BlackwingMatte Pencils - 12 Count

Do you like to really see what you wrote, not have some grayish ghost of pencil lines? These are great. Fun to use. Fit in a standard pencil sharpener. The wider eraser at the end provides great coverage for quicker erasing. Be careful not to grind them away in your electric pencil sharpener. The wood and core grind smoothly. Better yet, use a manual sharpener - you’ll enjoy doing it and your pencils won’t disappear in the sharpener. Gorgeous and solid box. Wish I could figure out some useful purpose for it rather than condemning it to the recycled cardboard bin.

I've never been a pencil aficionado, finding that over time, graphite eventually streaks and smears all over the paper it's used on. These do the same, it's the nature of graphite.That being said, I heard about the Faber Blackwing, it's discontinuation, and how obsessed people were with it (selling for *stupid amounts of money* on eBay). Then I saw these Palomino Blackwing pencils, and heard they were supposed to be fairly close to the original. I figured I'd try them out, and see what all the fuss was about.While there's no rubberized coating to assist handling or comfort in grip, the graphite is one of the best I've ever used. It's super soft, so it wears faster than "normal" pencils, and makes a dark mark. The eraser is one of the vinyl type which won't damage your paper, unlike the (usually pink) rubber ones found on most pencils.The only criticism I can find with the pencils is with the eraser holder, or ferrule, in that while the eraser can be replaced completely, I believe they're intended also to be advanced in the holder to make more use of the piece before being replaced. The little metal strap that clips into the unique ferrule is smooth against the eraser, so if you advance the eraser it will just slide back in to the original position. I fixed this by driving a tiny sharp awl into the clip, creating a sharp hook on the inside, digging into the eraser. Now it holds no matter how I fix the eraser into the clip.Keeping a point on one of these will require constant maintenance. The graphite is extremely soft -- apparently the softest in the Blackwing family of pencils. There are other graphite hardness levels available. I have some Blackwing 602s arriving soon that are made of harder graphite that I'm looking forward to trying. I've also just found out about the Blackwing Pearl which is supposed to fall in between these two.I suppose artists will find these more useful than I do, but I do enjoy writing with them, and actually enjoy writing my usual task lists and project notes.

I really like the quality of these pencils, they are very dark and easy to work with. Easy to hold, I can make dark and lighter marks with ease. The lines are crisp and smooth. This is one easy pencil to use.

I bought these with a little bit of skepticism, just received them today, got one sharpened, and it is such a pleasure to write with, you just want to sit down and draw and write with it. Highly recommend these pencils.

I never thought spending a lot on pencils would be worth it but these are amazing. They flow like butter, super smooth. Rich and dark. Even the eraser is well thought out and they’re replaceable if you use it up before the lead is gone from use. Worth the money if you’re serious about your craft.

I blend a lot when I draw. It's more like laying some graphite then painting with the tortillon. These produce the best finish. They're dark -- I think about a 4B -- and they lay a clean line when used point down and smooth layer when used point sideways.What I like:The eraser is long -- 7/8 inch -- and you can extend it and even replace it at need.It lays a fantastic line and holds a point very well.It has a good barrel and feels comfortable in the hand.It has a faceted barrel and won't roll off the table (I am tired of chasing after runaway pastel pencils).It blends very easily and leaves a lovely finish.It's a good-looking pencil.What I don't like:You can't use it in a pencil extender because of the odd shape at the eraser end.You can't put a cap eraser on it.This is, for most folk, a drawing pencil not a writing pencil. If you use it to write, it will likely smear. It's supposed to (or rather it's supposed to blend easily, but to the pencil they're the same thing). The Blackwing Pearl or Blackwing 602 is a better writing pencil, and of the two I'd suggest the 602.