Vintage Eberhard Faber Microtomic Van Dyke 5H No. 600 Drawing Pencils Lot Of 12 For Sale

Here is a breakdown of the history behind the brand and this specific line of pencils:

• First US Pencil Factory: The company was founded in New York City in 1861 by Eberhard Faber, a German immigrant whose family had been making pencils in Bavaria (under the A.W. Faber name) since 1761. Eberhard opened the first pencil factory in the United States, originally located in Manhattan right where the United Nations headquarters stands today.

• The Brooklyn Era: After a massive fire destroyed the Manhattan plant in 1872, Faber moved operations to Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The factory grew to encompass two square city blocks and became one of Brooklyn\'s most important industrial hubs until operations moved to Pennsylvania in 1956.

• Legacy: Eberhard Faber is legendary among writers, illustrators, and animators. They are the original creators of the iconic Blackwing 602 pencil, heavily favored by creators like John Steinbeck and Chuck Jones.

• The \"Van Dyke\" Name: Introduced in the early 1900s, the Van Dyke was Eberhard Faber\'s premium, professional-grade drawing and drafting pencil. They were originally recognizable by their signature yellow polish.

• The \"Microtomic\" Process: In the 1930s, Eberhard Faber introduced a proprietary method for refining graphite into particles of \"near-atomic minuteness.\" They marketed this as the \"Microtomic\" process, claiming it made the graphite smoother, stronger, and highly resistant to smudging.

• Date: The specific branding on the box helps date it. Originally, these were just called \"Van Dyke.\" In the 1930s and 1940s, the company started transitioning the name to \"Microtomic Van Dyke\" (which is what you have). By the 1950s, the \"Van Dyke\" name was dropped entirely, and the pencils were rebranded simply as \"Microtomic\" and painted a sleek grayish-blue. This places these yellow Microtomic Van Dykes firmly in the 1940s to early 1950s.

• The No. 600: This number designates the specific style. The 600 line was typically a pure drafting pencil with no metal ferrule or eraser on the end, keeping it perfectly balanced for artists and architects.

• Hardness Scale: As the box notes, these were made in 18 degrees, from 7B (extremely soft, dark, and smudgy) to 9H (extremely hard and light).

• 5H Pencils: The pencils in thisr box are stamped 5H. This is a very hard graphite. It won\'t lay down dark lines; instead, it is designed for drafting, architectural layouts, and technical drawing where you need very precise, sharp, light, and smudge-proof lines.