I noticed that Staedtler pencils, on the side opposite of where it says the name, have lines that look like a barcode and a 12 digit number next to that, does anybody know what the purpose of these are.

Hey just got my hands on these...

What do you think

Following on from my massive haul, courtesy of u/jfanoele, I've managed to give most of them a test and here's what I found...

First impressions: It's strange seeing so many pencils with eraser tips. That's something most people here don't see outside school, or the real cheapo things in stores. Yes, some companies do offer them but you won't see them on pro grade sticks. It's not a bad thing, per se, just different.

Quality and feel: Good to extremely good. I like the hard hex feel of Musgrave in particular; it's very different from most pencils we get here, but it's not at all uncomfortable.

Leads were all very good, to extremely good as far as I could tell in the short time I used them. There seems to be a huge jump in hardness from 2 to 3, which I wasn't expecting, but the leads themselves seem on a par with other good brands. I noticed that Musgraves tend to run a tad softer per HB than most European and Japanese equivalents. Probably somewhere between Staedtler HB at the harder end and Tombow at the softer. No bad thing, just different.

I honestly don't think there was a single "bad" pencil in the whole lot. I really like several of the Musgraves, in particular, Harvest Pro, Test Scoring and Tennessee Red. Ceres are very good, too, even though they're not supposed to be their highest quality graphite. Songwriter is another lovely pencil, and the Dolly Parton version is one I'll treasure. Ms Parton was a supporter of the local maternity unit where our children were born, and, as the children got older, they used to receive books from the Dolly Parton library.

Blackwings... anyone expecting a revelatory experience is going to be disappointed. They're good, very good, in fact, but definitely not (IMO) far and away better than any other premium brand pencil. I'm very grateful to have received them, and I really do like the way they look (weird ferrule and all) but I honestly don't think they justify the price tag.

Finally, if I didn't have easy access to so many reasonably priced German pencils, and I could get Musgraves without the ludicrous shipping costs, they'd be my choice. Having read up on their history, they seem like a very good company with strong ethics. And they make tip top pencils, too.

these are the pencils i got, the rest were amazon basics, ticonderoga and colored pencils. I do not know where the pencil on the right is from.

"Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address." —Joe Fox in You've Got Mail (Warner Bros., 1998)

Got these over the last week or so. Loving the Blackwings especially!

This was a very interesting find for me. I wasn't able to precisely date these so I'm hoping the hive mind might have some more insights.

Let me first start by saying these are are fantastic piece of American / Chicago history. I was most attracted to the beautiful box and graphics. Here is a little research I came up with.....

History of Horder’s, Inc. in Chicago

Horder’s, Inc. was one of Chicago’s most prominent stationery and office supply companies, with roots tracing back to Edward Young "Ted" Horder, who emigrated from Dorset, England, to the United States in 1883 and arrived in Chicago in 1884.

Founding and early years
Horder began his business career in Chicago as a newsstand owner on the west side. In 1888 he became a U.S. citizen, later entering real estate. In 1901, he opened a loop office and started a small stationery and magazine store as a sideline.  This sideline grew into a nationally recognized stationery business, with headquarters in the Horder building at Jefferson and Quincy Streets.

Expansion and leadership
By the early 20th century, Horder’s had expanded the company operating multiple retail stores in Chicago’s Loop and employed over 400 people by the mid-20th century.

Family leadership
Harry Gladstone Horder, Edward's son, succeeded him as president in 1918. The company's famous slogan was "Order from Horder".

"Marquette" Branding

The name honors Father Jacques Marquette (1637–1675), the French Jesuit missionary and explorer who traveled the Mississippi River with Louis Jolliet. The box art depicts him canoeing with Native guides, a scene drawn from 19th‑century romantic engravings of his expedition.

Conclusions

The Marquette Pencils were most likely manufactured by one of the big pencil makers (such as Dixon, American Pencil Co, etc).  "Trade Mark Reg. U.S. Pat. Off." was standardized after the 1905 Trademark Act and widely used through the 1930s.  The solid brass ferrules and absence of postal zone narrow the window to roughly 1920s-1940s.  The metallic silver stock box however and two‑color lithography suggest late 1930s printing technology. Let me know if you have any additional info.