A remarkable aspect of the pencil industry is the longevity of the manufacturers. In a selective sample of 23 of the largest and best known manufacturers, nine are less than a century old, ten are between one and two centuries old, and four claim over two centuries of existence!
To be clear, here we are accepting general statements from company websites. We know that Dixon didn’t make pencils on day one, that Dixon and Lyra are no longer independent, and that Koh-I-Noor has a discontinuous history that doesn’t cleanly trace back to Hardmuth in 1790. And there are other companies who may also claim a descent from forerunners that could be challenged. Further, some are more brands than manufacturers today.
Yet, it is extremely impressive. Particular congratulations go to Faber-Castell, celebrating their 260th anniversary in 2021!
| Company | Created | Age |
|---|---|---|
| Staedtler | 1835 | 186 |
| Faber-Castell | 1761 | 260 |
| Lyra | 1806 | 205 |
| Stabilo | 1855 | 166 |
| Dixon | 1795 | 226 |
| Newell | 1856 | 165 |
| Moon | 1961 | 60 |
| General | 1889 | 132 |
| Musgrave | 1916 | 105 |
| Tombow | 1913 | 108 |
| Mitsubishi | 1887 | 134 |
| Kitaboshi | 1951 | 70 |
| Camel | 1939 | 82 |
| Eyeball | 1972 | 49 |
| Derwent | 1832 | 189 |
| FILA | 1920 | 101 |
| Viarco | 1907 | 104 |
| Koh-I-Noor | 1790 | 221 |
| China First | 1935 | 86 |
| DOMS | 1974 | 47 |
| Camlin | 1931 | 90 |
| Hindustan | 1958 | 83 |
| Maharashtra | 1972 | 48 |
Don’t forget Krasin and Voskresensk, both from 1911 and mostly operating continuously even through waves of collectivization/atomization of the Soviet period.
Mark, thank you for the comment. I wrote “selective sample” because I am well aware that there are many other manufacturers in the Americas, Europe, and Asia. 110 years of Krasin and Voskresensk is also very impressive!
Also, I have enjoyed many posts at your blog.