Franbel, whose name comes from a combination of the words France and Belgium, was founded by Maurice Faber, Raoul Maurice, and Georges Verhulst in 1919. At that time it was called "Compagnie Franco Belge des Crayons," and some of their early pencils bare the name "CIE Franco-Belge" or French-Belgian Company. Franbel liquidated in 1970.