Faber-Castell Range Guide

For any artists, Faber-Castell is unlikely to need much introduction. They're the brand behind some of the most loved art pencils and pens, like Polychromos and Goldfaber coloured pencils, the Pitt artists' markers, and the classic green Castell 9000 graphite pencils.

Polychromos pencils are much-loved by artists, for their vivid colours smudge- and water-resistance. They're also known for holding a sharper point than most coloured pencils.

The Goldfaber range includes watercolour pencils, as well as regular coloured pencils. They're very cost-effective, while still having a good level of light- and smudge-resistance.

Pitt markers include drawing and brush-tipped pens, and a range of dual-tipped pens with both - very flexible for artists, so one set of pens can do a lot more.

Faber-Castell's Fine Writing range includes some very popular pen ranges, headed up by the longstanding Ambition and e-motion.

The Ambition is all about the straight lines and simple design. They're a great example of minimalist German design, where form follows function, and there's no extra ornamentation. The style of each pen comes entirely from the choice of material - from natural pear wood and coconut wood, to a selection of beautiful resins, with textured finishes.

The e-motion contrasts with the Ambition, but without adding anything fancy - it just leans fully into a beautifully curved shape. And, as much as we love the fountain pen and rollerball, it's probably fair to say that the ballpoint and pencil are the highlights of the range, with the curved shape remaining in use. Unusually, the pencil version is a continuous twist type - turn to extend the lead like a screw, and turn the other way to retract it.

The range also includes the Ondoro, Neo Slim and Essentio - all great designs in their own right.

Faber-Castell's wide range includes a top quality selection of products for children, helping them to learn and play. They're competitively priced, but still made to their usual high standards, so they should last longer, and withstand more use than cheaper alternatives, while still being very reasonable.

As you'd probably expect from one of the world's oldest pencil makers, there are lots of pencils for kids, mainly in sets with designs to appeal to different ages. And they're made to Faber-Castell's high standards, so they can stand up to plenty of use - kids aren't always the most careful with their pencils!

There are also plenty of sets of marker pens, perfect for colouring and drawing, encouraging creativity in young minds. And Faber-Castell are well known for their high safety standards, so you know you're getting pens that won't harm your kids, with only the safest of dyes used in the ink.

Their Connector Pens deserve a special mention, with caps that clip together - for kids, it's a fun way to play with the pens, adding an extra twist to their play. For the adults, it means the pens can stay together, keeping things a little bit tidier - win-win!

Graf von Faber-Castell is the luxury arm of Faber-Castell - taking everything they know about making top quality writing instruments, and removing the limitations. Here, they use the very finest materials and craftsmanship, to make the very best pens and stationery they can.

In some cases, this means simple designs, made with the best materials and engineering. In others, it means going all out on a theme, making their famous Pen of the Year - one design each year, beautifully made, with the very finest craftsmanship.

And the humble pencil gets the luxury treatment too, with the Perfect Pencil making them not only more luxurious, but also more practical to use every day.