
Thank you for the information about the source woods.
Faber-Castell’s 250th anniversary is just a few years away. I will bet they are planning some nice products to commemorate the event. Oddly, they just released a Thoreau-themed rollerball. It wasn’t rollerballs that Thoreau’s family manufactured, if I recall correctly.
November 29th, 2006 at 6:10 pm
I think those pencils are some of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen- the simplicity is so wonderful. I’d order some, but I just finished ordering a bunch of Palominos!
November 29th, 2006 at 8:01 pm
I have acquired three sterling silver Graf von Faber Castell items, matching .7mm pencil, ballpen and ( at a bankruptcy sale )fountain pen. Workmanship is tremendous..very nicely made, but being sterling, they mark easily, so it pays to keep them in a leather case, and always return promptly to the case! An example of thoughtful detail is the ( I think) molded polyethylene thread insert in the fountain pen cap, meaning that if you “post the cap” on the pen, the doft poly thread runs over the back of the pen snugly, but without marking it!
November 29th, 2006 at 8:18 pm
Kali, thanks for the comment. And there is no rule against ordering two types of pencils!
November 29th, 2006 at 8:24 pm
Ken, thanks for the comment and sharing your experience. The “thoughtful detail” you mention is great to hear about. I find that many of Faber-Castell’s products have these first rate design elements that aren’t immediately discovered.
November 29th, 2006 at 9:02 pm
Not readily discovered is right! The sterling devices are easy to identify( even before seeing the price tag!) In silver-plated versions, there is a nicely flared ring at the top of the cap, with a single riow of “coining” around it. If it is sterling ( solid alloy of 92.5% silver ( by law), there are two coined rings one atop the other.
Best regards to all!
KenB
January 21st, 2008 at 7:28 pm
I have the sterling silver pencil to write appointments and little notes in my Gigliodoro agenda. It is a joy to use, to have the eraser and sharpener always at hand and the weight of the pencil cap is so reassuring that I often tend to play with it during long boring meetings.
Up until now I never had a lead break, an untidy sharpening or a grainy lead. For some other brands it seems so hard to get it all right, but these, well you get what you pay for?!