Blackwing Natural Pencils - 12 Count, Nautral Wood Design, Premium Japanese Graphite, Long lasting Extra-Firm Lead

If I could date a pencil, I would date this pencil. Holy crap.. this is an amazing writing/drawing tool.A coworker first gave me one of the gray ones (602, I think) and I thought I was in love.. About 6 months later he gave me a natural one and I realized that I didn’t know what love really was until that moment.I swear these pencils are magic! Smooth and dark without hurting your hand. I like the extra firm over the softer ones because I tend to have a heavier hand when making marks so the tip seems to last longer. That being said, I wouldn’t cry if I was given the gray ones because there’s not a massive difference in performance…..but the natural are definitely my favorite.

Firstly, this review is for the Blackwing Natural, and I use it it drawing. The pencil is well balanced and it's one of the few pencils that has an eraser I'll actually use. The eraser shape let's you get into small areas and erases cleanly. Now onto the pencil lead.I would compare the lead somewhere around a typical HB. It reminds me a lot of Hi-Uni graphite (my typical go-to pencil line). I generally use Japanese 2H to HB pencils for sketching as it holds its point longer and erases cleaner. And this does not disappoint. It is capable of dark strokes around B softness with moderate pressure, but can leave very controlled light lines (reminiscent of 4H) with light pressure. The graphite is still quite smooth for being as firm as it is and wears well.Sharpening experience: the wood is harder than your typical Dixon or Tombow wood and you can feel it when sharpening. However, when using long point sharpeners (I use a Kum, highly recommend) it sharpens cleanly with the wood being smooth, perfectly symmetrical, and the graphite takes an excellent point without chipping or breaking.These pencils have quickly impressed me and are a pleasure to use. Are they worth the cost? Well, the jury is still out, and I'll see after I use my first box. But one thing is for sure: despite the cost I am still enjoying every second of using these pencils.

Blackwing pencils are superb! Love writing with them, I recommend them to everyone. Excellent product

We appreciate how the graphite feels as it glides across the paper. The weight is balanced and the smooth use is why this is our new Go-To pencil. Easy to sharpen as well.

There is no way that paying over $2 per pencil is a good value.The finish - for the naturals: bare wood, or very thin finish if there is one - is not as smooth as I’d like.- for the 602: glossy and smooth, yet still not slippery.- for the pearls: a little less glossy than 602, but still far better than the naturals- for the matte: close to the pearl.The diameter is a little larger than regular Ticonderogas, for example, which makes the in-hand feel something good. The weight is nice, even as a brand new, newly sharpened magical wooden story stick.I do prefer a softer graphite, such as the pearl and matte, but the extra firm still isn’t unpleasant to write with.