Faber-Castell employee Jeane Pufala takes pencils out of a hanger after they've dried at the pencil factory in Stein, near Nuremberg in Germany. Faber-Castell is one of the world's largest manufacturers of pens, pencils, and other office supplies and art supplies. (Christian Burkert/Special to The Washington Times)
Count Anton Wolfgang von Faber-Castell, chairman of Faber-Castell Aktiengesellschaft, throws pencils for demonstrating product quality from the castle tower of the Faber-Castell Castle (height about 20 meters / 65 feet) in the city of Stein near Nuremberg on Thursday, May 3, 2012. The German company Faber-Castell is one of the world's largest manufacturers of pens, pencils, other office supplies and art supplies, as well as high-end writing instruments and luxury leather goods. Faber-Castell is know for its "Perfect Pencil", an ordinary lead pencil enclosed in a beautiful silver case that includes a sharpener and can be reused as each pencil wears down. Christian Burkert/Special to The Washington Times.
Portrait of Count Anton Wolfgang von Faber-Castell, chairman of Faber-Castell Aktiengesellschaft, in front of the Faber-Castell Castle in the city of Stein near Nuremberg on Thursday, May 3, 2012. The German company Faber-Castell is one of the world's largest manufacturers of pens, pencils, other office supplies and art supplies, as well as high-end writing instruments and luxury leather goods. Faber-Castell is know for its "Perfect Pencil", an ordinary lead pencil enclosed in a beautiful silver case that includes a sharpener and can be reused as each pencil wears down. Christian Burkert/Special to The Washington Times.
Count Anton Wolfgang von Faber-Castell, chairman of Faber-Castell Aktiengesellschaft, throws pencils for demonstrating product quality from the castle tower of the Faber-Castell Castle (height about 20 meters / 65 feet) in the city of Stein near Nuremberg on Thursday, May 3, 2012. Sign of product quality: the pencil lead is not broken. The German company Faber-Castell is one of the world's largest manufacturers of pens, pencils, other office supplies and art supplies, as well as high-end writing instruments and luxury leather goods. Faber-Castell is know for its "Perfect Pencil", an ordinary lead pencil enclosed in a beautiful silver case that includes a sharpener and can be reused as each pencil wears down. Christian Burkert/Special to The Washington Times.
Faber-Castell employee Leni Lang checks pencils in the final inspection / quality control section in the Faber-Castell pencil manufactory in the city of Stein near Nuremberg on Thursday, May 3, 2012. Faber-Castell is one of the world's largest manufacturers of pens, pencils, other office supplies and art supplies, as well as high-end writing instruments and luxury leather goods. Faber-Castell is know for its "Perfect Pencil", an ordinary lead pencil enclosed in a beautiful silver case that includes a sharpener and can be reused as each pencil wears down. Christian Burkert/Special to The Washington Times.
Faber-Castell employee Jeane Pufala takes pencils out of a hanger (after drying) for the further production process in the Faber-Castell pencil manufactory in the city of Stein near Nuremberg on Thursday, May 3, 2012. Faber-Castell is one of the world's largest manufacturers of pens, pencils, other office supplies and art supplies, as well as high-end writing instruments and luxury leather goods. Faber-Castell is know for its "Perfect Pencil", an ordinary lead pencil enclosed in a beautiful silver case that includes a sharpener and can be reused as each pencil wears down. Christian Burkert/Special to The Washington Times.
Pencil leads for the production in the Faber-Castell pencil manufactory in the city of Stein near Nuremberg on Thursday, May 3, 2012. Faber-Castell is one of the world's largest manufacturers of pens, pencils, other office supplies and art supplies, as well as high-end writing instruments and luxury leather goods. Faber-Castell is know for its "Perfect Pencil", an ordinary lead pencil enclosed in a beautiful silver case that includes a sharpener and can be reused as each pencil wears down. Christian Burkert/Special to The Washington Times.
Faber-Castell employee Wolfgang Mattner is measuring a pencil to controll the production quality (the cutter blades cutting of the several pencils from wood plates quickly wearout), taken in the Faber-Castell pencil manufactory in the city of Stein near Nuremberg on Thursday, May 3, 2012. Faber-Castell is one of the world's largest manufacturers of pens, pencils, other office supplies and art supplies, as well as high-end writing instruments and luxury leather goods. Faber-Castell is know for its "Perfect Pencil", an ordinary lead pencil enclosed in a beautiful silver case that includes a sharpener and can be reused as each pencil wears down. Christian Burkert/Special to The Washington Times.
Exterior view of the pencil lead factory of Faber-Castell in the city of Stein near Nuremberg on Wednesday, May 2, 2012. The German company Faber-Castell is one of the world's largest manufacturers of pens, pencils, other office supplies and art supplies, as well as high-end writing instruments and luxury leather goods. Faber-Castell is know for its "Perfect Pencil", an ordinary lead pencil enclosed in a beautiful silver case that includes a sharpener and can be reused as each pencil wears down. Christian Burkert/Special to The Washington Times.
