Pencil sharpener, A.W. Faber, model No. 404(?)

Object/Artifact

Archive of Cuban Socialism

Name/Title

Pencil sharpener, A.W. Faber, model No. 404(?)

Entry/Object ID

2025.1.412

Description

Small metal hand sharpener with a waisted (hourglass/bowtie) plan profile and squared ends. Grey-green patinated metal body. One broad face carries the maker's marks in incuse stamping; the opposite broad face carries a flat steel blade secured by a single slotted screw, seated in a milled recess. A knurled thumbscrew serves to adjust the blade.

Context

A.W. Faber-Castell of Stein, Bavaria, was one of the two dominant German pencil and drawing-supply houses of the twentieth century and exported worldwide.

Collection

The Cabrera Arús family collection

Acquisition

Accession

2025.1

Made/Created

Manufacturer

A.W. Faber-Castell

Place

City

Stein

Country

Germany

Continent

Europe

Edition

model

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Notes

Face A (broad face, image 2), incuse-stamped, left to right: - A lozenge (diamond) enclosing a balance-scales device - A circle enclosing A.W. FABER - Below, centered: № 404 + one further character, worn and running to the edge of the stamped field — illegible; not transcribed Face B (end face, image 1), incuse within an oval cartouche: GERMANY

Parts

Body, waisted metal block (1) Blade, flat steel, screw-mounted (1) Screw, slotted, blade-retaining (1)

Material

Metal

Condition

Overall Condition

Fair

Relationships

Related Places

Place

City

Havana

Country

Cuba

Region

Caribbean, Central America

Notes

use

Place

City

Stein

Country

Germany

Continent

Europe

Notes

production

Research Notes

Notes

WorthPoint's Faber-Castell marks entry states that an image of scales in a diamond with "A.W." in a black or red circle was designed in 1932 — which is exactly the configuration on Face A. ⚠️ WorthPoint is a commercial price-guide database, not an archival source; this date should be verified against the Faber-Castell company archive in Stein before being relied on. Corroborating but not conclusive: A.W. Faber-Castell registered a US trademark titled "THE SCALES" in November 1961, and the scales device appears on the Janus 4046, whose reverse carries "4046 / A.W. Faber / Janus / Germany" with a scales logo at the center. What failed: searches in German for the model number ("Anspitzer", "Minenspitzer", "Waage", "Nr. 41") and in English for A.W. Faber 41xx models returned only the 40xx (Janus 4046/4048, 4050, 4020) and 50/xx (Mentor 50/28, 50/31, Minifix 50/65) series.

Created By

María A. Cabrera Arús

Create Date

July 30, 2026

Updated By

María A. Cabrera Arús

Update Date

July 30, 2026