Frequently Asked Questions

In the mid-1920s the Schwan pencil factory launched a revolutionary new product, destined to last into the next millennium. The invention of the "STABILO" thin-lead pencil not only meant an enormous improvement in the durability of what used to be easily breakable leads, but, in particular, also improved the company's position on the market and gave it a clear advantage over its competitors. 

"STABILO" in particular was therefore responsible for an enormous boost for the Schwan pencil company. Due to the war, however, another twenty years passed before the STABILO name was incorporated into the new "Schwan-STABILO" trademark in 1954, demonstrating its huge brand awareness. 

Fifty years years on, with the never-bettered clear white against a red background together with the swan logo, STABILO still stands for innovation,quality and internationality in the writing instruments market.

Headquarters: 
STABILO International GmbH
Schwanweg 1
90562 Heroldsberg, Germany 
Telephone: +49 (911) 567 - 0 
Telefax: +49 (911) 567 - 4444 

Production location: 
Schwan - STABILO 
Schwanhäußer GmbH & Co. KG 
Industriestraße 47 
91781 Weißenburg, Germany                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Telephone: +49 (9141) 908 - 0 
Telefax: +49 (9141) 908 - 7711

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Please write us what country and/or city you are interested in? 

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We are not able to send any advertising articles directly to consumers due to the large number of requests we receive. Please contact your local STABILO retailer who will be happy to help you.

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STABILO is part of the Schwan-STABILO Group.

For general information please go to www.schwan-stabilo.com and select your language.

For current press releases choose ABOUT STABILO from the menu, then PRESS.

In special cases please contact marion.korbel@stabilo.com

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In general you can buy your STABILO products everywhere: at all well-assorted stationery shops, in large supermarkets or department stores.

Problems finding STABILO products in your country? Write to us!

All current jobs

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Most of the ink-based pens are made in Weißenburg, Germany (www.weissenburg.de). These include popular STABILO products such as BOSS ORIGINAL, point 88 or the STABILO worker.

Most of the wooden STABILO pencils are manufactured in Cesky Krumlov (www.ckrumlov.cz/uk), also to the highest standards. These include STABILO CarbOthello und STABILO woody 3 in 1.

Schwan-STABILO CR s.r.o.
Tovarni 7
38101 Cesky Krumlov
Czech Republic

A few products, e.g. our product STABILO tropikana Pacific, is produced in our production plant in Malaysia.
 

Swan Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.
No. 5, Jalan Teknologi 5,
Taman Teknologi Johor,
81400 Senai, Johor
Malaysia

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Important notes on Sponsoring:

What do we sponsor?

Each and every day we receive numerous requests to support projects, persons or associations by giving money or material. Unfortunately our funds are limited and therefore we can only support a few of many good sponsoring-ideas.

Very unfortunately – even our funds are limited. We can only support a few of many good sponsoring ideas with STABILO products.

What does this mean in principle?

Generally, the principle of reciprocity applies to sponsorship. This is essentially different to a donation. In other words, this means give and take for all parties. If STABILO supports activities as a sponsor it must be visible to the public. (An appropriate sticker will be sent as part of the product delivery.) By sending us a sponsorship enquiry you accept this condition.

How can I send an enquiry?

Only in writing! Please only use our contact form and let us know the essential facts: who, what, when where – and most importantly – a complete delivery address.
We check all enquiries – but we do not give written notice.

Important note on donations:

We receive a lot of requests for donations of money and materials every day. Unfortunately, we cannot grant every request, as this would exceed our limits. The executive board has therefore decided not to scatter the donations far and wide, but to intensively support a smaller number of selected projects and facilities instead. We regret having to tell you this and hope you understand that we cannot make any exceptions to this rule.

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STABILO limits the packaging used in transportation to what is absolutely necessary. At the same time, much of the packaging can be used by the retailer as a refillable presentation display. The individual pen packs can also often fulfil secondary purposes when used on an everyday basis, in the office or at school.

STABILO constantly conducts research into how things can be improved – reducing the thickness of packaging materials, for example, or the use of biologically degradable plastics.

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Yes, the use of these is hard to avoid. However, STABILO uses only the standard, harmless softeners used worldwide – and only in low doses that are absolutely necessary.

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No. Dangerous substances such as formaldehyde, benzene or trichloroethane are not used in STABILO products.

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Yes, because all writing instruments, except for pencils and colored pencils, have to contain some kind of solvent in order to dissolve the pigments or colorants. At STABILO, however, we use solvents made up of over 80% water and, in some inks, environmentally compatible alcohol (ethanol, n-propanol and n-butanol).

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It may surprise many, but a STABILO pencil contains absolutely no lead at all. The ‘lead’ is in fact made from graphite and clay.

In a number of STABILO pencils, the ‘lead’ doesn’t even extend to the end of the shaft, which in any case cannot be used for writing. In this way, we avoid the pointless waste of valuable raw materials such as graphite or colors. And one nice side effect for those who tend to chew their pencils: your tongue won’t get colored any more.

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The REACH chemical regulation – the most important info at a glance!

Chemicals are part of our daily life - in household cleaning products, babies’ nappies and plastics. Via the air we breathe, the food we eat or what we touch, we are in constant contact with chemicals. Since the end of 2008, “REACH”, the EU regulation on chemicals, provides for detailed consumer information on the harmlessness of materials. The name “REACH” stands for Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals. This regulation creates a greater degree of transparency, as well as transferring a significantly higher degree of responsibility to Industry to ensure the safe use of its products. Between 2007 and 2018, manufacturers and importers are required to register step-by-step with the newly-founded European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) in Helsinki around 30,000 chemicals that have been available on the market for many years, along with their areas of application. This is ultimately a precautionary measure to ensure that only materials that cause no damage to human health and the environment are produced, circulated and used. 

Are STABILO products subject to the REACH chemical regulation?

Yes!

• STABILO products are subject to REACH, as we manufacture and sell products that involve the release of chemicals in a defined way.
• Some raw materials are actually used in quantities below the REACH threshold of one ton per year, but STABILO will nevertheless only use registered chemicals from 2018 onwards.

Do STABILO products comply with REACH? 
Yes!

• Confirmation has been supplied by all raw material suppliers. As manufacturers they have carried out the pre-registered of the chemicals.

Is STABILO fulfilling its duties as a manufacturer and importer? 
Yes!

• STABILO has taken all the necessary measures as a manufacturer and importer.
• As an importer, we have informed and continue to inform our suppliers outside the EU and have had pre-registration confirmed.
• Where necessary, we have pre-registered the chemicals ourselves.
• Regular product checks are carried out with regard to the chemicals in question.

Are safety information sheets required for STABILO products?
No!

• No safety information sheets are required for writing instruments - only for chemicals and preparations.
• STABILO product information is available.

Where can I receive information about substances causing allergic reactions and irritation?

• In general, STABILO pens are safe and they do not contain toxic substances, nevertheless, they are NOT foodstuffs and they are not produced according to the food guidelines.

For German and English speaking consumers:

On suspicion of an allergic reaction or irritation we offer a free of charge information service of our partner, the Toxicological Department and Poison Emergency Centre of the Munich Clinic “Rechts der Isar”, Phone No .: +49 89-19240. This number is available 24/7. After naming the STABILO product name, you will obtain professional information there, available both in German and in English.

In respect of general and not life-threatening questions about allergic irritation, also the respective poison control centres in each country may be contacted:
http://www.eapcct.org/index.php?page=links
http://www.who.int/gho/phe/chemical_safety/poisons_centres/en/

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STABILO is committed to the responsible use of natural resources. Our aim is to minimise environmental pollution by using state-of-the-art technology and materials. A distinct line, the STABILO Green Range offers sustainable products for writing, coloring and highlighting, made from plastic or FSC®-certified wood. 
FSC® – the Forest Stewardship Council – represents strictly controlled, ecologically sound and sustainable forestry.

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STABILO rejects animal testing.

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In selecting raw materials for STABILO products we set great store by quality, sustainability and environmental friendliness. No direct animal-derived raw materials such as meat, tallow, fat, etc. are used during the research, development and manufacture of STABILO products. Although renewable plant-derived materials are predominantly used, unfortunately we cannot as yet guarantee that these are exclusively vegan raw materials.

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Available Certificates:

• FSC®-Certificate
• PEFC-Certificate
• STABILO Self-Declaration

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Environmental protection is firmly anchored in the company’s principles. Since as long ago as the beginning of the 1990s, an environmental officer has been watching over how we maintain and optimise environmental protection. Savings have been achieved, for example, through improved furnace efficiency and insulation, new machine drives that use less electricity, or closed water cooling circuits. In addition, the heating system in Weißenburg has been converted to operate using gas, and equipped with a modern control and regulation system.

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Environmental protection is firmly anchored in the company’s principles. Since as long ago as the beginning of the 1990s, an environmental officer has been watching over how we maintain and optimise environmental protection. Savings have been achieved, for example, through improved furnace efficiency and insulation, new machine drives that use less electricity, or closed water cooling circuits. In addition, the heating system in Weißenburg has been converted to operate using gas, and equipped with a modern control and regulation system.

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STABILO was the first company in the wooden pencil industry to gain FSC® certification, in 1998. This means that we obtain a proportion of the wood used in pencil manufacture from socially responsible and environmentally aware forestry businesses. Like us, these firms are strictly monitored by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC®), an international organisation that promotes the environmentally sensible use of the forests.

In recent years, we have succeeded in convincing ever larger numbers of our timber suppliers to switch to FSC® production.

FSC® timber may be a little more expensive to buy, but year on year we increase our use of these environmentally more valuable woods.

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Except for a few special models, STABILO pens and colors are made using materials that can be thrown away in standard household waste without creating a problem.

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A STABILO pen is a quality product that will last for a very long time. In addition, many of the pens we make can be refilled. For the STABILO BOSS, for example, there are refill systems, or replacement leads for retracting pencils, rollerball and ballpoint pens.

Nevertheless, should a STABILO pen reach the end of its useful life, no problem is created: the pen components consist of environmentally neutral materials and can be added to the normal household waste.

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STABILO BOSS ORIGINAL has been a very successful product for more than 40 years. One factor of its success is its unique design. The black cap is a copyrighted design feature and therefore we intend to keep this colour concept in future.

A similar STABILO product, the STABILO LUMINATOR highlighter, features a cap which matches the ink colour and has an XXL ink tank. 

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Our products are not harmful if used as intended. However, we do not recommend using these products on the skin, the body or around the mouth. These products are not cosmetics products and are not tested to meet such requirements. However, we want to stress that there is no danger if a child’s skin occasionally comes into contact with the product. Only long term INCORRECT use of STABILO woody 3 in 1 is not recommended.

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The STABILO Write-4-all – available in 3 line-widths and 4 colours – is especially suitable for these purposes. 
Also recommended: the STABILO OHPen permanent.

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Our STABILO BOSS MINI is a highlighter used not only for highlighting text passages but also for colouring with its fluorescent colours. It is not designed to paint tattoos or decorate the skin as it does not comply with the necessary cosmetics directives for this purpose. It does, however, meet the requirements for writing instruments. There is certainly no problem if you occasionally stain your fingers by accident; but in order to paint your face or decorate your skin we suggest you use a tattoo pen with tattoo ink which is available from cosmetic companies, as these inks are easy to paint with, long-lasting on skin and dermatologically tested. 

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Our development department is continuously working to further develop and to improve our products. However, health issues can only be answered by us in general terms as we have appropriate partners you may contact in respect of more in-depth questions. 

In general, STABILO pens are safe and they do not contain toxic substances, nevertheless, they are NOT foodstuffs and they are not produced according to the food guidelines.

For German and English speaking  consumers:
On suspicion of an allergic reaction or irritation we offer a free of charge information service of our partner, the Toxicological Department and Poison Emergency Centre of the Munich Clinic “Rechts der Isar”, Phone No .: +49 89-19240. This number is available 24/7. After naming the STABILO product name, you will obtain professional information there, available both in German and in English. 

In respect of general and not life-threatening questions about allergic irritation, also the respective poison control centres in each country may be contacted: 

http://www.eapcct.org/index.php?page=links

http://www.who.int/gho/phe/chemical_safety/poisons_centres/en/

More questions? Write to us!

This PDF displays refillable STABILO products and the refills needed:

The STABILO EASYoriginal sets standards in terms of ergonomics and writing comfort. In addition to this, we have also done something to stop blue fingers. In contrast to conventional ink cartridges, the EASY cartridge is protected against leaks. Even a damage which would cause a conventional ink cartridge to leak completely, our ink system holds the ink in a sponge-like reservoir. This reservoir is, of course, coloured according to the ink and stays this colour even after the ink is used up completely. A transparent cartridge would therefore not help to show the ink level.

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We are very sorry if you are not satisfied with a STABILO product.

To allow Quality Management Department to find out what went wrong and to rectify the situation, we ask you to write us an e-mail. Your complaint will be forwarded to the relevant person.

Please tell us the product name and also tell us where and when you bought the STABILO product. Before we send you a new product as replacement, you might have to send in the defective product.  

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There is no ISO standard for permanent fineliners in general and therefore none especially for our point 88 either. However, the inks are more than sufficient for office use as they can neither be erased with ink-eraser nor easily oxidised with chlorine solution. In addition, in a test of archived documents kept in folders for 10 years the point 88 ink was still legible. 

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Unfortunately we have stopped the production of these two products due to a decrease in demand. Nevertheless we have a product in our range which is very similar to the STABILO Tone. This product is called STABILO woody 3 in 1.

The STABILO woody 3 in 1 is, like the STABILO Tone, a universal genius. Colouring pencil, wax crayon and watercolour all in one. With its soft, thick lead (diameter: 10mm) the "STABILO woody 3 in 1" is unique. That's why the STABILO woody 3 in 1 is an excellent alternative to the STABILO Tone.

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Our inks are on principle non-toxic. The majority of all STABILO products contain water based inks. All necessary additives such as colorants, humectants and preservatives against microbial contamination are toxicologically harmless. The same goes for writing instruments that make use of organic solvents. In general only a small quantity of ink is used in each pen. Thus, even if a small quantity of ink from our products is swallowed by accident, there is no reason to be alarmed. Nonetheless, the inks are made up of a mix of chemicals. They are not generally intended to be put to improper uses.

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The launch of the STABILO BOSS highlighter at the beginning of 1971 marked an innovative masterstroke by Schwan-STABILO with a totally new, revolutionary application. In the days before fluorescent highlighters there were few ways to mark important text. The idea of simply writing over passages instead of underlining them was obvious: all that was left was for fluorescent ink to be put into a suitable pen. And a revolutionary writing instrument required an equally revolutionary shape – a real challenge for an industrial designer! The designer made one model after another, only to discard them all: square, round, short and fat, long and flat designs. A conical cylinder he had produced in modelling clay seemed like a promising idea, but it was still hardly anything new. In his frustration, the designer squashed the model lying in front of him with the flat of his hand...
40 years later, the flat, chubby highlighter still has many imitators. And to this day it remains the highlight of an entire product category.

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STABILO pens and pencils are harmless and contain no toxic substances, but they are nevertheless not food.

The STABILO woody 3 in 1in particular adheres to all legislation for children’s toys in the European Community and for this reason carries the CE-symbol. The Toy Safety Directive includes the core stipulation that the lead, varnish and wood may not be dangerous to children’s health, not toxic, corrosive or irritant, etc. 

The product thus presents no danger to the child under normal conditions of use or from reasonably foreseeable misuse. Occasional “biting or sucking” is included under reasonably foreseeable misuse.

We recommend that colored pencils are only given to children aged 3 and over, as younger children often put pencils in their mouths. From age 3, it is safe to assume that this only happens from time to time accidentally and that such behaviour is not prolonged.

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STABILO markets many special ranges specifically adapted to the needs of small children or those starting school. Ideally, however, children aged under 3 years old should not play with writing instruments unsupervised.

Highlighters are not typical children’s products. As STABILO highlighters are completely harmless, however, even very young children can use them to express their creativity. In addition, the STABILO Pen 68 Neon has been specially developed for the STABILO children’s range.

Children should not put colored pens into their mouths. Should any ink get into their mouths, however, simply rinse it out.

Should a small child swallow a cap, under certain circumstances this can become lodged in the windpipe. As a result, STABILO caps with a diameter of less than 1 cm are “ventilated” – meaning that they are equipped with slits, through which sufficient breathing air can flow until a doctor removes the cap from the windpipe.

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Our products with CE markings are children's toys which conform to all the relevant requirements set out by the European Community. In addition to legislating upon the toxic elements contained in children's toys and similar, the Toy Safety Directive includes the core stipulation that components and contents (e.g. the lead, varnish or wood in wooden pencils) may not be classed as dangerous to health, toxic, corrosive, irritant etc. The product thus presents no danger to the child under normal conditions of use or from reasonably foreseeable misuse. Occasional “biting or sucking” is included under reasonably foreseeable misuse. 
Labelling products as “non-toxic” is not permissible in the context of children’s toys, as it must constantly be borne in mind that colours also contain chemicals, which although not dangerous to health, are still to be considered as chemicals. Nevertheless, raw materials are extensively analysed and the composition is not dangerous to health. 
We recommend that drawing pencils and child-friendly fibre pens are only given to children aged 3 and up, as younger children often put pencils in their mouths. From age 3, it is safe to assume that this only happens from time to time accidentally and that such behaviour is not prolonged.

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1928 - a day like any other. In the paint shop of the Schwan pencil factory in Nuremberg a batch of pencils rattled through the coating machine. The freshly-painted wooden shafts gleamed brightly as they left the machine. But something was not quite right... The foreman and machine operator discovered to their horror that the hexagonal pencils all had light stripes at the edges. However, what at first seemed to be a mishap turned out to be an important design feature. Since then, Schwan pencils have been deliberately given light stripes down the edges, with this typical brand recognition feature registered as a trade mark that very same year.

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If the STABILO ´s move / STABILO EASYoriginal you used writes with blue ink, then it is standard fountain pen ink. These stains can easily be removed by using an ink eraser (e.g. STABILO point 88 colorkilla). 

If the STABILO ´s move / STABILO EASYoriginal writes red or black, water or soap would be the best choice. If you do not achieve the desired result with this, we recommend you buy a stain-remover at your local drugstore and use it according to the manufacturer’s instructions. In this particular case we recommend an oxidising stain-remover as part of the ink could be removed through strong oxidation.

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Leather:
Assuming that you have already tried several conventional methods for stain removal (such as soap and water, for example) our advice would be to use ethanol (spirits). The ink contains two pigments which are easily removed with ethanol, although this does not promise complete success. However, you may be able to remove more pigment from your leather by using a spirit-saturated fleece cloth. Avoid rubbing, as the stain might spread this way. When working with ethanol, you must avoid naked flames, as spirits are very flammable. Additionally, we recommend testing the leather’s reaction to the spirit on a hidden part of the leather.

Cloth:
Unfortunately, with these STABILO products it is very difficult or even impossible to remove stains from textiles. However, this short guide may help you nonetheless. First of all, it is important to remove the excess ink dye which has not yet dried into the fibre. To do this, first put a dry, absorbent piece of fleece on top of the stain. Then press the ink out of the cloth from the back with a damp piece of fleece into the dry one. As the dry fleece absorbs the excessive ink immediately, the stain is prevented from spreading further. When you cannot press any more ink into the dry fleece using this method, only the ink which has already soaked in will be left on the fibre of your cloth. This remaining ink can then be removed from the fibre using a stain-remover (like Sil or any other brand from the drugstore, ox-gall soap, etc.) according to the instructions of the detergent manufacturer. In this particular case, we recommend an oxidising stain-remover, as part of the ink could be removed through strong oxidation. 
We recommend you test the detergent on a hidden spot first, to be sure that it will not affect the fibre or the colour of your cloth. The level of success depends on the colour of the ink as well as the type of fibre. In general, cotton and synthetic fibres are more easy to clean than wool or silk fibres. White spirit or other solvents have no effect here.
If the reverse side is not accessible, you should not try to absorb the excessive ink with a dry fleece-sheet but rather attempt to dab it off with a slightly dampened piece of fleece. Avoid rubbing, as the stain might spread this way.

Then wash the material at the appropriate temperature.

On furniture or wood flooring:
It is best to wipe the stain immediately with a slightly damp microfibre cloth, until the ink is removed as much as possible. If the ink cannot be removed this way, then carefully rub the stain with a damp cloth and a scouring agent for kitchen and bath. Please be careful not to damage the lacquering of the material. If the spot has turned dull, try to bring back the shine of the spots with a car polisher containing no abrasives.

For untreated wood, the ink is usually absorbed by the wood like aqueous stains and thus it is unfortunately very difficult or hard to be removed. Depending on how deep the ink has penetrated, polishing with an abrasive pad / sandpaper could be successful. It should be noted that the colour of the wood may change and may have to be re-sealed or waxed.

On walls (plastered or painted):

Unfortunately, these stains cannot be removed without residue any more, they must be painted over by wall paint. Please dab the stain first with a slightly damp microfibre cloth until no more ink gets detached from the wall.

Caution: When using a too wet cloth, the stain will enlarge.

Then the spot must be primed a sealing primer (DIY store / Painter shop). This procedure is intended to avoid ink to dissolve from the stain through the damp wall colour and then to migrate through the wall paint to the surface and thus to become visible again.

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Special note for STABILO woody 3 in 1: 

We would like to point out that although the STABILO woody 3 in 1 is aquarellable (water-soluble), it cannot necessarily be washed out. This very much depends on the type of fabric and woody color) Quite often misleading information is given, even in specialist shops, or the facts are simply mixed up.

Unfortunately, in particular the colors 370 (erika) and 385 (violet) permeate many surfaces more strongly (including radiator paint and skin). STABILO woody 3 in 1 colors can be wiped off smooth surfaces (e.g. glass) with a damp cloth. If traces are still visible, put some standard liquid scouring agent on a soft damp cloth and rub them off. To remove color residues from skin you could also use pumice stone as it rubs off the upper layer of the skin and therefore reduces the coloring. Please note: Generally spoken all woody colors cannot be easily wiped off of porous surfaces/materials.

Coloring pencils on skin:

The pencil has not been developed for cosmetic purposes and should therefore not be used as make-up (usage on skin) or for coloring hair.

If the color cannot be completely removed from the skin using a damp cloth, we recommend using standard hand cleaning paste for strong stains, or a facial scrub (which is less likely to irritate delicate skin). Alternatively it could also help to use a pumice stone to rub off the upper layer of the skin and therefore reduces the coloring. As skin can be irritated by this, you should rinse with clean water immediately after and apply moisturising cream to the skin. 

Coloring pencils on material:

With intense staining, dab with a damp micro-fibre cloth until no more color comes off the material. Then wash the material at the appropriate temperature.

If necessary, pre-treat with ox gall soap or special stain sprays (caution: this is not suitable for every material, please observe instructions on/in the pack!). Traces may nevertheless remain, depending on the type of fibres or mix of material.

Coloring pencils on leather:

Dab with a micro-fibre cloth until as much color has been removed as possible. If traces of color can still be seen on smooth leather, try carefully rubbing on a little liquid scouring agent for kitchen and bathroom with a damp cloth without damaging the finish.

Coloring pencils on radiators:

Radiator paint is a special type of paint which is subject to strong changes in temperature and therefore contains a high level of plasticisers to prevent the paint cracking. The plasticisers do not leave the paint with a hard, smooth surface, but make it easier for coloring pencil pigments to be absorbed. Swift action is called for here! The marks left by the coloring pencils should be wiped or dabbed away immediately with a damp cloth. If traces remain, rub them away using a damp cloth and standard liquid scouring agent for kitchen and bathroom.

Coloring pencils on furniture or wood flooring:
It is best to wipe the stain immediately with a slightly damp microfibre cloth, until the ink is removed as much as possible. If the ink cannot be removed this way, then carefully rub the stain with a damp cloth and a scouring agent for kitchen and bath. Please be careful not to damage the lacquering of the material. If the spot has turned dull, try to bring back the shine of the spots with a car polisher containing no abrasives.

For untreated wood, the ink is usually absorbed by the wood like aqueous stains and thus it is unfortunately very difficult or hard to be removed. Depending on how deep the ink has penetrated, polishing with an abrasive pad / sandpaper could be successful. It should be noted that the colour of the wood may change and may have to be re-sealed or waxed.

Coloring pencils on walls (plastered or painted):
Unfortunately, these stains cannot be removed without residue any more, they must be painted over by wall paint. Please dab the stain first with a slightly damp microfibre cloth until no more ink gets detached from the wall.

Caution: When using a too wet cloth, the stain will enlarge.
Then the spot must be primed a sealing primer (DIY store / Painter shop). This procedure is intended to avoid ink to dissolve from the stain through the damp wall colour and then to migrate through the wall paint to the surface and thus to become visible again.

We hope that these tips help with the removal of the marks and must point out that we can accept no responsibility for damage resulting from the actions described above.

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If a highlighter ink stain has already completely dried, it will be difficult to do anything more than only to reduce the intensity of the stain. The key to successful stain removal is to act fast: even waiting just a few minutes after the ink stain has been made can reduce the chances of completely removing the stain. The type of fibres and their pre-treatment will also have a major influence. After all, the colourants in the highlighter inks are textile dyes that were developed for good fibre adsorption. The ink is an emulsion ink (similar to wall paint) which, once dried, is no longer water-soluble because the plastic emulsion then cross-links. 

With a fresh highlighter ink stain, it is important to remove the excess ink which has not yet been absorbed into the fibres while it is still moist. This is done by putting a piece of dry, absorbent fleece on the stain and using a damp piece of fleece applied to the rear side of the material to press the ink out of it and into the dry fleece. The dry fleece immediately absorbs and wicks away the excess ink, which prevents the stain from spreading further. When no more ink can be pressed into the dry fleece using this method, only the ink which has already soaked into the fibres will be left. It is important that the material is then washed immediately. Some customers report treating the material with ox-gall soap before washing it, with significantly improved results. 


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Unfortunately, with these STABILO products it is either very difficult or even impossible to remove stains from textiles. However, this short guide may help you nonetheless. Assuming that you already tried several conventional methods for stain removal (such as soap and water, for example) our advice would be to use ethanol (spirits). The ink contains two pigments which are easily removed with ethanol, although this does not promise complete success. Yet you may be able to remove more pigment from your cloth/leather by using a spirit-saturated fleece cloth. Avoid rubbing, as the stain might spread this way. When working with ethanol you must avoid naked flames, as spirits are very flammable. Additionally, we recommend testing the material’s reaction to the spirit on a hidden part of the cloth/leather.

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Some 50,000 years ago our ancestors were still chiselling stories in stone with flint and painting on the walls of their caves with plant dyes. For thousands of years, pictures were their only means of communication. The ancient Romans used a stylus made of pewter or lead to write on wax tablets, papyrus or parchment. Implements made of lead, pewter and silver were used for writing and drawing until the late Middle Ages. Change came with the discovery of graphite in England around 1550: this new material was soon known throughout Europe.

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The hometown of Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) did not become a centre for pencil making by chance. Once a well-organised craftsmen's stronghold, Nuremberg also had a geographically advantageous location at the intersection of old trading routes. In 1820, about ten large workshops and the same number of smaller businesses were producing pencils in and around Nuremberg. 
The first factories in which pencils were manufactured by machine came into being around 1870. The factory owners were quick to expand their sales activities: while products had previously been sold at markets nearby, pencils were exported to many countries in Europe and even overseas. 
By around 1890 the pencil industry had experienced a rapid phase of modernisation within a short time. 

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The pencil factory began using the swan as its trademark in 1875. Choosing this symbol was almost a fait accompli, as the German word for “swan” forms part of the family name Schwanhäußer. Most important in this decision was that this beautiful bird was thought to make the product even more appealing. The swan with its white plumage and elegant neck stands for purity and beauty. It became our trademark and has symbolised our company for over 130 years.

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