Faber-Castell

“ He then gave the health of his two brothers, who so faithfully and energetically seconded his exertions, which was received with joyous acclamations echoing again and again from the vast assembly; then his fellowworkers for the manufactory outside its pale, as also all his business friends and especially the artists, who, by patronising his manufactures and appreciating their value for art had so materially contributed to the extension of his fame. L. Faber thereupon recited a poem the fundamental idea of which was the motto of the manufactory:
“Truth, Respectability, Industry.” ”

“ The mode of manufacture induced by the enslavement of industry on the part of trade more especially destroyed that conscientious strictness, which must form the foundation of a solid industry. Things went so far that articles were sent forth into the world, possessing the outward appearance of pencils, the wood being just tipped with lead at each end as though it was properly filled, whereas in fact you only had a useless stick of wood before you. ”

“ The universal demand for Faber’s manufactures was not slow in inducing other manufacturers to imitate and pirate the trademark of the manufactory, which is to be found on all articles manufactured there, and thus to pass off upon the public spurious goods possessing nothing more than the external similarity to the genuine articles, and which could scarcely aspire to mediocrity, which frauds were often repeated, coming to light in various countries. ”

“ The enlargement and correction of ideas by foreign travel and personal acquaintance with the grand advancement in foreign industry, were wanting and thus no beneficial adjustment of the Nürnberg manufacture could be brought about. Manufacture became the shuttlecock of commercial speculation, which could not even so much as claim the credit of having successfully met the increased requirements of the age or put a stop to powerful competition or an overworked system of trade more calculated for the future. ”

“ The renown of his manufactures has penetrated to all parts of the world and it is not merely their widely extended use, that attests their excellence, but more especially the voice of those men, who make the greatest demands upon the manufactory. There are few Architects and Engineers who use any other article but Faber’s pencils, and the whole profession of artists has long since proclaimed A. W. Faber’s pencil to be the very best for drawing purposes. ”

“ The social life of the workmen was also taken into consideration and the taste for more elevating amusements, invigorating alike to soul and body, encouraged. Of an evening they would meet in two singing societies to indulge in the good German song, or on Sundays they would amuse themselves with the crossbow in the free, fresh air of God’s Nature in the neighbouring forest, or again on festive occasions they would all meet together like one large united family for a sociable convivial repast. ”

“ In the meanwhile the manufactory assiduously endeavoured to attain to perfection in its products. As the stock of blacklead began to disappear in the mines of Cumberland, it succeeded, by its perfected manipulation of the material, in producing so many grades of hardness and supplying such an extensive variety of pencil, that no demand could present itself without meeting with satisfaction among the great choice of manufactures. ”

“ Having convinced himself that Faber’s manufactory was the most extensive in existence and that it circulated the largest amount of fine goods in the world, he applied to the same with a proposition for an agreement, by virtue of which his blacklead was to be taken solely and exclusively by that establishment for the manufacture of pencils. ”

“ It is only emancipated industry that can congratulate itself on real progress and improve the article only by having an eye to the requirements of the consumer.
It was under these circumstances that Anton Wilhelm Faber, the son of the founder, whose name the firm still bears, and since 1810 Georg Leonhard Faber, the father of the present proprietor, stood at the head of the establishment.
Many improvements had been attempted and several adopted; much valuable experience had been gained, many processes in the manufacture had been perfected and a number of intelligent workmen drawn together ”

“ True, various degrees of hardness and different sorts of pencils were thus obtained but these were by no means proportional to the various modes of use. The manipulation of the brittle material demanded deep study, and conscientious laborers in order to give the pencil the requisite perfection.
If we now turn to Germany, it will in the first place be necessary to cast a glance at the developement of German industry and German leadpencil manufacture, it being then shown under what circumstances it had to develope itself and with what rivals it had to enter into competition. ”

“ Thus German industry remained far behind foreign enterprise and Germany beheld herself inundated with quantities of foreign manufactures, which she herself could have produced just as well, indeed it came to such a pass that foreigners relying upon their well organised commerce and the celebrity of their products even ventured to send German manufactures into the German market, stamped with a foreign trademark.
German industry being at this low ebb, the manufacture of leadpencils occupied but a very modest place. The first traces are to be found in the village of Stein not far from Nürnberg. ”

“ With the developement and growth of modern painting the traces of pencil-like drawings first begin to manifest themselves. The masters of the fourteenth century, especially van Eyck, and of the fifteenth, such as Memlink and others, appear to be the first who mention works of art executed with a pencil-like instrument upon chalked paper. ”

“ They possessed immense facilities for foreign trade, the greatest internal freedom of motion for the industrial element, a legislature which took cognizance of all the requirements of industry, in short both countries were, in comparison with Germany, favored by certain circumstances which are indispensably necessary to render industry flourishing and which were then already fulfilled, whereas in Germany political division and animosity and the pressure of the guilds operated most perniciously upon industrial enterprise. ”

“ The village of Stein did not formerly possess any church. For years all exertions to found a separate parish there remained fruitless, until at last the year 1861 brought their reward and in that year, in which the manufactory celebrated its hundredth anniversary, the peaceful clang of the bells for the first time 18invited the faithful to divine service in the newly erected church, the cost of which had been defrayed by the master of the factory entirely from his own means, out of concern for the spiritual welfare of his workpeople and attachment to his own native place. ”

“ As the proprietor of the factory has hitherto proceeded against many persons at home and abroad who had attempted to manufacture and sell pencils in imitation of those of his firm he will further use all his efforts to suppress every deception foisted upon the public. ”

“ The manufacturing of the lead obtained was simple, the material, as soon as it came out of the mine, being cut to the proper size with a saw and then without any further manipulation fastened into the wood and it is remarkable, that the first pencils made in this manner are acknowledged to be decidedly the best and down to the present day unsurpassed by any other manufacture in the softness and delicacy of the lead. ”

“ The manufacture had, in consequence of its extensive foreign connexions, already become considerably improved and extended and the varying tastes, even the varying customs of the nations which used them, had to be taken into consideration. The manufacturer never ceased to study all wants, to subject his manufactures constantly to new trials, to avail himself of fresh experiences in order to surpass with his products all similar articles if possible. ”

“ The proprietor, while endeavouring in every way to advance all the ends of the manufactory in the most perfect manner, has not omitted to bear in mind at the same time the moral and material welfare of his workmen, whom he has accustomed himself to recognise as men and his fellow creatures. ”

“ In these new erections care was taken to construct them as roomy and light as possible, thus 14taking into consideration the health of the workmen and the fact that work is much better performed in sunny spacious rooms, than in gloomy dark vaults in which the air cannot be renewed, and that the pleasure and zest with which it is performed redounds to the benefit of the manufactory itself.
The countless departments of business, in which pencils are used, by degrees rendered an extensive and systematic classification necessary from the long easel-pencil to the smallest pocketbook-pencil. ”

“ The new material was worked partly in a natural state so as to enable connoisseurs to convince themselves of its excellent quality and partly artificially manufactured, which yielded as a result such a degree of evenness, purity and unchanging hardness as had never before been obtained, not even in the best Cumberland pencils. After the exertions of six years the manufactory is just now intending to enter the World’s market with its new productions. ”

“ Further, in order to provide new dwellings for the workmen a large building was erected, of pleasing external proportions, and other buildings were converted into workmen’s dwellings. The houses themselves contain separate apartments, which afford the families at a low rent a much pleasanter abode than could be obtained in most of the houses in the towns. Nor is there any constraint; the houses are open to any body and the domestic regulations introduced in the interests of the community are of that nature, that they are cheerfully complied with by everyone. ”

“ Finally, care was also taken that the workman should mix with the world outside the factory, for which purpose a number of them were sent by the master of the factory to the Industrial Exhibition at Munich in order that they might themselves see the fruit of their labour publicly exposed to view and honorably mentioned, and at the same time obtain a glimpse of other branches of industry. ”

“ German science flourished at the same time to a very great extent, but in its exaltation it stood too high above ordinary life, not perceiving how to associate itself with it, so as to penetrate it with its enlightening and warmthgiving rays. ”

“ In their interest there were in the first place factory rules drawn up, which regulated the duties and rights of the individual in the most precise manner and especially took cognisance of the moral conduct of the workman. They also gave the most diligent workmen and such as were more advanced in years, opportunities of increasing their income by ensuring them an increase of pay under certain conditions. ”

“ Towards the end of last century the manufacture of leadpencils was introduced into France and soon attained to an extensive developement. Hardly were the last restrictions upon industrial freedom removed in that country, when in the year 1795 the idea was started of making use of clay for the purpose of binding the blacklead together. ”

“ In order to awaken and encourage a spirit of frugality in the men and to render their future more comfortable and independant, a Workman’s Savings Bank was instituted, with the following fundamental principles: Acceptance of the smallest deposit at any time ”

“ The festival was celebrated by the proprietor of the manufactory Johann Lothar Faber and his brother Johann Faber together with their families and in the midst of the assembled factory hands male and female, as also of all masterworkmen employed for the manufactory and a large number of invited guests. ”

“ A deputation of workmen consisting of men who had been longest in the factory then handed the master, together with an appropriate address made by their senior member, a handsome and tasteful album as a festive present from them, and a parchment roll on which were printed a dedication composed in verse, then the speech which a workman made in the most spirited manner previous to the presentation of the album, further the songs performed and a list of the names of all the workmen and women. ”

“ It has likewise given me special pleasure to observe the care, with which you watch over the moral and temporal affairs of your workpeople. The festival which you are about to keep, affords me an opportunity of offering my best congratulations to you and the establishment conducted by you with so much 27success and at the same time of expressing the hope that the manufactory will be blest with continued prosperity. ”

“ This institution found immediate recognition and by degrees came into almost general favor, so that now many an individual, who formerly had to battle with economical cares, finds himself in the possession of a little property and rejoices in his wellregulated family affairs. ”

“ Behind the planing machine the grooving machines are situated by means of which the smoothly planed sticks are cut with fine circular saws into top and bottom pieces, the latter of which are furnished with grooves. ”

“ A library has also been founded by the master of the manufactory, 17accessible both to the workman and his family and well used by them, at the same time too an infant school was started for the children of the work people. ”