PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE MANUAL - Faber-Castell

PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE MANUAL

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THE COMPANY 1

CONTENTS

THE COMPANY

GENERAL PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE

FABER-CASTELL PRODUCTKNOWLEDGE

THE GOOD SALESPERSON

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

FOREWORD

You can only give good advice toothers, if you are well informedyourself. This adage sounds assimple as it is truthful.

This is why FABER-CASTELLhas been publishing a ProductKnowledge Manual for a num-ber of years, in order to impartthe required product knowledgeto interested sales staff.

In this new revised edition, thefundamental information hasbeen summarised in the GEN-ERAL PRODUCT KNOWL-EDGE section. Product-specificinformation, in conjunction withselling propositions and argu-ments that can be incorporatedin the sales dialogue, make upthe FABER-CASTELL PROD-UCT KNOWLEDGE section.

Due to repeated request, anadditional chapter entitled “Ge-neral selling performance –

THE GOOD SALESPER-SON” has been added to

FABER-CASTELL’sProduct Knowledge.

This chapter isideally suited to

convey the most importantground rules for successful cus-tomer relationship managementto sales professionals as wellas entry-level employees.

The FABER-CASTELL Prod-uct Knowledge Manual is avail-able in printed format, bound in a folder, as well as in a Power-Point presentation format and as PDF files on CD-ROM. The FABER-CASTELL Prod-uct Knowledge Manual can belooked up in the internet-addresswww.Faber-Castell.com/Ser-vice.

The FABER-CASTELL Mar-keting Team always welcomessuggestions for improvementand related propositions. Pleasecontact the Marketing Servicesdepartment at FABER-CASTELLheadquarters in Stein (+49-911-99 65-480), if you believe thatyou are able make a constructivecontribution.

The FABER-CASTELL Mar-keting Team wishes you muchsuccess with FABER-CASTELLProduct Knowledge Manual.

PRODUCTKNOWLEDGE MANUAL

1THE COMPANY

THE COMPANY

1.1 The history of the FABER-CASTELL company

1.2 Our quality speaks for itself – in one universal

language

1.3 Wood from our own pine plantations

1.4 An internationally binding Social Charter

1.5 The quality hallmarks of our brand

1.6 Success through products with the “Point of

Difference”

1.7 The FABER-CASTELL brand image

1.8 Strategic alignment of the FABER-CASTELL

product range

The 3rd Generation – Georg Leonhard Faber(*1788–†1839)

1810–1839Georg Leonhard Faber leads thepencil business through difficultpolitical and economic times,

however, he is unable to avert astrong decline in production andthe resultant threat to the com-pany’s viability.

The 4th Generation –Lothar von Faber(*1817–†1896)

1839–1896Following the death of his fatherGeorg Leonhard in 1839, Lothar

1.1THE COMPANY

The history of the FABER-CASTELL company

THE HISTORY OF THE FABER-CASTELL COMPANYThe 1st Generation – Establishment of the business by Kaspar Faber(*1730 –†1784)

1761–1784In 1761, the cabinet-maker Kas-par Faber commences produc-tion of his first pencils in Steinand sells them at the Nurembergmarket. The year 1761 thus for-mally becomes the businessestablishment date.

The 2nd Generation – Anton Wilhelm Faber(*1758–†1810)

1784 –1810Named after Kaspar’s sonAnton Wilhelm, the 2nd genera-tion business name is “A. W.FABER”. Anton Wilhelm ex-pands the small craftsman’sworkshop. He acquires addi-tional real estate, enlarges thepencil production – the companygrows.

von Faber takes over the Steinpencil factory. Having gainedvaluable experience in compa-nies producing writing instru-ments in Paris and London, the22 year old completely over-hauls and repositions the pater-nal business. Driven by strongvision and an iron will, hemoves the business forward. Hisstated goal: “… to rise to pre-mier position by making thebest products in the world …”.

He develops the modern qualitypencil, sets down the lengthsand different grades of hardnessthat remain valid today, and forthe first time produces a hexag-onal-section pencil. He labelshis pencils “A. W. Faber” – theworld’s first brand pencil isborn.

Lothar von Faber is the firstpencil manufacturer to travel tothe major European countriesand subsequently returns with afull order book. His sights set onthe substantial global markets,he is also drawn to the “NewWorld”.

In 1849, he founds his firstbranch in New York, followedby subsidiaries in London(1851) and Paris (1855) as wellas agencies in Vienna (1872)and St. Petersburg (1874).

In 1856, through the acquisitionof a graphite deposit of unprece-dented quality in Siberia, hesecures the best graphite avail-able at the time for the company.Once again, a new and improvedpencil quality standard has beenachieved.

The Geroldsgrün branch factoryin Upper Franconia is foundedin 1861 to mark the centenarycelebrations. Originally set upas a slate board factory, it laterprogresses to become one of the

1.1THE COMPANYThe history of the FABER-CASTELL company

largest manufacturing facili-ties of slide rules worldwide.

As a result of successful salesvia an international sales & dis-tribution organisation built upsuccessfully by Lothar von Fa-ber in only some decades, theproduct range not only gainsglobal significance – the “A. W.Faber” brand is from now onfrequently replicated. With hispetition “for legislation to pro-tect trade marks” in 1874, Lo-thar von Faber paves the wayfor the Trademarks Act in Ger-many.

Lothar von Faber also made aname for himself as co-founderof the Bavarian Trade Muse-um (1869) – these days knownas the Bavarian State Office ofCommerce, the NurembergUnion Bank (1871) and theNuremberg Life InsuranceCompany (1884) – nowadaysthe Nuremberg Insurance Group.

The company’s history alsoshows Lothar von Faber to be anexceptionally public-spiritedentrepreneur. For instance, in1844 he sets up one of the firsthealth insurance schemes and in 1851 establishes one of

Germany’s first nursery schools.Furthermore and among otherthings, Lothar von Faber finan-ces the construction of compa-ny-owned flats, schools and achurch. In 1867, Napoleon IIIdispatches an expert delegationto Stein to study Lothar vonFaber’s exemplary social ame-nities.

On account of his immense eco-nomic and social contribution,Lothar von Faber is accordednumerous honours: In 1861 heis raised to peerage and in 1881to hereditary baronial peerage;in 1865 he is appointed lifetime,and in 1891 hereditary, “Impe-rial Councillor to the Bavari-an Crown”.

The 5th Generation –Wilhelm von Faber(*1851–†1893)

1877–1893Lothar von Faber’s only child,Wilhelm, is actively involved inthe company from 1873 and in1877 becomes designated suc-cessor. Wilhelm, who has anmore artistic disposition, loseshis two sons Lothar and Alfred

Wilhelm at the early ages ofthree and four years. Wilhelm,who suffered greatly from thedeath of his sons, also dies pre-maturely in 1893 at the age ofjust 42 years. He leaves behind awife and three daughters. As aresult, his father Lothar vonFaber must once more managethe company until his death in 1896. His widow, BaronessOttilie von Faber, then inheritsthe “A. W. Faber” company andmanages the company until theturn of the century.

The 6th Generation – Alexander Graf von Faber-Castell(*1866–†1928)

1900–1928In 1898, Wilhelm von Faber’seldest daughter and eventualheiress, Baroness Ottilie vonFaber (*1877–1944), marriesCount Alexander zu Castell-Rüdenhausen, who is descendedfrom one of Germany’s oldestnoble families. Prior to hisdeath, Lothar had prepared atestamentary disposition, bymeans of which he ensured that

1.1THE COMPANY


future generations would alwayshave to integrate the name“Faber” into the new familyname. Thus the new family lineof “Count and Countess vonFaber-Castell” comes intobeing by allowance of theBavarian King as well as thenew company name “FABER-CASTELL”.

In 1900 Count Alexander Grafvon Faber-Castell joins the man-agement.

In 1903, the foundation stone ofthe large “New Castle” is laid in

accordance with plans draftedby Theodor von Kramer (Direc-tor of the Bavarian TradeMuseum) – today it embodies aunique monument to Histori-cism and German Art Nouveau.It is built opposite the factorysite and is connected to thesmaller old castle by a tower.The original construction of the“Old Castle”, a Renaissancestyle villa that had undergonemiscellaneous renovations, wascommissioned in 1845 byLothar von Faber to the Archi-tect to the Royal Court ofBavaria, Friedrich Bürklein.

In 1905, Count Alexander laun-ches the famous green “CAS-TELL” pencil range.

The new product logo of the“Tournament of the joustingPencil Knights” is introducedas a sign of a new high qualitybeating all competition. Theseknights are once more integralto the trademark today.

At the end of Word War I theFABER-CASTELL corpora-tion in the US is expropriatedand sold at auction. Similarly,the sales & distribution com-panies in London, Paris andSt. Petersburg are lost.

In the 20’s, Count Alexandercommissions the construction ofnew manufacturing facilitiesof substantial proportion atthe Stein factory. The three-storey, light-filled manufactur-ing complex becomes a modern,exemplary production facility.

corporation, which had beenexpropriated in Word War I.

In 1960, a sales & distributioncompany is once again estab-lished in France.

In 1961, FABER-CASTELLcelebrates the company’s 200th

anniversary with over 2,000staff and guests.

In 1962, production facilitiesare set up in Australia (Sydney)and Austria (Engelhartszell).

In 1965, a manufacturing plantfor wood-cased pencils islaunched in Argentina. At thesame time, a ballpoint penfactory is established in Peru.

In 1967, Count Roland succeedsin re-acquiring the majorityshareholding in the “LapisJohann Faber” pencil factory inSao Carlos, Brazil, which hadbeen expropriated during WorldWar II. This company is thelargest colour pencil factory inthe world today.

A sales & distribution companyis founded in Japan (Tokyo) in1977.

The 7th Generation – Roland Graf von Faber-Castell (*1905–†1978)

1928–1978Following the death of CountAlexander in 1928, his sonRoland takes over the companymanagement.

In 1931/32, FABER-CASTELLacquires the “Johann Faber”pencil factory – an enterprisefounded by Lothar von Faber’sbrother Johann in Nuremberg in1879. Thus FABER-CASTELLsimultaneously acquires aninterest in its “Lapis JohannFaber” subsidiary in Sao Carlos,Brazil.

1955 sees the setting up of themanufacture of wood-casedpencils in Ireland, where ball-point pens are also produced at alater stage. This commitment byFABER-CASTELL is designedto maintain its competitivenessin the European Free TradeAssociation (EFTA) countries.

In 1957, the company acquires aminority shareholding (25%)in the FABER-CASTELL US

1.1THE COMPANYThe history of the FABER-CASTELL company

The 8th Generation – Anton Wolfgang Graf von Faber-Castell (*1941)

since 1978Following the death of his fatherCount Roland, Anton WolfgangGraf von Faber-Castell takesover the helm at the company in1978.

That same year FABER-CASTELL commences the pro-duction of wood-cased decora-tive cosmetic pencils (PrivateLabel) in Stein.

In 1978, sales & distributioncompanies are set up in HongKong and Malaysia.

In 1980, subsidiaries are found-ed in the United Kingdom andSouth Africa. In 1980, theworld’s largest contemporaryrubber eraser factory is foundedin Malaysia.

1.1THE COMPANY


In the mid-80’s, a globallyunprecedented reafforestationproject for wood pencil slatsis established in South easternBrazil (2,500 km from the rain-forest).

In 1990, FABER-CASTELL setsup a production site for wood-cased pencils in Indonesia.

Throughout the 90’s, the Steinand Geroldsgrün factories aremodernised and restructured asstate-of-the-art line productionfacilities. At the same time, thecompany embarks on a newdesign of the manufacturingareas, featuring a unique colourconcept.

In 1992 FABER-CASTELL setsnew global benchmarks inpencil lacquering methods byintroducing its environmentallyfriendly water-based painttechnology for wood-casedpencil production in Germany.

1993 sees the initial implemen-tation stage of a strategic “re-alignment” for the FABER-CASTELL group of companies.The main focus is on a com-pletely revised brand imageand visual appearance whichis launched on a global scaleand provides the FABER-CASTELL brand with adequatebrand value and appeal. Like-wise, the newly designed pro-duct range is clearly structuredaccording to five core compe-tence areas.

In 1994 Count von Faber-Castellreacquires the US trademarkrights that had been forfeitedduring World War I.

In 1996, a new FABER-CAS-TELL sales & distribution com-pany is established in New Jer-sey. Also in 1996, a logisticscentre for sales & distribution in Eastern European countries is established in the CzechRepublic.

In 1997, FABER-CASTELLacquires a majority interest in the “Technacril” company inColumbia, which produces tech-nical drawing instruments andoperates a sales & distributionorganisation for FABER-CAS-TELL products.

Another sales & distributioncompany is founded in India(Mumbai) in 1997, followed ayear later by a plant in Goa, ini-tially producing erasers and sub-sequently expanding its produc-

tion lines to manufacture waxcrayons and markers for schooland office.

In 1998, FABER-CASTELLbuilds a production site for woodpencil slats in Costa Rica –using FSC (Forest StewardshipCouncil) certified gmelina wood.Production of wood-cased pen-cils commences in 2002.

In 1999, FABER-CASTELLpurchases the US company“Creativity for Kids” in Cleve-land (Ohio), the US marketleader in Creative Sets.

In March 2000, FABER-CAS-TELL and the IG Metall tradeunion jointly sign a comprehen-sive and internationally binding“Social Charter”, which com-plies with the guidelines of theInternational Labour Organisa-tion (ILO).

In 2001, a production and pack-aging centre is built in China(Canton), making it the 15th pro-duction facility of the FABER-CASTELL group.

In November 2002, FABER-CASTELL opens a new factoryin Malaysia and erects theworld’s largest pencil (19.75 m).

1.2THE COMPANYOur quality speaks for itself – in one universal language

FABER-CASTELL is recog-nised as one of the world’s lead-ing manufacturers and distribu-tors of premium products forwriting, drawing & painting andcreative designing – the brandname has a global reputation. Inthe core area of wood-casedpencils, the FABER-CASTELLgroup of companies is the world’smajor manufacturer with acapacity in excess of 1.8 billionblack-lead and colour pencilsannually, with the production ofcolour pencils being dominant.

OUR QUALITY SPEAKS FOR ITSELF – IN ONE UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE

COMPANY MALAYSIA

COMPANY INDIA

COMPANY SAO CARLOS/BRAZIL

COMPANY INDONESIA

COMPANY II SAO CARLOS/BRAZIL

COMPANY CHINA

On a global scale, FABER-CASTELL employs about 5,500employees in 15 productionfacilities and 18 sales & distri-bution companies. Approxima-tely 2,800 of them are employedwith the Brazilian FABER-CASTELL company in SaoCarlos/Sao Paulo (including 500employees in the reafforestationproject in the Prata region in thefederal state of Minas Gerais).FABER-CASTELL Brazil is thelargest colour pencil factory inthe world.

The internationalisation of FA-BER-CASTELL began as farback as 1849, when the firstoverseas branch was founded inthe US (New York). Soon after,further sales & distributioncompanies and factories wereestablished, resulting in today’spresence in a total of 19 coun-tries around the globe. By virtueof those early worldwide pro-duction and marketing activi-ties, FABER-CASTELL consi-ders itself an international groupof companies with German roots.

1.3THE COMPANYWood from our own

pine plantations

Every hour FABER-CASTELLgrows 20 cubic metres of tim-ber. How do we do it?

In the Brazilian state of MinasGerais, near Prata, FABER-CASTELL maintains its ownpine plantations covering anarea of 10,000 hectares – 2,500km from the Amazon rain-forests.

Continuous reafforestation ofthe harvested tree rows creates a closed ecological cycle: 1 mil-lion Caribbean Pine seedlingsare replanted each year.

These environmentally sustain-able resources provide thesource material for our black-lead pencils and colour pencils:FABER-CASTELL Brazil – thelargest wood pencil factory inthe world with just under 2,900employees – produces 1.5 bil-lion wood-cased pencils annual-ly in this manner.

WOOD FROM OUR OWN PINE PLANTATIONS

The Forest Stewardship Council(FSC) has given the forest standsin Prata its select environmentalseal of approval for “environ-mentally responsible, sociallybeneficial and economicallyviable management of forests”.

The “Chain of Custody” certifi-cation (C.O.C.) further warrantsthat the origin of the wood canbe tracked and traced right fromthe harvesting of the tree to thepackaging of the pencils.

The use of environmentally sus-tainable resources is just oneaspect of our commitment to abetter quality of life. In the con-text of an “integrated productpolicy” (IPP) the entire lifecycleof our products is subjected tocritical analyses, in order toreduce energy requirements to aminimum in the long term andto conserve the environmentthrough a sustainable approach.

This includes the selection ofraw materials and productionprocesses, packaging and trans-port, right through to productutilisation and disposal. Assuch, FABER-CASTELL is theonly company to consistentlyuse environmentally friendlywater-based paint in its Euro-pean pencil production.

1.3THE COMPANYWood from our own pine plantations

Our commitment is not limitedto our own operations. FABER-CASTELL is actively contribut-ing to nature conservation inBrazil through its involvementin the Arboris, Animalis andECOmmunity environmentalprojects.

The objective is to protect thenatural flora and fauna in thePrata region and to foster aware-ness in order to motivate ouremployees as well as the localresidents to make a personalcommitment to nature and theenvironment.

1.4THE COMPANY

An internationally binding Social Charter

AN INTERNATIONALLY BINDINGSOCIAL CHARTER In signing the “FABER-CASTELL Social Charter”, theChairman of the ManagingBoard, Anton W. Graf von Faber-Castell, wrote a new chapter inthe company’s longstanding tra-dition of social responsibilityand accountability.

SIGNING OF THE SOCIAL CHARTER BY FABER-CASTELL AND IG METALL ON 3 MARCH 2000

No forced or compulsory labour

Equal opportunity and equality for all employees

No child labour

Respect for the freedom ofassociation and of the right to

collective bargaining

Payment of minimum wages

Safe working environment, job security and decent pay

No excessive working hours

Clearly defined employment conditions

Its scope and internationallybinding nature make this SocialCharter one of the first volun-tary agreements of its kind. Itguarantees employment and la-bour conditions as required bythe International Labour Orga-nisation (ILO) to all FABER-

CASTELL employees world-wide.

1.5THE COMPANYThe quality hallmarks of our brand

We have designed the brandFABER-CASTELL as a qualityhallmark for products in thefield of writing, drawing andcreative colouring which distin-guishes themselves by:

• Competence andtradition

• High quality

• Progressive

• Environmentalconsciousness

THE QUALITY HALLMARKS OF OUR BRAND

The same high level is valid forall media and measures of brandmanagement.

Our products accompany theconsumer on his/her path fromchildhood to becoming an artist,from being a student to becom-ing a member of the board – andfrom one generation to another.

THE PENCILEXTENDER

1.6THE COMPANY

Success through products with the “Point of Difference”

SUCCESS THROUGH PRODUCTSWITH THE “POINT OF DIFFERENCE”

In addition to functionality andaesthetics, there are added con-venience benefits that make ourproducts unique: The built-insharpener in the pencil extender– the “Refilling Station” forfluorescent highlighters – thebreaking resistance of the woodpencil leads. The high colourbrilliance and light-fastness ofour artists’ pens also meet themost stringent requirements.

FABER-CASTELL has alwaysdefined innovation as a prob-lem-solving process that is dis-cernible and appreciated by theend consumer while also addingvalue to the product.

The famous “Point of Differ-ence” in all product categorieswill therefore remain the greatchallenge for FABER-CASTELL.

THE FABER-CASTELL BRAND IMAGE

1.7THE COMPANYThe FABER-CASTELL brand image

The FABER-CASTELL brandimage is essentially defined bythe following elements:

The unmistakable brand logoconsisting of these three ele-ments: FABER-CASTELL let-tering, the “jousting knights”and the subtitle “since 1761”,the year of the company’s foun-dation.

The classic dark-green companycolour with the gold brand logoand the red colour for the “Playing & Learning” field ofcompetence respectively theblue colour for the product lineCreative Studio.

The so-called “stage” setting,consisting of a rectangularframe which is set below thelogo on main title pages andpackagings and that may con-tain text as well as images.

The uniform typography and thehigh quality and precision of the(product) illustrations explainthe high demands of the brand.

The knights theme dates back toan old advertising poster de-signed at the turn of the century.It symbolises the brand’s vir-tues, which correspond to thoseof the knights: Strength, asser-tiveness, nobility of mind, fight-ing spirit, continuity and thepreservation of traditions.

The consistent application ofthe corporate design contributesto its certain recognition andcontributes to the strengtheningof the brand FABER-CASTELLmainly in international markets.

1.8THE COMPANY

Strategic alignment of the FABER-CASTELL product range

STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT OF THEFABER-CASTELL PRODUCT RANGE

PREMIUM

MARKING

PLAYING & LEARNING ART & GRAPHIC

GENERAL WRITING

FABER-CASTELL develops,produces, markets and distri-butes high-quality writing,drawing, colouring and creativedesign products in clearly de-

fined and core competence are-as tailored to specific targetgroups. This is based on theobjective to attain the “Best ofits Class” rating for all the pro-

ducts included in its merchan-dise range. Through all its pro-duct areas, FABER-CASTELLdesires to be people’s compan-ion for life.

GENERAL PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE 2

2MERCHANDISE KNOWLEDGE

MERCHANDISE KNOWLEDGE

2.1 A brief journey through the history of

writing instruments

2.2 Graphite pencils (lead pencils)

2.3 Colour pencils

2.4 Artists’ colour pencils

2.5 Crayons

2.6 Artists’ crayons

2.7 Charcoal

2.8 Mechanical pencils

2.9 Leads

2.10 Paste-ink pens

2.11 Liquid-ink pens

2.12 Markers and highlighters

2.13 Paint markers

2.14 Technical drawing instruments

2.15 Erasers

2.16 Sharpeners

2.1MERCHANDISE KNOWLEDGE

A brief journey through the history ofwriting instruments

A BRIEF JOURNEY THROUGH THEHISTORY OF WRITING INSTRUMENTSAbout 50,000 to 60,000 yearsB.C., the stone hand axe wouldhave been the first tool to beused by humans in attempting toscratch patterns into stone. Manysuch scrapers and gravers/burinshave been found in caves inSouthern France and Spain.

For thousands of years, picturesremained the only mode of com-munication. Gradually, iconogra-phic writing underwent greaterstylisation and developed intopictograms, a type of symbolicwriting that could be drawnquickly, of which the cuneiformscript of the Sumerians or thehieroglyphs of the Egyptians areprime examples.

Writing was nonetheless a costlyand time-consuming matter per-formed by well paid fulltimescribes, who etched their glyphswith gravers or burins madefrom bone or metal into wax-coated wooden slats or moistclay tablets.

Growing demand for writtenrecords lead to the desire formore practical writing instru-ments.

The invention of ink and the useof papyrus as a writing surfacerepresented a great leap forward.The “writing instruments” usedat the time consisted of thin

rushes whose end pieces werechewed to shape them into abrush. Later a thin piece of bam-boo with a sharpened pointy tipwas used. It was the birth hourof the first fountain pen.

From the period of the RomanEmpire to the modern era themost important writing im-plement was the quill,which needed to bedipped in ink. Thequill was an obli-quely cut, sturdygoose feather thathad to be repea-tedly trimmed,because wri-ting wouldwear it downquickly.

A veritablequill indus-try devel-oped overthe centu-ries. At thebeginning ofthe 19th century, appro-ximately 50 millionquills were used upeach year in Germanyalone.

In addition to writ-ing in ink, a newwriting technique was estab-lished from the middle of the

16th century by the introductionof the lead-pencil writing.

The beginning of the 19th cen-tury at last saw the successfulmanufacture of steel nibs, whichequalled or surpassed the quill’swriting quality and were notsubject to the same wear.

The steel nibs were placed inwooden holders, but the disad-vantage was that an ink reser-voir needed to be carried alongat all times. It was therefore notsurprising that innumerable at-tempts were made to append anink reservoir to the actual nibholder, which was achieved inthe middle of the 19th centuryby a number of German, Eng-lish and American inventors.

However, the first and truly useful solution was offered byL. E. Waterman in 1884, whenhe integrated an ink feed mechanism between the tankand the nib which ensured thatthe tank would release only asmuch ink as was needed at agiven time, while the sameamount of air was fed back intothe tank.

2.1MERCHANDISE KNOWLEDGEA brief journey through the history ofwriting instruments

Competition to the fountain penarrived in the 1930’s with theinvention of the ballpoint pen,whose real breakthrough how-ever only came about in the1950’s. Because it had theadvantage of being able to writefor a very long time withoutconstantly needing refilling,coupled with the fact that it wasleak-proof and that its ink-pastedried quickly once applied topaper, it soon became the pre-ferred writing instrument world-wide. Moreover, with a ball-point pen it was relatively easyto fill in duplicate and triplicateforms.

In our era, the ballpoint pen wasfollowed by the ink roller, whichis structurally similar to theballpoint pen but uses liquid inkrather than viscous ink-pasteand thus allows for a smoothand flowing writing action.

Followed by the invention of thetypewriter that allowed us to puteasily legible and standardisedwriting on paper at high speed,

we now share our lives with thecomputer whose word-process-ing programs are constantlybeing refined. Today, comput-ers write when and what wespeak to them and independent-ly translate into various lan-guages.

In recent times, digital handheldwriting implements have arrivedon the market that transfer thewriting motion to the computerand convert it to written text byregistering the movements inrelation to coordinates on thewriting surface. The only thingstill left to do for a human is toactually think about what towrite in the first place.

FOUNTAIN PEN, LUDWIG II ,KING OF BAVARIA


Graphite pencils (lead pencils)

GRAPHITE PENCILS (LEAD PENCILS)HISTORICALOVERVIEW

The “silver pencil” made fromlead and tin, as used by AlbrechtDürer in the 15th century, canbe regarded as the pencil’s pre-cursor.

The origin of the wood-casedpencil as we know it today datesback to the year 1565, when agreyish black shiny substancewas discovered in Borrowdale,in the Cumbrian Hills in Eng-land, and described as follows:“It feels greasy and leaves stainson one’s fingers”, but it was“ideal for writing and drawing”.

It was initially thought that thenewly discovered substance wasa type of lead ore, as it closelyresembled that familiar materialin its appearance and properties.

In order to be able to use theextracted “lead” for writing pur-poses, it first had to be cut intonarrow, rectangular rods thatwere encased in a wooden

“mantle” in order to be able tohold the pencil properly and notstain one’s fingers. The “leadpencil” was born. The firstwood casings with the leadsglued inside their core werebeing manufactured by joinersand cabinet-makers. From thesebeginnings, the craft of the pen-cil-maker evolved to becomeincreasingly specialised through-out the 18th century.

In 1789 the German-Swedishchemist Karl Wilhelm Scheelewas able to prove that the newwriting medium had nothing atall to do with lead, but that itwas crystallised carbon. 10 years after Scheele’s disco-very, the mineralogist AbrahamGottlob Werner named this mo-dified carbon “graphite” (fromthe Greek word “graphos” = towrite). Graphite is non-toxic,can be extracted through miningprocesses, is easily crushed, re-latively soft and leaves a blackmark when used for drawingand sketching.

Following Scheele’s discovery,an attempt was made to rename

the “lead pencils” to “graphitepencils”, but the term “lead pen-cil” had become so entrenchedin the general vernacular that itstill retains its original nametoday.

The gradual shortage of Englishgraphite from Borrowdale led toattempts to reduce the requiredquantity by mixing it with addi-tives of other materials. In 1794,the Frenchman Nicholas-JaquesConté discovered almost at thesame time as the Austrian JosefHardmuth, that by mixing gra-phite with clay it was possible to produce leads with differentdegrees of hardness, whichwould accommodate a varietyof applications and also pre-serve the graphite deposits.

In 1839 Lothar von Faber suc-ceeded in significantly improv-ing the graphite-clay mixingprocess. It was at that time thatthe hardness grade scale wasestablished, and it remains validtoday. (>Degree of hardness)

THE “WORLD’S OLDEST PENCIL” FROM THE 17TH CENTURY

2.2MERCHANDISE KNOWLEDGEGraphite pencils (lead pencils)

The Castell 9000Since 1905 the green Castell9000 has been synonymous withpencil quality throughout theworld. It has been produced bythe billions and succeeded inoutclassing all its competitors.Artists and writers such asBeuys, Böll, Fellini, Kishon,Solschenitzyn and even PrinceCharles continue to be passion-ate about the “green classic”.

In 1905, Alexander Graf vonFaber-Castell invented the “Cas-tell 9000”. It is said that the for-mer cavalry captain à la suitechose his regiment’s colourwhen deciding on a green tonefor the new pencil. What is cer-tain, however, is that the successof the green “Castell 9000” laidthe foundation for the colourgreen gradually developing intothe company colour for theFABER-CASTELL brand.

PENCIL PRODUCTION

Technical designThe design of a pencil is tre-mendously simple and we allare familiar with it: A pencillead (>Leads) is cased in wood,which is either left unfinished orelaborately lacquered. The qua-lity of a pencil is determined bythe wood used (>Wood) and thequality of the lead.

Although the pencil’s technicaldesign is quite straightforward,most people have no idea howthe lead ends up inside thewood. The explanation for thisis surprisingly simple, as thewooden barrel actually consistsof two parts (slats), i.e. an upperpart (upper slat) and a lower part(bottom slat) embedding thelead.

Today, pencils are lacqueredwith non-toxic paint lacquers.FABER-CASTELL was thefirst manufacturer to develop awater-based paint technologyprocess that does not pollute the environment. (>Water-basedpaint)

Functional principle of thepencilDuring writing, the graphite ofthe pencil lead abrades on therough paper surface and adheresto it. The coarser the paper, themore lead grains are abraded.Therefore, a coarse paper ge-nerally requires a harder lead quality, whereas a softer leadquality is suitable for smoothpaper.

THE CASTELL 9000 – CONCEIVABLY

THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS PENCIL.

ITS UNMATCHED QUALITY AND THE

FACT THAT IT IS AVAILABLE IN 16

DEGREES OF HARDNESS HAVE MADE

IT THE ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE FOR

ALL PENCIL-WRITING PROFESSIONALS

AND ENTHUSIASTS.



The more pointed the lead, thefiner the line. With increasingwriting duration, the tip getsblunter and wider and thus theline becomes broader. The pen-cil must be resharpened.

Wood and slatsThe highest quality of wood forpencils and colour pencils isproduced by the Californiancedar and the Brazilian pine that are cultivated in FABER-CASTELL’s own plantations.Cedar wood is almost knot-free,long-fibred and characterisedby a consistent growth patterndue to minimal seasonal varia-tions in California. It can there-fore be easily and cleanly sharp-ened, which is a very importantaspect for a quality pencil.

Nowadays, pencils are no longermanufactured individually butby means of a process utilisingspecially prefabricated slats thatyield up to ten pencils in oneworking cycle. The standarddimensions of a slat are 72 x184 x 4 mm.

The individual productionstagesThe diagrammatic view demon-strates the main stages of pencilmanufacture.


SOFT AND DENSE WOOD ISSTORED, SEASONED AND CUTINTO “SLATS”.

A GROOVE IS CARVED OUT OFTHE UPPER AND BOTTOM SLATTO ACCOMMODATE THE LEAD.

A SPECIAL LEAD GLUE ISINJECTED INTO THE GROOVE.

THE SEPARATELY PRODUCEDLEADS (SEE “LEADS” CHAPTER)ARE PLACED IN THE BOTTOMSLAT. THEREAFTER, BINDINGGLUE IS APPLIED TO THE UN-OCCUPIED SURFACES OF THEUPPER AND BOTTOM SLATS.

THE UPPER SLAT IS PLACEDONTO THE BOTTOM SLAT.

THE INDIVIDUAL PRODUCTIONSTAGES



HEAT AND PRESSURE ARE NOWAPPLIED SIMULTANEOUSLY TOTHIS “SANDWICH”, UNTIL THEGLUE HAS SET.

A ROUTER BIT IS USED TO CUTTHE ONE HALF OF THE PENCILPROFILE AT THE UPPER SLAT.

A SECOND ROUTER BIT IS USEDTO CUT THE OTHER HALF OFTHE PENCIL PROFILE AT THEBOTTOM SLAT. SUBSEQUENTLY,THE “SANDWICH” DISINTE-GRATES INTO THE INDIVIDUALNON-FINISHED PENCILS.

THE PENCILS ARE REPEATEDLYPASSED THROUGH A LACQUERBATH IN A CONTINUOUS LOOP.SEVERAL COATS OF LACQUERARE APPLIED IN ORDER TOACHIEVE A LASTING VARNISH.


HOT-FOIL STAMPING WITHBRAND NAME, GRADE OF HARDNESS AND EAN CODE.

THE PENCIL IS INITIALLYDIPPED INTO A PAINT BASIN TO A SPECIFIED DEPTH.



IN THE FOLLOWING STEP, THEPENCIL IS RETRACTED FROMTHE BASIN.

THEREAFTER, THE PENCIL IS DIPPED INTO A DIFFERENTPAINT BASIN, AGAIN TO A SPECIFIED DEPTH.

IN THE FINAL STEP, THE PENCILIS RETRACTED FROM THE BASIN.THE DIFFERENT DIPPING DEPTHSIN THE TWO PAINT BASINS ALLOWFOR THE CONTROL OF THE PENCIL’S DISTINCTIVE DESIGNELEMENTS.THE DIPPING PROCESS HAS NOEFFECT ON THE PENCIL’S FUNC-TION, BUT ONLY SERVES TOACHIEVE ITS CHARACTERISTICAPPEARANCE.

THE PENCIL IS SHARPENED.


QUALITY CONTROLBREAKING TEST

QUALITY CONTROLSHARPENING TEST

QUALITY CONTROLCLASSIFICATION

PACKAGING



THE “SECURAL”PROCESS (SV BONDING)

In past pencil manufacture pro-cesses, the two slats were onlyspot-glued. It was thus possibleat times for the lead to slip outof the wooden barrel.

With the introduction of a newpatented manufacturing processin the 60’s, FABER-CASTELLsucceeded in firmly bonding thelead along its entire length to itswooden casing. That processwas called the “Secural” process(SV derived from the Latinword “secura” = secure/safe).

This measure prevents the leadslipping out of the wooden bar-rel and significantly enhancesthe breaking resistance of thelead, e.g. when dropping thepencil. In addition, it facilitatesthe sharpening of the pencil andincreases the breaking resist-ance of the tip.

FABER-CASTELL employs theSecural process for all its wood-cased pencils and in most casesmarks them with the “SV” (= “Secural” process) stamp.

DEGREES OF HARDNESS

By varying the mixing ratio ofgraphite to clay in the lead manufacture, pencil makers canadjust the hardness degree of apencil lead. The more clay ver-sus graphite is introduced intothe mixture, the “harder” thewriting action of the pencil willbecome.

The identification of a lead’sdegree of hardness is expressedin letters and numbers. Gener-ally, the harder leads arelabelled with the letter H and thesofter ones with the letter B. Byplacing a number in front of the

letter it is possible to define var-ious degrees of hardness. Forinstance, a 6H lead is harderthan a 4H.

These designations are mostlikely derived from English ex-pressions. Thus, B designatedBlack and H meant Hard, whilethe added number indicatedincreasing blackness or hard-ness. F may have stood for Firmor Fine Point.

The classification of degrees ofhardness has never been unam-biguously standardised interna-tionally, which is why the exactdesignation still depends oneach manufacturer.

For example, FABER-CASTELLsupplies its famous classic, theCastell 9000, in 16 degrees ofhardness.

The more precise a drawing isintended to turn out, the harderthe pencil ought to be. Soft pen-cils are preferred in the creativeand artisticdomain.

LEAD GLUEWOODENBARREL


The ideal writing pencil (e.g. inthe office) has a medium degreeof hardness (so-called “HB”),while the school student’s pencilhas a B hardness degree.

FABER-CASTELL applies thefollowing designations:B = BlackH = HardHB = Hard Black = medium

hardF = Firm

Degrees of hardness alternati-vely expressed in numbers:

1 2 2 1/2 3 4(2B) (B) (HB) (H) (2H)

CROSS-SECTIONALPROFILE

Wood-cased pencils are pro-duced and supplied worldwidein predominantly three profiles.

Round profileThis shape is used principally inoffices for shorthand, as theround pencil is easily rotated inthe hand, thus preventing a sin-

gle-sided blunting ofthe lead and reduc-ing the frequency

of resharpening.

Owing to the easier rotatabilityof the round profile, the pencilrequires a firmer grip. Corres-pondingly, the hand will tire ear-lier after extended use.

Hexagonal profileThe hexagonal pro-

file is currentlythe most usedshape for stan-

dard school andoffice application.

It allows for a more comfortablegrasping of the pencil duringuse and also prevents the pencilfrom rolling off the desk.

Triangular profileDuring normal writingposture, the pencil isheld by the thumb,index and middlefingers. A trian-gular profile pencil provides alarger area of contact for each ofthe three fingers. This conformsto human ergonomics and there-fore results in a writing actionthat is less tiring. Furthermore,such a pencil does not easily rolloff the desk.

In recent times, the triangularprofile has been recommendedfor writing novices. As the trian-gular profile pencil has a round,conical shape near the tip, it can

THE CIRCLE “TOUCH-ES” THE CORNERPOINTS OF THE TRI-ANGLE PROFILE. ITCAN THEREFORE BESHARPENED WITH-OUT DIFFICULTY.

Clay/graphite mixing ratio

16 degrees of hardness (from hard to soft) 6H 5H 4H 3H 2H H F HB B 2B 3B 4B 5B 6B 7B 8B

Graphite

Clay



be easily sharpened with a nor-mal pencil sharpener.

LACQUERING(“POLISHING”)

The lacquering of the pencil isdesigned to protect it from get-ting dirty or stained (e.g. throughperspiration from the writer’shand). But hygienic reasons alsoplay a role: Ten times as manygerms will accumulate on anunlacquered as on a lacqueredpencil.

During the lacquering processthe pencils are passed through alacquer bath in a continuousloop. This process is repeatedseveral times. In order toachieve a lasting lacquering fin-ish, several colour lacquer coatsand finally up to three clear lac-quer coats are applied. The fol-lowing general rule applies: The more lacquer coats areapplied to the pencil, the morebrilliant the lacquer colour and

thus the more exquisite the pen-cil’s appearance becomes. (Forexample, the Castell 9000 pen-cil by FABER-CASTELL hassix lacquer coats; Polychromosand Albrecht Dürer Artists’colour pencils have up to eightlacquer coats.)

As children in particular tend toput pencils in their mouths, alllacquers used by FABER-CASTELL are absolutely safetoxicologically. All wood-casedpencils made by FABER-CASTELL comply with thepurity stipulations of the Euro-pean standard EN 71-3 of 1988,the so-called toys standard.

Two different types of lacquerare commonly used: acetone-based and water-based lacquer.The consumer is unable to visu-ally distinguish the type of lac-quer used. Durability as well asbrilliance and lustre are identi-cal for both types.

Water-based paintIn 1992, FABER-CASTELLwas the first manufacturer toventure into water-based painttechnology. In using thisprocess, FABER-CASTELL hasreplaced conventional acetone-based lacquers with environ-mentally friendly water emul-sions. FABER-CASTELL hasset new global benchmarks in

pencil lacquering methods byintroducing its water-basedpaint technology.

In water-based paint technology,the chromophoric pigments aredispersed in water. This meansthat, unlike in the case of ace-tone-based lacquer, no harmfulvapours are released during thedrying process.

However, water-based paintrequires heat for the dryingprocess and thus necessitatesgreater energy expenditurewhen compared to acetone-based lacquer.

Dermatological studies showthat users of these pencils arenot exposed to any health risks,e.g. skin irritations.

Knobbed soft-grip technology From a technical point of view,the knobbed soft-grip technolo-gy developed by FABER-CASTELL represents a raised(“convex”) structure composed


of “small prominent dots” madeof water-based lacquer.

These raised dots are positionedat the low-er segmentof the pen-cil andthus func-tion as a“anti-slip

device” in order to ensure asecure and non-slip grip.

QUALITY CONTROL

Extensive and strict controlsensure that only absolutely flaw-less pencils find their way to theconsumer.

Generally, each production stageis followed by a visual inspec-tion, ensuring that leads and/orpencils that fail this controlstage are rejected.

The leads are first monitored fordiameter consistency immedi-ately after undergoing the com-pression stage. Following thefiring process, they are checkedfor breaking resistance anddiameter consistency. After thelead has been impregnated, it ischecked for breaking resistance,stroke quality, grade of hard-ness, straightness and uniformdiameter and length.

The pencils are checked aftereach production stage, e.g. forbreaking strength, sharpenabili-ty and hot-foil stamping. Anypencil failing these controls isrejected.

ENVIRONMENT ANDWASTE DISPOSAL

The pencil is one of the mostenvironmentally friendly writ-ing instruments ever made.

The lead consists of graphiteand clay, both totally safe natu-ral materials.

The company uses wood, arenewable resource, as casingsfor its leads. FABER-CASTELLwas the first manufacturer inGermany to lacquer its pencilswith environmentally friendlywater-based paint.

All wood-cased pencils suppliedby FABER-CASTELL complywith the purity stipulations of

the European standard EN 71-3of 1988 (toys standard).

By virtue of the compositionand purity of the lacquers usedin their manufacture, wastefrom pencils and colour pencilsdoes not present any hazard inland-fill disposal or waste incin-eration.

Long before environmental con-siderations attracted much spe-cial public attention, FABER-CASTELL was looking at waysto preserve wood as a valuableresource.

A number of years ago, anextensive reafforestation projectwas launched in Brazil with theaim of safeguarding the compa-ny’s supply of consistently high-

FABER-CASTELL IS AMEMBER OF B.A.U.M.,THE NATIONAL GERMANWORKING PARTY FORENVIRONMENTALAWARENESS IN MANA-GEMENT.



quality wood without destroyingthe local forest resources.

Currently, more than 2.5 milliontree seedlings are planted eachyear. (read more about this topicin Chapter 1.4 “Wood from ourown pine plantations”)

VARIOUS SCOPES OF APPLICATION FOR WOOD-CASED PENCILS

Scope of application User Pencil type

Writing All Standard pencils (2H, H, HB, B, 2B)

Learning how to write Children Jumbo pencils, Triangular pencils

Sketching Artists, Designers All pencils and colour pencils

Watercolour painting Children, Artists, Designers Watercolour pencils with water-soluble colour leads

Mixing paints Artists, Designers Artists’ pens (e.g. Polychromos)with colour leads for generatingspecial effects by overlayeringthe colours

Marking Office employees and Fluorescent colour pencilsschool & university students

Technical drawing School & university students Standard pencils (HB–6H)Architects, Designers

Shorthand Office employees Round pencils (HB–2H)

Writing in/under water Divers Standard pencils

Determination of e.g. suppliers to the A standard 4H pencil; lacquer hardness automotive industry the lacquer is scratched super-

ficially for the purpose of deter-mining its hardness

Wood marking Joiners & cabinet-makers Special (flat) carpenter’s pencilsand the furniture industry with a broad, oval lead;

often used as a substitute ruler

Stuffing one’s pipe Otto von Bismarck A particularly long FABER-and others CASTELL pencil used by

Bismarck not only for writingbut also for stuffing his pipe

Drawing with compasses School & university students Some compasses will accept astandard pencil; However, precision compassespredominantly work with pencilleads

Writing on smooth surfaces All Glass markers

Indelible writing Office employees Indelible colour pencils

Make-up and fancy dress Children Cosmetic pencils made of der-matologically tested materials

WHAT MAKES A GOOD PENCIL?

A pencil’s quality is influ-enced by diverse factors:

The wood used in manu-facture should be as knot-free, long-fibred and uni-formly grown as possiblein order to ensure easyand neat sharpening of themanufactured pencil.

A consistently uniformgraphite/clay mixing ratioguarantees the user thesame degree of hardnessfor subsequent purchases.

The availability of a pen-cil in a variety of degreesof hardness ensures con-sistent quality for varyingtypes of applications.

The ingredients of the leadare crushed, finely ground andblended for a long period of time,resulting in an even lead strokewithout scratching. Additionally,the lead stroke should providegood coverage and, depending onpaper quality and writing pres-sure, should be easy to erase.

The lead must be firmly bondedto the wood in order to prevent itfrom slipping out of the woodcasing and to avoid tip breakage(e.g. during sharpening).

Owing to a lacquering processinvolving several coats, the lac-quer coverage is particularlygood and uniform. This alsoreduces the occurrence of pres-sure marks and indentations.

In addition to the above qualityattributes, an attractive design(lacquering, hot-foil stamping,end trim) also contributes toenhancing the writing pleasure.

ADVANTAGES OF THEPENCIL

Despite the introduction of inkwriting instruments, traditionallead-pencil writing has lostnone of its fascination. This isnot least due to the many advan-tages of pencil writing:

• A pencil stroke is erasable andthus correctable.

• Pencil writing is environmen-tally friendly, since all materi-als used in manufacture are of

“natural” origin. Moreover,wood is a renewable naturalresource.

• A pencil writes in/under water,in a vacuum and “upsidedown”.

• Pencil writing is absolutelynon-toxic, because all ingredi-ents used in manufacture con-sist of entirely safe substances(clay, graphite, wood, water-based lacquer).

• Pencils can even be used onextremely cold and hot days,as the lead does not react totemperature fluctuations.

• Pencils are always “ready-to-write” and can even be sharp-ened with a knife.

• Pencil quality has always beenconsistently good over theyears. (e.g. degrees of hard-ness).




A disadvantage of the pencil,particularly when used on themove or away from the desk, isthe fact that it needs to be peri-odically resharpened in order towrite accurately. After all, asuitable sharpener is not alwayswithin reach.

As the leading manufacturerworldwide, FABER-CASTELLhas come up with the perfectsolution for the transportablepencil problem: A pencil withintegrated sharpener, eraser andclip, that is as easily carriedaround as a ballpoint pen orfountain pen and can be reshar-pened quickly and anywhere.

FABER-CASTELL’s perfectpencil concept is available invarious price categories.

THE PERFECT PENCIL


Colour pencils

HISTORICALOVERVIEW

While the graphite or “lead”pencil’s history can be tracedquite easily, there exists only lit-tle historical material on the his-tory of colour pencils. Eventhough a writing utensil cata-logue from 1820 provides one ofthe first references to a redwood-cased pencil, the signifi-cantly longer history of creativecolour work suggests that colourpencils must have been in exis-tence long before then.

So-called “porte-crayons” –wooden barrels with anadjustable ring retaining thelead within the barrel – wereused for both pencil and colourpencil leads. For this reason, wemay assume that the develop-ment of wood-cased colour pen-cils was occurring in parallel tothe development of wood-casedpencils.

As early as in the 19th century,the FABER-CASTELL productrange included wood-casedcolour pencils. In an 1881 cata-logue wood-cased colour pen-cils are listed in a range of 52different colours.

COMPARISON WITH PENCILS

Technical designThe design structure of colourpencils is identical to that ofpencils, and they are manufac-tured accordingly. Their differ-ence lies in the composition anddiameter of the lead.

Functional principleColour pencils function just likepencils. However, they are usual-ly not erasable or water-soluble.

FABER-CASTELL has devel-oped solutions for manufactur-ing erasable and water-solublecolour pencils.

Unlike pencil leads, colour pen-cil leads do not undergo a firingprocess but are dried only, as thesensitive colour pigments wouldnot be able to withstand the high temperatures of the firingprocess.

The individual productionstagesThe diagrammatic view demon-strates the main stages of pencilmanufacture.

COLOUR PENCILS

A FABER-CASTELL CATALOGUE FROM 1883.

2.3MERCHANDISE KNOWLEDGEColour pencils

THE INDIVIDUAL PRODUCTIONSTAGES

SOFT AND DENSE WOOD ISSTORED, SEASONED AND CUTINTO “SLATS”.

A GROOVE IS CARVED OUT OFTHE UPPER AND BOTTOM SLATTO ACCOMMODATE THE LEAD.

A SPECIAL LEAD GLUE ISINJECTED INTO THE GROOVE.

THE SEPARATELY PRODUCEDLEADS (SEE “LEADS” CHAPTER)ARE PLACED IN THE BOTTOMSLAT. THEREAFTER, BINDINGGLUE IS APPLIED TO THE UN-OCCUPIED SURFACES OF THEUPPER AND BOTTOM SLATS.

THE UPPER SLAT IS PLACEDONTO THE BOTTOM SLAT.


Colour pencils

HEAT AND PRESSURE ARE NOWAPPLIED SIMULTANEOUSLY TOTHIS “SANDWICH”, UNTIL THEGLUE HAS SET.

A ROUTER BIT IS USED TO CUTTHE ONE HALF OF THE PENCILPROFILE AT THE UPPER SLAT.

A SECOND ROUTER BIT IS USEDTO CUT THE OTHER HALF OFTHE PENCIL PROFILE AT THEBOTTOM SLAT. SUBSEQUENTLY,THE “SANDWICH” DISINTE-GRATES INTO THE INDIVIDUALNON-FINISHED PENCILS.

THE PENCILS ARE REPEATEDLYPASSED THROUGH A LACQUERBATH IN A CONTINUOUS LOOP.SEVERAL COATS OF LACQUERARE APPLIED IN ORDER TOACHIEVE A LASTING VARNISH.

HOT-FOIL STAMPING WITHBRAND NAME, COLOUR NO.AND EAN CODE.

THE PENCIL IS SHARPENED.



Colour pencils

QUALITY CONTROLBREAKING TEST

QUALITY CONTROLSHARPENING TEST

QUALITY CONTROLCLASSIFICATION

PACKAGING


THE “SECURAL”PROCESS (SV BONDING)

By virtue of its composition anddue to the lack of a firingprocess, a colour pencil lead issubstantially softer than a pencillead. That is also why colourpencil leads have a larger diam-eter than pencil leads. (pencillead diameter 2.0 –2.8 mm;colour pencil lead diameter3.0 – 3.3 mm)

For the purpose of enhancingbreaking resistance, firm bond-ing of the colour pencil lead tothe wood is even more impor-tant than in pencil manufactur-ing. Besides, this is the only wayto prevent the lead from slippingout of the wood casing and toavoid tip breakage.

Cross-sectional profile Just like wood-cased pencils,wood-cased colour pencils areavailable in round, hexagonal andtriangular profiles. (>Pencils)

Pencil tipWhen looking at a sharpenedpencil, we see a long tapered tip.The tip can be used for writingor drawing fine lines for quitesome time, until it becomesblunt and requires resharpening.

Being substantially softer, a co-lour pencil lead must be sharp-ened differently from a pencillead. The tip of a brand newcolour pencil initially appears tobe just like a pencil tip. Only acloser inspection reveals a smalladditional tip. This is designedto prevent the lead from break-ing while the product is beingdelivered to the customer. (Isused by FABER-CASTELL forthe Polychromos and AlbrechtDürer artists’ pens.)

Some colour pencil leads (e.g.pastel pencils) are so soft that along tapered tip would keep

breaking off during use.Therefore, colour pencils aresharpened to a short taperedpoint. From a geometrical point

of view, the short tip is strongerthan the longer tip. On the otherhand, it requires more frequentresharpening.

WATER SOLUBILITY (WATERCOLOUR PENCILS)

Water-soluble colour pencils(watercolour pencils) expandthe spectrum of creative possi-bilities and are thus increasinglypopular. Water solubility isachieved by impregnating theleads with an “emulsifier” (= water-soluble, wax-like sub-stance) instead of wax or grease.

One way of working with thesewater-soluble colour pencils isto apply water to the painting

LEAD GLUEWOODENBARREL


Colour pencils

surface prior to colouring withthe watercolour pencil, or alter-natively to put one’s sketch topaper and then dissolve andwet-blend them with a brush.

By selecting different papergrades, the watercolour pencils’degree of solubility can be con-trolled in considerable detail.While the structure of a paintingis more or less distinctly pre-served when working on verysmooth paper, it is easily fullydissolved and transformed intoan aquarelle look and texturewhen painting on rough, coarse-grained paper.

The mode of applying thecolour onto the paper can alsoinfluence the solubility. Themore pressure is exerted on thewatercolour pencil the deeperthe pigments are pressed intothe surface of the paper, whichresults in a reduced water solu-bility of the paint strokes.

The gentler the paint applicationand the more water is used, thesooner an aquarelle-like lookand texture is achieved.

Please note!Water solubility does not meanthat the pencil should be dippedin water. That would result inthe lead swelling up and thewood being destroyed.

PENCILS FOR SPECIALPURPOSES

Document lead pencilsThese pencils are alsoknown under their formerdesignation of CopyingPencils. However, theiroriginal application pur-pose, the preparation ofcopies, has lost its role intoday’s era of the lasercopier.

Today, these pencils arevalued principally for theirindelible stroke. They rep-resent an environmentallycompatible alternative (re-duction of plastic waste) toindelible ink writing in-struments.

The basis for the superior light-fastness and unerasability ofthese pencils, and thus theirindelible strokes on paper, arehigh-grade colour pigments andwater-soluble dyes that enhancedeep penetration into the paper.

These colourants are toxicologi-cally safe.

Note:To ensure the unerasability ofthese pencils, a minimum writ-ing pressure of 300 g is required(ascertained average writingpressure approx. 350 g).

Grease pencilsColour pigments are the chro-mophoric components in greaseleads. Binding agents give shapeand strength to the lead. In thisinstance, a grease/wax mixtureis used. Kaolin is predominantlyused as a filler for colour leads.

Glass marking pencils The grease leads in glassmarking pencils facilitatethe lettering/marking ofall smooth surfaces suchas glass, plastic, metal,leather etc.

Glass marking pencilsstrokes are water and tem-perature resistant up to450° C for black leads, up1000° C for white and redleads.


WHAT MAKES A GOODCOLOUR PENCIL?

A wood-cased colour pencil’squality is influenced by diversefactors:

The wood used in manufactureshould be as knot-free, long-fibred and uniformly grown aspossible in order to ensure easyand neat sharpening of the man-ufactured pencil.

The uniform and even routercutting of the slats ensures thatthe good quality of the wood ispreserved in the ultimate manu-factured pencil.

The colours in artists’ productsdo not only need to providegood coverage, but they mustalso be highly lightfast in ordernot to fade when exposed to theeffects of sunlight.

The ingredients of the lead arecrushed, finely ground andblended for a long period oftime, resulting in an even leadstroke without scratching.

The lead must be firmly bondedto the wood in order to preventthe lead slipping out of the woodcasing and to avoid tip breakage(e.g. during sharpening).

The number of colours offeredincreases commensurate withthe consumers’ demands madeon the pencil, i. e. the colourrange is widest for artists’ prod-ucts. (120 colours available)

Owing to a lacquering processinvolving several coats, the lac-quer coverage is particularlygood and uniform. This alsoreduces the occurrence of pres-sure marks and indentations.


Artists’ colour pencils

ARTISTS’ COLOUR PENCILS

HISTORICALOVERVIEW

Throughout the course of thecompany’s 240 year history,FABER-CASTELL artists’ co-lour pencils and crayons havegained an outstanding reputa-tion. The pencils even wonawards as far back as last centu-ry’s World Expos.

The manufacture of artists’products played a very impor-tant role at FABER-CASTELLas early as in the 19th century.Lothar von Faber continuouslyexpanded the product line at thetime. The advantage of colourpencils was that they could easily be sharpened, in contrastto the colour pastels popularback then. They were also moresuitable for fine and delicatework.

Lothar’s successor, AlexanderGraf von Faber-Castell, not onlycontinued the successful pro-duct lines, he also substantiallyexpanded the range of products.The Polychromos colour pencilsin particular, brought onto themarket in the early 20th century,were to become a classic.

The high quality standard of allour products continues to liveup to today’s exacting artisticdemands. That very qualityreceived praise from renownedartists like Kaulbach, Vincentvan Gogh and Wilhelm Busch.

SPECIAL REQUIRE-MENTS FOR ARTISTS’COLOUR PENCILS

Light-fastnessWorks of art are valuable piecesthat are one of a kind and shouldbe preserved at their originaldegree of quality for as long aspossible.

The colours do not only need toprovide good coverage, but theymust also be highly lightfast inorder not to fade when exposedto the effects of natural light(sun).

Therefore, FABER-CASTELLinsists on using selected naturalingredients in the manufactureof its artists’ colour pencils –especially high grade colourpigments of the highest purityand light-fastness.

FABER-CASTELL was thefirst producer in the world tolabel light-fastness ratings of itspencils with specific asterisks:

*** Greatest light-fastness (= no change after sunexposure)

** Very good light-fastness (= little change after sunexposure)

* Moderate light-fastness(Caution: definite changeafter sun exposure)

POLYCHROMOS COLOUR PENCIL PACKAGING FROM 1908.

2.4MERCHANDISE KNOWLEDGEArtists’ colour pencils

This division into various cate-gories is a classification initia-tive by FABER-CASTELL andto date there is no international-ly standardised equivalent.


Crayons

CRAYONS

HISTORICALOVERVIEW

As far back as antiquity, wax –particularly coloured beeswax –was used as a painting medium.In his works dating back almost2000 years, the Roman writerPlinius praised the eminent waxart of the Greeks which waslater adopted by the Romans asportrait art.

Earthy shades such as sepia, redchalk, umber and manganesebrown were already known tothe old masters in the middleages.

PRODUCT OVERVIEW

Crayons are supplied in tincases, carry cases and in indi-vidual colours. For better han-dling and protection againstcolour-staining, special crayon

holders or paper wrappers, card-board sleeves, plastic film-wrapor sliders can be used.

Artists’ crayons in particular arealso supplied in wood-casedpencil format. Whether the“classic” crayon format of thepencil variant is used dependson a variety of factors. (Soiling/staining of the hands, strokewidth etc.)

STREET MARKINGCRAYONS

Blackboard chalk and streetmarking crayons consist pre-dominantly of natural calciumsulphate or calcium carbonate

and water. Small portions ofcolour pigments are used ascolourants. Large proportions offiller are used to make thecrayons compact and to providea certain binding agent function.Street marking crayons areoffered principally in a largediameter cylindrical or rectan-gular format.

WAX CRAYONS

Wax crayons are wax-basedpencils, generally have a roundshape and are suitable for paint-ing and wax techniques.

Wax crayons consist of naturaland/or synthetic waxes, inorganic

A 1900 FABER-CASTELL CATALOGUEWITH ARTISTS’ CRAYONS AND GRAPHITECRAYONS

fillers (e.g. talcum), organic andinorganic pigments as well asemulsifying agents in the caseof water-paintable crayons.

They are manufactured in eithera pressing process or a castingprocess (cast crayons).

There are two types of waxcrayons, water-resistant andwater-paintable.

Wax crayons are suitable for awide variety of techniques suchas “Sgraffito”, “Encaustic” or“Ironing Technique”, “WipingTechnique” and “Fabric Pain-ting”.

The wash or bleed techniqueresults in soft, delicate shadesand hues akin to those in water-

colour painting, when the waxpainting is thinned or brush-painted with turpentine. Byusing this technique, it is possi-ble to create soft bleeds andblurred margins.

With the wax rinse techniquethe drawing paper is first coatedwith a totally opaque colour (oraquarelle wax) before drawingthe motif over it with a water-resistant wax crayon. During thesubsequent rinsing process withwater, the colour shade is com-pletely retained underneath thewax.

In “Sgraffito” (scratching tech-nique) several wax layers (fromlight to dark) are superimposed.The individual layers can thenbe made visible again orremoved by “scratching” with ascraper or a sharp pencil. (Theterm is derived from Italian:sgraffiare = to scratch / toscrape.)

“Frottage” is an abrasion tech-nique. The surface texture is

represented on the paper, thestructure graphically visualised.(“Frottage” is derived from theFrench word “frotter” = to rub.)

“Encaustic” is a techniquewhere wax is melted andapplied to the paper while it isstill hot. Pictures are created bythe fusing of the variouscolours. (The term “encaustic”is derived from Greek andmeans “to burn in”, “to heatwith fire” or “to subject to fire”.)

Wax crayons can be virtuallystored forever, have a vigorouscolour stroke quality and adhereto almost all surfaces (with the

2.5MERCHANDISE KNOWLEDGECrayons

WASH TECHNIQUE SGRAFFITO ENCAUSTIC

FROTTAGE

exception of very smooth sur-faces, such as glass, plastic,CDs etc.)

Incidentally, wax crayons areused when first learning how towrite: The “classical” (water-resistant) wax crayons are usedfor handwriting exercises duringwriting lessons, because theuniquely solid wax compounddoes not soften when held inone’s hand. The handwritingexercises relax the hand musclesand the schoolchild graduallyacquires a sense of shapes and afeel for writing.

MARKING CRAYONS

Two different types of markingcrayons are commonly used:

On one hand, marking crayonsthat are composed and manufac-tured in the same way as colourpencil leads and impregnatedwith grease/wax. They are par-ticularly suited for markingcardboard, paper, wood, metalas well as all rough surfaces.

On the other hand, wax markingcrayons that are manufacturedlike grease leads (glass marking

pencils). In these crayons thegrease/wax mixture functions asthe binding agent. They are

preferably used for smooth sur-faces like glass, plastic, leatheretc. They are highly light-fastand heat-resistant (the colourwhite up to 1,000° C). Theirstrokes are water-resistant.


Crayons


Artist’s crayons

The product range and applica-tion areas of artists’ crayons arevirtually unlimited. The sameapplies to the crayons’ composi-tion and manufacture.

The most important ingredientsof artists’ crayons are the colourpigments, as their remarkablecolour purity ensures the co-lours’ light-fastness, which is ofgreat significance to artists. Inaddition, artists’ crayons consistof special binding agents andfillers.

High-quality crayons are char-acterised by very finely groundraw materials and consistentparticle size.

ARTIST’S CRAYONS

It is difficult to subdivide cray-ons into separate categories. Wecan roughly divide artists’crayons into graphite crayons,pastel crayons, so-called mono-chrome crayons and specialcrayons like oil and aquarellecrayons.

GRAPHITE CRAYONS

Like pencil leads, these crayonsconsist of a graphite/clay mixand are available in severaldegrees of hardness.

Quick sketches and studies arethe main application areas ofgraphite crayons. Due to theirlarge diameter, they provide alush, rigorous stroke. If thegraphite crayon has no wrap-ping or casing, its entire lengthcan be used to lay down thecolour on large surfaces.

Graphite crayons can be sharp-ened with sharpeners or emeryboards.

Graphite crayons are also fre-quently ground to a powder. Thispowder is suited for smudging.By using the smudging tech-nique it is possible to achievevarious outcomes, depending onthe degree of hardness. The soft-er the crayon, the more easily itcan be smudged.

The degrees of hardness aresubdivided into uniform andconsistent increments. Graphitecrayons are extremely light-fastand ageing resistant.

GRAPHITE PURE

Pencil-shaped graphite crayonsare called Graphite Pure. Gra-phite Pure pencils consist of asolid, thick lead and are notwood-cased.

The surface of Graphite Purehas a synthetic coating to pro-tect the hands against staining.

Unlike colour pencils thatadhere to just about all types ofpaper, they require a drawingbackground of a certain rough-ness. Pastel crayons are there-fore mainly used for surface-covering painting on soft, fine-grained or velvety velour paperor on heavy paper with a coarse-grained surface.

It is also possible to draw onstone or asphalt. This attributeextends the pastel crayons’application options when com-pared with other products, e.g.colour pencils.

Pastel crayons are available inrectangular or cylindrical for-mat. The degrees of hardness onoffer range between the softerand harder end of the scale,according to the manufacturer.

2.6MERCHANDISE KNOWLEDGEArtist’s crayons

By variably exerting light orvigorous pressure when drawingit is possible to create diversegrey shades, which is ideal forhigh-contrast drawing, writingand sketching.

Graphite Pure can be sharpenedwith a conventional pencil shar-pener.

PASTEL CRAYONS

Pastel crayons have been used asa drawing medium since the15th century. The term “pastel”is derived from the Italian word“pasta” (dough), because in thepast pigments used to be knead-ed into a dough with the aid of abinding agent.

Pastel crayons consist essential-ly of organic and inorganic fine-ly pulverised pigments, inorgan-ic fillers (such as clay, calci-um carbonate, pumice powder,quartz powder, kaolin) as wellas small quantities of bindingagents (e.g. cellulose derivates).The ingredients are kneadedtogether and pressed into theparticular shape.

Pastel crayons are dried, as thesensitive colour pigments wouldotherwise become charred dueto the intense heat generatedduring the firing process.

Their pigment content is veryhigh when compared to otherpainting crayons. Only verysmall amounts of wax, grease oroil are used, if any. That is whypastel crayons smudge easilyand must ultimately always befixed with lacquer. (The waxcontent ensures the adhesion ofthe colour on the background.)It can be reduced to a minimumonly on very coarse-grained sur-faces.

Pastel crayons without lubricat-ing or binding agents can beground to a fine powder and aresuited for the same techniquesas graphite crayons. They can bepainted together with oils.

PASTEL PENCILS

Pencil-shaped pastel crayons arecalled pastel pencils. The crayonis pressed into a lead shape andsubsequently dried. Pastel pen-cils are ideal for detail, finelines and hatching.

Just like pastel crayons, theysmudge easily and must befixed.

The decision whether to usepastel crayons in their tradition-al crayon or wood-cased pencilform depends on the artist’s

style and the size of the motif.Pastel pencils are designed as asupplement for particularlydetailed work. The wood casingprotects the fingers againststaining.

MONOCHROMECRAYONS AND PENCILS

The term “monochrome” means“non-colour” painting. It in-cludes all important colours andshades for working in the con-trast areas light-dark or black-white.

Monochrome crayons includered chalk, sepia, umber and man-ganese brown crayons or evenwhite and also black crayons.

Monochrome crayons are essen-tially designed like pastelcrayons. They are particularlyrich in light-fast pigments andhave few binding agents.

The colour range is limited toearthy tones and shades. Origi-nally the colours were madefrom earth colours: White wasblended from limestone, blackfrom charcoal and brown from

earth/soil. In contrast to pastelcrayons, they now contain inor-ganic pigments (metallic oxides).

There are two types of crayons,fired and unfired. Fired crayonsare harder and more brittle. Thecolour pigments are not easilyrubbed into the paper and musttherefore be fixed. On the otherhand, special binding agentsprovide the unfired crayons witha soft and ductile consistency.The pigments are thus rubbedinto the paper, however, fixingshould be dispensed with. Manycolour shades are available forboth the fired (colour shadevariant with a rougher charac-ter) and the unfired (originalcolour shade) versions.

These crayons are either grease-free or grease-based. Grease-free crayons can be wiped orsmudged relatively easily andare wet-paintable. The colour isdeposited rather loosely on thedrawing surface and shouldalways be fixed.

Grease-based crayons have astronger paper adhesion due totheir oil and wax based bindingagent. They have a ductilestroke with a satin-finish sur-face. They are also more diffi-cult to wipe or smudge, onlypartially erasable but do notnecessarily have to be fixed.


Artist’s crayons

2.6MERCHANDISE KNOWLEDGEArtist’s crayons

studies. There are various gra-duations, from English Red tothe violet-like Red Brown. Thered chalk colour does not existas such.

The basis for red chalk is a fineclay that contains iron oxide andis processed into leads afterbeing pulverised.

SepiaSepia was originallya liquid drawing co-lour. Today, this darkbrown colour ismade from syntheticdyes. Sepia colourshades are mostlyused for portrait andnude studies as wellas landscapes.

White crayonsWhite crayonsare irreplace-able for work-ing on tinted or black paperas well as forbrightening redchalk motifs andcharcoal draw-ings.

Black crayonsBlack crayonsare available invarious degreesof hardness.

The relatively ductile stroke canbe water-painted, wiped, smud-ged or brightened with plasticine.

OIL CRAYONS

Oil crayons consist of inorganicand/or organic pigments, fattyacid derivates, oils and waxes aswell as fillers.

Oil crayons adhere to almost allsurfaces, even smooth ones. Nofixing is required. They arewater-resistant, paintable withturpentine or benzene but notwater-paintable. They can bepartially smudged when dry.The colours provide good cover-age, are deep and rich and havea very soft, intensive andsmooth colour stroke qualitywith lustreless to matt or satin-

FABER-CASTELL pencils aredistinguishable as grease-free orgrease-based by virtue of theirdesign: Grease-free pencils havean end trim and grease-basedpencils have an end cap.

The decision whether to usemonochrome crayons in theirtraditional crayon or wood-cased pencil form depends onthe artist’s style and the size ofthe motif. Monochrome pencilsare designed as a supplementfor particularly detailed work.The wood casing protects thefingers against staining.

Red chalkRed chalk can be described asthe classical drawing material.

A common shade is a deep andrich adobe colour hue, particu-larly used for nude drawings andportraits as well as for body


Artist’s crayons

finish glossy surfaces. Oil cray-ons are difficult to correct andare not erasable.

Oil crayons are suitable for awide variety of techniques suchas the Encaustic or ironing tech-nique (paint-spreading tech-nique using heat) or the scrap-ing (sgraffito) technique (colourlayers can be placed on top ofeach other and can be removedlater).

Oil crayons should not be sub-jected to higher temperatures(approx. 50° C), as they becomesoft when heated due to theirhigh wax content.

AQUARELLE CRAYONS

Aquarelle crayons essentiallyconsist of organic and inorganicfinely pulverised pigments,inorganic fillers (such as clay,calcium carbonate, kaolin) andin some instances lubricatingand emulsifying agents.

The properties of aquarellecrayons are in many ways simi-lar to those of oil or waxcrayons. Unlike the latter theyare water-paintable, easier tocorrect and easier to removefrom smooth surfaces.


Charcoal

CHARCOAL

DRAWING CHARCOAL

Drawing charcoal is made syn-thetically from a fine mixture ofcarbon black (soot), charcoaland clay with an admixture of binding agents. Depending on the mix of these compo-nents, degrees of hardness from “extra soft” to “extra hard” areachieved. These various degreesof hardness allow finely nuan-ced graduations from the bright-est grey to the darkest black.

Drawing charcoal is pressedinto the relevant shape andfired. It is characterised by asoft stroke and a lush, rich glid-ing action on paper. An out-standing feature of drawing

charcoal is the darkest, deepestblack ever made by man.

It is used for working on largeareas. Charcoal lines are easilywiped or smudged with a finger,stump (estompe), brush or cloth. It can only be removed withplasticine. Fixing is unavoid-able!

Drawing charcoal is available intwo versions: Round rod-shapeddrawing charcoal is very wellsuited for working on largeareas, while charcoal pencilswith an additional wood-casingare particularly suited for fine,detailed work.

NATURAL WOOD-CHARCOAL STICKS

Wood-charcoal sticks are one ofhumanity’s oldest drawing me-diums. It is made from soft and,to the extent possible, resin-freewood (e.g. lime-tree wood,hazelnut wood or birchwoodrods). The twigs and branchesare heated under the exclusionof air, until they are thoroughlycarbonised. Wood-charcoal hasa bluish stroke that is easilywiped and corrected.

The extremely brittle materialadheres only lightly to paper.Therefore the lines can easily be

removed with an eraser brush orplasticine.

Wood-charcoal sticks are partic-ularly suited for studying pur-poses, sketches and are oftenused for preparatory drawings inoil painting because of the easewith which they are removed.For this purpose the charcoal onthe canvass is tap-dusted with acloth. Hardly any perceptiblepatterns remain.

Natural wood-charcoal sticksare available as round rods indiameters of approx. 3 to 14 mmfor large-surface work or inwood-cased pencil form forfine, detailed work.


Mechanical pencils

MECHANICAL PENCILS

Mechanical pencils are definedas pencils holding a lead insidea barrel by means of a clampingmechanism. Releasing the clam-ping mechanism by pressing ortwisting the pencil results in thelead dropping or being trans-ported towards the tip.

Depending on the thickness ofthe lead or the release mode ofthe clamping mechanism, me-chanical pencils are divided intoclutch pencils, fine-point pen-cils and propelling pencils.

HISTORICALOVERVIEW

A pencil has the disadvantagethat its length continues todecrease with increasing use.When working on high-qualitydrawings, it thus becomes in-creasingly difficult to achieve a

TK CLUTCH PENCIL ADVERTISING POSTER FROM THE 60’S

good quality result as the pencilcan no longer be held properly.

FABER-CASTELL had alreadysolved this problem in the 40’swith the introduction of the so-called TK clutch pencils, whichused leads of a similar thick-ness to conventional wood-cased pencils. (Incidentally, the TKtrademark registered by FABER-CASTELL represents the Ger-man initials for the main usergroups of technicians [Tech-niker] and artists [Künstler].)

In the 60’s a new manufacturingprocess made it possible todevelop the extremely fine, yetbreak-resistant, polymer leadsthat resulted in the introductionof fine-point pencils.

CLUTCH PENCILS

Functional principle andtechnical designA lead is housed inside a syn-thetic barrel and is retained by aclamping chuck.

By pressing the push-button, theclamping chuck is opened andreleases the lead. The lead’s own

weight now causes it todrop down out of or intothe pencil, depending onwhether the tip is point-ing up or down.

Releasing the push-button reclamps the lead.

The barrels of propellingpencils made by Germanmanufacturers containpredominantly recyclableplastics and metals. It isnot customary to usePVC.

The thicker leads of most clutchpencils have the same composi-tion as those of wood-casedpencils and colour pencils, butare somewhat shorter.

Special sharpeners have beendeveloped for sharpening theleads of clutch pencils. Somepencil models are equipped witha small sharpener integrated inthe push-button.

Advantages of the clutch pencilIn comparison with a wood-cased pencil that is sharpenedand becomes ever shorter, a

push-button is pulled offthe upper end of the pen-cil and the opening ofthe lead sleeve canbe cleaned fromthe tip with thecleaning needle.

Many fine-lead pencils have aneraser (replacements can usuallybe purchased) at the upper end,which is either firmly attached

to the push-button orpencil top orscrewed inand out like alipstick.

Market research has shown thatmany people do not like to writewith a fine-lead pencil, becausethe most common lead diameterof 0.5 mm tends to break veryeasily. FABER-CASTELL there-fore introduced the 0.7 mm leadfor breakproof writing and res-timulated the sales of fine-pointpencils. In many writing pen-cils, the lead is also cushionedin order to reduce the breakagerisk.

2.8MERCHANDISE KNOWLEDGEMechanical pencils

clutch pencil retains a consistentlength and is always comfort-able when held in one’s hand.

The lead can be worn down sub-stantially further than a penciland is thus almost completelyutilised.

Clutch pencils are mechanicallysimple and therefore very robust.

FINE-LEAD PENCILS

The design structure of fine-lead pencils is similar to that ofclutch pencils. They also featurea clamping chuck which retainsthe lead.

However, in addition to theclamping mechanism they alsohave a spring-loaded push me-chanism. When pressing thepush-button, not only is the leadreleased but it is simultaneouslyadvanced a short distance. Thismechanism is called a feedmechanism. In some models thefeed mechanism is activatedautomatically, when the pencilis lifted off the paper. (>Leadslide mechanism)

Extremely fine and compara-tively break-resistant specialleads, so-called polymer leads,are used in fine-lead pencils.The barrel of the pencil containsa storage tube for refill leads,which can usually be filled atthe upper end. It is recommend-ed not to load the pencil withmore than three refill leads, asthe leads may otherwise getjammed and fail to slide into thelead slide mechanism.

Fine-lead pencils are availablefor lead diameters of 0.35 mm,0.5 mm, 0.7 mm and 1.00 mm.They are colour-coded in accor-dance with the DIN 6775 stan-dard. Yellow stands for a linewidth of 0.35 mm, brown for 0.5mm, blue for 0.7 mm andorange for 1.00 mm.

Lead diameters and lengths aredesignated by DIN ISO 9177-2.

After some time, lead residuesmay collect in the clampingchuck and block the feed mech-anism. Therefore many modelsare equipped with a cleaningneedle, which is usually at-tached at the push-button. The

Fine-lead pencils are availablewith different lead holder types:

Fixed lead slide mechanismThe lead tube is in a fixedmounting. Prior to drawing orwriting the lead must beadvanced through the leadsleeve by pressing the push-but-ton once. This provides a writ-ing output of about 2 metreswithout the need to re-activatethe push-button.

These pencils are particularlysuitable for technical drawingwith rulers, templates and sten-cils.

Fixed and retractable leadslide mechanismThis lead slide mechanism sys-tem is functionally identical tothe fixed lead slide mechanismbut has the advantage that thesleeve can be fully inserted intothe barrel by simultaneouslypressing the push button andpushing the sleeve onto thepaper. This system ensures a

“pocket-safe” transport of thepencil.

Slide-back lead slide mechanismIn this system the lead tube ismounted resiliently (“slidingpipe”). This makes writing morecomfortable and the lead morebreakproof. Because of theslide-back action of the leadtube during writing, this systemprovides a longer writing outputwithout the need to re-activatethe push-button when comparedwith the fixed lead slide mecha-nism.

These pencils are prima-rily designed for writingand sketching. They arenot suitable for technicaldrawing.

The lead sleeve in aslide-back lead slide me-chanism system can alsobe resiliently mounted.This is called “CushionPoint”.

Automatic feed mech-anismWith this function thepush-button needs to bepressed only once andthe lead is automaticallyadvanced.

The light pressure exert-ed on the lead by thevirtue of the writingaction causes it to move withinthe lead sleeve and slide a littletowards the tip, so that there isalways a small amount of leadprotruding from the lead sleeveand available for writing.

The advantages of the auto-matic feed mechanism include comfortable handling and thefact that the lead hardly everbreaks, thus reducing leadwastage.


Mechanical pencils

polymer lead (with a lead diam-eter of 1.4 mm).

The fine-point pencil lead hold-er has the capacity to hold up to5 polymer fine-point leads (1 inthe lead sleeve, 4 in the leadtube). As with the regularretractable pencil, it is better notto charge this type of pencilwith more than 3 refill leads.That way, they cannot getwedged or jammed.

MULTIFUNCTIONWRITING INSTRUMENTS

Historical overviewThe pencil is ideally suited forsketching and writing. However,where the written text has to beindelible or carbon copies needto be filled in, the ballpoint penis the instrument of choice.

As is to be expected, prolificwriters in particular demand apen that combines the featuresof several systems. The idea ofthe multifunction pen was born.

The multi-colour ballpoint penbecame popular back in the 60’sand offered a selection of fourdifferent colour refills withinone pen. The 4-colour pensremained relatively popular forseveral years but have graduallydisappeared from the market.

Today, the multifunction penremains in demand, in particularfor two of its applications – thepencil and the ballpoint pen.

In recent times, the market hasbeen increasingly offering mul-tifunction pens that go beyondincorporating a pencil and a ballpoint pen, by additionallyincluding a marker (Tri-Pen) orIT-stylus to safely write on touch-screens of handheld computers.

2.8MERCHANDISE KNOWLEDGEMechanical pencils

The advantages of the fine-lead pencilIn comparison with a wood-casedpencil that is sharpened andbecomes ever shorter, a fine-leadpencil retains a consistent lengthand is always comfortable whenheld in one’s hand.

In comparison with clutch pen-cils, fine-lead pencils do notneed to be sharpened and thusmaintain a consistent line widthduring writing and drawing.

PROPELLING PENCILS

There are two types of pro-pelling pencils. The first type isthe classical retractable pencil,where the pressure on the mech-anism is exerted by a rotationalmotion.

The other type is equipped witha continuously adjustable rota-tional mechanism, which is acti-vated to retract or advance thelead by twisting the barrel coun-terclockwise or clockwise.

The lead used is either a thicker,“conventional” pencil lead or a

Functional principle and technical design Inside the barrel of the multifunc-tion pen are a ballpoint pen leadand a scaled-down version of aretractable pencil mechanism.

Multifunction pens incorporatedifferent mechanisms for prese-lecting the desired writing sys-tem – this is primarily done bytwisting the lower sectionagainst the barrel.

The rotational motion is con-verted to a lifting motion andthus pushes either the ballpointpen lead or the pencil mecha-nism towards the tip.

Just like with a regular re-tractable pencil, a push-buttonat the upper end of the multi-function pen activates the for-ward feed of the lead by adefined length.

The fine-lead pencil lead holderhas the capacity for up to 5 (1 inthe lead sleeve, 4 in the leadtube) polymer fine-lead leads.As with the regular retractablepencil, it is better not to chargethis type of pencil with morethan 3 refill leads. That way,they cannot get wedged orjammed.

Owing to the smaller lead sizeand resultant lower supply of


Mechanical pencils

ink-paste, the writing length ofmultifunction pen leads is short-er than with conventional large-capacity leads. It is recommend-ed to advise customers of thisaspect or even offer a sparerefill at the time of purchase.

The lead tube is resilientlymounted (“Cushion Point”) andthus provides a comfortablewriting action. An exchangeableeraser is located under the push-button.

The thickness of polymer leadsin multifunction pens is current-ly limited to 0.5 mm and 0.7mm in many cases.


Leads

LEADS

PENCIL LEADS

Composition Pencil leads consist of the fol-lowing basic ingredients:• Graphite• Clay• Grease/wax impregnation

Graphite is the colourant ingre-dient of the lead. Graphite pro-vides the blackness. Clay acts asthe binding agent, giving thelead shape and strength follow-ing the firing process. Thegrease/wax impregnation givesthe lead additional strength,gliding quality and blackness,while improving adhesion to thewriting surface.

ManufactureThe two basic materials graphiteand clay must be cleaned of anyimpurities prior to processing.

Finely ground graphite andpurified clay are mixed in accor-dance with precisely specified,designated formulas.

Further processing includeshomogenising the material in

mixers or kneaders. The mixedmaterial is subsequently pressedinto lead strands. Following the

drying process, the raw leadsare fired for one hour at 900° C.In the final finishing step thenow porous leads are soaked ina grease/wax bath. That is howthe leads obtain their specificwriting quality.

Degrees of hardnessThe lead’s hardness is deter-mined by the mixing ratio ofgraphite and clay.

The greater the graphite content,the softer and blacker the lead.The greater the clay content, theharder (less black) the lead.

The origin of the lead’s hardnessdesignations with specific let-ters cannot be determined withabsolute certainty. The actualcustom of grading pencils inorder to identify the blacknessof the stroke probably originat-ed in France.

2.9MERCHANDISE KNOWLEDGELeads

These designations are most like-ly derived from English expres-sions. Thus, B designated Blackand H meant Hard, while theadded number indicated increas-ing blackness or hardness. F mayhave stood for Firm or Fine Point.

The classification of degrees ofhardness has never been unam-biguously standardised interna-tionally, which is why the exactdesignation still depends oneach manufacturer.

Generally, the harder leads arelabelled with the letter H and thesofter ones with the letter B. Byplacing a number in front of theletter it is possible to define var-ious degrees of hardness. Forinstance, a 6H lead is harderthan a 4H. FABER-CASTELLsupplies its famous classic, theCastell 9000, in 16 degrees ofhardness.

The more precise a drawing isintended to turn out, the harderthe pencil ought to be.

Hardness designations:B = BlackH = HardHB = Hard Black = medium

hardF = Firm

Degrees of hardness alternative-ly expressed in numbers: (as a

“dual” system, i.e. the hardnessdegree designation is made upof letters and numbers)

1 2 2 1/2 3 4(2B) (B) (HB) (H) (2H)

POLYMER LEADS

Just like the leads of wood-cased pencils, fine-point pencilleads contain graphite as thecolourant ingredient.

Rather than clay (as in pencils)the binding agent is a carbonskeleton (“polymer skeleton”),which renders the leads moreelastic. Therefore, a lead can besubstantially thinner than a pen-

cil lead with the same breakingstrength. The polymer skeletonresults from the heating of plas-tics or of the wood ingredientlignin.

The raw leads are impregna-ted with a grease/wax mixture,

just like conventionalpencil leads.

Heavy metals such aslead, cadmium andchrome are not used.

The leads of fine-point pencils areavailable in diametersof 0.35 mm, 0.5 mm,0.7 mm, 1.0 mm and1.4 mm.


Leads

The advantages of polymer leadsCompared with pencil leads,polymer leads are more break-proof and can therefore be madesignificantly thinner. Sharpe-ning is thus no longer necessary.

Polymer leads provide verygood coverage and produce darkblack, lush lines of uniformwidth.

Their stroke is soft and easilyerasable.

COLOUR LEADS

Composition Colour leads consist of • Colour pigments• Impregnating agents

(greases, waxes)• Binding agents• Fillers

A special quality attributeof colour leads is thelight-fastness of the ap-plied colour. Their light-fastness is primarily de-termined by the quality ofthe colour pigments.

Binding agents give shapeand strength to the lead.They are predominantlycellulose derivates similarto wallpaper paste.

The filler used is predominantlykaolin (porcelain clay), a miner-al named after the Kaolin moun-tain in China.

The impregnating agents do notonly increase the strength andgliding quality of the lead, butalso ensure a uniform strokelaydown during writing anddrawing.

Leads with a water-resistantstroke contain grease/wax mix-tures as impregnating agents.

Wax emulsifier and/or surfac-tants are used to render leadswater-paintable. Emulsifiers aresubstances that make the mixingof ingredients such as water andoil possible in the first place.Natural emulsifying agents in-clude lecithin and emulsifiersmade up of fatty acids.

Unlike pencil leads, colour pen-cil leads are not fired but driedonly, as the sensitive pigmentswould be destroyed by theintense temperatures generatedduring the firing process.

POLYMER COLOUR LEADS

Polymer colour leads are alsomade from polymeric synthe-tics.

Like other colour leads they arenot fired and therefore do notreach the high breaking strengthvalues of the polymer fine-leadleads.

They are usually available inthree standard colours (red,blue, green) and in 0.5 mm leadstroke width.

ENVIRONMENT AND WASTE DISPOSAL

German manufacturers of pen-cils and colour pencils do notuse toxicologically dangerousheavy metals or heavy metalcompounds in their products.Such heavy metals or heavymetal compounds could onlyfind their way into those prod-ucts as pigment impurities orthrough mineral raw materials.

2.9MERCHANDISE KNOWLEDGELeads

There would only be trace con-centrations of these substances,well below the prescribed ambi-ent standard. The use and wastedisposal of wood-cased pencilsis unproblematic as they aremade of innocuous raw materi-als.


Paste-ink pens

PASTE-INK PENS

Liquid-ink writing instrumentsare defined as pens, where thewriting fluid is transported via afeeder system to the tip and sub-sequently deposited onto thewriting surface.

The different types of liquidwriting media include highlyviscous pastes, inks of lowerviscosity and gels.

An ink feeder is either anabsorptive reservoir or a storagereceptacle with a pressure-com-pensating regulator.

These writing instruments alsodiffer from each other in theirwriting tips: The tips are eitherequipped with a metal ball or afibre or metal-clad plastic tip.

BALLPOINT PENS ADVERTISING POSTER FROM THE 50’S

BALLPOINT PENS

Historical overviewEven before the turn of the 20thcentury several ideas hadcropped up on how to simplifyand decrease the cost of theunwieldy fountain pen by usinga ballpoint tip. In 1910, MichaelBaura from Munich obtainedthe earliest ballpoint pen patentfor his “writing instrument witha rolling tip”. However, theinventors at that time were notable to come up with a solutionof the main problem, namelyproducing an appropriate ink.

It was only in 1938 that theHungarian Biró succeeded inmanufacturing a suitable oil-based paste and register a patentfor the ballpoint pen we knowtoday.

In 1946, the ballpoint pen set offon its victory tour around theworld from South America,where Biró had emigrated forpolitical reasons. Today, farmore than a billion ballpointpens are manufactured eachyear.

Functional principleBallpoint pens are available asdisposable (ballpoint stick pens)utensils and as classical ball-point pens with refills.

At the lower end of the lead, aball is set in rotary motionthrough the writing movement.

Various international standardsprovide the basis for testing theindelible writing qualities ofpastes and inks. (Ballpoint penpaste: ISO 127 57-2, Ballpointpen liquid ink: ISO 14145-2)

In order to comply with thesestandards, the paste or ink mustdemonstrate unerasability, etha-nol resistance, hydrochloric acidresistance, ammonia resistance,bleaching resistance, water re-sistance and light-fastness with-in prescribed test parameters aswell as guarantee a certain writ-ing behaviour. Only then can apaste or ink be called indelible(“document-proof ”).

For the purpose of achievingthis indelible writing status, cer-tain highly resistant colourants(colour pigments or dyestuffs)can be admixed to the paste.

Refill leads bearing the ISOlogo thus possess a high writingquality and are suitable forindelible writing purposes.

Water resistanceLines are water-resistant if theyremain visually close to un-changed and are not perceptibly

2.10MERCHANDISE KNOWLEDGEPaste-ink pens

In doing so, it takes up pastefrom the lead and deposits itonto the paper.

Technical designThe barrels of ballpoint pens aremade of either metal or plasticand usually contain a replace-able lead. The lead tubes aremade of plastic (mostly trans-parent or coloured polypropy-lene) or brass (or nickel silver).

At the tip the ball rolls inside aball socket and is supplied withthe ink-paste via minusculegrooves (so-called paste chan-nels). As the ball provides clo-sure of the lead at the tip, no capor other device is required toprevent the lead from dryingout. Ballpoint pens are ready towrite immediately after placingthem on the paper.

Ball and ball socket are ar-ranged in a highly precise fash-ion. Variations in the diameterof the ball must be less than ahundredth of a millimetre.

The lead is sealed at the upperend in order to prevent the pastefrom leaking.

Special leads exist, where theink paste is pressed against the

ball through overpressure.These leads can be used forwriting in space or under water,and even for overhead writing.

The design of ballpoint pensallows them to be used withstrong writing pressure andmakes them ideal for filling incarbon copy forms.

Ballpoint pen ink pastesThe multi-coloured ballpointpen ink pastes are highly vis-cous (thick like honey) solu-tions. They consist of syntheticdyestuffs, synthetic resins andorganic solvents (e.g. phenoxyethanol and propandiol).

TECHNICAL REQUIRE-MENTS FOR PASTEINKS AND LIQUID INKS

Indelible writing The paste must be indelible(safe for archiving and forgery-proof) if the ballpoint pen is tobe used in the various areas ofofficial documentation and(cash) accounting. The indeliblewriting requirements also in-clude light-fastness, so that legi-bility can be ensured in the longterm.

dissolved after applying a waterdroplet.

The water resistance of the pasteor ink is achieved by the use ofwater-resistant pigments or theaddition of fixing resins.

ISO 12757-2 standard providesthe basis for testing the waterresistance of pastes and ISO14145-2 for inks. Refill leadsbearing the ISO logo areendorsed for indelible writing.

The advantages of the ballpoint pen• The ballpoint pen retains a

consistent length and is thusalways comfortable when heldin one’s hand.

• Ballpoint pens do not need tobe sharpened and thus maintaina consistent line width duringwriting.

• Ballpoint pens can be usedwith strong writing pressure,making them suitable for fill-ing in carbon copy forms.

• The stroke of a ballpoint penis in most cases indelible, i.e.it cannot be erased.

• Ballpoint pens boast a verylong writing length.

GEL INK PENS

Historical overviewAlthough the “ballpoint penwith gel ink” technology datesback to 1993, it did not for along time play a significant rolein the international market.

However, consumers graduallydiscovered the benefits of gelink pens, i.e. a pleasantly fluidwriting action and substantialcoverage even on dark paper.This, however, only applies tocertain colours. Gel ink pensmade it possible to write in goldand silver.

Functional principleFrom a technical point of view,gel ink pens can be classified asa step between ballpoint pens


Paste-ink pens

and ink rollers. The secret of gelink pens lies in their advanta-geous and special writing quali-ties: gel is a particular writingmedium that combines theadvantages of ballpoint pen inkpastes and roller ball inks.

During writing, the ball is set inrotary motion in the tip, just aswith ballpoint pens. The rotatingball takes up gel from the leadtube and deposits it onto thepaper.

A prerequisite for the gel inkpen’s mode of operation is thefact that the writing gels liquefy(= decreased viscosity) underthe influence of mechanicalforce, e.g. the ball’s rotationalmotion during writing, and“resolidify” after the cessationof the mechanical force.(Thixotropy: derived from theGreek “thixomai” = I will touch,and “tropé” = change, metamor-phosis)

Particularly attractive for theuser are the metallic gels thatare especially suited for strik-ingly effectual writing on darkpaper.

2.10MERCHANDISE KNOWLEDGEPaste-ink pens

ink pens. It contains a “TC”(tungsten carbide) ball and pro-vides a pleasantly smooth writ-ing action. As with ballpointpens, the diameter of the ballaffects the stroke width andwriting action.

Gel ink pens are available asdisposable pens as well as withrefills.

There are “cap-less” pens with aretractable system like that ofballpoint pens, or pens withclip-on caps.

Some gel ink pens have a spe-cial feature that prevents stain-ing one’s clothes when placingthe pen inside a pocket. Theretractable system responsiblefor moving the lead back intothe barrel is actuated by liftingthe clip slightly to insert the peninto one’s pocket.

Advantages of the gel ink penGel ink pens are available inmany diverse colours. Mostcolours can be written on darkor even on very light-colouredsurfaces. Some colours are alsoindelible.

Gel ink pens provide a smoothand pleasant writing action.

The gel does not run or spreadeven on absorptive paper.

The ink level is easily monitoredthrough a transparent barrel andlead tube.

Most gel ink pens are refillableand thus represent a reusablewriting utensil for environmen-tally aware purchasers!

Technical designThe mechanical de-sign of gel ink pens isvery similar to a ball-point pen.

The gel is generallylocated inside a cylin-drical, mostly trans-parent plastic tube (thelead), which is alsofrequently housed in atransparent casing.

The lead is sealedtowards the upper endby means of a silicon“piston-plug”. Thispiston plug sits direct-ly on top of the gel andmoves down along therefill towards the tip atthe same pace as thegel in front of it getsused up.

Thanks to the high viscosity ofthe gel, there is no need for acompensating regulator toensure that the ball receives thecorrect quantity of gel at anygiven time.

Systems derived (with minormodifications) from the rollertechnology are preferred for useas the tip for gel ink pens. Theroller tip is made of metal andable to withstand extreme loads,just like with standard ballpoint


Paste-ink pens

COMPARISON OF GEL INK PENS WITH BALLPOINT PENS

When compared with ballpointpens, it can happen that gel inkpens do not immediately start towrite and that they have to be“brought back to life” by a fewvigorous strokes.

Due to their usually greater balldiameter, gel ink pens depositmore gel on paper than ballpointpens lay down paste, which iswhy they need to be refilledmuch sooner.

The writing length of gel inkpens is therefore significantlyshorter than that of ballpointpens. (Ballpoint pens approx.10,000 metres, gel ink pensapprox. 600 to 1,300 metresdepending on the ball diameter).It is recommended to advisecustomers of this aspect or evenoffer a spare refill at the time ofpurchase.

Writing length of a ballpoint pen

Writing length of a gel ink pen

approx. 10,000 metres

approx. 600 to 1,300 metres


Liquid-ink pens

LIQUID-INK PENS

Liquid-ink based writing instru-ments use two different types ofink feed systems: The absorptivereservoir or storage system andthe direct filling system, the lat-ter also known as the “free-ink-system” or “direct-ink-system”.

ABSORPTIVE RESERVOIR SYSTEM

Functional principle andtechnical design of the barrelIn an absorptive reservoir sys-tem, the barrel cavity is filledwith an absorptive storage space(a “sponge”-like reservoir) con-taining the ink. Attached to thisreservoir is a connecting wick,through which the ink is con-veyed to the pen’s tip.

The basis for the function of theabsorptive reservoir system isthe behaviour of fluids in nar-row tubes, which is called thecapillary effect.

This physical effect can be visu-alised by immersing tubes ofvarying diameter in a basinfilled with a coloured liquid.

It becomes apparent that thefluid in the tube with the smallerdiameter rises higher than in thetube with the larger diameter.

An absorptive reservoir made ofsynthetic fibres consists of atube system storing the writingfluid. During the writingprocess, ink is continuously fedto the paper and since the nar-rower cavities in the tip cause a

greater capillary effect thanthe larger ones insidethe absorptive reser-voir, there is a “suc-tion effect” towardsthe tip.

Thus, upon coming into contactwith the paper the ink is con-stantly redrawn, which explainswhy the ink flow of a fibre penis almost never interrupted –even though the fibre tip isbriskly moved along the ab-sorbent paper.

Liquid-ink writing instrumentswith reservoir systems include

all types of fibre pens, fromchildren’s products to fibre pensfor artists, right through tomarking pens and text high-lighters.

Pen tips in absorptive reservoir systemsVarious alternative designs areused in the tips of absorptivereservoir systems.

The stroke width of the pen isdetermined by the thickness andshaping of the wick. Fibre pensdiffer in their scope of applica-tion and resultant writing tips.Generally, for marking andpainting purposes one useswider tips than with productsintended for writing.

The fibre tip:For longer line widths of morethan 0.5 mm the conventionalfibre tip is used. This is made ofadhesive-bonded fibres shapedinto a tip. Fibre tips are mainlyused in markers and felt-tip pensfor children.

The extruded synthetic tip:Where finer line widths ofupwards of approximately 0.1mm are desired, the convention-al fibre tip cannot be used. Finerfibre tips would break off orkink during use. That is why anextruded synthetic tip is used,reinforced by a metal collar.

2.11MERCHANDISE KNOWLEDGELiquid-ink pens

rapid and triumphant successaround the world to the extentthat today we could not imagineschools, nursery schools andchildren’s rooms without them.

New variants of writing tips alsomeant an increased acceptanceof this system in the office andhome environment.

Functional principleThe tip of a fibre pen basicallyworks like a wick immersed in asponge-like reservoir.

In order to prevent drying outduring periods of non-use, fibrepens and felt-tip pens are sealedwith a cap.

(e.g. the tip of the FABER-CASTELL Finepen 1511)

The roller tip:From a technical point of view,it is the same tip as that of aballpoint pen. It is used with inkrollers.

Today, the quick drying-out ofthe uncapped fibre tip is pre-vented by adding glycols, asthey regulate the moisture con-tent in the tip by absorbingmoisture from the ambient air.

FIBRE PENS

Historical overviewThe first Japanese-made fibrepens came onto the market inthe late 50’s/early 60’s.

Several centuries ago, therewere Japanese writing utensilsmade of a bamboo tube contain-ing a fibrous wick, which fedink to the writing tip.

The invention of the fibre penwas clearly influenced by thenotion of connecting the brushdirectly with an ink reservoir inorder to avoid constantly dip-ping it into the writing fluid.

To this end, the brush tip fibresneeded to be joined together andconsolidated in a fibre tip, asotherwise the ink flow to the tipcould not be assured (capillaryeffect).

Thanks to its smooth glidingaction on paper as well as therich colour and luminous lustreof its ink, the fibre pen enjoyed

DIRECT FILLINGSYSTEM

Functional principle andtechnical designThis system incorporates an inkfeed mechanism, similar to thatof fountain pens, which ensuresthat the ball receives as muchink as is needed for writing at agiven time, by allowing thesame amount of air back into thetank as the amount of inkreleased. The frequently clearlyvisible lamellae of the ink feedmechanism virtually double upas a buffer system, where theink can accumulate when notrequired at the tip.

COMPARISON OF THEABSORPTIVE RESER-VOIR SYSTEM WITHTHE DIRECT FILLINGSYSTEM

Ink flow:The direct filling system en-sures a generally constant inkflow throughout the entire writ-ing length. One of the disadvan-

tages of the absorptive reservoirsystem is the fact that continu-ous writing becomes compro-mised in the course of its pro-gressive depletion, as the inkrequires increasingly more timeto accumulate in the tip.

Ink fill quantity:In direct filling systems theentire ink fill quantity is usable,while a reservoir system onlyutilises 80%.

Ink level monitoring:In most direct filling systems it ispossible to monitor the ink levelthrough a level viewing window.Reservoir systems do not allowany monitoring of the ink level.

Leaking of the cartridge due to pressure differences:Direct filling systems are nevercompletely filled, which is why,unlike in absorptive reservoirsystems, there is the possibilityfor both ink and air to expandduring changes in pressure (e.g.on an airplane) or temperaturewithout leaking at the pen’s tip.


Liquid-ink pens

COMPARISON OF INKSWITH GELS

In conventional fountain pen orink roller inks, the dyes thatmake up the ink colour areentirely dissolved in a liquid.

Therefore the ink has a very lowviscosity and penetrates paperquickly and easily, which in thecase of some paper categoriesmay result in the ink smudgingor permeating the paper.

Unlike ink, most gel types con-tain pigments. (These are smallcoloured “granules”.)

Due to their coarseness, pig-ments do not penetrate paper soeasily and thus remain predomi-

provides an agreeable writingaction.

As the ink roller can dry outquickly, it is necessary to alwaysrecap it during non-use periodsor to equip it with a cartridge-retracting mechanism that alsoseals the tip.

In addition, ink roller cartridgeshave a considerably shorter wri-ting length than, for instance,ballpoint pens.

It is recommended to advisecustomers of this aspect or evenoffer a spare refill at the time ofpurchase.

by consumers due to theirsmooth sliding writing action.

Functional principle andtechnical designFrom a technical point of view,the ink roller combines theadvantages of the ballpoint penand fountain pen. The roller tipis made of metal and able towithstand extreme loads, thusallowing intense writing pres-sure e.g. for carbon copies. Atthe same time, the even ink flow

2.11MERCHANDISE KNOWLEDGELiquid-ink pens

nantly on the paper surface.Smudging and/or permeating ofthe gel is thus generally not anissue.

Furthermore, pigments have theadvantage of not colour-fadingas readily as dyes when exposedto UV light – for the most part,they are more light-resistant.

Moreover, gels can also be lus-trous, fluorescent or indelible.

Due to their higher viscositygels have a stronger propensityfor drop formation (blots orblobs) than inks.

The metallic ingredients of themetallic colour gels tend to sed-iment, i.e. they accumulate afterextended “tip down” storage,resulting in a non-homogenouscolour release.

INK ROLLERS

Historical overviewThe ink roller was invented inJapan in the early 80’s and wassoon enthusiastically accepted


Markers and highlighters

MARKERS AND HIGHLIGHTERS

DRY MARKERS

Dry markers look like colourpencils and are designed in thesame way.

However, the leads contain lu-minous pigments, thus ensuringa particularly strong emphasisof the highlighted text.

Dry markers are sharpened justlike normal colour pencils.

LIQUID MARKERS

Historical overviewAs the felt-tip pen gained moreand more acceptance, an in-creasing number of specialisedproduct variants became part ofthe commercial assortment.

The consumer realised that fibrepens could be conveniently usedto mark text passages in allkinds of publications.

The tip design and inks of thefibre pens were then adapted to

various application purposes.The “Marker & Highlighter”was born.

As the name indicates, this pro-duct is better suited for markingrather than writing.

Functional principle andtechnical designLiquid markers work accordingto the same physical principlesas felt-tip pens.

For liquid markers, manufactur-ers also utilise the physicalbehaviour of fluids in narrowtubes, the capillary effect, byusing a tip composed of a largenumber of polyamide or poly-ester fibres and thus creatingthousands of capillary channels.

The casings and caps are madeof aluminium or plastics (PPand PS).

The ink reservoir consists of acapillary reservoir (polypropy-lene fibres, polyester fibres orcellulose acetate).

Plastics such as polyethylene orpolyester are used as materialsfor the tip.

The ink is water-based or basedon organic solvents. In both sys-tems, either colourants are dis-solved (dyestuff inks) or pig-

ments are dispersed (pigmentedinks).

The filling quantity is up toapprox. 7 g for some models.

At present, markers are avail-able with 3 different ink types:• Markers with xylene/toluene-

based inks• Markers with alcohol-based

inks• Markers with water-based

inks.

Markers with xylene/toluene-based inks are principally usedfor outdoor application purposes,i.e. wherever weather-resistanceis paramount. However, thedrawback of these inks is that thetwo solvents xylene and toluenepresent a severe odour nuisanceand are detrimental to people’shealth. For this reason, alcohol-based inks are also increasinglyused for this application purpose,as they are almost odour-neutraland less harmful.

The safest markers are thosewith water-based inks, and theyare also almost odour-neutral.

The tips of markers are fre-quently designed in such a waythat it is possible to createstrokes of different width, de-pending on which side of the tipis used.

TEXT HIGHLIGHTERS

These are markers for brightlyhighlighting text passages. Theycan be universally used on alldifferent types of paper.

The FABER-CASTELL Text-liner 48 offers a particularlyenvironmentally friendly refill-ing system that assists in signif-icantly reducing plastics wastein large organisations.

After uncapping, the Textliner isinserted into specially designedink-pot. The content (30 ml) issufficient for at least 8 refills.

For the refill process, too, thecapillary effect is utilised. Theink automatically rises from theink-pot through the capillariesof the tip into the Textliner andcan be used again soon after-wards. Overfilling the Textlineris not possible as it only acceptsas much ink as has been deplet-ed from its reservoir.

This procedure can be repeatedabout eight times before the

Textliner must be replaced witha new one.

OHP MARKERS

Originally developed for writingon overhead transparencies, OHP markers (FABER-CAS-TELL Multimark) are enjoyingincreasing popularity as a pen forwriting on all smooth surfaces.

The millions of CDs that areburnt and need to be labelledhave especially boosted thedemand for this type of pens.

2.12MERCHANDISE KNOWLEDGEMarkers and highlighters


Markers and highlighters

A special feature of the FABER-CASTELL Multimark is thegreen eraser at the top of the penwhich erases anything that hasbeen written with it.

The two different types of inkare non-permanent (can bewiped off with water) and per-manent (water-resistant).

The non-permanent inks arewater-based, while the perma-nent type is alcohol-based. Thenon-permanent inks are not aslightfast and therefore not suitedfor long-term documentation.They can be wiped off with amoist cloth.

Permanent, alcohol-based inksare more wipe-resistant. In re-cent times, permanent water-based inks have also been intro-duced. Synthetic resins that

become water-resistant afterdrying are used as bindingagents.

Water-based inks require theadmixture of preservatives inorder to prevent the growth ofmicro-organisms.

For the purpose of distinguish-ing between the two types, per-manent pens have a black barreland non-permanent pens a greybarrel.

FLIPCHARTMARKERS

These markers areused for large-scalewriting on flipcharts.The leading Germanmanufacturers ex-clusively use water-based inks. Bothdyestuffs and pig-ments are used ascolourants.

WHITEBOARD MARKERS

Whiteboard mark-ers are used on spe-cially coated whiteboards or sheetingthat can be wipedclean again with adry cloth.

The most common-ly used inks todayare alcohol-based.In addition, thereare also inks with amore intensive o-dour, that are madewith esters (e.g.butyl acetate) andketones. As of re-cent, water has also been used asa solvent. Pigments are used ascolourants. Water-based inks arepreserved in order to preventmicro-organisms from takinghold. Synthetic resins that be-come water-resistant after dry-ing are used as binding agents.

Water-based inks do not pene-trate through the paper, unlikealcohol-based inks!


Paint markers

PAINT MARKERS

Paint markers aresuited for water-re-sistant writing, paint-ing and marking onnearly all materials.

They are predomi-nantly used in theprivate domain (hob-by, greeting & con-gratulatory cardsetc.), but also in in-dustry and in storagemanagement (mark-ing on dark back-grounds).

Essential ingredientsPaint markers containa water-resistant inkwith a high pigmentcontent that providesa lacquer-like cover-age. Metal powdersare used as pigmentsto create gold and silver shades. Furthercomponents are wateror organic solvents as well as bindingagents.

Properties, quality attributesPaint applications of paintmarkers dry quickly. The dryingtimes depend on the quantity ofapplied paint, the surface andthe solvent contained in thepaint marker ink. Following the

drying process, the appliedpaint becomes a wipe-resistantand water-resistant or perma-nent adhesion on many dark,transparent or smooth back-grounds like paper, cardboard,papermaché, wood, glass, stone,ceramics, plaster/gypsum, can-dles, metal, plastics, synthetics,cork and rubber. Paint markersare also heat-resistant. Theyprovide very substantial cover-age due to their high pigmentcontent. The appearance of thewriting is characterised by sharpoutlines, and the light-fastnessis very good. Paint markers arelow in odour.

The ink consists of large,densely grouped pigment parti-cles designed to achieve goodcoverage. Paint markers cantherefore not be based on thecapillary effect principle. Paintmarkers contain their ink direct-ly inside the barrel and the inkflow is regulated via a valvesystem.

The paint is applied directlywith the marker. No brushes orsimilar utensils are required.Valve system: Pressure on thetip opens a valve and releasesink from the tank (these modelsdo not have an ink reservoir) tothe tip, which is thus soakedfrom the inside through to theoutside.

Valve system handling Shake marker with cap closedprior to use, open cap, pump andbegin to write on an absorbentsurface to prevent blotting.Write until the tip is empty,prior to renewed pumping.

Environment and waste disposalThe waste disposal of emptypaint markers should occur aswith other hazardous waste orby returning them to the manu-facturer. In most cases, it is justabout impossible to removestains on textiles.

Presentation, packagingPaint markers are available inmany colours as well as metalliccolours and white, in differentsizes and barrel diameters, withdifferent tips (fine, medium,wide, calligraphy tips) for creat-ing various stroke widths. Theyare available as disposable itemsas well as with a refill cartridgesystem. With many paint mark-ers, foil seals guarantee theunused condition of the product.In many cases the writing tipsare replaceable, even in dispos-able markers.


Technical drawing instruments

TECHNICAL DRAWING INSTRUMENTS

Technical drawing is alsoreferred to as the “language ofsight”. Language is our mostimportant means of commu-nication, but not always themost suitable when precise fac-tual situations need to beexpressed.

Technical drawing represents a“language” that can be learnt toillustrate objects, functions orarrangements unambiguouslyand clearly. On the basis ofthose drawings, the object canbe reproduced at any time ortools be produced for manufac-turing the object.

Admittedly, in the computer era,technical drawing does not playthe same role as in the past.However, the rules for puttingtechnical drawings on papercontinue to apply today.

Paper (1) is the receiving medi-um for a sketch or a drawing.

The most important tool is thepencil or fine-lead pencil (2) inits various forms and grades ofhardness. It is used to preparethe drawing.

The eraser (3) is used to delete(erase) what has been drawn.

The linear guidance of the pen-cil is attained with the help of

the ruler (4), which has a mil-limetre scale.

On a drawing board (5) theruler ensures parallel guidance.

For drawing lines at certainangles set squares (6) are used.They are commonly availablewith 45° and 60°/30° angles.

A goniometer (7) should bepart of the basic equipment fordrawing any type of angle.

For drawing in exercise books,so-called geometry set squares(8) of various designs and sizesare available.

Circles, curves and segmen-tations are carried out with asolidly built pair of compasses(9).

Ink drawing pens (10) serve tofurther develop and refine thepencil draft.

For drawing repetitive shapestemplates and stencils (11) areused.

INK DRAWING PENS

Instruments for technical draw-ing and associated fields ofactivity include ink drawingpens, technical liner pens, draw-

(2)

(1)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9) (10)

(11)

2.14MERCHANDISE KNOWLEDGETechnical drawing instruments

ing inks, fine-lead pencils andclutch pencils, (special) erasers,drawing boards, drawing tem-plates and set squares.

Historical overviewDrawing ink and associatedwriting utensils are ancient toolsof humans for drawing or writ-ing. Drawing ink was inventedin ancient China as long as5,000 years ago. It consisted ofoil, soot, glue and various tinc-tures, but their exact composi-tion was a strictly guardedsecret.

The Chinese also invented thebrush as a writing and drawingutensil. In our part of the world,following numerous develop-mental stages, the so-called“writing tube” (reed quill) wasused until the early middle ages,a thin bamboo tube fashioned inthe shape of the later featherquills and split at the tip.

It was only in the 17th centurythat the first slate-pencil-likeshanks with attached steel nibsappeared, to be later replaced bythe ruling pen for technicaldrawing. However, workingwith this drawing instrumenthad considerable disadvantages,especially for the inexperienced.

The by no means straightfor-ward instilling of drops of inkbetween the tongues of the nibhad to be frequently repeatedduring the drawing process.

The development of tubularwriting instruments began in the30’s. The first stylographic inkpen with a tubular system waslaunched under the name of inkbiro. The system was continuallyimproved. Further developmentsand technical improvementseventually made it possible tofill the pen with drawing ink fortechnical drawing purposes.

Functional principle andtechnical designThese precision drawing uten-sils have a relatively complexdesign due to their variousapplications.

They essentially consist of plas-tics like PP, PE, ABS and POM.

The drawing tip casing, adjustingfilament wire, wire weight andother parts critical for functionand precision are made of metal.

Ink drawing pens are availablewith a refill reservoir or dispos-able refill cartridges.

Drawing inks ensure that draw-ings can be archived for longperiods. In the case of water-based drawing ink, the light-fastness required for archivalpurposes is assured by appropri-ate pigments. (black: Carbonblack)

The ink’s adhesion to paper andfoil/film is effected by shellacor synthetic binding agents. Inaddition, partly modified, low-viscosity gelatine is used to sta-bilise the pigments. The solventused is water, to which polyhy-dric alcohols are added toensure the ink drawing pen’sfunctional readiness. Phenol isone of the substances used topreserve drawing inks.



TECHNICAL LINERPENS

Technical liner pens are avail-able for various line widths. Thecomposition of technical linerpens is similar to that of theFineliner and its inks.

DRAWING BOARDS

The classical drawing base forall types of technical drawingswas the wooden drawing boardin various standard formats.

A T-square was used as an aidwhen drawing on these boards.Adhesive strips were mainlyused to fix the drawing paper onthe board. Some manifest flawsof this utensil, which was con-sidered old-fashioned by many,were always considered to be anuisance, particularly for train-ing purposes:

• Unwieldiness and heavyweight during transport

• Method of fixing the drawingpaper

• Transport of the awkwardlyshaped and bulky T-square

Soon after the war the idea wasthus born to develop a lighterdrawing board (A4) made ofdensified particle board, whichallowed the paper to be fastenedby a wooden strip with clampingscrews instead of adhesivestrips.

Advances in plastics engineer-ing were accompanied by con-tinuing developments of thisprinciple, until the relativelyprimitive wooden board wastransformed into a plastic ver-sion which did away with mostof the board’s drawbacks for theDIN A4 and DIN A3 formats.

Functional principle andtechnical designDrawing boards allow the fixingof paper in such a way that itdoes not slip. Parallel slidingrulers as well as drafting headswith adjustable angles facilitatethe precise drawing of parallellines and angled lines.

Drawing boards must be tor-sion-proof and dimensionallystable in order to guarantee pre-cise drawings.

They essentially consist of plas-tics (PS, PAN, POM, PA andothers). Fittings and clampingcomponents are also made ofplastic.

The drawing surface is light-coloured, scratch-proof andresistant against compass punc-tures. Guide grooves and railson all four sides enable the pre-cise sliding of the parallel draft-ing arm with a single-handedlock and release mechanism foruse during drawing.

Good sliding action betweenboard and drafting arm ensureeffortless handling and posi-tioning.

Most drawing boards are madeof impact-resistant plastic andare resistant against compasspunctures.

The board size is designed insuch a way that even untrimmedDIN formats can be used with-out any problems.

A releasable sheet tensioningrail and a sheet clamp facilitatethe easy insertion and removalof drawing paper while ensuring

a secure and damage-free fit ofthe paper.

The dual guide design achievesa smooth, even gliding of theparallel ruler. Non-slip rubberfeet ensure firm positioning onthe work surface.

COMPASSES

Compasses have been knownsince antiquity as instrumentsfor the accurate drawing of cir-cles. They consist of two articu-lated legs of equal length whichallow them to be spread open atvarious angles. The openingwidth determines the radius ofthe circle to be drawn.

Functional principleGenerally, one leg is equippedwith a steel needle to be posi-tioned on the centre point, whilethe other leg accommodateseither an obliquely sharpenedpencil lead or a technical draw-ing pen (attached via an adapter).

Most compasses are made ofmetal (die-cast aluminium). Toguarantee performance capabili-ty and durability, the surfacesare varnished, nickel-plated orchrome-plated. Glass fibre rein-forced plastics are increasinglyused for the manufacture ofsmaller parts.

Important quality attributes in-clude:

• Precise leg action free fromplay

• Smooth mechanism of thehinged legs

• Securely clamped lead andneedle

• Surface protection againstcorrosion

• Specially designed acces-sories for functionally appro-priate use

Compass headThe compass head allows theuser to control the movement ofthe compass legs in a precisemanner. Different design mod-els are available. The most com-mon ones are:• Friction head system

(standard)• Spring-bow head system

(conventional)

Explanatory notes regardingDIN standardsDIN standard 58502 distin-guishes between 2 series ofdrawing & drafting instruments:

Series “S” standard drawinginstruments for school use• Extension neck diameter of

3.5 mmStandard drawing instrumentsare designed in accordance withschool purpose requirements inrelation to performance, qualityand durability. They differ fromprecision drawing instrumentsin their simpler construction.




Series “P” precision drawinginstruments for professionaluse• Extension neck diameter of

4.0 mm (11.5 mm neck length) • Extension neck diameter ex-

ception: 3.5 mm (8.5 mmneck length)

Precision drawing instrumentsare designed in accordance withthe most stringent requirementsin relation to performance, qual-ity and durability and are thuspredominantly suited for profes-sional applications.

The use of the extension barextends the operational radiusby up to approx. 150 mm. Theextension bar can be attached toall compasses with an extensionneck diameter of 4 mm.

Compass needlesDepending on the size of thecompass, thickness of the legprofiles and type of bushing, theneedle diametersrange from 1 to 2mm. Irrespectiveof the thickness,there are essen-tially four modeltypes.

Compass leadsWith oblique orround tip; 20 mmlong; Grade ofhardness: 2H

TEMPLATES & STENCILS, RULERS,SET SQUARES

Templates & stencils, rulers, setsquares are made from plastics,metals or wood.

Templatesare used toachieve the posi-tionally faithful andundistorted transfer ofgraphic characters and sym-bols onto a surface, usuallywith the aid of a technical draw-ing pen. They are generallymade of PMMA, PP, PS and cel-lulose compounds.

In addition to rulers and setsquares, there are trim rulers de-signed with steel edges.

DRAWING INK

Drawing inks are available in var-ious compositions adapted to therespective drawing surface media(paper, foil etc.). The principalcomponents are: water, carbonblack and shellac. For technicaldrawing purposes, black drawinginks are predominantly used.

Their special properties are:• high-contrast• fast-drying• water-resistant• erasure-proof against lead

pencil erasers (free of abrasivematerial)

• lightfast• can be used in reprography

In addition to the above, colourinks and foil inks as well asetching inks for uncoated glass-clear foils are available.

DRAWING SURFACEMEDIA (PAPER, FOILETC.)

Drawing paper The principal components ofdrawing paper are cellulose withadditives such as glue, fillersand dyestuffs as well as water.

Drawing foil (polyester film)Drawing foils generally consistof a glass-clear polyester carrierfilm, an adhesion promoter, alacquer/pigment coating and alacquer topcoat.

WRITING STENCILS

Writing stencils are importantimplements for writing and let-tering on technical drawings inparticular. The graphic charac-


Colour Stroke widthpurple 0.13red 0.18white 0.25yellow 0.35brown 0.5blue 0.7orange 1.0green 1.4grey 2.0

DIN 6778 Writing stencils and drawingtemplates, measurements/dimen-sions, labelling.

Drawing templatesDrawing templates include fre-quently required symbols andsigns from all areas of construc-tion and drawing technology.

Complicated symbols are dis-sected into sequential single ele-ments on the template and areequipped with auxiliary linesfor exact positioning.

During drawing the symbol ele-ments are reassembled by paral-lel shifting.

Change template from one lineto the other, turn over.

The slot width and paper clear-ance of writing stencils isalways designed to adapt to spe-cific writing instruments.

Most of the supply of writingstencils is designed for the dif-ferent line widths of technicaldrawing instruments.

Standards The accuracy of fit, regardlessof the brand, between templateand technical drawing pen isregulated by standards:

DIN 6775 Drawing tip casings for techni-cal drawing instruments, meas-urements/dimensions, labelling.This DIN standard also includesthe colour-codes for technicaldrawing pens:

ters must have a highdegree of precisionand cleanness. Inter-national cooperationis on the increase inall areas of the econo-my. Companies areincreasingly collabo-rating in variouscountries on the sameprojects. Therefore,technical drawingsmust be exchangedbetween organisa-tions, as well as en-larged or reduced insize. Based on theserequirements, an in-ternationally stan-

dardised lettering type has beenintroduced. (The line widthalways corresponds to one tenthof the letter height.) The letteringDIN standard 6776 and the inter-national ISO 3098 standard areidentical these days.

Functional principle andtechnical designMove the template parallel tothe backrest or leading edge.

Guide the ink drawing pen tothe edge profiles of the tem-plate.

Align and superimpose the let-ter, that precedes the next letterto be written, on top of the lastwritten letter.



larger than the drawing format,the objects must be representedat a reduced size in a correspon-ding ratio.

Testing under polar and tro-pical conditions verified thatFABER-CASTELL architect &engineer scales withstand evenextreme heat and cold withoutdimensional variations.

Functional examples:If the 10 cm long edge of anobject is to be drawn at a 1 :2scale, the required line length ismarked with the number 10 onthe 1 : 2 scale of the architectscale, which corresponds at thisreduction ratio to a drawinglength of 5 cm (10 divided by 2).

Triangular architect & engineerscales are available in a varietyof division combinations thatmeet the requirements of allprofessional fields.

Design and functionDrawing templates are generallydesigned for two types of writ-ing instruments.

1. Clutch pencil (lead pencil),fine-lead pencil for prepara-tory drawing, the templatemust be placed flat.

2. Technical drawing pen forfinal drawings. The requiredpaper clearance is due to theturning of the template on theknobbed side (only possiblewith symbols that can be rep-resented homologously).

Set squaresDifferent designs of set squaresare available for geometricaland technical drawing. The sizeof the set squares is expressed incm (mm) as the hypotenuselength for right-angled squaresand as the length of the long legfor acute angle squares.

ARCHITECT &ENGINEER SCALES

Architect & engineer scales arepart of the indispensable equip-ment for technical drawing.

Architect & engineer scales facil-itate the true-to-scale transfer ofthe dimensions of the object to berepresented on the drawing paper.As the original items are mostly


Erasers

ERASERS

HISTORICALOVERVIEW

The “first” eraser was mostprobably used by an Italianpainter who advised his studentsin the 16th century to wipe outpencil strokes with bread. Thenin 1770 the British naturalistPriestly pointed out that rubber(caoutchouc) cubes were ideallysuited for erasing.

He thus called this substance“Indian Rubber”. Although the“rubber” came from America, itwas customary at the time tolabel everything coming fromAmerica as Indian and this in-accurate name remains with ustoday.

Rubber is still being referred toas Indian Rubber, however, theterm has somewhat more credi-bility now, as the rubber comesfrom East Asia.

FUNCTIONAL PRINCIPLE

During the erasing motion, smallparticles (so-called “crumbs” orshavings) are abraded and fillup (“saturate”) with graphite,thus effecting the cleaningprocess. Each erasing motiongenerates additional crumbs thatdetach the preceding ones andreinforce the cleaning action.

NATURAL RUBBERERASERS

Material compositionThe principal component of thenatural rubber eraser are:

• Natural rubber• Factice• Sulphur• Quartz powder and• Fillers

Natural rubber “Caoutchouc” is an Indian wordwhich translates as “weepingtree”. The eraser’s principal in-gredient was originally ex-tracted from the latex milk (sap)of a tropical tree (Hevea brasi-liensis) of the Amazon region asso-called “wild caoutchouc”.

Since the end of the 19th cen-tury, this Brazilian tree has alsobeen cultivated in Asia, where

so-called plantation rubber isextracted in large plantations ina way that ensures the economi-cal use of resources.

These trees are grown as arenewable resource in large rub-ber plantations and regularlypruned for seven years, so thatthey can be used as mature treesfor rubber extraction for a peri-od of 13 years. After a total of20 years, the “old trees” areprocessed as timber for the fur-niture industry.

The major producing countriesin the East Asia region areIndonesia, Malaysia, Thailandand Sri Lanka.

The rubber milk, which is calledlatex, is extracted by cutting V-shaped grooves into the bark ofthe tree. The latex milk is exud-ed in drops and collected inreceptacles attached to the treetrunks. The yield is collected

RED ERASER FOR PENCILSAND COLOUR PENCILS

WHITE ERASER FOR PENCILS

INCORRECT

2.15MERCHANDISE KNOWLEDGEErasers

daily. The latex milk consists ofone third of rubber, in which fatdroplets deposit like cream atthe top and separate from thelatex serum.

Composition of latex 65–70 % water 25–30 % natural rubber 1–2 % protein 1 % minerals

The viscous rubber mass issheeted out with great quantitiesof water, cleaned and pressedinto large bales. The dryingprocess of the latex crêpes isalso accelerated by heat (openfire). This results in a darkercolouring of the rubber mass.

FacticeFactice is a whitish-yellow sub-stance extracted from rape-seedoil. Factice is the most impor-tant ingredient of the eraser, asit is the substance that absorbsthe graphite (i.e. it is the erasingmaterial).

SulphurBy admixing sulphur and heat-ing the mixture under pressureto 140–160° C, the kneadableand sticky rubber mass turns

into an elastic material that isrubber. Through this process,also known as vulcanisation, therubber is changed from a plasticto an elastic state.

Quartz powder and other fillers such as chalkand pumice powder, dependingon the eraser’s application pur-pose.

Colour of the eraser is determined byvarious colourants. Lithopone isused for white erasers, while rederasers contain Chinese vermil-ion or iron oxide and antimonyred (antimony (V) sulphide).Additionally, ultramarine blue,zinc white (crude zinc oxide)and many others are used.

The eraser’s hardness is deter-mined by the mixing ratio of thevarious raw materials. A highfactice content makes for softerasers, while hard erasers con-tain a high proportion of sulphurand filler.

Soft erasers are used where thecolour mark to be erasedadheres only to the paper sur-face (pencil and colour pencilstrokes). Hard erasers are usedto remove strokes that have pen-etrated further into the paper. Inthis case an abrasive medium(e.g. quartz powder) is admixed

to the rubber, enabling the eras-er to scrape off a thin paperlayer.

How to erase correctlyWhen cleaning large areas ofgraphite, particularly severallines of writing or areas filledwith strokes, even the best eras-er may begin to “smudge”. Thisis due to the fact that an attemptwas made to clean too fast andthe eraser particles had toabsorb too much graphite.

The eraser can fulfil its taskonly when the erasing motionsare done in a way that there is abalanced proportion betweenthe graphite-free and graphite-containing areas. The erasermust not be “oversaturated”!

Erasing parallel to the stroke:The area becomes unclean andthe erasing process is needlesslydelayed!

Erasing obliquely to the stroke:By employing this “piecemeal”erasing mode a rapid andimpeccable cleaning result isachieved!

COMBINATION ERASER FOR PENCILS,COLOUR PENCILS AND INK


Erasers

SYNTHETIC ERASERS

So-called plasticizers are ad-mixed to the synthetic basematerial and thus provides theseerasers with their erasing quali-ty and rubber-like elasticity.

With products containing plasti-cizers there is a possibility ofplasticizer migration.

This means: Through the directcontact of these products withother synthetics, the plasticizeris transferred to them.

To rule out this undesired effect,FABER-CASTELL syntheticerasers are sealed inside a cello-phane wrapping.

Synthetic erasers are encased ina sleeve, so that they can be heldmore easily during use.

cing paper and removesminor rust stains; e.g.on cars and in the home.

STEELERASERS(ERASINGKNIVES)

For precise, de-tailed correcting,particularly inthe technical andgraphic sector.

ERASERPENCILS

These wood-cas-ed pencils are175 mm long andcontain a rounderaser lead. A most practicalapplication purpose is the pin-point accuracy erasure of type-written script.

ERASER FOR CORRECTING ON INK

AND OVERHEAD TRANSPARENCIES

ERASER FOR THE TECHNICAL OFFICE;

FOR CORRECTING PENCIL LINES, PAR-

TICULARLY FOR CLEANING UP DRAW-

INGS; INK LINES ARE NOT BRIGHTENED.

CORRECT

COMBINATION ERASER FOR CORRECT-ING INK AND PENCIL LINES; SOLVENTSENCAPSULATED IN THE ERASER DE-TACH THE INK FROM THE DRAWINGSURFACE. THE REMOVED INK ISROLLED INTO THE ABRASION DUST.

NATURAL RUBBER ERASERS:COMBINATION ERASER FOR PENCILS, COLOUR PENCILS AND INK

The advantage of synthetic era-sers is the large crumbly abra-sion which does not tend toadhere to the drawing surface(paper), unlike the dust-likeabrasion of natural rubber.

The strokes to be erased are“rolled up” into the abrasionwithout damaging the writing ordrawing surface, and they areeasily removed afterwards.

FIBRE GLASS ERASERTWIST PEN

Contains glass fibres as an era-sing medium. Erases ink on tra-


Sharpeners

SHARPENERS

Since pencil leads and colourpencil leads will wear in thecourse of being used and theirradius will thus steadily increase,they need to be constantly re-sharpened to ensure precisedrawing or legible writing.

Specialised sharpeners exist forthe various types of pencils andleads, from the plain manualsharpener (with or without sha-vings receptacle) to sophisticat-ed sharpening machines.

Manual sharpenersThey are used for sharpeningwood-cased pencils and colourpencils. Manual sharpeners aremade of plastic or light metal(magnesium) and are dimen-sioned to adapt to the miscella-neous diameters and pencil pro-files.

Tub sharpeners (= manual sharpeners with ashavings receptacle)Tub sharpeners have provenvery useful as appliances com-bining a sharpener with a small

receptacle for shavings and leaddust. Due to their larger shape,they have the added advantageof being especially comfortablewhen held in one’s hand.

Sharpening machinesSharpening machines are ideal-ly suited for conveniently sharp-ening larger quantities of wood-cased pencils Most have ad-justable settings for differentsharpening requirements. Thepencil is held and inserted intothe sharpener by means of achuck mechanism; the actualsharpening action is achieved bymanually rotating the handle.Many sharpening machines areequipped with a handscrewclamp which makes it possibleto attach them to a desk.

The problem-free use of pen-cils and leads depends to a cer-tain extent on the quality of thesharpener. For example, softerpencils and leads should beshaped into a somewhat blun-ter tip.

Blunted cutters and knives(manual sharpeners) wear outafter a while and must be re-placed without undue delay.

SHARPENERS FORPENCILS AND COLOUR PENCILS

Pencil tipWhen looking at a sharpenedpencil, we see a long tapered tip.The tip can be used for writingor drawing fine lines for quitesome time, until it becomesblunt and requires resharpening.

Being substantially softer, acolour pencil lead must besharpened differently from a(harder) pencil lead. The tip of abrand new colour pencil initiallyappears to be just like a penciltip. Only a closer inspectionreveals a small additional tip.This is designed to prevent thelead from breaking while theproduct is being delivered to thecustomer. (Is used by FABER-CASTELL for the Polychromosand Albrecht Dürer artists’pens.)

Some colour pencil leads (e.g.pastel pencils) are so soft that a

long conical tip would keepbreaking off during use.Therefore, colour pencils aresharpened to a short conical tip.

From a geometrical point ofview, the short tip is strongerthan the longer tip. In practice,however, this means more fre-quent resharpening.

• Single holesharpenersfor pencils

• Dual hole sharpen-ers for normalstrength andthick pen-cils; up to Ø10 mm dual holesharpeners for colour pencilsand special pencils

• Sharpening machine for pen-cils up to Ø 12 mm sharpen-ing, selectable from blunt to

pointy tip

SHARPENERS FOR LEADS

• Emery boards for universalsharpening (blunt, pointy,wedge-shaped) as well as forvarious lead diameters.

• Lead sharpe-ners for leadsup to Ø 2 mm

• Lead sharpeners for leads upto Ø 2 mm and 3.15 mm, aswell as withreceptacle

• Lead sharpen-ers for clutch pencils up to abarrel diameter of 8.4 mm and2 mm leads; Sharpening se-lectable forblunt orpointy tip

2.16MERCHANDISE KNOWLEDGESharpeners

A. W. Faber-Castell • Vertrieb GmbH • 90546 Stein • Germany

Phone: +49-911-9965-0 • Fax: +49-911-9965-760

Internet: www.faber-castell.com • E-Mail: [email protected]

FABER-CASTELL PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE 3

THE GOOD SALESPERSON 4



THE GOOD SALESPERSON IN THE RETAIL TRADE

4.0


SHOPPING IN GERMANY

4.1

Shopping is a far cry from the much-vaunted exhilarating shoppingexperience!

Unfortunately and all too oftenshopping continues to be a stressfulexperience!

The papers and magazines are awashwith articles about the German “service wasteland”.

Increasingly, customers base their pur-chase decisions solely on price criteria.


THE TRADE IS FACING A DIFFICULT SITUATION

4.2

Profit margins are falling, while costsare on the rise.

Consumers demand an increasinglyhigher standard of product range andservice.

However, the trade’s performanceability is weakened by cost savings.


THE TRADE OF THE FUTURE NEEDS …

…good salespeople

THE TRADE OF THE FUTURE NEEDS:

Brands and products enabling it toachieve the required margins and to get the edge on competitors.

A fundamentally new mindset inrelation to customer service andquality of salesmanship.

Salespeople who are capable of sellingproducts in accordance with strategicrequirements.

4.3


ONLY 25 % OF CUSTOMERS CHANGE …

… because the product range does not appeal to them.

However, 75% of customers changedtheir place of purchase because theywere not happy with the service.

51% of customers were dissatisfiedwith the salesperson’s productknowledge.

4.4


THE ONLY INCONVENIENCE ISTHE CUSTOMER!

Preconceived ideas:

Customers never turn up when you need them.

Customers never show up in sequence, but alwaysat the same time.

Customers know everything better.

Customers never have time.

Customers touch everything.

Customers don’t know what they want.

Customers treat salespeople like servants.

Customers always want to haggle.

Customers are not loyal.

Customers are ungrateful.

4.5

Customers are the only reason for the trade to exist!


WHO IS A GOOD SALESPERSON?

Not the one who sells a lot, but the onewho sells the right stuff!

The salesperson who engenders a bondbetween regular customers and thestore.

The salesperson who is able to provideassistance even in problematic casesand stays in control.

4.6


WHAT MAKES A GOOD SALESPERSON?

Enjoying one’s occupation.

Interest in human interaction.

Interest in the customers’ wishes.

She/he loves his/her products.

She/he to work prepared.

She/he has sound arguments to put forward.

She/he is self-confident without being arrogant.

She/he has a good general education.

She/he is well informed about the world and current affairs.

She/he is polite without being servile.

She/he knows the competition.

She/he admits to making mistakes.

She/he takes steps to further his/her knowledge and skills.

4.7


THE GOOD SALESPERSON OF TODAY IS A CONSULTING MANAGER

The salesperson of today is no longerthe “snake oil salesman” of yesteryearwho sold anything to everyone at any price.

She/he is the customer’s “consultingpartner”, who assists the customer inreaching satisfactory outcomes.

4.8


SUCCESSFUL SELLING CAN BE LEARNED

It’s just like in sports:

Learning by watching how successful people do it andfollowing certain rules will lead to a better outcome andadvancement to the professional league.

4.9


THE OBJECTIVE OF EVERY SALES TALK …

… must be for the customer to even-tually regard the merchandise as moredesirable than his/her money!

That is why a good salesperson must not only be of benefit to the purchaser(problem solving!), but must also rousethe customer’s emotions. Pleasure andenjoyment are frequent and legitimatereasons to purchase.

4.10


THE GREETING

The first six seconds of their initialencounter will decide whether two peopletake a liking to each other or not.

Greet your customer by name, if knownto you.

Look the customer in the eyes andsmile!

4.11


THE GOOD SALESPERSON KNOWS …

…that she/he never serves a particular customer in isolation,even if she/he deals with only one person at that moment.

THAT PERSON HAS:

a partner

relatives

acquaintances

work colleagues

4.12


THE GOOD SALESPERSON DOESN’T JUST START TALKING AWAY!

The good salesperson doesn’t just starttalking away, but listens attentively towhat his/her customer has to say.

She/he explains to the customer step bystep, why a particular product isexactly the one to match the customer’sexpectations – just as a lawyer developshis/her arguments in the course ofaddressing the court.

4.13



The good salesperson must convert the product’s advantages to customer-specific benefits.

The customer’s wishes and the sales-person’s arguments must interlock like a rack and pinion in the customer’smind. That is how the customer isguided to the right decision by way of his own wishes.

“You see, as the customer, you are looking for … That is why I recommend for you to…”

4.14


PHRASES THAT ARE NO LONGER UTTERED BY THE GOOD SALESPERSON

I don’t know.

I can’t tell you.

I don’t know when.

My colleague deals with that.

That’s useless.

I’m on my break.

4.15


THE GOOD SALESPERSON HAS A STRATEGY

This means that she/he first works out which product to present first and which items provide upward and downwardevasive action with regard topricing.

It is sometimes better to introduce theproduct that one really wants to sell … a little later in the process.

4.16


THE GOOD SALESPERSON SETS PERSONAL TARGETS

Setting targets is one of thesecret recipes of success formany outstanding salespeople.

THE GOOD SALESPERSON SETS PERSONALTARGETS …

Today I shall sell the …

This week I shall be selling…

This month I will sell all those productsthat have been on the shelf for morethan …

4.17


THE GOOD SALESPERSON’S INDIVIDUAL TASTETAKES A LOW PROFILE …

She/he accepts that others have differ-ent experiences and priorities.

She/he won’t get upset when othersdon’t share his/her views.

She/he tries to convince by presentingsound arguments.

4.18


THE GOOD SALESPERSON ALWAYS MAKES POSITIVE STATEMENTS!

She/he doesn’t say:“This item has a lengthy delivery dead-line…”

She/he says: “There is such a great demand for thisproduct that the manufacturer needsfour weeks to supply the product at theusual quality standard.”

4.19


THE GOOD SALESPERSON MAINTAINS A CUSTOMER FILE AND USES IT!

NAME

ADDRESS

TELEPHONE (OFFICE HOURS)

DATE OF BIRTH

REMARKS

DATE OF PURCHASE

PURCHASE ITEM

Customer file

4.20


THE SALESPERSON’S DEADLY SINSPART 1

Ignoring the customer, when she/he enters the

store.

Not listening to what the customer wants.

Pursuing other activities during the sales talk.

Being arrogant and pretending to know better.

Making false statements about the product.

Being unfamiliar with the store.

Only letting one’s own taste prevail.

Shouting for one’s colleague for everyone in

the shop to hear.

Fouling one’s own nest.

4.21



Arguing with the customer.

Referring the customer elsewhere.

Showing the customer too many items.

Addressing the customer by the wrong name.

Not knowing which products are on display.

Not knowing the prices.

Allowing one’s stress to have a bearing on the

customer.

Rushing past the customer without looking at

him/her.

Not realising when the customer wishes to

make the purchase.

4.22



Rushing the customer from one shelf to thenext.

Not asking the customer whether she/he requi-res product accessories (ink, paper, batteries

etc.).

Badmouthing the competition.

Making disparaging remarks about particular

product makes.

Forgetting about repairs.

Lying to the customer.

Not letting the customer touch anything.

Claiming that the customer can’t afford the item.

Saying “It’s knock-off time”.

4.23


THE LORD FORGIVETH!THE CUSTOMER NEVER DOES!

4.24

APPENDIX 5

Documents

PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE MANUAL - Faber-Castell