Lore of the Magic Pencils

In my previous post about Sub-Urban Sketching, the TLDR included my recommendation to use up your art supplies, because over time, they do go bad. Very few mark making consumables increase in value over the years … except pencils, specifically a certain brand of pencils.

Blackwing.

Currently the iconic brand is reproduced in California by Palomino, quite successfully.

There’s a lot to unpack in that video, but this is not the article1. Interestingly enough, the brand created by Eberhard-Faber was originally produced in the building that Kickstarter currently occupies.

The original Blackwing 602 was a favorite of many notable creatives, which has only added to the brand’s lore and craveability. I mean in the movie Jaws, Richard Dreyfuss actually holds a Blacking IN HIS JAWS! Iconic … ironic?

Surprisingly, this bit of movie trivia was not what got me into the brand, or the idea of the brand. It was Stephen Sondheim and his alleged lifetime supply of original pencils.

You see, in high school I was a drama kid and discovered the PBS recording of Sunday in the Park with George … and then a deep dive of all things Sondheim began. A lot of library CD’s were checked out of any available cast album.

Eventually I found an interview that perked up my ears.

[STEPHEN SONDHEIM,]
”This is my studio. I work lying down, for obvious reasons: it allows you to take a nap whenever you want to. And I also use very soft lead pencils, they're called Blackwings, and it means that they wear out very quickly, so you can spend a lot of time—”

[Pencil sharpener whirs]

—sharpening. “These pencils are very hard to find. “

BINGO!

Not only do I ALSO like lying down and napping whenever I want … a specific tool was mentioned! … and … it was “hard to find.”

Exciting.

This interview came out in 2010. Blackwing 602’s had been discontinued in 1998. I resorted to looking on eBay to learn about the tool. I’m an eBay pro - I’ve had an account since 1997 and remember having to use money orders to purchase what I won. If only my interests had lined up at that time….I could have stocked up on Blackwings AND sold them because a single *used pencil was going for $40. Each.

I was able to learn about them via the listings and here’s a good summary2,

The Blackwing has always had distinctive features, most notably the lack of a pencil hardness grading. The Blackwing is the Blackwing, with no “2B” or “8H” modifiers to its name. Today the Palomino Blackwing is sold as the “Natural” or “Pearl” but those are new inventions, not historic ones. 

The Blackwing 602 wasn’t sold a drawing pencil so the hardness grading wasn’t necessary. Rather it was sold as a premium pencil alongside its famous slogan: 
“Half the Pressure, Twice the Speed.” The Blackwing never had, or needed, the high-tech sales pitch that was given to the Microtomic’s advanced lead or Eberhard Faber’s “complastic” graphite marketed for the Mongol line of pencils.

Well, as I did more research and pined over a $40 pencil that I couldn’t justify spending, I learned that Sondheim had a closet full. He had stocked up and all I could imagine was shelves upon shelves of glorious, shiny pencils with interesting erasers.

Then in 2012, I was in an art store and saw a box labeled Blackwing and looked similar*. I learned that the classic Blackwing was being reproduced and that these were essentially tribute pencils. I was happy enough - and then I found this video on their website,

Another connection was made for me. Monterey, California is one of my favorite places, specifically Cannery Row - So, now we have another creative, a reissue of a storied pencil, one of my favorite places and a little more access.

I bought these too. I had to and then splurged on eBay and got an original because now … it was a collection and I had to know what the original was like and compare them all.

The passage of time is real and catches up to us. I’ve been storing these stories like Sondheim was storing pencils and ultimately in 2019 just before everyone had a lot of time on their hands to explore unique interests, I rekindled my Blackwing phase. By that time, many more volumes were introduced and different ferrules and colors etc… It tickled my customization brain and the vision of Sondheim’s pencil closet returned to the front of my mind … and I started stocking up.

Around this time, others did as well. For context, boxes of twelve, Volume 24 pencils were selling on eBay for $230 and original 602 prices were climbing as well. I did not want to be a “flipper,” but it was interesting to watch as a brand building story.

I found a community and learned about “Hackwings,” which is where you modify current Blackwings or place the ferrule on other pencils to create something new. At the time, my most used pencil was the Caran d'Ache non-photo blue pencil.

I loved that idea and Blackwings have been part of my everyday carry ever since - as well a collecting other pencils.

Then in June I saw an article about Sondheim’s estate holding an auction. I KNEW I had to participate in history and finally get to see what this treasure trove of pencils looked like. I was holding my breath and foaming at the mouth as I scrolled through auction preview pictures

I loved seeing the variety of Blackwings - now being an aficionado … but what really surprised me was how *few* there were. I mentioned above that I had imagined a closet full of pencils … like a walk-in closet amount … Now I will have to rethink my collection.

With that in mind … what is the most you have paid for 12 pencils?

Thankfully this was not my bank account … but someone now has a an interesting story!

Hoarding art supplies isn’t unique to Sondheim - in fact, I would argue that most people do it, but they don’t end up creating art. On Facebook there are entire art supply swap groups and organized events that pop up. I saw a post and I should have screenshot it at the time, it was for a collection of 40 years of art supplies - everything was still in box…and no art was shared. I decided that it was really a photo a stress purchases made by this individual.

Though, professionals that do rely on materials and hoard specific things, can tell you the specific differences between products and their struggle to locate the sweet stuff

Comic artist Terry Moore continues to use vintage Pelikan ink. Recently he put out an emergency call to his audience to help him locate more. If you look in the background of his studio, he has an area where he is displaying the empty bottles of ink.

Another comic artist Stan Sakai mentions in this video that he used to make his comics with a brush, but got tired of cleaning so he switched to the Koh-I-Noor comic fountain pen which gave him the lines he wanted …. but were discontinued and he travelled around Los Angeles locating old stock and now has enough 20 more years. I found one eBay listing for this pen…it’s $399

Then … there’s Ralph Nader3. The NYTimes has had TWO articles in the past two months about his favorite and preferred version of the Papermate Pen. This article is so funny - and also serious about the topic. For a brief moment I ran to my closet full of vintage pencils to see if I had a box of these pens … but I have the Pilot version of these. So close!