Just got a box of the new
Palomino Blackwing 602 pencils and pack of 10 spare white
refill erasers. They are fine stationery products manufactured in
Japan for
California Republic. I really like the gunmetal varnish on the barrels of the
Blackwing 602 pencils. Initially I tried using a
KUM long point sharpener, but the 602 harder lead kept breaking inside it. So I had to switch to my
Alvin brass bullet and my
crank sharpener to finish sharpening it and conduct my review
doodle and erasability tests.
With their unique ferrule and generously-sized rectangular erasers, these
premium wooden pencils are a great-looking choice for
sketching. Their graphite cores were both quite smooth on
regular printer paper and on
white card stock. Perhaps they contain some wax-like lubricant in their lead formulation that make them so smooth or their graphite and clay components have been ground so finely that the resulting lead offers no resistance and just glides effortlessly on the paper. Their rich dark marks were also fairly smudge resistant, so I would consider them to be in the same league as the
Tombow Mono and
Mitsubishi Uni graphite pencils. The white and black erasers performed
adequately, but neither one removed the darkest marks completely with
regular pressure. The original
Palomino Blackwing features a softer lead ( like your average
B grade) that wears down faster, so it is well suited for making broad dark strokes and quick shading. The
Blackwing 602 still makes fairly dark marks, but sports a stronger lead that retains its sharp point longer like your average
F grade lead. I would choose the latter for sketches and drawings that rely on a stronger emphasis on their linear quality.
Recommended addition to a premium
graphite pencil collection.
Budding artists are also likely to enjoy the
Blackwing 602 as a nice sketching pencil.
Just got a box of the new Palomino Blackwing 602 pencils and pack of 10 spare white refill erasers. They are fine stationery products manufactured in Japan for California Republic. I really like the gunmetal varnish on the barrels of the Blackwing 602 pencils. Initially I tried using a KUM long point sharpener, but the 602 harder lead kept breaking inside it. So I had to switch to my Alvin brass bullet and my crank sharpener to finish sharpening it and conduct my review doodle and erasability tests.
With their unique ferrule and generously-sized rectangular erasers, these premium wooden pencils are a great-looking choice for sketching. Their graphite cores were both quite smooth on regular printer paper and on white card stock. Perhaps they contain some wax-like lubricant in their lead formulation that make them so smooth or their graphite and clay components have been ground so finely that the resulting lead offers no resistance and just glides effortlessly on the paper. Their rich dark marks were also fairly smudge resistant, so I would consider them to be in the same league as the Tombow Mono and Mitsubishi Uni graphite pencils. The white and black erasers performed adequately, but neither one removed the darkest marks completely with regular pressure. The original Palomino Blackwing features a softer lead ( like your average B grade) that wears down faster, so it is well suited for making broad dark strokes and quick shading. The Blackwing 602 still makes fairly dark marks, but sports a stronger lead that retains its sharp point longer like your average F grade lead. I would choose the latter for sketches and drawings that rely on a stronger emphasis on their linear quality. Recommended addition to a premium graphite pencil collection. Budding artists are also likely to enjoy the Blackwing 602 as a nice sketching pencil.
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4 comments:
Thhanks for your excellent review. I understood the Palomino Blackwing to have a lead equivalent to a 4B and that is my experience with them. In a straight comparison with a Staedtler Lumograph 4B the Blackwing I would say is at most half a shade lighter - 3 1/2B. Of the two Palomino Blackwing variants I prefer the new 602 mainly because of better point retention and more than adequate darkness. Again on a straight comparison with a Staedtler Lumograph 2B the 602 is a half shade darker and significantly smoother - probably around 2 1/2B. Both Palomino Blackwing versions are excellent and right up there with the best - including Mitsubishi Hi-Uni and Tombow Mono 100.
I like both versions, but also had a difficult time sharpening them with the long point. In fact, I thought my sharpener was defective.
Thanks for your review.
Thanks for the comment.
I find the long point sharpener to be finicky quite often, so my go-to-sharpener lately have been the crank-operated "Classroom Friendly Sharpener".
I agree about the KUM Automatic Long Point - I rarely use mine anymore with too many breakages at the second sharpening stage and tears the wood unevenly where it meets the lead. I have a Derwent three hole sharpener which only seems to be sold in SE Asia and Australia/NZ which runs rings around the KUM and produces an even longer point and plays superbly with both versions of the Palomino Blackwing.
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