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A.W. Faber Castell TK 9400

A.W. Faber, Germany

lead diameter

mechanism
composition
variations
production date
origin

2 mm (3B thru 9H)
3.15 mm (7B thru 4B)
pushbutton spring clutch
wood barrel, metal fittings
degree imprint: 7B to 9H
1948 to 1953±
Germany

Instruction sheet for the TK 9400
(click for enlargement).

A.W. Faber Castell TK 9400 (Prototype?)

A.W. Faber Castell, Germany

lead diameter mechanism composition variations production date origin	2 mm (3B thru 9H) 3.15 mm (7B thru 4B) pushbutton spring clutch wood barrel, metal fittings, plastic pushbutton degree imprint: 7B to 9H (1940s) Germany

This is the single most mysterious pencil in the Leadholder galleries. It appears to be identical to the TK 9400 at the head of this page with the exception of the 5H degree designation and the beat up condition. The mystery is the timing and circumstances by which it originated.

This was one of numerous pencils, pens, and other objects acquired directly from a member of the Faber family in Germany at the end of World War II (1945). The man who purchased the items moved to the United States sometime in 1945 and stored the items in his barn until 2002 when he sold his property and many of the things he had accumulated throughout his life. The box of Faber items was purchased at this time by the man who contacted me for an appraisal. The story could of course be bogus, but the group of items included a number of very personal Faber objects that support the claim they were obtained from a member of the Faber family. The personal items were purchased back from the man who contacted me by the descendants of Johann Faber.

According to Faber-Castell themselves, the “TK” pencil was introduced in 1948. The US made 9400 Locktite was advertised as early as 1947. During, and immediately after WWII, the German company and the US company were operating autonomously. I believe the wooden TK pictured above is a prototype developed before or during WWII, but not produced for sale until 1948.


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A.W. Faber Castell TK 9400

(straight plastic barrel, white molded-in lettering)

A.W. Faber, Germany

lead diameter mechanism composition variations production date origin	2 mm (3B thru 9H) 3.15 mm (7B thru 4B) pushbutton spring clutch plastic barrel, metal fittings degree imprint: 7B to 9H circa 1952 Germany

see also	US Patent 02765551 “Pencil Label” 1952

This seems to be the least common variant of the TK 9400. The white lettering of the imprint is actually a separately molded plastic part around which the green body of the barrel is molded. A patent for this technique was applied for by the A.W. Faber company in 1952 (in Germany) and so this pencil probably dates from around that time. I suspect the process was expensive and/or had a high failure rate as there do not seem to be many examples floating around. In fact, this is the only one I’ve ever seen. A less ambitious use of the molded in plastic technique was used for the degree imprint on following TK 9400s as can be seen below.

I’m not sure what the Faber people were thinking with this huge debossed imprint. A more wretched hive of villainy and scum... and microorganisms feeding on dead skin and oil from your hand... you will not find, young Skywalker.


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	courtesy Allan Macdonald collection

A.W. Faber Castell TK 9400

(straight plastic barrel)

A.W. Faber, Germany

lead diameter

mechanism
composition
variations
production date
origin

2 mm (3B thru 9H)
3.15 mm (7B thru 4B)
pushbutton spring clutch
plastic barrel, metal fittings
degree imprint: 7B to 9H
1950s
Germany

Advertising brochure
included in the TK 9400 box.
(click for enlargement).

A.W. Faber Castell TK 9400

(molded grip, molded degree mark)

A.W. Faber, Germany

lead diameter mechanism composition variations production date origin	2 mm (3B thru 9H) 3.15 mm (7B thru 4B) pushbutton spring clutch plastic barrel, metal fittings degree imprint: 7B to 9H 1960s Germany


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3.15 mm example

A.W. Faber Castell TK 9400

(molded grip, foil stamped degree mark)

A.W. Faber, Germany

lead diameter mechanism composition variations production date origin	2 mm (3B thru 9H) 3.15 mm (7B thru 4B) pushbutton spring clutch plastic barrel, metal fittings degree imprint: 7B to 9H 1960s–70s Germany

I think the 3.15 mm versions of the TK 9400 continued to use the style of molded-in imprint for several years after the 2 mm version had been updated to the style shown immediately below.


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A.W. Faber Castell TK 9400

(tapering tail; “A.W. Faber-Castell” imprint)

A.W. Faber, Germany

lead diameter mechanism composition variations production date origin	2 mm (3B thru 9H) 3.15 mm (7B thru 4B) pushbutton spring clutch plastic barrel, metal fittings degree imprint: 7B to 9H 1970s to early 1980s Germany

see also	Faber-Castell (South America) catalog, circa early 1980, p 12


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Faber-Castell TK 9400

(tapering tail; “Faber-Castell” imprint)

Faber-Castell, Germany

lead diameter mechanism composition variations production date origin	2 mm (3B thru 9H) 3.15 mm (7B thru 4B) pushbutton spring clutch plastic barrel, metal fittings degree imprint: 7B to 9H late 1980s Germany

see also	Faber-Castell (South America) catalog, circa late 1980s, p 9

This model supplanted the US-made Locktite 9400 when Faber-Castell of Germany bought their US namesake. Prior to this, the German made TK 9400 was not available in the USA

Box of six TK 9400s circa 1980s.


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Faber-Castell TK 9400

(tapering tail)

Faber-Castell, Germany

lead diameter mechanism composition variations production date origin	2 mm (3B thru 9H) 3.15 mm (7B thru 4B) pushbutton spring clutch plastic barrel, metal fittings degree imprint: 6B to 9H 1992 to present Germany

This box contains six new TK 9400s. It is post-1992 when Faber-Castell decided to change from the green they'd been using since 1905 to a darker, trendier green.


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Faber-Castell TK 9400 50 Year Commemorative Edition

Faber-Castell, Germany

lead diameter mechanism composition variations production date origin	2 mm pushbutton spring clutch sterling silver barrel, nickel plated brass mechanism imprinted with a serial number 1 through 1998 1998 Germany
special features	each individual example is imprinted with a serial number 1 through 1998

In 1998 Faber-Castell sold a limited edition 50 year commemorative sterling silver version of this pencil in a wooden box. One thousand nine hundred and forty-eight were made. They’re expensive. The plastic ones are cheap, of course, being more or less completely unremarkable.


		© 2001 to 2010 Dennis B. Smith	^ top


	courtesy anonymous