Located in Geneva since its inception in 1915, the Maison is committed to creating and developing writing and drawing instruments combining the finest materials with the most advanced, innovative skills.

Caran d’Ache comes from the word  “karandash” that is the Russian term for “pencil” and in turn comes from the Turkish root “kara tash” which refers to black stone – the origins of graphite.

This natural material found in the mountains of Switzerland gave rise to the first Swiss pencil factory set up in Geneva in 1915. Nine years later, in the hands of its founder, the visionary Arnold Schweitzer, it took the name of the famous illustrator became known as Caran d’Ache.