[8] In 1898, Lothar's granddaughter and heiress, Ottilie "Tilly" von Faber, married Count Alexander zu Castell-Rüdenhausen, and the couple became progenitors of the Faber-Castell family.

[7] Seven years later, the company began producing a new line of pencils, called "Castell"; over the next few years, this line developed recognizable branding, featuring the green color of the pencils (chosen to match the color of Alexander's military regiment), a logo depicting a castle, and the motif of two jousting knights, which was used on packaging and in advertising.

This motif originated with a painting, commissioned by Alexander, of two knights jousting with pencils, and would eventually become the inspiration behind the company's current logo.

[12] As a German company, several of the Faber-Castell's foreign subsidiaries and branches in Allied countries were confiscated during World War I.

[13] As the Great Depression cast its long shadow over the global economy in the early 1930s, Alexander's son, Roland von Faber-Castell, inherited the leadership of the company.

In the following years, Roland gradually bought up shares of Johann Faber until it was fully acquired (along with its Brazilian subsidiary) in 1942.

[17] The Nazis removed Count Faber-Castell from his leadership position and reportedly used the castle's bell tower for Allied bombing raid interception.

[18] Amidst managerial changes, Count Roland's wife, Nina, converted the company into a sole proprietorship, effectively regaining control.

[13][18] In the years following World War II, the company expanded internationally into Ireland, Austria, Brazil, Peru, Australia, and Argentina, as well as re-acquiring several subsidiaries which had been lost in wartime.

The pens, used by comic and manga artists such as Adam Hughes,[19] contain an India ink that is both acid-free and archival[clarification needed], and come in a variety of colors.