Eberhard Faber
Corporate brand
UnclaimedHistoric writing-instrument brand founded in New York and later associated with German stationery manufacturing and the Faber-Castell heritage.
Last updated August 22, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile yet.
Overview
Eberhard Faber is a historic writing-instrument brand whose corporate history spans the United States, Germany, Venezuela, and several changes of ownership. John Eberhard Faber established the Eberhard Faber Pencil Company in 1861 in Midtown Manhattan, near the East River at the foot of what is now 42nd Street. The original site later became part of the area occupied by the United Nations Headquarters. The company initially operated as a pencil manufacturer in New York, but a major fire in 1872 prompted a move across the river to Greenpoint, Brooklyn, where the Eberhard Faber Pencil Factory became the company’s best-known American industrial site. The business also developed upstream interests in wood supply. It operated a lumber mill on Atsena Otie Key near Cedar Key, Florida, but that facility was destroyed after the 1896 Cedar Keys hurricane. During the same decade, the company pursued international expansion. In 1896 it entered a partnership with the Pardo family in Caracas, establishing a Venezuelan presence that continued to manufacture products under the Eberhard Faber name for much of the twentieth century. The brand’s German connection became more formal in 1922, when Eberhard and Lothar Faber, sons of the founder, established a subsidiary in Neumarkt near Nuremberg. This created a durable European manufacturing base and linked the company’s history to the wider Faber family tradition in pencil making. The First World War disrupted that relationship in the United States. Under the American government’s alien-property measures, the assets of the American descendant companies associated with the Faber name were taken into administration, leaving the U.S. Eberhard Faber and A.W. Faber-Castell operations as independent American companies. Ownership became increasingly divided by region after the war. Staedtler acquired the European company, the Eberhard Faber brand in Europe, and the Neumarkt factory in 1978. It also acquired the Brooklyn factory, although the factory and brand rights subsequently followed different paths. In Venezuela, the Pardo family bought out its partnership interest in 1987 and continued production under the Eberhard Faber name. That year, Faber-Castell USA also acquired the American branch of Eberhard Faber. Staedtler sold the Brooklyn factory to Faber-Castell USA in 1988, while retaining the Neumarkt facility. A further restructuring occurred on October 18, 1994. A.W. Faber reacquired Faber-Castell USA and retained marketing rights to the Faber-Castell name, while the remainder of the business, including the Eberhard Faber name and factory, was sold to Newell Brands for $137.3 million. Newell combined the Eberhard and Sanford divisions. Sanford later acquired the Venezuelan company from the Pardo family in 1997, and the Eberhard product line was eventually incorporated into the Paper Mate portfolio in the United States. In Europe, Faber-Castell reacquired the European rights to the Eberhard Faber brand in 2010. The brand is also historically associated with the original Blackwing 602 pencil, which later gained a strong reputation among writers, artists, animators, and collectors. The current Eberhard Faber Vertrieb GmbH is headquartered in Stein, Bavaria, and represents the continuing corporate presence of the name in writing implements, while the brand’s historical identity remains closely connected to the Faber family, Staedtler, Faber-Castell, Sanford, Newell, and Paper Mate.
History
Eberhard Faber began as an American pencil company rather than as a German enterprise. John Eberhard Faber founded the Eberhard Faber Pencil Company in 1861 in Manhattan, close to the East River and the present-day United Nations site. The company’s first manufacturing base was affected by a fire in 1872, leading to a move to Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The Brooklyn facility subsequently became an important landmark of the company’s industrial history and was later known as the Eberhard Faber Pencil Factory. The company’s early development combined manufacturing with the supply of raw materials. It operated a lumber mill on Atsena Otie Key near Cedar Key, Florida, but the mill was destroyed in the aftermath of the 1896 Cedar Keys hurricane. In that same year, Eberhard Faber expanded into Venezuela through a partnership with the Pardo family in Caracas. The Venezuelan operation helped establish the name in a Latin American market and continued to produce goods under the Eberhard Faber identity after later changes in ownership. A German subsidiary was founded in 1922 at Neumarkt near Nuremberg by Eberhard and Lothar Faber, sons of the founder. This subsidiary formed the basis of the brand’s later European presence and connected the business to the broader Faber family tradition in pencil production. The First World War created a major corporate separation between the American Faber businesses and their European relatives. The United States Office of Alien Property Custodian took control of assets belonging to the two Faber-descendant companies operating in the United States, turning the American companies into independent businesses. The postwar period was characterized by geographic fragmentation and successive transactions. In 1978, Staedtler acquired the European Eberhard Faber business, the European brand rights, and the Neumarkt plant. It also acquired the Brooklyn factory, although that property later moved to Faber-Castell USA. In Venezuela, the Pardo family bought out its partner in 1987 and continued production under the established name. Faber-Castell USA acquired the American branch in the same year, and Staedtler sold the Brooklyn factory to it in 1988 while retaining the Neumarkt site. The most consequential restructuring came in 1994. A.W. Faber bought back Faber-Castell USA and retained the rights to market the Faber-Castell name, but sold the rest of the American business—including the Eberhard Faber name and factory—to Newell Brands for $137.3 million. Newell combined its Eberhard and Sanford divisions. Sanford subsequently bought the Venezuelan company from the Pardo family in 1997. Over time, the Eberhard product range in the United States was absorbed into the Paper Mate brand architecture. The European rights followed a different path. Faber-Castell reacquired those rights in 2010, restoring a direct connection between the Eberhard Faber name and the wider Faber-Castell family business. The current Eberhard Faber Vertrieb GmbH is headquartered in Stein, Bavaria, and remains associated with writing implements. Historically, the brand is particularly notable for the original Blackwing 602 pencil, whose reputation later extended well beyond ordinary school and office stationery into writing, animation, illustration, and collecting communities.
- 2010
European rights returned to Faber-Castell
[1]Faber-Castell reacquired the European rights to the Eberhard Faber brand.
- 1994
Newell Brands acquired the American Eberhard business
[1]Newell Brands acquired the Eberhard Faber name and factory as part of a major restructuring.
- 1987
Regional ownership split intensified
[1]Faber-Castell USA acquired the American branch, while the Pardo family bought out the Venezuelan partnership.
- 1978
Staedtler acquired the European business
[1]Staedtler acquired the European company, European Eberhard Faber rights, and the Neumarkt factory.
- 1922
German subsidiary founded
[1]Eberhard and Lothar Faber founded a German subsidiary in Neumarkt near Nuremberg.
- 1896
Venezuelan partnership formed
[1]Eberhard Faber partnered with the Pardo family in Caracas to expand into Venezuela.
- 1872
Operations moved to Greenpoint
[1]Following a fire, the company relocated its manufacturing operation to Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
- 1861
Company founded in Manhattan
[1]John Eberhard Faber established the Eberhard Faber Pencil Company in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.
Products and positioning
A heritage writing-instrument and stationery name associated with pencil manufacturing, industrial craftsmanship, and the historical Faber family pencil business.
Writing instruments · 1861
Graphite pencils
Graphite pencils are the core product category historically associated with Eberhard Faber. The company’s manufacturing heritage developed around wooden-cased pencils for school, office, writing, and drawing use. The range helped establish the name in the international stationery trade and remains central to its historical identity.
Premium graphite pencil
Blackwing 602
The original Blackwing 602 was manufactured by Eberhard Faber and later became one of the best-known products connected with the company. Its reputation grew among writers, artists, animators, and collectors, giving the pencil a cultural status beyond ordinary school stationery. The product is particularly important to the brand’s legacy, even though later Blackwing ownership and production histories are separate from the original Eberhard Faber manufacturing period.
Stationery accessory
Erasers
Erasers formed part of the broader Eberhard Faber writing-implement portfolio. They complemented the company’s pencil lines and supported school, office, and drawing applications. Historical references identify Eberhard Faber erasers as a distinct product category, although detailed model-level information is not established in the supplied material.
Stationery
Writing implements
The modern Eberhard Faber Vertrieb GmbH is described as a manufacturer of writing implements. This broad category covers the brand’s continuing association with stationery products beyond its historic pencil lines, but the supplied references do not identify a complete current product catalogue or specific current models.
Brand decisions
2010
Faber-Castell reacquired European brand rightsM&ABackground
The European Eberhard Faber rights had been held by Staedtler since 1978.
Action taken
Faber-Castell reacquired the European rights to the Eberhard Faber brand.
Aftermath
The transaction reconnected the European Eberhard Faber identity with the wider Faber-Castell family business.
1994
Newell Brands purchased the Eberhard Faber name and factoryM&ABackground
A.W. Faber reacquired Faber-Castell USA but separated the Faber-Castell marketing rights from the rest of the business.
Action taken
On October 18, 1994, Newell Brands bought the remaining business, including the Eberhard Faber name and factory, for $137.3 million.
Aftermath
Newell merged its Eberhard and Sanford divisions, and the Eberhard product line was eventually incorporated into Paper Mate.
Acquisition price. $137.3 million (1994 transaction)
1978
Staedtler acquired the European businessM&ABackground
The Eberhard Faber business had developed separate American, European, and Venezuelan operating histories.
Action taken
Staedtler acquired the European company, including the European Eberhard Faber brand and the Neumarkt factory, and also acquired the Brooklyn factory.
Aftermath
Staedtler retained the Neumarkt facility, while the Brooklyn factory was later sold to Faber-Castell USA.
1896
International expansion into VenezuelaStrategyBackground
The company sought to expand beyond the United States and entered the Venezuelan market through a partnership with the Pardo family in Caracas.
Action taken
Eberhard Faber formed a Venezuelan partnership that manufactured and sold products under the Eberhard Faber name.
Aftermath
The Venezuelan operation remained associated with the brand through subsequent ownership changes and was eventually acquired by Sanford in 1997.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/eberhard-faber · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled