Of course you know the name for it's quality pencils, colored pencils and such. But do you know the…read morehistory? Have you ever seen a pencil being produced? Do you know what it takes? Do you know why the design is as it is today? Well you can find the answers to this and a lot more on the tours that are offered here. You gather in the visitors center for the tours. You will need to lock up your belongings. No photography allowed on the premises or inside the factory. Now be prepared for a few stairs here and there. This is not an accessible tour. The tour itself is quite interesting. I never knew how much goes into making a pencil, or why they would still be so popular in the age of ballpoint pens. It's amazing how many different steps are involved, from start to finish and how long this takes. From the selection of the wood, to the final coat of lacquer on the pencils. I have a much deeper appreciation for pencils now. I forgot to mention that any tour will entitle you to a 15% discount in the Faber store, located in the visitor center. Also everyone in my tour received a very fancy pencil at the end of the tour. You can book these tours on line. They also offer a tour of the Faber Castle, which is right next door and really worth it also. And you can also sign up to eat in the employee cafeteria. You just pay for the food you choose. Mine was delicious. The selection varies daily and is reasonable priced. Plus you get to eat in a castle.

Faber Castell founded in 1761 is one of the world's largest and oldest manufacturers of pens,…read morepencils, other office supplies (e.g., staplers, slide rules, erasers, rulers) and art supplies, as well as high-end writing instruments and luxury leather goods. They are Headquartered in Stein, Germany. Faber Castell is one of my all time favorite pencils. You can see by my photo I may not sharpen them very often. I've had these two a very long time! I'm recommending this pencil if you can find them. I take care of my stuff and go through more ink pens than pencils. I wear out the pencil erasers first. These two pencils are special because they were my fathers. They were part of my inheritance from the office in his garage when he retired. I shop online they have a very good website. And their items are available at retail arts and crafts stores too. They have more than just the well known pencils.