Caran d’Ache

From its humble beginnings in Geneva, Switzerland in 1915, to the present day, Caran d’Ache has been viewed as one of the world’s premiere pencil manufacturers. Their graphite pencils, color pencils and pastels are the pinnacle of quality, and are recognized by artists around the world as some of the best creative tools available.

An extension of Switzerland’s long history of watch-making and jewelry manufacturing, Caran d’Ache’s philosophy is simple: use high-quality materials and a sound design to create a superior-quality product.

The name “Caran d’Ache” is a play on the Russian word “karandash,” which translates to “pencil,” but the story goes deeper than that. “Karandash” is actually derived from the Turkish phrase “kara tash,” which means “black stone,” referring to the graphite found in every pencil. Like the pencil itself, graphite can be found at the core of the Caran d’Ache brand.