Pearl Pencils, Balanced Japanese Graphite, White, 12 Count

I have quite the pencil collection. My favorites, due to the look, the feel, the tonal value, the smoothness of application, the luxury, is the Blackwing line of pencils from Cal Cedar. The Blackwing is the darkest, softest of them all, which I really love. It's great for drawing and writing, although you will have to sharpen more often than the others due to its softer lead. On the other end is the Blackwing 602 (Palomino, not Eberhard Faber). It is firmer than the Blackwing, so a slightly less tonal darkness, but still a very smooth and delightful pencil to use. Again, it looks great, feels great, and is great. It is more for writing than drawing. Right in the middle is this Blackwing Pearl, and I have crowned it my favorite overall of the Blackwings. Why? Because it is dark enough (darker than the 602), not as dark as the Blackwing (but very close enough), and of course just as smooth as them all, but requires a little less frequent sharpening than the Blackwing when writing. Being in the middle, it is good for drawing or writing. The Pearl paint job is fantastic. You can see it isn't just white, it is really 'pearl'. Cool. And the gold ferrule with black eraser is a good match for this pencil. You just feel really good using this.

My review is more geared to those people interested in using these for drawing. I agree with those who find these to be extremely smooth. I have found the price of these not to be too far off from other pencil brands made and used for drawing. For example, I bought a pack of Derwent Graphics that were more than $2 per pencil and not near the smoothness of these pencils. Faber Castell 9000 are about the same price as the Blackwings when not on sale. Staedtlers are about half the price, and are decent but nearly as smooth. Hi Uni is a little less expensive and on par in smoothness with the 602, Pearl, and Blackwing. I use both the Hi Uni and Blackwings for my drawings. I started drawing with the Blackings, and use the 602 as a 2B, Pearl - 3B and Blackwing - 4B. Later, I bought and used the Hi Uni's 2H, HB, 6B, and 10B. (I only recently became aware of the Palomino Mixed grade pencils, which I would like to try some time) If I must use only one pencil for a sketch or drawing then I would likely choose the 602. If I'm given a choice of 2 it would be the 602 and the Blackwing. Note: I find that the Pearl is very close in blackness to the 602 and I have a hard time discerning the difference. In the attached image, I used all three Blackwings: 602, Pearl, and Blackwing. I must give props to the seller, Palomino. When I received my shipment, there were 2 pencils where the eraser ferrell was glued to the eraser bracket making the removal of the eraser nearly impossible. They responded immediately to my concern and promptly sent me replacements + 2 more for good measure. Now that's great service and I couldn't be happier. Thank you Palomino.

These are hands down my favorite and potentially one of the best doodle/all around sketch pencil out there. While they are certainly pricier, they are worth it. I’ve had my original set for years and I still have 6 pencils I haven’t even touched yet. I knew these would be my go tos for years to come so I bought another set. Different style, but same lead quality as the previous ones I have with the black eraser. Reasons why I live these: 1 lead does not break easily in any sharpener. I only had the lead break once and that was because I really screwed up the angle of the blade to the pencil and was really rough with it. I have been able to sharpen these in electric, Long point, and metal sharpeners along with an X-Acto knife 2. They feel good to hold. Like seriously I feel my brain and hand are more in sync with these pencils and they just help with the work flow of my drawing getting it from my mind to the paper. Easy to hold and control the pressure. Not to mention the way the eraser end is made, it still allowed me to draw with a semi awkward grip even when it was a literal stub (ie no more pencil left and just the pointed part). This allowed me to use it until the last possible moment 3. The lead glides so nickels on all paper types. I’ve drawn in Bristol and papers with tougher textures and the pencil glides so well but still providing enough friction for control. A great all rounder based on the pressure you use allowing you to lightly doodle to drawing darker outlines to even basic shading. All with one pencil. Makes it great as a traveling tool when you want to practice or get tough ideas out. 4. It erases pretty cleanly. The erasers work reasonably well given not as well as my kneadable or vinyl erasers, but for use with just this pencil, they get the job done. The shake of the eraser allows for more control in the size of the area you want to erase and you don’t need to use a lot of pressure. Not to mention you can pull it out and extend the eraser when you have rubbed it down too much. Though depending on how much you erase, they don’t feel they will last the full life if the pencil itself.

Since I was a little girl (I am 99 years old now) I have used Blackwing pencils. They were the only kind in our household so I rather took them for granted--until I was old enough to see the difference. I did a little sketching so the soft Blackwing lead allowed me to lend an artistry to my simple drawings. My daughter has been a fan as well, and has put them on her gift list this year; they are rather pricey but well worth it! And the Pearl pencils look so "classy" when I reach for one to solve a crossword puzzle--another addiction of mine!

I used to swear by the black ones, but these are slightly harder yet just about as dark, and the lines are cleaner. Excellent for writing music, specifically, but also words, and drawing, which people are probably doing more often than writing music with them. Which is too bad. A lost art, writing music. People still do it! I do. To what end, I have no idea. But these are the pencils to waste your life with, if that's your plan! The quality is just spectacular, and the graphite is >chef's kiss<. You really do get what you pay for. Three dollars for a pencil? Worth every penny-cil.

I really enjoy writing music with these. The graphite is rich, dark, and bold. The feel glides as you write, it doesn't feel "scratchy" and thin like many other pencils. Plus they look really beautiful in general. The downsides as others may have mentioned are the erasers aren't very good, which is disappointing given the price point. They kind of work, but not that well - leaves a smudgy gray residue. So I just use a separate eraser. Also be sure to have a nice sharpener nearby - these dull rather quickly and constantly!

These are the best pencils I’ve ever used. I am a Graphic Designer and I do a lot of analog sketches, prior to uploading and drawing a digital design.

"Balanced" is nearly as dark/soft as 3b, but the tip holds kinda sharp longer. Do people get ahold of your Blackwing and use up all the eraser right down worn to a nub? Use needle-nosed pliers to slightly loosen the eraser clip. Then unfold a large paper clip halfway, get a grip on the end that's still a loop, and drive the point of the metal into the eraser in a downward motion. Drive it in as far as you can. Then wiggle and lift the eraser out, still attached to the clip. You should be able to pull out a big section of eraser and insert it into the clip and push it back into the pencil. I threw away many Blackwings until I realized I can pull the eraser up even when it's worn too far down to grasp easily.

Excelentes lápis.

They feel like silk when writing with them. The story regarding their usage by other important people has the inspiration role. They deliver what they state and from my perspective they inspire to chanel my thoughts from mind to paper. I would recommend this product for the experience that it provides

Ich mache Kunst beruflich und hab schon viel von den eistiften gehört. Es sind auf jeden Fall die teuersten Bleistifte die ich mir bisher gekauft habe aber wenn man mal sich selbst etwas besonderes holen will oder vielleicht jmd von dem man weiß das er künstlerisch ein schönes Geschenk machen will kann man sich die auf jedenfall gönnen. Habe direkt ein paar kleine Skizzen damit gemacht eine hab ich hier auch an gehangen. Die Mienen sind sehr weich und man kann super gut verschiedene Schattierungen damit machen. Der Radierer hinten am Stift ist mega und ich würde ihn mit den Künstler Radierer von Faber-Castell vergleichen gleiche Qualität lvl. Die Bleistifte fühlen sich eher an wie ein B bis 2B vom härtegead würde ich sagen. Ich bin super schnell durch meinen 1. Bleistift durch was aber auch einfach daran liegt das ich echt gern damit zeichne weil es ein angenehmes mal gefühl ist. Dennoch muss ich sagen sie brauchen sich sehr schnell auf da sie eben recht weich sind und ich sie daher öfters anspitzen muss. Der costumer service war super mir wurde direkt die Rechnung per Email zugeschickt und sie waren in kürzester Zeit geliefert. Alles in allem ein kleiner Luxus für das Künstlerherz und für mich das Geld wert aber kein essential :) dennoch mit die besten Bleistifte die ich besitze

These pencils are amazing. BUTTER! They write as smooth as butter. They have spoiled me and I can never use another pencil brand ever again.

crayon souple, agréable, permet des valeurs du clair au très foncé sans forcer. A essayer !!