This is just a one-off printing for now: 396 pages so far, but much more to go. It begins with a comprehensive history of the Eberhard Faber Company, including a detailed account of their break with A.W. Faber-Castell in Germany. Below are Lothar Washington Faber, and his son, Eberhard Faber III.

It was Eberhard III who created the Blackwing. He had a background in chemistry, which informed his efforts in creating the 602’s unique lead formula.

The Blackwing 602 was nestled between the Van Dyke 601 and the Microtomic 603 (which was actually a re-branding of the Van Dyke).

Here are a few examples of the graphics found in company advertising and packaging.

The quality of the printing revealed that a lot of the older photos I’ve taken need to be re-done, but there are several shots that still hold up under scrutiny.

I still can’t predict a publication date, but this first compilation was a major step forward.