Constructed from coffee, tea, and flowers, the Fabula Organic Pencil is definitely a challenger in the sustainable pencil category. It is also tactile, aromatic, and visually interesting.
The Fabula appears to be the sole product of a Croatian company of the same name. It has won a red dot and other design awards. I’m not sure of the company’s health after the pandemic – they have mainly marketed the pencil as an environmentally friendly corporate gift. At retail, it has sold for $US5-6 per pencil, so it is not cheap.
As far as I can tell, the pencil is not extruded, but rather baked around the lead. The “cap” of the pencil contains seeds – my particular pencil has Golden Forest Berry.
I was fearing that the lead would be “novelty pencil” grade, but it isn’t – it has a nice smooth slightly dark lead.
The pencil has some instructions, plus a warning. Sharpening can be done over a potted plant, as the shavings will be nutritious for the plant. When the pencil becomes a stub, that stub can be soaked in water for two days, forming a seed solution that can be planted.
Maybe you can guess the warning? Being water soluble, you’ll want to keep the pencil dry.
The pencil has a heft, and is imperfectly round – my pencil seemed a bit squished near the point.
The pencil is wrapped in a piece of paper containing environmental tips and further information about the pencil.
I like the Fabula, and am very curious about how it will wear over time.
Where did you get yours? Their site doesn’t make it easy to purchase them…
I like the new packaging. It fits as it is made of paper and protects the pencil from water/humidity. As far as I remember mine came in a more simple ‘hanger’ that wouldn’t have protected the pencil as much.
Thank you for the comments.
Mark, I was in New York in late 2019 and bought the pencil at CWPE. Yes, if Fabula doesn’t want to engage in direct sales, they might find it beneficial to list some retailers.
Matthias, their website does mention some packaging alternatives. The one I got does seem to make sense.
Unfortunately, after more use, I am not as fond of the lead.
I’ve used a few similar products from a Russian company, Eiford: https://eiford.ru/catalog/rastushchiy_karandash/
Instead of pressed compost they use pressed paper. As with your experience the lead wasn’t bad. Nothing special but nothing awful. I like how they market a wide variety of somewhat useful culinary herbs in their seed ‘end dips’.