Pencils are a popular writing tool used worldwide. No matter the industry or field. Use our ultimate guide and insights on the pencil industry to gain knowledge on the best materials on the market. A wide variety of options are available in the market, and it is best to know everything out there before choosing the best pencil fit for your enterprise or company.
Source: interwell.cn
Blackwing's story started in 1934 when Eberhard Faber introduced the unique Blacking 602 pencil model. Its distinct rectangular eraser plus soft and dark graphite made the model stand out among other pencils on the market, giving it an elite and exclusive feel and often called "The best pencil in the world." Blackwing's pencils were used by some of the most well-known artists, musicians, and creatives in American history due to their guaranteed quality and trademark features.
The company's message encourages everyone to continue playing, being creative, and interacting with the analog side of things in our all-consuming digital work. They believe using pencils, and other traditional writing tools allows one to slow down and find balance in our digital and fast-paced lives.
Source: blackwing602.com
Source: blackwing602.com
Although Blackwing ensures quality, the price also reflects that. They are most commonly known for their highly-priced pencils, which on average, sell for about $27(Set of 12). The Blackwing 602 pencil, which the company is recognized for today, is now seen as much more than just a writing tool. It is claimed to be a symbol representing slow-living culture and mindfulness. A new set of four limited edition pencils is released for sale every quarter. These little edition pencils are created as tributes to iconic people, places, and events that helped shape our modern creative environment.
After being a family-run business for over 100 years, CEO Charles Berolzheimer now runs Blackwing and has supported the company in growing into an artisanal lifestyle brand. Not only selling pencils but also branching out to other products such as paper, stickers, pads, notebooks, stickers, and other small stationery accessories. Since 2010, when Charles helped relaunch the famous 602 models, Blackwing has genuinely been making its mark on the pencil industry.
Source: blackwing602.com
Source: fabercastell.com
Founded in Stein, Germany, by Kaspar Faber in 1761, Faber-Castell started as a pencil company and has now added a range of other stationery and art products to its selection.
These products are sold and purchased all over the globe, operating in over 14 factories worldwide, and its products are distributed with over 20 significant sales companies. And you can find Faber-Castell's products in over 1000 retailers in Germany.
The company is still family-owned with pride and continues to stay that way for the foreseeable future. Four siblings represent the 9th generation of a family who is successfully helping run the business alongside their managing board.
Being the world's leading and oldest manufacturer of wood-cased pencils, they must be setting the example of ensuring an industrial production process that is environmentally friendly. They secured a long-term source of timber (10,000 acres) as long as 40 years ago to maintain a sustainable balance between deforestation and reforestation.
Faber-Castell offers more essential writing tools for creatives other than pencils. Their collection includes colored pencils, fine liners, crayons, aquarelle, charcoal, erasers, markers, sharpeners, and modeling clay.
Their prices range from $1-2 per pencil to $20 for a set of pencils with different lead hardness, which produces other shading effects.
Source: fabercastell.com
Source: fabercastell.com
Fun fact, the classic Ticonderoga pencil can write up to 45,000 words! That is a valuable purchase—holding the title of one of America's oldest corporations because its foundations were rooted during the American revolution.
The company started in 1812 when Joseph Dixon's son was experimenting with raw graphite and cedar wood. At that moment, the first Dixon pencil was created. It wasn't until 1913 that the yellow No. 2 pencil we are familiar with today was invented within the brand.
Dixon Ticonderoga Company is a member of the FILA Group. FILA (Fabbrica Italiana Lapis ed Affini) is one of the world's largest Art and Education supply companies headquartered in Italy.
Their green policy assures their buyers and users that their wood is derived from waste from other products. They also claim to source their wood from sustainable forestry management partners responsibly.
The brand keeps its product selection very simple to ensure the highest quality for the essentials. Their product range includes pencils priced at $12 for a set of 12, sharpeners, and erasers.
Source: dixonwriting.com
Source: staedtler.com
In the 17th century (1662), Friedrich Staedtler manufactured and sold his wood-cased pencils. His pencil-making business began in Nuremberg, Germany, and has been recognized as the first Gerrman pencil maker to be mentioned in written records.
The company's internationally renowned company is known for its global development. Now operating seven manufacturing plants worldwide – four in Germany – and its stance in 26 countries possible through its partner companies.
The Staedtler group has over 2,000 employees, which allows it to position itself gracefully in the international market.
Staedtler offers writing instruments catering to various needs, from everyday use to artists' tools. Their products include Pencils, colored pencils, writing pens, highlighters, markers, technical drawing instruments, and other stationery accessories. A set of 12 wooden pencils ranges from around $7-8.
The General's Pencil company has operated since 1889 and has remained family owned and operated across six generations. The company is celebrating 130 years of manufacturing quality art and drawing tools.
They are currently based in Jersey City, New Jersey, USA. They believe in quality, tradition, value, and the fun of creating, and they take pride in handcrafting quality pencils and artist materials using traditional methods passed down for generations.
Sustainable practices are used throughout the company, using 100% reusable and recyclable packaging.
General's pencil focuses on producing different pencils for artists, such as drawing pencils, pastel chalks, charcoal, and more. They also make school, office, and writing pencils.
Source: generalpencil.com
Source: www.carandache.com
It started with its first simple cedar wood pencil being sold in 1915 near the Swiss Alps in Geneva. Then Caran d'Ache made history with its other iconic products, including a pen and an exciting release of the world's first watercolor pencils.
Today, the Swiss stationery company continues to make an impression on generations of artists, professionals, and children.
Currently employing around 300 people, Caran d'Ache operates over 120 shops-in-shops and exports to more than 90 countries. Hubscher, chair of the board of directors of the family-owned business, is expanding the company's global production of the brand's writing and drawing instruments each year.
Caran d'Ache's supply offers anything from pencils and pens to paints and inks. The options are limitless. Since the brand has become well known for using high-quality materials, the price reflects it. A set of 4 typical graphite writing pencils will cost around $5.
In 1938, Eagle Pencil Company launched Eagle Prismacolor Colored Pencils. The company started exclusively producing colored pencils that were especially favored by artists, marking themselves as a premium Fine Art Brand.
These colored pencils include what are today known as Premier Soft Core pencils. Then in 1969, the company began adding more variety to its selection, offering graphite pencils and markers in 1984. Since then, they have not stopped expanding.
The Newell brand currently owns Prismacolor, and since it launched in 1938, one thing has remained the same. Their quality and dedication continue to fuel artists' passion and inspiration.
They have adopted the use of PLA into some of their products, as PLA can save up to two-thirds of the energy needed to make traditional plastics and produces 70% fewer greenhouse gases when breaking down in landfill sites.
Although catered mainly towards artists, Prismacolors also offers fun sets for those seeking to let loose and have fun with their creative side.
Their products offered through retailers and on their site are of plenty. Colored pencils, markers, pastels, and graphite pencils are among the many options. The average price for an 18-pack graphite set is, on average, $20.
Source: prismacolor.com
Source: hindustanpencils.com
Hindustan Pencils is an Indian manufacturer of pencils, writing materials, and other stationery items, established in 1958 in Bombay. The company also makes writing tools under the brands Nataraj and Apsara and is said to be the largest pencil manufacturer in India.
Three friends, BJ Sanghvi, Ramnath Mehra, and Mansookani, opened the company together in 1958. They learned all about the pencil industry in Germany, and eventually, Sanghvi took control of the factory. Hindustan Pencils now manufactures 100% locally.
Since Hindustan Pencils also branches off its market by selling through two other brand names: Nataraj and Aspara, it makes sense that they offer various types of products to their customers other than just writing tools.
They also sell Erasers, Sharpeners, Rulers, Instrument Sets, Chalk, Art Kits, and Pens.
With their proud heritage from 1832, Derwent has manufactured pencils in the Lake District, UK. With over 150 years of knowledge plus many trial and error tests packed into every pencil, their creative and scientific minds never ceased in their quest for innovations. Obsessing over the highest quality of materials and forever creating an ever-evolving and exceptional range to meet the requirements of every artist.
Derwent promises to keep pushing its boundaries so artists can keep pushing theirs. The company's owner Paul Williams claims that sustainability is an important value indicator for their business.
The specialty product at Derwent's is their graphite pencils, which initially launched the brand and helped get them where they are today.
Although based in the UK, they have reached households worldwide, and their products are appreciated by many users today. A pack of their 12 graphite pencils is $20.
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Source: www.derwentart.com
Source: www.fila.it
Lyra is a German brand owned by the parent company FILA Group, an Italian corporation, just like the Dixon brand. According to FILA's website, "The origins of the Lyra brand date back to 1806 when Johann Froescheis began producing pencils in a factory in Nuremberg. In 1868, the symbol of Lyra was registered as a brand.
Lyra has a complete workforce of around 100 employees in Nuremberg, Germany. Lyra's core values lie in producing and selling wood-cased writing implements. However, the company also sells items for the office, home crafts, hobby sectors, and products for industry work.
A set of 12-pack graphite pencils by Lyra is priced at $20.
