Palomino Blackwing 602 Pencils and Blackwing Long Point Sharpener Highly Recommended by the Always Figuratively and Now Literally Well-Written People of Whom You Know!
As a math teacher, pencils are one of my most important tools. It is crucial that my students are equipped with nothing but the best. Solving long problems requires a pencil that won't quit. My students deserve a pencil that doesn't need to be sharpened constantly while working on a project or test. I have now found the true gold standard of pencils - the Blackwing 602 by Palomino. This pencil writes smoothly and clearly and is made with strong, study graphite that is less prone to breaking. Not only that, but the eraser can be removed and extended. I have never been so excited about a pencil! Additionally, the Palomino Blackwing portable pencil sharpener ensures the finest point, without making a mess of pencil shavings. All the shavings are contained within the sharpener and can be emptied by opening a small plastic door. This is the best pencil you will ever own!
I’ll be honest, I couldn’t tell you the last time I used an actual pencil. Not a pen, not a mechanical pencil… a real, pick-up-your-sharpener-and-sharpen-it-pencil. But this is definitely not your regular old #2 pencil we all used in the past to take the SATs and all the other standardized exams. This pen will be a pleasure simply for not reminding you of that. For starters, the Palomino Blackwing 602, made in Japan, is super lightweight, therefore comfortable in my hand. I was always one of those kids with a welt on her finger from holding the pencil too tightly and pressing too hard. I don’t feel the need to do either of those things with the Palomino Blackwing. The point stayed remarkably sharp when I used it. But if you’re one of those people who feels the need to continually sharpen your pencil to the finest point possible, the Blackwing Long Point Sharpener is fantastic. It’s made in Germany, is compact (even though there are two sharpening options), and feels sturdy enough that you’re not worried you’ll end up with a broken sharpener and pencil shavings all over your bag. The Palomino Blackwing 602 and Long Point Sharpener are a fantastic duo.
Palomino Blackwing 602...the Cadillac of pencils! I am really a pen gal, but after trying the Palomino Blackwing 602 pencils, I may convert. Made in Japan, these sleek, silvery gray, perfectly shaped pencils are the real deal. They boast, "Half the pressure, twice the speed", right on the pencils. They aren't kidding. In this day and age when most communication takes place through an electronic device, these pencils are a welcome change. I found myself trying to find reasons to use them...grocery list, to-do list, etc. My almost six year old son picked one up while doing his homework. His take? "Wow! This pencil is cool mom! It's silver and it has a flat eraser! May I keep it?" My answer was "yes", but I quickly hid the remainder of the pencils- they are now my secret stash! And don't even get me started on the completely awesome pencil sharpener! Made in Germany, the Blackwing Long Point Sharpener is truly fantastic. It has a two-step sharpening process- first sharpening the wood and then sharpening the graphite. No dull points here! Every sharpener comes with two replacement blades and an automatic brake to prevent the dreaded over-sharpening. To say I am a fan of the Palomino Blackwing 602 pencils and the Blackwing Long Point Sharpener would be an understatement, but if I tell you how I really feel you may think I'm a tad unstable...so, we'll leave it at I'm a fan!
Sketching on a lazy afternoon can best be done with a smooth pencil. Blackwing 602 makes the lines true, and soft, or as crisp as you'd like them to be. With a tidy sharpener by your side, a pencil stuck in your hair as a back up, and an hour to work, productivity is a given. Write that poem, sketch that dream house, write that love note. The days of pencils do not belong just to the engineers and architects of our lives, but to the designers and the dream weavers as well. Remember the butcher, who always had a pencil positioned behind his ear? Think of the 1950's, when pencil cases were the de rigeur fashion statement of the grade school crowd. Having your very own set of sharpened pencils makes a mind work. Better still, sharpener at the ready, just in case you get lost in your reverie and break a point. They feel comfortable in the hand, and the erasers are a modern rectangular shape, so it's like an old friend, with a twist. The pencils are made in Japan, where they know a thing or two about paper and writing. The little sharpener, precise in it's design and function is German. International unity, on your desk.
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The pencils:
Praised by Alex Beam of The Boston Globe and Mark Frauenfelder of Boing Boing, among others, the Palomino Blackwing 602 features a firm and smooth graphite core that helps it deliver on its promise of “Half the Pressure, Twice the Speed.” Its unique and iconic ferrule allows you to extend and replace its eraser after extensive use and even “hack” your pencil to give it a custom look.
The Palomino Blackwing 602. It’s more than just a pencil, it’s an experience.
The sharpener:
What good is a pencil without its point? The Blackwing-KUM Long Point Pencil Sharpener creates the “perfect” point using a two-step sharpening process, first sharpening the wood and then precision sharpening the graphite core to a long, fine point. Every sharpener comes with two replacement blades and an automatic brake that prevents over-sharpening.
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Palomino will officially introduce the next chapter in the legend of the Blackwing pencil – a line of luxury notebooks and accessories that will compliment one of the most highly coveted pencils ever made.
Blackwing pencils have been used by creative people like John Steinbeck, Looney Tunes creator Chuck Jones and Stephen Sondheim since the release of the Eberhard Faber Blackwing 602 in the 1930s. Unfortunately, production of the Eberhard Faber Blackwing 602 pencil ceased in 1998, and artists and illustrators began paying upwards of $40 per pencil on sites like eBay.
In 2011, Palomino reintroduced the Blackwing 602 to market in the form of the Palomino Blackwing 602 to great fanfare. Mark Frauenfelder of BoingBoing.net declared the Blackwing 602 his “new pencil of choice,” and the Sacramento Bee crowned it “the Rolls Royce of pencils.”
Palomino’s new line of Blackwing notebooks and accessories will include a high end folio set, a unique two-step long point sharpener and a series of sketchbooks featuring original artwork from Blackwing users on the cover.
“The Blackwing pencil has a great story behind it and we’re excited to add to the legend by introducing notebooks with the same level of quality users of the Blackwing pencil have grown accustomed to for so many years,” says company president Charles Berolzheimer. “We’ve always said the Blackwing is more than just a pencil, and now that’s literally the case.”
The Palomino family of brands includes the Palomino, Blackwing and ForestChoice lines of high quality writing, art and music supplies. Founded in 2008 by California Cedar Products Company, the world’s leading manufacturer of wooden pencil slats, Palomino’s high-quality pencils, notebooks and writing accessories are currently available in stores across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.
About Palomino Brands and Cal Cedar
Palomino is a division of California Cedar Products Company, the world's leading supplier of wooden pencil slats. Cal Cedar has a rich history of developing extraordinary products through six generations of family stewardship. With pencil industry roots dating back to the mid 19th century, Cal Cedar has built a long tradition of excellence and unique supply relationships that now extend to the Palomino writing, arts and stationery products, the most famous of which are its Palomino Blackwing pencils.
Cal Cedar introduced the Palomino graded range of premium pencils to such critical acclaim that many users began comparing their performance to that of the famous Eberhard Faber Blackwing pencil, which had since been discontinued. Cal Cedar soon expanded its Palomino umbrella to revive the iconic Blackwing brand hoping to introduce it to a new generation of emerging artists.
Cal Cedar is also responsible for launching the historic ForestChoice line of eco-friendly products, including the ForestChoice graphite pencil which was the world's first FSC-certified pencil. Palomino's spirit of innovation and dedication to quality ensure that all of their products reflect the same creativity they hope to inspire.
