Blackwing pencils have had something of a cult following ever since Eberhard Faber produced the original Blackwing 602 pencil in the 1930’s. Animators, cartoonists and writers swore by this pencil, said to write with “Half the Pressure, Twice the Speed.” When it was discontinued in 1998, disconsolate fans took to eBay to buy up all the Blackwings they could find, until 2010, when the Blackwing brand was revived by the Palomino pencil company. In addition to recreating the famous Blackwing 602, they created pencils with a range of harder and softer leads, suitable for artists, writers, musicians, and pencil fans of all stripes.

*The softest is the Blackwing Matte, which is comparable to a 4B pencil. The Matte pencil writes with a smooth, dark line that’s great for shading and drawing.
*Next is the Pearl, which has a balanced lead: still dark and soft, but with a harder point that stays sharp longer. The Pearl is similar to a 3B or 2B pencil.
*After the Pearl comes the Blackwing 602, the original Blackwing pencil. Ideal for writing, the 602 has a firm lead that’s a little smoother and darker than that of a typical writing pencil. It’s a versatile pencil whose lead is similar to a B or HB.
*The hardest Blackwing pencil is the Natural, with extra-firm lead. This is a great pencil for writing and for drawing fine lines, and is closest to an HB or H pencil.