The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1867-06-28
Lead Pencils, and How they are Made

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In a. letter to the Boston journal. Carl
ton describes Faber's pencil mandatory.
We quote:
"Lead pencils of Nuremburg manufac.
ture are to be found in all countries, in the
counting rooms of State street, in the
school houses and farm houses in America
in Russia, China, Australia, India, South
America, in city and rural districts, in the
hands of the merchants, in the pockets of
the day laborer, who scores up his weekly
earnings
Lead pencils were not known till the fif-
teenth century Artists before that time
used the stylus. Ink or chalk were the
articles used by merchants, clerks and cop
yists. Plumbago was discovered in the IF
teenth century, and the first pencils were
made in England in 1865. They were cut
from the pure plumbago. Then process
was discovered for grinding and remodeling
refuse material from which pencils were
cut. About twenty years ago 1t was discov-
cred that better pencils could be obtained
by an admixture Of clay with the plumba
go. The manufacture was carried on al
most exclusively by the French and Eng
lish.
The founder of the Faber House, in 1860,
commenced business in the village of Stein,
three miles from Nuremburg The bust
ness was continued by his son Anton Will
helm Faber. 1t was limited business, the
French and English manufacturers having
command Of the market. The son of A.
w. Faber came into the management in
1889, at which time about twenty workmen
were employed, and the yearly business
amounted to about $1,000 The son be-
gan to make pencils of a better quality than
any to be found in the market. He travel
ed through Europe, introducing them per-
sonally to artists and merchants. His bus
mess increased, and has gone on with such
rapidity, that at the present time, though
they are numerous manufactures in Ger
many, England, France and the United
States, he cannot fill the orders sent from
all parts of the world.
The mandatory is still at Stein, pleas
ant village half an hours ride from Muir
emburg. We enter the yard and are kind
ly welcomed. Commencing with the first
process, we see in the basement of the
mandatory several hundred tubs which are
filled with water The plumbago is thown
in, stirred occasionally, and drawn off,
mixed with proper proportions of clay,
to finer one, to third, to fourth The
pouch uClHS SIauCu, lHcIG are uIublcut
proportions of clay and different degrees of
fineness. Going from the grinding room,
we enter the pressing room, where Jumps
of prepared dough are put into a machine
and pressed through an aperture of the
size Of the lead of the pencil. The long
string or coil is then Strengthened, cut
and assorted. We 60 now to the furnace
room where the leads are annealed. They
are inclosed in plumbago boxes hermetic-
ally sealed with clay, and subjected to a
high heat of several hours.
There is no need that I should dwell
upon the different processes. The process
of manufacture is simple, much of it being
done by machinery, but the business is all
systematized and carried on like clock
work.
In this one establishment about FIVE hun
dred hands are employed. There are other
manufactories-not so large or celebrated
as this but taking altogether Nuremburg
sends out 220, 900, 900 pencils year.
The cedar wood is all brought from the
United States-mainly from Florida. 1t is
shipped to the Hague, taken up the Rhine
and the river Main in barges, and through
the canal which unites the Main and the
Danube to this town.