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The Kid Should See This

How does Faber-Castell make pencils?

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From the leads to the pencils, to painting and stamping, to finishing, this how-it’s-made promotional video for office and art supply manufacturer Faber-Castell is full of impressive moments.

Watch as mounds of graphite and clay are mixed in giant machines. See factory workers roll handfuls of long, thin ‘leads’ into containers that will be fired and dipped in a wax bath. Behold the moment when color cores are placed into their glue-lined wood casings before being ‘sandwiched’ and milled into shape.

graphite and clay mix
faber castell color pencil lead

And then there’s painting and sharpening the pencils. Faber-Castell is a 257+ year old company, and they continue to produce 2.3 billion pencils a year. These music-driven scenes make their behind-the-scenes process look rather epic.

painted pencils
faber castell dipping pencils
faber castell sharpening pencils

Next: How pencils are made at the Derwent Pencil Factory, A Sketchy History Of Pencil Lead, and How Crayons Are Made – Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.

Plus: How does a retractable ballpoint click pen work?

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