L & C Hardtmuth, Austria HHH

About L&C Hardtmuth

L&C Hardtmuth was formed in 1790 by Josef Hardtmuth in Vienna, Austria. In 1802 he patented the first pencil lead made from a combination of clay and graphite, and in 1848 the company was moved to the city of Budweis in what is today the Czech Republic. In 1888 they introduced the KOH-I-NOOR pencil, named after the largest known diamond in the world at that time. Today the company operates under the name KOH-I-NOOR HARDTMUTH. Learn more about this company’s fascinating history here.