Can pencils still be relevant in an age of the iPhone?

Put the question to the makers of pencils and pens, Faber-Castell, and the reply is: “You can play soccer games on a computer or play it on a soccer field.

“It doesn’t mean that people who play soccer games on computers won’t play soccer on a field.”

So says 63-year-old Count Andreas von Faber-Castell.

He is the younger brother of Count Anton Wolfgang von Faber-Castell, 68.

Together they run the family-owned company whose history reaches back to the 18th century.

It began with one man selling wooden pencils in a Nuremberg market and included its rise to aristocracy.

In 2011, the family company will mark its 250th year in the business.

The brothers – in town to grace the official launch of their first boutique at The Ion – give The New Paper some insight into their passion for pencils and pens.

Q: This is the age of the Internet, the iPhone, and the Blackberry. Isn’t the pencil almost obsolete?

Count Anton: I carry the Perfect Pencil which has its own in-built sharpener and eraser. I use it to write notes in my appointment book and I can erase them if I want to make a correction.

There is actually a trend of people writing out notes instead of typing. It is more personal that way.

Count Andreas: The old goes with the new. I have an iPhone myself and I use it all the time, but the pencil still has its use.

There is a correlation between hand movement and the brain. If you write down a telephone number, you will remember it better.

The Internet also works to our advantage. It helps us to reach out to more consumers. Modern technology is a great aid. The two worlds can meet.

Q: How many pens or pencils do you carry and have you lost any?

Count Anton: I carry one pencil to write notes with and a rollerball pen to sign documents. The last time I lost a pen was a year ago.

Count Andreas: I carry two or three pens and pencils. I like fountain pens. I lose two or three pens a year. I feel sad, of course, when I lose a nice pen. (Laughs.)

But it is not a bad thing. The problem is our products can last a long time. When people lose them or break them, it means increased turnover for us!

Occasionally old people come up to me and show me their boxes of Faber-Castell colour pencils which they have kept for years. I get horrified. I hope they bought a second box at least. (Laughs.)

Q: Doesn’t producing more wooden pencils mean fewer trees?

Count Anton: Back in the ’80s, there was a trend of environmental protection and awareness about limited resources. We started a reforestation programme in Brazil. For every tree we cut down, we plant five.

Count Andreas: Being a family company, we think about future generations. Our father loved nature...We respect nature and the environment.

Q: Did school friends ask for pencils?

Count Anton: Yes, we would take some to school and give them to friends.

Count Andreas: But not too many. Our father was strict with the number of pencils we took to school. (Laughs).

Q: Why the decision to open a boutique in Singapore now?

Count Andreas: Singapore is a country in Asia which is brand-aware. Consumers here expect products of the highest quality.

Count Anton: Singapore is very sophisticated. It is like the Switzerland of Asia. It is important that our brand and whole product line is well presented here.

This article was first published in The New Paper.