Is the Kitaboshi 9606 HB Pencil good enough to replace the hugely popular Blackwing 602, for half the price?
This is going to be a fun exercise today. And the least interesting part of it is that Kitaboshi manufactures Palomino and Blackwing pencils. More on that in a bit. Until then, what is the Kitaboshi 9606?
Kitaboshi is a well-respected Japanese manufacturer, making pencils in Tokyo since 1951. Pencils.com gives more insight into their history, including their providing of Incense Cedar wood slats from Cal Cedar.
The 9606 is Kitaboshi’s take on the traditional Japanese office pencil category, as seen in products like the Mitsubishi 9850 and Tombow 2558. The barrel is a classic burgundy shade, with gold foil stamping on one side-with name, model, graphite grade, and “General Use” imprints-and silver foil stamping on the opposite-stating “Academic Writing,” and a second HB stamp. I haven’t seen this type of dual-color, opposite-side, stamping before, but I guess Kitaboshi wanted to have their bases covered.
From a performance side, they certainly do. This is a smooth, dark core with good point retention, all while not being too firm. That’s a good stock definition of HB, but there is often core grading variance between brands. I’m surprised with most Japanese HB pencils at how soft they pretend to be, while not having to sharpen them constantly, as if you were using a 4B core to write a novel with. The excellent point retention disguises the softness.
The Blackwing 602 core may be slightly darker? I think I would have a hard time telling them apart in a blind test. The 9850 may be better than both.
The 9606 is a great all around pencil. Clearly, it is ideal for academic writing or general use-the barrel says so-but yes, it’s great for every day writing, and has enough range to be used for drawing, sketching, and more.
As with many standard Japanese pencils, the Kitaboshi 9606 is priced right at $1 per pencil when bought as a dozen. For a pencil of this quality, it is a fantastic value, and an easy recommendation.
So, that whole manufacturing thing-are Kitaboshi cores the same as found in Blackwings? I made this comment in my Muji 2B Pencil Review:
“Surprisingly, the Blackwing Pearl was a close match for the Muji. The core felt similar, and the color and smoothness on the page was similar.”
Turns out, the Muji pencils are made by Kitaboshi, too! Three grades of the standard Kitaboshi Cedar Pencil are available. Hmmmmmmm …
I rarely cover pencil erasers in reviews unless they are outstanding. The eraser on the 2558 is the best. This one is exceedingly average.
So, the final question: Is the 9606 going to replace the Blackwing 602 for me? No. The Blackwing design is turned up to 11, and I’m happy to pay the premium that requires. This question is similar to the one I asked last week about the Zebra Sarasa Nano. Two great pens, and in that case I chose the cheaper of the two. This time, it’s the opposite. And that is no knock on either selection I didn’t make. It’s merely an aesthetic choice. If the insides are the same, I’ll pick the outside I prefer most of the time.
In the broader sense, the Kitaboshi 9606 deserves to be selected more times than not. The performance dictates that, and the price seals the deal. It’s a great pencil.
(St. Louis Art Supply provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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