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How Blackwing Pencils are Made [video]

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Re: How Blackwing Pencils are Made [video]

#11

Post by linguae »

leonidv wrote: post #3

I have a box of 120 Blackwing pencils of all types. They look nice, expensive, but a bad tool. (review -> https://www.instagram.com/p/CrD5KRnuLnh/?img_index=2&igsh=cD... ) They are not suitable for fine drawing (too waxy and soft) - those are either STAEDTLER, FaberCastell, or Tombow (Japanese brand). The fancy tip eraser is also not very useful. The metal around it is so soft, it can't hold any pressure. Also extrem…

I also enjoy my Blackwings, though my normal pencil of choice is the Mitsubishi Hi-Uni HB, which is cheaper than the Blackwing but is still an awesome pencil. I think my supply of pencils will last at least a decade. I take a lot of handwritten notes when doing research, and I prefer pencil over pen when working in computer science and math.

Re: How Blackwing Pencils are Made [video]

#12

Post by noahbradley »

leonidv wrote: post #3

I have a box of 120 Blackwing pencils of all types. They look nice, expensive, but a bad tool. (review -> https://www.instagram.com/p/CrD5KRnuLnh/?img_index=2&igsh=cD... ) They are not suitable for fine drawing (too waxy and soft) - those are either STAEDTLER, FaberCastell, or Tombow (Japanese brand). The fancy tip eraser is also not very useful. The metal around it is so soft, it can't hold any pressure. Also extrem…

I don't know, they've always seemed nice to draw with.

Re: How Blackwing Pencils are Made [video]

#13

Post by encode »

leonidv wrote: post #3

I have a box of 120 Blackwing pencils of all types. They look nice, expensive, but a bad tool. (review -> https://www.instagram.com/p/CrD5KRnuLnh/?img_index=2&igsh=cD... ) They are not suitable for fine drawing (too waxy and soft) - those are either STAEDTLER, FaberCastell, or Tombow (Japanese brand). The fancy tip eraser is also not very useful. The metal around it is so soft, it can't hold any pressure. Also extrem…

They're not really targeted at artists but for writing and taking notes. In my opinion, they have a nice smooth feel and work well for this purpose. But they're on the expensive side, so if you don't care about the looks, there are many other—wallet-friendly—options out there!

The eraser is infamous for being terrible. But it looks cool.

Re: How Blackwing Pencils are Made [video]

#15

Post by skywal_l »

leonidv wrote: post #3

I have a box of 120 Blackwing pencils of all types. They look nice, expensive, but a bad tool. (review -> https://www.instagram.com/p/CrD5KRnuLnh/?img_index=2&igsh=cD... ) They are not suitable for fine drawing (too waxy and soft) - those are either STAEDTLER, FaberCastell, or Tombow (Japanese brand). The fancy tip eraser is also not very useful. The metal around it is so soft, it can't hold any pressure. Also extrem…

What does a pencil have over a mechanical pencil? Mechanical pencils never need sharpening, infinite supply of lead of various type and and they seem more environmentally friendly (assuming you keep using the same for many years).

Re: How Blackwing Pencils are Made [video]

#17

Post by Pinus »

ktallett wrote: post #4

They aren't the same since they were brought back.

For those HN readers who are not stationery junkies: The “real” Blackwing pencils went out of production... I don’t know when, but it must be at least 15 years ago, probably longer. (I have only been watching this from the outside, so don’t ask me for details. =) ) Those sold now come from a different production line at a different company, even though the maker is trying to make them as close as possible to the original. Ever since they showed up, pencil aficionados have been debating whether they are better, worse, or about the same. Originals seem to sell for over $20 a piece on eBay (actual "sold" prices, not asking prices).

Re: How Blackwing Pencils are Made [video]

#19

Post by gfrecvh »

tkgally wrote: post #8

A couple of months ago, I went with my daughter and six-year-old grandson to the Kita-Boshi Pencil factory in eastern Tokyo [1]. He is a first-grader at a public elementary school in Yokohama, and he is learning to write using wooden pencils. We had watched many times a similar video [2] showing pencils being made at the Kita-Boshi factory. The production line wasn’t operating the day we went, but we still got a full…

How do you go about scheduling a visit to a factory?

Re: How Blackwing Pencils are Made [video]

#20

Post by evandena »

gfrecvh wrote: post #18

Wait they didn't show how they insert the graphite into the wood. That's the only reason why I was watching this.

they did... it's inserted into a groove, and the two pencil halves are glued together, at 4:45 https://youtu.be/fow-LsdaH2E?si=bOIb8Q01_4V04uQ2&t=285
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