In 1905 the Castell 9000 - a genuinely classic pencil - was launched by Count Alexander von Faber-Castell (6th Generation). Its quality and finely graduated degrees of lead hardness have made it a firm favorite with artists and illustrators.
The pencil inspired the Italian special effects artist Carlo Rambaldi to sketch a quirky extraterrestrial, which moved millions of cinema spectators later as E.T. to tears.