Blackwing Matte

These are very good pencils for drawing. They provide a wide range of tones depending on how much pressure you use. I've enjoyed using them for portraiture. However, I find that I need to frequently sharpen the tips. They seem to wear down quicker than other pencils. Also, the eraser works well but doesn't last long.Overall I like them better than most pencils. Considering how expensive they are, I think that a longer lasting eraser should be a standard feature.

BlackWing pencils are incredible in the quality department. They write well & no need to worry about the eraser wearing out before the pencil does due to the ability of being able to replace the erasers. If you’re one of those that would argue that these pencils are too expensive, I’d suggest you try them once and you’ll be sold. Almost forgot to mention that if you also buy the BlackWing long point sharpener you’ll be able to sharpen this pencil to absolute perfection with the longest most uniquely shaped taper & pointiest point that you’ve ever seen on a pencil. Absolute perfect pencil for any marking task that requires a straight & highly accurate point. Buy the pencils & their sharpener & thank me later.

My favorite sketching pencils! Perfect point, with the right texture for sketching without constantly breaking the tip. I love the erasers as well. Just an excellent tool with a great feeling in my hand.

This is a lovely pencil. I got the softest of the three types, Matte, for everday writing. It has a dark heavy line, which is what I like. It dulls quickly, which is what you expect in a very soft pencil. But it somehow manages to not be smeary on the page. I’m not a big spender and $35 for a dozen pencils does feel extravagant. But once or twice a month I might drop $35 at a restaurant and not feel guilty. I put this in the same category. A treat that I could certainly do without, but which brings me pleasure without breaking my own personal bank when indulged in every once in a while. If writing with an excellent instrument makes you happy and you won’t miss $35, go for it.

If you're even considering buying these pencils - then you're already a pencil lover and should know this will be a good purchase. Very happy to find a pencil that makes darker marks - I wish it came even darker! Very smooth, and very comfy to hold. The weight is great and they seem very durable to me - although I wish I could invest in the point saver...but I have others I can use right now.

Great pencils. I use them for charting music. They're nice bold and dark so my charts can be seen in low light.

These Palomino Blackwings put down a really nice dark rich smooth line. They have a slightly softer lead than the Blackwing 602s, and are slightly darker and smoother to write with because of that. They do require more frequent sharpening than the 602s but both pencils maintain their point fairly well. The matte finish is very comfortable in the hand, and is one of the things that makes this pencil superior to the glossy 602.Two minor complaints:1) These pencils are too long. This is something that will only affect some people. In my case, I wanted a couple of these pencils to fit into a pencil bag that was designed for normal pencils. I had to sharpen off about half an inch to be able to get them in there. I really think these should be at least a half inch shorter overall.2)The ferrule is too wide. I thought this would be a nice thing for the novelty when I first bought these, but I have decided that it is actually a bit annoying. I would prefer a ferrule that does not extend beyond the width of the pencil. One of the problems with a big ferrule is that you can not secure them under a strap next to each other without wasting space. I will say that these ferrules are very well made and very firmly attached to the pencil.The deal breaker:My biggest issue with these pencils is that they will not erase cleanly. The included erasers are decent, although gritty, but they will not completely remove what you want to erase. This is not the fault of the eraser, it is an issue with the lead formulation. Even with my awesome Staedtler Mars plastic eraser, the lines will not completely come off the paper. No other pencil I have ever used has had such a bad problem with this.I don't mind paying a bit more for something that is better, but the pros are balanced out by the cons, so I feel like I paid too much for these. And, by the way, the Blackwing series is made in Japan (many people seem to think that they are made in the United States).

Best pencils ever!