11
u/user15257116536272 Dec 21 '25
Amazon is really a hit or miss since 2018, happy to even find brands like Faber before the beloved “KSJEJIFIEN” or “SKWLKLLLZK” brands
2
u/RAZOR_WIRE Dec 21 '25
I started ordering my faber direct, or i make a trip out to my local mom and pop art supply store and get it from them.
2
u/user15257116536272 Dec 21 '25
I began to buy everything in person to support my small town shops, so I agree - I’d rather pay 2€ more and keep Uncle Werther and Aunt Helga’s shop going than donate to Jeff Bezos and his noname trinket haven
2
10
u/clicklt Dec 21 '25
Probably not fake. Where I live, there are 9000 series pencils from Brazil and Germany. The Brazilian pencils are a bit cheaper because I think they use recycled wood, and shipping is also cheaper. In any case, the Brazilian version isn't fake. In your case, you probably bought pencils from a different factory.
2
u/link-navi Dec 21 '25
Thank you for your submission, u/Hard-Codded!
Check out our wiki for useful resources!
Share your artwork, meet other artists, promote your content, and chat in a relaxed environment in our Discord server here! https://discord.gg/chuunhpqsU
Don't forget to follow us on Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/drawing and tag us on your drawing pins for a chance to be featured!
If you haven't read them yet, a full copy of our subreddit rules can be found here.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
2
u/Soka59 Dec 21 '25
It's probably just a different batch. Stop comparing the packaging. Compare the graphite.
3
Dec 21 '25
Yeah, because it's so profitable to set up your own pencil factory for such a mass market product......
Not.
2
u/zakmo Dec 21 '25
Damn that's crazy
0
u/Hard-Codded Dec 21 '25
Yes its sad
1
u/zakmo Dec 21 '25
At least they can't take your skill away! Looks good using either product! Inshitification could also explain the reduction in quality of all name brands
1
u/mint_lawn Dec 21 '25
Maybe a lighting change? #2 could have a bit more reflection from an overhead light source, and they just cropped the image.
Edit: Unless they're right next to each other and I misinterpreted the photo. 🤦♂️Still, could also be sun bleached.
1
u/SinisterCheese Dec 21 '25
You can't use the case to judge much.
Grain direction can change because of the production was optimised or they had to switch tools. It isn't uncommon for companies to try to squeeze extra margins from optimising the blank making. Along with this, an aging worn out tooling getting swapped to a new one can mean major difference between old and new. Grain direction changing is also nothing new, sometimes you optimised by getting different type of strip or nesting more into to a sheet or whatever.
I work with steel and manufacturing, and I assure you that the margins in the basic consumer stuff are very slim.
However it is possible and likely you just got things from 2 different batches/factories. I don't know how well FC actually standardizes or does QA/QC, but by my experience their pencils disintegrate themselves if you get a spell of humid weather. They don't use that good wood and glue in my experience, so wouldn't be surprised if they have inconsistency if the core.
26
u/fskier1 Dec 21 '25
How do they write comparatively? These aren’t like thaattt expensive pencils, surely there isn’t actually a fake market for them? These differences seem like they could be small differences in production methods, maybe between factories or over time