The Battle of the Pencils

Which brand do you use, Staedtler or Faber-Castell’s?

The question of which is the oldest has stirred up a legal battle over in Germany. According to today’s WSJ, Staedtler Mars GmbH this year celebrates its 175th anniversary, and next year Faber-Castell AG celebrates its 250th.

Yet Staedtler isn’t trumped, because in 2012 it will celebrate the 350th anniversary of its earliest antecedent. City records from 1662 list a pencil craftsman named Friedrich Staedtler, to whom today’s company traces its lineage.

Each boasts historic milestones: Friedrich Staedtler was the first dedicated producer of wooden pencils on record, and his descendants pioneered colored pencils in 1834. Faber in the 1840s was the first to brand top-quality pencils, and in 1870 registered one of America’s earliest trademarks.

It appears both are currently on friendly terms, but that could change depending on which gets branded as “older.” Very poignant indeed!

Via WSJ.