Review of Palomino Blackwing Pearl.

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It took us nearly two years to review the Palomino Blackwing 602, and we won’t waste time on this one. Cal Cedar bills this as the middle ground between the point retention of the Palomino Blackwing 602 and the darkness of the Palomino Blackwing 2010 design (which we will call the Blackwing Dark). How does it rate in real life, on paper?

We’ve talked enough about the eraser and ferrule of the Palomino Blackwing line. (See here.) The Pearl ships with a black eraser. I thought pink would look better, but the black eraser complements the black imprint pretty well. A silver imprint and ferrule and pink eraser would combine to look more like a pearl to me, but this pencil remains steadfastly un-aquatic In its current form. And that’s Okay by me.

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The finish is, truly, pearlesque. It does not photograph accurately, the way that the tones of the 602 do not show themselves to a lens. (I can’t get them to, at any rate.) For some reason, the finish feels very different from the other two Palomino Blackwings — and most other pencils. It is certainly not rubbery like the Dixon Tri-Conderoga. It is not tacky. But there’s something almost…soft or….grippy about it. I really enjoy holding it. Combined with the soft lead and thicker (Japanese) diameter, it’s a pleasure to write with. The printing is sharp and precise and has stayed put (unlike the 602, which seems to prefer to shed its clothing). I like the minimal marking. All of the dozen I ordered have ferrules which line up with the printed side, save one. All are straight and solidly attached, with well-centered leads.

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While the Pearl does not smell…chemically like the Blackwing Dark does out of the box, the cedar has disappointingly little aroma. It does sharpen perfectly though, and I’ve found that the I like my Granate the best for this job.

The lead itself is why we’re here, no? This is supposed to fit between Palomino’s other Blackwings. I found the 2010 Palomino Blackwing Dark to be incredibly smooth and dark, but I rarely use it for writing. Certainly, its dark lines lend themselves well to a pocket pencil, for writing down set-lists, play-lists and reading-lists. But there’s something a little too art-pencil-ish or even charcoal-looking about the lines when the point gets dull. After a sentence. The Palomino Blackwing 602 is much less dark and slightly less smooth than the Blackwing Dark. But the point retention, sharpness of the line and durability of the point (even a looooong one) usually keeps me reaching for that model more often than the Blackwing Dark if I am writing more than a few lines.

Where does the Blackwing Pearl fit?

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At first, it felt closer to the Blackwing Dark to me. It is much darker than the Palomino Blackwing 602, and nearly as smooth as the Blackwing Dark. If the latter feels like writing with a stick of melting butter, the Pearl feels like writing with a very very smooth pencil.

On Rhodia Dot Pad

On Rhodia Dot Pad

Point retention, smearability and erasability are right in the middle of the Palomino Blackwing line. See image (click to enlarge it) for detailed smearing and erasing. Smearing is really not bad for such a dark and soft pencil. Erasbility is, like the Palomino Blackwing Dark, not very good. The included eraser does not fully erase marks made by either the Dark or the Pearl (not even the 602, I find). If erasing is what you like best about pencils, this one may disappoint you.

Oddly enough, ghosting is not bad at all. In the week I used it, the Blackwing Pearl didn’t ghost any more than a regular HB pencil. While erasiblity is not my favorite Character of the Pencil, ghosting does bug me to no end. I was very pleased with the Pearl.

I admit that I was apprehensive that this pencil would be white like an Apple product and a stop-gap between two nice pencils just to make another pencil. (Well, maybe I just thought I should think that.) But, as I understand it, Cal Cedar is not having trouble getting the Blackwing line out there. And, when using it, I really like this pencil. I think it might be my favorite in the Blackwing line, if that’s not some kind of heresy. I’ve used it for journaling and a little sketching, and Comrades here at Pencil Revolution HQ have already pilfered from my dozen. I enjoy this pencil enough to order another dozen straight away. If you found the 602 too light and the Dark too…un-pencil-like, this might be the pencil for you, if you’re looking to buy another box of Blackwings.

Review of Palomino Blackwing 602.

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In 2011, when the Palomino Blackwing 602 came out, Pencils.Com graciously sent us a box. I was literally about to move (I think they came on moving day) from one apartment to another, and we never reviewed them. Add to that the plethora of reviews already out and some controversy. Inspired by the upcoming Blackwing Pearl, I think I’m finally ready to throw my review out there. But what can I say about the Palomino Blackwing 602 that hasn’t already been said? It’s beautiful and smooth and features a unique ferrule and eraser. The cedar is top-notch, and Comrades are sure to start conversations using one in public or at work.

When I review a pencil, usually there is one thing that is the star of the pencil. USA Gold and Silver pencils, which we reviewed recently, feature their nice cores as the star. Some pencils feature a wonderful core and also impressive finishes, such as the Mitsubishi Hi-Uni and, say, a Staedtler Lumograph 100 or Faber-Castell Castell 9000. Some pencils feature something unique, like the dyed leads in a No Blot “ink pencil.” The Blackwing 602 is different. Its starring attributes are its appearance, its core and its “different” features (the squared ferrule/eraser).

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What I like best about the finish of the Blackwing 602 is that the color and sheen mirror graphite itself. Rare are the photos that really capture its sheen. (I can’t do it.) I know next to nothing about lacquers, but it looks like several layers are used here, different colors that blend together for the sheen. The stamping is crisp (but doesn’t last long; see below), featuring the famous slogan, “HALF THE PRESSURE, TWICE THE SPEED,” and the graphics are gracefully few. It does not suffer from the “flaking” that plagued the first Palomino Blackwing. It’s gorgeous.

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The core is just, wow. It’s hard to describe the darkness because I find that I can get a lot of different tones out of this pencil, depending on the pressure I use and the pointing method. Sharpened in The Machine and written with normal pressure, this core produces dark, crisp lines. With a shorter point and less pressure, it feels like a smooth sketching pencil. Pressing with a long point produces seriously dark lines which resist smearing impressively. I’ve read that it mirrors other cores in the Palomino line, but I find the…color of the core a little different. It’s “colder” somehow, looking a little more blue-ish than other leads, where I find the Palomino range to be a little “warm.” Certainly, there are other cores out there that feel a little like the Blackwing 602. But, to me, nothing feels exactly like it, for better or worse. Certainly, this is not the only pencil that makes me feel that way. I suspect that users of the original Blackwing 602 may feel that way about the discontinue model. I see that Eberhard and Faber-Castell Blackwing 602s still fetch pre-Palomino Blackwing prices on eBay. I don’t own one myself, to compare them. Point retention, for the darkness, is fantastic. I can get a few pages out of a long point without resorting to shorting the pencil again.

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The eraser and ferrule are, truly, just cool. But they are not the selling point for me. The sharp piece that holds the eraser into the ferrule pokes me when I use the Blackwing 602 as a Pocket Pencil sometimes, and it does make using a short pencil a little uncomfortable because rotating the barrel to keep a point gets hitched by the square ferrule between my thumb and index finger. But, like I said, it’s too cool for me to be bothered by it. And it does start conversations, some of which have led to me confessing to having a pencil blog (hello to you if you got here that way!).

I don’t find that the eraser is, well, sufficient for the pencil in which it is housed. It works well enough. But scratchy pencils “work” well enough, and this is certainly not one of those. This is a Blackwing. I’m not sure what such a worthy eraser would be like or how one could get a Mars or Faber-Castell plastic eraser onto a pencil (are they too soft?). While I have long been a fan of Cal Cedar’s pencils (we featured the first Palomino review ever in 2005), I have always been disappointed in their erasers. Truly, I rarely use erasers on pencils anyway. I usually strike-thru when I make a mistake, and half of the time, I’m carrying an eraser-free pencil anyway.

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I do have a few other minor gripes with the Blackwing 602. The gold stamping, as others have mentioned, does come off freakishly easily. The “regular” Palominos in Cal Cedar’s range only exhibit this after some serious use. I assume that it’s possible to “fix” the printing better. The pretty ferrules on a few of mine have small gaps between the finish and the ferrule; they show a little naked wood. This is strange on such a premium pencil.

These days, I am completely tickled by any pencils that come in a box (not a blister pack). Don’t get me wrong. But the box holding the Blackwing 602s is a little flimsy. The newer Golden Bear and Prospector boxes are sturdy, and the plastic boxes that now house Palominos are very nice. I wonder if my Blackwing Pearls will come in a different box? The Blackwing line should have the best boxes in Cal Cedar’s line-up, I think.

Sure, Blackwing 602s are expensive for pencils. But these are something entirely different from what one thinks of when we think of a “pencil,” no? These are well-crafted and useful objects for writing and drawing, not scratchy yellow pencils to stick in a forgotten cup for the occasional crossword puzzle. I assume that most people who have wanted to try these have already done so by now. But, if not, I think they really are worth $20 a dozen. I use mine to little nubs.

Selected reviews from other sites, in alphabetical order (certainly not a complete list):
Boing Boing
Lexikaliker
No Pen Intended
Office Supply Geek
Pen Addict
Pencil Reviewer
Planet Millie
Recording Thoughts
Stationery Traffic
Woodclinched

Review of USA Silver Pencils.

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Also in our box of review items from Write Dudes: the USA Silver pencil. In short, these are very good for budget pencils. In fact, I find them to be the very best very cheap pencil I’ve tried. Ever. I have to admit that I wasn’t excited about reviewing these pencils, but I was taught the old lesson about appearances soon enough.

The wood is not cedar: “The wood comes from all over (from sustainable sources) and they are assembled/manufactured here in the USA.” (email from WD), to distinguish them from the cedar-cased USA Gold pencils. I was confused by the name of these pencils for a while, since most are not silver. The original version of the USA Gold is a yellow-gold; I don’t think I was that crazy to make that assumption. Either way, the wood sharpens very well, almost as nicely as cedar.
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I’ve seen USA Silver pencils in black that are finished very well, perhaps better than the USA Gold. The yellow review samples we were sent feature “Write Dudes” instead of the URL (which will be removed from the USA Gold). The finish various from good to acceptable. Again, at this price, it’s actually not bad at all. The ferrule is plain and attractive and complements the pink eraser and yellow finish very well. The eraser feels…dry, but it works well enough.
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The star of this pencil is the core. It’s smooth and soft and durable. In a cheap pencil! This is the best writing cheap pencil that I have ever used. Ever! I can’t tell if it’s the same as the USA Gold, but it feels softer to me somehow — maybe it’s just in my head.

There are a lot of very bright pencils that would appeal to children in this series (USA Silver). Big deal? These are made several notches above most novelty pencils, and they are, largely, made in the USA. Shopping for party favors for my daughter’s upcoming third birthday, she picked some glittery pencils (think Princess Party) that not only look like they are made pretty well and have pretty nice cores – they are USA made, which a few of the parents I know will appreciate. In fact, we picked some USA made pencils from this manufacturer for birthday presents for my daughter’s friends’ birthdays this spring (to go with pencil sharpeners and books).
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When I started to be really interested in pencils, part of the fascination came from their, well, cheapness. Of course, back then, truly cheap and good pencils were less rare, in same ways. But the American Naturals went for something like $1 a dozen in 2004 (and I wish I had bought more, since they are gone). I suppose we’ve been a bit…snobbish lately with what we review on Pencil Revolution. But it’s wonderful to encounter a pencil that is, plainly, cheap, American and also very good to write with. If you see these locally, definitely grab a box. A big box. (Ours had two dozen.)

Office managers: If you have to stock a supply cabinet with store brand pencils, try these instead!

Review of Write Dudes USA Gold Pencil.

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The USA Gold pencil from Write Dudes. Comrades have probably seen this now ubiquitous yellow pencil around big-box stores and schools. To my knowledge, this is the most widely-available USA-made pencil on this continent. But are they any good?

In short, for their price, target market and audience, yes.

These pencils have a barrel that’s noticeably more narrow than most other pencils. I’m not sure why they are made that way. I have moderately beefy fingers (and hand injuries to boot), but I didn’t find the narrower barrel to be uncomfortable in any way. For reference, they are a bit thinner that the current incarnation of the Castell 9000, which is a little thinner than, say, a Staedtler pencil.

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The core! This is a standard HB/#2 core. I can’t tell if the core is waxed or not, but they have a very nice texture and darkness. They feel somewhat like a General’s core, which is to say, not waxy, but not scratchy. The darkness is pleasant, running a nice balance of point retention and darkness. It’s a much better core than the current Ticonderogas from Mexico, both in terms of smoothness and darkness, among cedar pencils found in schools. For being relatively dark, smear resistance is quite good. Our review pack had pretty well-centered cores. A few are perfect, a few “off” enough to be annoying, but none were unusable.
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The finish can leave a little to be desired. The Mega Brands URL detracts the most, making the pencil look a promotional pencil for that website. The foil stamping is inconsistent, though [<strong>Edit: I heard back from Write Dudes today that they are not going to put the URL on the pencils anymore. This is great news!</strong>] I do like the fonts and choice of colors. The paint is acceptable for the price, and usually very good. The ferrule features a navy blue band that complements the color of the lacquer nicely; the band is applied evenly.
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The erasers are short for some reason, where Dixons are a little long. They perform surprisingly well, especially for an included eraser. If Write Dudes were to remove the website and stamp the pencils a little more neatly, this pencil could certainly compete better with with higher-end pencils. But by no means is the pencil ugly or shoddy.
I was formerly under the impression that the name referred to the color of the paint: yellow-gold. But there are a few other finishes under this series. I assume the defining feature of this series is the incense cedar used in their construction, and that’s a good thing. They sharpen perfectly and smell great.
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Seeing as how easily these pencils are obtained and how inexpensive they are, I really hope they stick around. Touring pre-schools lately, I’ve noticed these all over the place. I hope they take the website URL off of the pencil and perhaps address the stamping issues. However, given the price point, I can certainly live with the stamping.

Many thanks to Write Dudes for the free review samples – and for keeping American produced pencils easy to find!

Review of Pentel EnerGize X.

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Shoplet, one of the largest online purveyor of office supplies, and Pentel recently sent a package over with a lot of goodies from Pentel, including the EnerGize X mechanical pencil, a graphite companion to the EnerGel pens. I’ve started (Blasphemy?!) a pen blog to review the inky samples we receive. It’s called Fundamental Emanating Pen-itude (with a nod to Plotinus.) Check out the review of the gel pens that go with this pencil.
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There is no retractable metal sleeve to protect the lead at the point. One less moving part is not a bad thing; the extended plastic at the point certainly holds the lead — much more than I thought it would. But since it isn’t retractable, it is a little sharp in one’s pocket. The grip is one of my favorite things about this pencil. It is slightly tacky, with a subtle wave pattern. The “frequency” of the ridges and valleys and the material combine for a nice, soft, grippy grip. It’s about as wide as a beginner’s pencil at the grip, and it’s very comfortable.
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The click mechanism is solid, and I can’t say much more than that. The eraser sleeps under a plastic cap. In addition to keeping the eraser clean, the cap blends into the style of the pencil. The eraser performed surprisingly well, though I wish it was a little longer and/or that it was extendible, like that on the P-207.
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If I have gripes, it’s the unattractive printing on the clip and the fact that they only only ship the pencil with two leads. But this are easily ignored and remedied.
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The clip holds paper might more tightly than it looks like it will. It holds well, though it leaves slight marks on, say, the cover of a notebook to which it’s clipped. But I’d rather it actually work than cuddle my field books.

This is a surprisingly pleasant pencil to use, with an excellent grip, and it might replace the Pilot G2 as my favorite very cheap mechanical pencil. While I’m certainly no heavy user of mechanical pencils, I have kept this one in my pencil cup, where there are very few Mechanical Warriors.

Review of Dixon Ticonderoga Groove.


Last weekend, I strolled though an Office Depot to see if they had anything interesting while my wife and daughter waited to get fabric cut for Halloween at the fabric store next to The Depot. I found a pencil I’d never seen or heard of before: the Ticonderoga Groove, a triangular cedar pencil with grooves cut into the shaft, all in the familiar yellow and green. They smelled incredible, and I was in line with one of the two 10-packs in the store before I knew it. They turned out to be on sale for $0.34 (!), and I couldn’t leave without grabbing the other dozen.

The blister pack indicates that these were made in the Chinese factory. In my experience, the Dixons coming from China are superior in every way to those coming from the Mexican facility, save that the Mexican varieties are more common in the United States these days. The finish is more “even,” more yellow. The ferrule is attached better. There are fewer uncentered leads. And the leads themselves are a few shades darker and many times smoother.

This pencil was no exception, and it is certainly one of the smoothest pencils from Dixon I have ever used. It’s just fantastic. With Dixons like this, I might have been able to avoid my previous Dixon prejudice.

The grooves themselves definitely do what they are supposed to do: combined with the triangular shape, you’re not going to slip with this pencil. Of course, Comrades who don’t enjoy tri-pencils or who would find exposed wood…dimples uncomfortable might look elsewhere for Graphite Joy. What I have found that the grooves also do is to spread the wonderful cedar aroma more widely and more intensely than a regular pencil. And the last time that Dixons smelled quite like this to me was when I opened a pack of Dixon Blacks in 2004 and well, sniffed them repeatedly.*

It’s hard to explain. Different cedar pencils smell differently to me. Smell a Hi-Uni, a Cedar Pointe and then a Dixon. I swear I can smell the difference, even if I would not consent to doing it blindfolded.

This is a nice pencil, with a nice lead and a pretty good finish. What really surprised me was that Dixon also put a triangular ferrule and eraser on this pencil. The Tri-Write has a round one, as does the Rhodia pencil. The Tri-Conderoga has a triangular ferrule, but it is also it’s own size — that is less surprising. It’s a nice touch, on a surprisingly well-designed “specialty” pencil. As for the eraser, it’s the usual pink substance from Dixon. Personally, I think Dixon erasers are perfectly serviceable, if still not perfect.

At Press Time, this pencil is still not listed on Dixon’s USA site, and I suspect its existence is related to the Lyra pencils that FILA also owns. If you can find it online (or on sale at Office Depot!), it’s definitely a great pencil, doubly so if you like something with added grip. I’m taking one camping this weekend, with the Rite in the Rain book we’re testing.

*(Dixon hadn’t started coating everying in Microban in 2004; so that’s not the source of the smell.)

Review of Zebra M-301 0.5 Pencil.


We are very happy be counted in the Troop of Reviewers for Shoplet, and our first review package arrived last week from Zebra Pen Co.: full of various back-to-school supplies in a very tidy binder and a plush zebra with which my daughter has already absconded. We have been asked to review the Zebra M-301 mechanical pencil (0.05mm) and the new Z-mulsion EX pen. The latter’s review will appear on my other site in a few days (for Pen Lovers out there). At Pencil Revoltuion HQ, we don’t typically review mechanical pencils (and with a site like Dave’s, that’s more than covered!), but we’ve done it before. In for a penny…

Comrades might recognize what’s become the iconic shape and build of a steel Zebra pen in the form of the M-301. I’ve always liked that pen, and I have a brother who used to be very very taken with them. The grip is plastic and well-shaped. The “grid” is neither too sharp to cause pain nor too round to defeat it’s own purpose. Here, the metal sleeve through which the lead meets the world — and the paper — does not retract with the lead. While less moving parts can lead to less break-downs, this non-moving part can lead to a small puncture wound. However, we’re all intelligent, no? Even your Faithful Editor has not yet managed (knocks wood) to stab himself with this pencil, and to say that I am Accident Prone would be very charitable to me.

The eraser is revealed by removing the cap of the click mechanism. This little eraser appears to be glossy white plastic. I found that it removes the graphite reasonably well, without marring the paper. It’s by no means fantastic, and it is very small. But I assume Comrades who frequently erase large areas generally have a larger, softer eraser nearby. In the Field, this little guy/gal certainly does the job. The click mechanism itself is downright punchy. The parts engage crisply with more of a “snap” than a “click.” Two to three snaps, and there’s enough lead to tackle anything. More may be necessary to skewer cheese cubes or small pickles, but another Comrade’s morsels may be beyond what a 0.05mm lead can pick up anyway.

The details on this pencil are very pleasing for this price range. The clip is tight and holds on to the cover of a Field Notes or my shirt nicely. I am a fan of Zebra’s graphics in general, and the classy print on this pen is no exception. Noted is the word “JAPAN,” printed prominently on the barrel of this pencil. This does not appear on the matching pen, which I assume was not produced in that nation famed for its production excellence.

In all, this is a very nice pencil for being under $5, and you can often get a pair for that price. It doesn’t look cheap enough to make a Comrade look sloppy at a meeting, and it doesn’t look fancy enough to disappear from an office pencil cup. I will be holding onto this pencil, for my immediate 0.05mm needs. In fact, I will be searching for the newish M-701, the counterpart to my favorite steel Zebra pen, the gnarly F-701. Thanks to Zebra and Shoplet for the review samples!

Musgrave’s Harvest, Thin Red.


When Pencil Things sent the indelible pencil pack a while back, a pencil with a thin, red lead was included: Musgrave’s Harvest 610 Thin Red. I happen to enjoy colored pencils that have leads made for writing, but I didn’t think there were more of this one being made. So this pencil has sat unused.

Fast forward to last week, when I acquired a “lot” of pencils that included several examples of vintage Verithin pencils and one very old Harvest pencil. Charlotte took the red Harvest and said, “It matches my dress! I love my pencil!” The “harvest” image is the same, and the older one has a fairly large metal cap/ferrule on the end.


What is most interesting to me is the line of text on the side below the pencil’s branding information: “CHICAGO BOARD OF EDUCATION”, with the quotation marks.

I don’t know a lot about this pencil in general and certainly nothing about this particular iteration of it. But I find the idea that Chicago had red pencils — presumably for teachers/educators — printed up charming and just plain neat. I can’t imagine the school system where I live printing anything like that these days, as education and teaching become more digital. I’m old enough to remember my teachers using red pencils, sometimes even the coveted blue/red double-sided pencils (and Pencil Talk has a lot of great info and pictures of this type of pencil). This pencil takes me back, but I’m the one holding it now, not Sister Teresa Mary. Well, my daughter’s holding it, really.

Review of Mitsu-bishi Hi-Uni, HB.


Jetpens.com sent over a very nice package of gear to review, and we’re starting today with the Mitsu-bishi Hi-Uni pencil in HB. Several greater minds have already written about the virtues of this well-crafted pencil (in no intentional order). But, just as these reviews are unique among one another, we hope this review can add to the Pencil Consciousness regarding this burgundy beauty.

I first encountered a few Mitsu-bishi pencils briefly in 2005. Woodchuck included three in the original package of Palomino pencils he sent us. I’d never tried Japanese pencils, and I knew the Palomino used a Japanese lead. At the time, Mitsu-bishi pencils were difficult-to-impossible to come by in the United States. Still, well, I used mine right up. They were too good not to use!

So I was very excited to open a package containing a dozen Hi-Unis in HB! The pencils come in a hard plastic case with a hinged lid, inside of a cardboard sleeve. There is a plastic separator/stabilizer in the pencil box to keep the pencils from rolling around. While this may be there to keep the finishes looking their best, it has the added bonus of keeping the pencils from banging around after pencils are removed to be use. And my dozen stayed whole for all of five minutes after I opened the mail, when I sharpened one right up.

The first thing I noticed [after the package] was this pencil’s amazing finish. Not only does it blow away pencils like Dixon and General’s (sorry, guys!), but it surpassed even the Uni-Star and Uni. The Hi-Uni sports several layers of lacquer, finished so smoothly that one forgets that there is a wooden pencil in there. The ends are finished with a cap and gold and are very precisely topped off. The business ends are, well, perfect. There is no paint overlap, I can tell that the cores are as perfectly centered as every other Japanese pencil I’ve used. The barcode  detracts from the pencil’s appearance, but I understand that this is a necessity in places where one can easily buy quality, open-stock pencils (unlike most shops in the USA).

The Hi-Uni reminds me of a Palomino’s finish, with the thick lacquer and clean ends. However, for better or worse, there’s a lot more print and design on the Hi-Uni. I’m not bothered by it, really, nor by other pencils with very minimalist tendencies. The Palomino looks great in the colors in which it comes, with minimal marking on the barrel of the pencil. Burgundy, however, benefits greatly from a little more gold and black design work.

There does seem to be something different about the wood used in this pencil, compared to others. It’s much more…red and very much more fragrant than other high-end cedar pencils. In fact, the lovely grain and aroma combine to serve as a pleasant juxtaposition to the ultra-smooth finish of this pencil – something about the natural material inside opposing the craftsmanship of the pencil.

The lead is just, wow. It’s as smooth as any HB I have ever tried, with a darkness anyone familiar with Palominos would find welcome. This core achieves a nice balance between blackness and point retention, also. While the core reminds me of the HB Palomino that I hold very dearly (the blue end-capped HB is one of my favorite pencils in the world), I have to admit that the Hi-Uni does hold its point a little bit longer. I feel like it’s ever so slightly less dark than an HB Palomino, but it’s really hard to tell. (It could be the same lead for all I know!) Smearing and ghosting, for a pencil that writes like this, are very very good. This pencil smears less than a lot of considerably lighter-writing HB pencils, and the ghosting is no worse, either. In fact, given the black line the Hi-Uni lays down, I was expecting them to smear quite a bit and to be messy pencils. On the contrary, they are precise, neat and, again, dark for HB pencils.

I should mention that these pencils are also noticeably wider than most pencils. I am told this is a quality of Japanese pencils, along with darker cores. If you’re a wide-fingered Comrade like me, this is a good quality. They are certainly not so much wider as to be difficult to sharpen. On the contrary, they fit better into my favorite (German) brass KUM wedge than my (German) Faber-Castells do.

Thanks again to David at Jetpens for the very generous review pencils, and I hope that Comrades who like a dark and smooth pencil find some Pencil Happiness with the Mitsu-bishi Hi-Uni! I am, frankly, smitten by this pencil.

Review of My First Ticonderoga.


My daughter is a lover of all things pencil, pen and crayon. I mentioned a few weeks ago that she’s been using “big girl pencils.” Her pencil box is beginning to burst with the interesting pencils therein, and I thought it might be time to write some grown-up reviews of them.

I know that pencils such as these are really meant for smaller hands, but perhaps as a Dad, I feel a little less ridiculous owning fat pencils meant for kids. My First Ticonderoga is a surprisingly good pencil, especially given Dixon’s few years of disappointments.

My first experience with this pencil was when I was brainstorming a project at work — before stay-at-home-daddom began early in 2011. I filled several pages with large, garish letters and barely put a dent in the point. One of the reasons that I like pencils (in general) is that sometimes, only large and thick letters will do. A lot of pens that can produce letters like this bleed, feather or otherwise make a mess (the medium Sharpie Pen and Pilot G2 Bold are notable exceptions, along with the relatively new Bic Cristal Bold). Very soft art pencils can produce such lines. But they tend to smear and dull quickly. Enter large-diameter pencils.

The My First Dixon pencil is a smooth writer, reminding me of a combination of the newer/softer Chinese leads from Dixon and the last generation of leads in their American pencils from 7-8 years ago. Sure, these beasts are difficult to use in Field Notes, but on large-format paper, they glide and seem to almost yell with large block letters. The shape and size make this pencil very comfortable to write with. It feels much larger than it is, in a good way. The finish is pretty good, especially compared to other pencils in this price range, and the eraser is what we’ve come to expect from Dixon — I like them, but I know some Comrades do not.

The secret about this pencil that I have found lately is that they are superb for sketching! With their size and relative softness, they easily feel like a light 4B. If one puts a long point on the pencil, the thick core allows for a variety of line thicknesses with a single sharpening, through angling the pencil. And they are pretty inexpensive and easy to find. (I’d venture that this is the easiest kid’s pencil to find in the US, since they are at Walmart, Target, drugstores, etc.)

There are some quality issues. At least 1/3 of the MFT pencils I’ve seen have off-center leads, some pretty badly so. Some of paint is often chipping/pealing around the ferrule, but this is honestly better than the regular diameter Dixons coming from the facility in Mexico where these are also made (the Chinese stock is much better, in my opinion).

These are certainly interesting enough, affordable enough, and easy enough to find to try out if you happen across them. At the very least, they make an excellent addition to the pencil cup, for times Comrades might want their words to scream on the paper.