Palomino Blackwing Colors Colored Pencils Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter.)

I probably have too many colored pencils, but when I heard that Blackwing was making a colored pencil set, I knew I was going to have to try them. I can tell you right now that I'm going to use these until they're wee pencil nubs that I can't even grip anymore. That may not take long, however--these pencils are butter soft.

The core is made from Japanese wax. It glides over paper and can lay down a nice smooth line or create very soft shaded areas. They blend and shade well, but do not hold a fine point for long. Any fine detail work may require frequent sharpening or a different pencil. I did not have any issues with tip breakage, even after sharpening. These are sturdy, but pleasantly lightweight, little gems.

The packaging is very nice and fancy. The box is smooth-coated cardboard with a clear plastic window for peeking at the pretty pencils inside. The box opens like a book and the front flap is held closed by a hidden magnet. It's a neat design, but I probably wouldn't trust the strength of the magnet to hold up against the tumult inside a daypack. I'd suggest removing the pencils to a more secure case for on-the-go coloring. Inside the case, the pencils are nestled in a foam bed, held in place by a plastic shield. I found the shield annoying and set it aside, only to then dump the pencils in my lap the next time I opened the box. So maybe hold on to that bit.

The bodies are a nice rounded hexagon with a glossy coating that matches the core color. The finial is a chrome-colored piece that is separate from, but attached to, the wood body--it's not a painted or applied color. I expect it will be a handy grip-piece when you come to the end of the pencil. "Blackwing colors" is stamped in silver at the rear end of the pencil, but there are--annoyingly--no color names. I wouldn't mind too much, but the purple, brown, and black are a little difficult to distinguish, even in decent light. The two greens are also quite similar at first glance, though their core colors are very different. Even basic color names would have done a lot for ease of use, here, though I don't know how anyone could pass up an opportunity to come up with crazy color names. Haven't we all daydreamed about having that job? Perhaps we will all have to name our own sets.

And speaking of colors, that's my only other criticism of the set. These are artist-quality pencils (and are priced as such), but with a primary school palette. I understand the logic to beginning with the basics, but unless Blackwing plans to release more colors, this set isn't as self-sufficient as their target audience might want. And anyone whose needs don't exceed a basic ROYGBIV probably aren't going to be looking in this price range. They are high quality and fun to use, and I will happily apply them to my sketches and coloring books, but I'm going to need to bring in some outside help in the form of other pencil brands in order to get the job done. But they're a happy addition to my collection, just the same, and I really hope Blackwing does have a plan for more colors.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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The Blackwing As A Gateway Drug

(This is a guest post by Jon Bemis. You can find Jon on Twitter @jtower42.)

(Note: This story is true. I have changed a few details to respect people’s privacy. The internet is a small world.)

I don’t really like pencils. I’m a pen person – fountain, gel, rollerball, even ballpoint. For me, there are just too many reasons not to use a pencil. Let me enumerate them.

• Sharpening. It’s so fussy. I’m not talking about the mess; I don’t mind pencil shavings any more than I mind ink on my fingers. Filling a fountain pen is just as time consuming and potentially much messier than sharpening a pencil. What I mean by “fussy” is the shot-in-the-dark, wild-ass-guess aspect of sharpening. It’s a gamble every time.

Everyone knows the problems. You stick your pencil into a blind hole, twist and pray. Too little, and you don’t have a sharp point. Too much, and you lose too much wood, expose the tip and snap it off… and I just realized what an awkward turn this has taken. Kids, if you don’t know how pencil sharpening works, ask your parents or health ed teacher. Moving on.

• Color. There ain’t any. Color is one of the things I like best about pens, especially fountain pens. There is a color of ink for every situation and every mood. I know that a true leadhead can speak passionately about the subtle and gorgeous differences between a 2H and a 2B, but it’s all fifty shades of grey to me.

Dang it, I did it again. I don’t know what it is about pencils that make me turn to innuendo and cheap jokes. I swear it won’t happen again.

• Erasers. All that rubbing, and heat, and it’s messy afterward…Someone stop me. I need help.

• I really do have a problem with eraser schnibbles. They make my skin crawl. Seriously, I have a huge hang-up about little bits of eraser all over my paper, my desk, my office floor. Just gross.

I don’t want anyone think I’m going to go on some anti-pencil tirade. Just because I personally don’t like pencils, and frankly don’t GET pencils, doesn’t mean I don’t respect those who do. It’s like cats. I don’t like cats and don’t get why people do like cats, but when some dear friends recently lost a beloved cat, I was there to offer my condolences. I understand that some people like pencils or cats the same way I like pens or, um, not cats.

But until recently, the mind of the pencil-lover was a mystery to me. I understood intellectually that some people preferred pencils, but I didn’t truly get it. Recently, however, I had an excellent conversation with a co-worker named Lucas, and I started to really understand. Join me in a flashback to establish the context for this graphite epiphany:

Like many “better writing” enthusiasts, even though I have my favorites, I am always willing to buy and try new things. So I had purchased a box each of Blackwings and 602’s, a couple of General 580s, and two different Uni Kuru Toga models. (Full disclosure, I do use the Kuru Toga’s infrequently but regularly for sketching product ideas, doodling and math.) I tried the woodcase pencils, but for all the reasons above, none of them could displace pens on an everyday basis.

For my co-worker Lucas, pencils were the only choice. I noticed he was using the Dixon Ticonderogas from our office supply closet (not at all a bad pencil,) and that he never used a pen. I knew he wasn’t someone I could talk to about pens, but I could still try to lead him down the path into the Lovecraftian nightmare grotto of writing instrument addiction.

So I stopped by his cube one afternoon with a couple of Blackwing 602s. I gave them to him and tried to give him some context. I told him about the legendary Palomino brand, its demise and its resurrection by Pencils.com. I swore to him that he would perceive a difference between the Ticonderoga and the 602. I talked about aromatic cedar wood. Throughout this whole conversation, I was trying to be cautious. The one thing I didn’t want to do was overwhelm him with pencil information or trivia. I might have overshot a little when I told him about the Erasable Podcast. That was the moment when I got the look like I was crazy.

“What do they talk about?” he asked. “Just… PENCILS?” “Oh no,” I replied hurriedly. “They talk about paper and sharpeners and erasers too.” Strangely, this did not remove the skeptical look from his face. Suddenly feeling a flush creeping up my neck, I tried to get out of this conversation as quickly as I could. “I promise you, you’ll love the Blackwing. Just try it, and let me know what you think,” I said.

I backed out of his cubicle. His right eyebrow never left its incredulous perch halfway up his forehead.

For a couple of weeks, I tried to avoid Lucas. There wasn’t any ducking into supply closets or anything, but I certainly took a circuitous route around his cube. I felt like I’d told him I liked to drink pickle juice, or collected ceramic unicorns, or something equally mortifying and terrible. Even though I was merely trying to share the joy of writing, I felt embarrassed.

Finally, after chiding myself for being ridiculous, I stopped by his cubicle and asked him how he liked writing with the Blackwing. He looked at me, and I was surprised to see that HE looked embarrassed! “I thought there was NO WAY I’d be able to tell any difference between two pencils,” he said. “But man, that pencil you gave me is really smooth.”

I couldn’t help myself. I grinned. The ice had been broken. I wasn’t a pencil-pushing lunatic any more; I was just a guy with a geeky hobby. I decided to take this newfound, delicate connection out for a spin. “So, tell me, why pencils? I just can’t get into pencils – I’m pretty strictly a pen guy,” I asked.

“Well,” Lucas said, “In my job (accounting) accuracy is so critical. If I write down the wrong number and enter the wrong thing, it could be disastrous. So, if I make a mistake, I like to be able to erase it.” I nodded. “If I use pen and have to cross out a number or a date, I’ll question myself later why I crossed it out. But if I erase it, it’s gone forever.”

There was a pause.

“I know that sounds a little crazy,” he said. “I’m kind of… I mean, I’m not really OCD, but I am kind of…” “Particular?” I ventured. “That’s a good way to put it. My whole life is kind of well-organized,” he said. “I even had a girlfriend once who said she was afraid to move my stuff because I was so anal-retentive about it. We broke up after a while.”

This was a little bit of a moment. I didn’t say anything for a few seconds. “Well,” I finally said, “that’s why there are so many kinds of pens and pencils in the world. There’s something out there that works perfectly for everyone."

I had a meeting to get to. “Hey, if you need more Blackwings, let me know. I have two dozen, and I’ll never get around to using all of them,” I said. “See ya later.”

“See ya,” he said.

I walked to my meeting with a smile on my face. I was relieved that Lucas no longer thought I was an office supply psychopath. I was also glad to be reminded of the best part of the writing community; that connections can be made over something as simple as a pencil.

Palomino Blackwing Pearl Review

Mechanical pencils? Yes.

Drafting pencils? Absolutely.

Wooden pencils? Almost never.

Why is that? These are obviously beloved writing instruments with traditions carried through the centuries. I like writing and tradition, so why no love for wooden pencils?

I think for me it boiled down to portability and convenience, plus the inability to write the super-fine lines that I love. But change, it is a comin'. I think my relatively new love for fountain pens has changed my perspective a bit. What started as a strict adherence to extra-fine nibs has branched out as far as 1.5 mm stub nibs. I had no idea what I was missing!

That may be the case too with pencils. There are some great products on the market that I am missing out on. I reviewed the Blackwing 602 in late 2011 and enjoyed it. So much so, I vowed to continue using it regularly. I didn't. Now that I have the new Blackwing Pearl in hand I'm starting to realize how much I am missing out.

The Pearl is a fun pencil to use. It is beautifully designed with a pearlescent sheen and gold accoutrements. I would have preferred a pink eraser over the black, and luckily you can make that happen if you so desire (there are even orange erasers!)

Comparing the Pearl and the 602 directly, the Pearl is softer and slightly darker. I actually prefer the firmness of the 602 over the Pearl, especially since it is close in darkness. Both are super smooth with points holding longer that you would expect.

I hope I find a way to work these Blackwings into my regular rotation. I also want to try out other wooden pencils. What do you recommend?

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)