General Pencil

General Pencil Company is a family owned business that has been owned and operated by the Weissenborn family since 1889. Its history dates back to 1860, when Edward Weissenborn founded one of the first pencil factories in America. The company sells pencils, drawing and sketching kits, brush cleaners, soaps, and related art supplies, and collaborates with artists on murals and educational kits.

General Pencil Company is a family owned business that has been owned and operated by the Weissenborn family since 1889. Its history dates back to 1860, when Edward Weissenborn, a mechanical engineer who learned pencil making in Germany, founded one of the first pencil factories in America. After assisting in the design and construction of the Civil War battleship USS Monitor, Edward set up his pencil factory in Jersey City Heights, New Jersey, called the American Pencil Company. In 1885 the American Lead Pencil Company was sold to the Reckford Family. Four years later, in 1889, Oscar A. Weissenborn, Edward's son, founded his own pencil company, making pencils in a large room of the family home in Jersey City, New Jersey. He set up his own machine shop because pencil making equipment was not available for purchase. The following year Oscar rented a floor over a grocery, and in 1891 he rented an old mansion for a factory, calling the operation the "Pencil Exchange". In 1914 he moved into his own factory in Jersey City.

Inspiring creative expression starting with a pencil; supporting art, creativity, and inspiration.

• General's® Cedar Pointe® Graphite Pencils

• General's® Semi-Hex Pencil

• "The Masters"® Brush Cleaner

• "The Masters"® Soap

• How to Draw Nature, Wildlife & Endangered Species Kit

• Create Your Own Flipbooks!

1. 1General Pencil Company, Inc. – Inspiring Creative Expression Starting with a Pencilgeneralpencil.com
2. 2Our History – General Pencil Company, Inc.generalpencil.com
3. 3Discover General Pencil at Cooper Hewitt: Made in Americageneralpencil.com
4. 4Shop – General Pencil Company, Inc.generalpencil.com