Are Blackwing pencils worth the money?

Does the Palomino Blackwing truly live up to its hype? Known as the 'world's best pencil', the Palomino Blackwing is legendary among pencil enthusiasts. Used by the likes of John Steinbeck, Walt Disney and Chuck Jones, it's place in the zeitgeist is unrivaled among all the other writing utensils. But is it worth it?
HOW TO DRAW MECHS
Great news! I’ve got a class titled “Intro to Mech Drawing for Sci-Fi Illustration” in the works for the online learning platform Coloso. There’s a special pre-release sale up now, so don’t miss out-check it out here: bit.ly/ColosoXKenn
ARTBOOK 📚
www.meanhouseart.com/machinesong
PRINTS 🖼
www.meanhouseart.com/prints
SOCIALS📷
/ meanhouseart
/ meanhouseart
/ chromamoma
✏HEY WHAT PEN ARE YOU USING?✏
• Essential drawing tool... ​
MUSIC🎶

[@flfb]

A girl I dated once got me a Blackwing for my birthday - it was a limited edition one that's a beautiful mint colour with gold spiderwebbing out. It's inspired by Kintsugi. I love it so much.

[@paperspeaksco]

It's the Blackwing Volume 840. Amazing pencil for sure, but it was inspired by California's surfing - the gold line being representative of the Californian coastline

[@payme4243]

Yeah I love that one

[@Vovvilina]

So she bought a dozen, gave you one, and kept the remaining 11 for herself? 🤨

[@ducksoff7236]

@@VovvilinaYeah...doubting their comment is true. Who says "A girl I dated once" instead of just saying "my ex girlfriend". Also like you said special editions only come in boxes of 12 at around 35ish bucks a pop. So they are super excited about their 2 dollar and 91 cent pencil? And if it is true, she's got 11 that she loves. Hilarious......

[@patrick6190]

@@ducksoff7236 In some stores those pencils can be bought in singles. And it´s the gesture of a present, not the price. At a certain age 2,91 is the same as 291 because both can be bought without too much of a financial setback. But it´s a different story when someone picks something for you as a gift.

[@MichaelBrown101]

Yeah…Kim Jung Gi really hit me hard. I heard the news when they announced it on socials, and it was devastating. He’s truly one of the greats, and such a huge inspiration to not only myself, but artists around the world.

[@alecvaughan3987]

Me too, loved to see him credited here.

[@dineshdas8392]

He was an absolute legend.

[@pennylavendar6362]

Its really surprising how the artists who got millions of views by using his name in their videos couldn't even be bothered to say RIP for the dude.

[@elsagrace3893]

@@pennylavendar6362why are you so effing rude?

[@arlindblaze4148]

@@elsagrace3893 hes not rude, he is making a point.

[@arthas4870]

did not wake up this morning thinking I'd watch a pencil get sexualized

[@katarinamor]

If you're wondering if it's the fame or the quality of the pencil what makes it so appealing: I live in Eastern Europe, and when a friend of mine traveled to US a few years ago and brought me a Blackwing pearl as a gift, I'd never heard of the brand and had no idea how famous and expensive the pencil was. I thought the desing was kinda cool but not irresistably so. What I fell in love with was the quality of the graphite and how smoothly it glided along the paper, something I've never experienced with my Derwent or Faber-Castell pencils. Now I'm a big fan of the pencil, and, yes, it's the quality that is the key for me. That said, I recently found an obscure local brand with great quality and not nearly as expensive as Blackwing, so I'll just keep trying new brands to see what I like, it's part of the fun.:)

[@DinnerForkTongue]

I feel you. The search for hidden gold in cheaper, less famous brands is exciting. I especially enjoy the Indian and newer Chinese brands, tons of smooth comfortable dark writers among those.

[@ashram12]

I used to think gear doesn’t matter, then I bought some cheap oil pastels. The pastels are very waxy and don’t blend well. So I bought another oil pastel set that had good reviews, and my artwork is much better with those. I understand not wanting to spend a ton of money on art supplies, but sometimes it’s warranted… I still have those cheap oil pastels and I don’t know what to do with them.

[@emberguard5009]

Yeah. I find those that aren't professionals will tell you gear doesn't matter. Or that a bad workman will blame his tools and make it sound like the professional could make it work with absolutely anything. Yet the moment I took classes from professionals who make a living from their craft I heard them say gear 100% matters on anything that effects the result. Especially when it comes to the materials. They also said a professional would absolutely blame bad tools if they had them. BUT, they would never use bad tools once they know they're bad. They'd chuck them out if it's not suitable. If they functioned the same they'd go for cheap in a heartbeat because art mediums are such a big expense, but they know the binders and pigments would never blend properly neither would they last in the customers hands. So they never go for cheap as it'd ruin the artwork.

[@DinnerForkTongue]

Here's the thing: gear really doesn't matter that much... BEYOND A BASELINE. There is very much a minimum of performance needed out of whatever tool or implement you can think of, and it's only after that baseline is satisfied that going more expensive is a matter of diminishing returns. For example, a Tombow or Blackwing pencil is very nice to have, but are they really needed when all you do with your pencil is annotate the grocery list hanging on your fridge? No, not when a Deli or Hindustan pencil will do the job nicely for a much smaller cost. But in the vein of baselines, don't be so stingy as to get a garbage resin one like the Bic Evolution just to save like like 1 cent less per pencil 😬

[@fatsamurai869]

Loving the style and vibe of this video. Always stoked to see new uploads from ya but this is 👌

[@JBINTHAHOUSEJB]

This video is so greatly edited. I loved the shots, colours, narrative!

[@Gaxtry]

See the problem for me is that i keep telling myself that i don't deserve to own a Black Wing pencil because i'm not good enough yet and never will be.

[@fauxshowyo]

i recently got a blackwing on impulse since i passed by some at my main art store, as i mainly like ink and digital. but gotta say, it really really does feel better. even better than the Tombow pencils which i mainly used whenever i needed pencils. in fact this is the first time i'm actively using a pencil now since, just because it feels and looks so good. can't believe how expensive they are there though - i assume you mean $8 singapore but damn that's still crazy. In Japan for example they're under 300 yen lol

[@14choidh]

love this new style of video, love the gear beauty shots, nice one!!!

[@gabeitch9142]

With photography gear obviously matters. But you can still take good photos with a bad camera. Doesn’t change the fact that having more expensive equipment effects your photography.

[@GFalconDX]

Incredible video. Whenever I’m drawing on paper, I really enjoy using a Blackwing pencil.

[@eabbe531]

Great video! I love Blackwings I've been milking the same box for like a year and a half. Gonna have to re-up soon. Nice tribute to the master also.

[@theego6171]

Weird coincidence, I just went out to purchase a Blackwing like 10 mins ago.

[@SolitaireZeta]

If you buy them in 12 packs, Blackwings are, individually, about the same price range as most other artist quality pencils (about $2.25 to $2.50 a pencil,) maybe a smidge more. Most artist quality pencils tend to range from about $1.50 to $2.85 a pencil, depending on the brand. The most expensive artist quality pencils out there, that are still somewhat affordable, are Caran D'ache Grafwoods, which are about $3.75 a pencil.

[@afterimage1993]

I've never used this pencil, but I've considered it. When I heard the news about Kim Jung ji it definitely saddened me further. A huge inspiration, much like you. After I started drawing in pen (inspired by you) I've never really been able to go back to the pencil. I can doodle on math homework, but whenever I draw in pencil it's usually in a colored pencil. Pen is definitely my favorite. hope to see more vids by you.

[@alexadelanie6411]

Im loving the production and cinematography in this video! So cool :))

[@zoon8779]

Fantastic work as always

[@PrinceVegetaedtzz]

Awesome video man you never disappoint

[@zblus]

Funny, I got two blackwing pencils lying around, but I'm currently using an old no name pencil because it feels lighter and easier to hold

[@Imcirrius]

Wonderful video, thank you for addressing it because for a lot of people he was a huge inspiration. On another note, I am thinking of getting your course and I see PureRef and Photoshop are required. I prefer traditional art and don't have either software so Im wondering what I would miss out on if I enrolled and didn't have them.

[@kikolektrique1737]

when i heard his death, i felt nothing but pain. He was such a great inspiration, i still use his mannequin and mannequin techniques each and every time i draw.

[@juicymilk6954]

This is probably my favorite video on the internet, and damn that ending got me

[@vb294]

What? He died?!?! I was looking for his sketchbooks just a few days ago. One of the most inspiring artists I have seen...

[@ReaverSoul]

Very good editing on this one

[@catzonaplane3762]

I was wondering the same until i tried it and it's my favorite by far.

[@ryankane7177]

I won't call myself an artist, but I have a lot of hobbies. No guitar I have ever owned has stood in my way of learning or playing. No firearm I've ever used has stood in my way of hitting a 300m target. No pencil I've ever used has stood in my way of putting my ideas onto paper. Yet I still have preferences. I don't make a living with any of those things anymore, but nice things are nice.

[@ogmoiz]

Definitely your best video yet! The editing, storytelling and whole message is on point.

[@geroni211]

For some reason this video didn't get recommended to me at all even though I've watched nearly all of your videos. Its wonderfully edited, paced and scripted, and I wish the algorithm could recognize that

[@esperdragan3106]

Short answer: No. Long answer: The story attached makes the pencil somewhat valuable, kind of like the reason people like Rolexes, just you can get the same or much better experience for a lesser price.

[@doc_sav]

There is something like this in every category of useable implement known to man. Even chalk.

[@mandygrace2492]

I’ve seen too much videos of this pencil, now I want one

[@tcy7152]

hey Kenn may I know what you work as or do you do art full time?

[@IoneeQ]

A while ago I learnt: The one that uses blackwings, it's because they don't know about Mitsubishi Hi Uni's. But he's right, good or bad pencil, the blackwing is about the experience.

[@DinnerForkTongue]

Mitsubishi, Kitaboshi, Tombow, MD Paper... every Japanese brand, pretty much, matches or even outperforms the Blackwing.

[@JessieEffendi]

I remember liking them but not living up so much to the hype it was getting. I personally really love the mitsubishi hi-uni pencils but I'll occasionally purchase blackwing here and there to switch things up

[@notinge]

The most I've paid for a Blackwing pencil... is 3$CAD. What are you going on about?

[@SevenDeMagnus]

Cool, how does the matte compare to their 602? God bless

[@phillipstroll7385]

Why not just use a 3b pencil. That's all the blackwing is.

[@sougenshio]

The Palomino Blackwing isn't the "Legendary" Blackwing the Blackwing used by all those artists is the Eberhard Faber Blackwing - which the current iteration only has in common the color scheme and the ferrule/eraser - and they stopped being manufactured in the 90's. The current Blackwings are just Kitaboshi graphite - it doesn't even share the graphite formula of the Eberhard Faber's ones - on CalCedar wood and with good marketing based on a legacy that's not theirs as they just registered an expired trademark and exploited the love enthusiasts had for the brand and its reputation in order to market it. There's a massive placebo effect on it's use, if you picked one blind without the ferrule and tried using it against any artist-grade Japanese 2B or 3B (Uni, Hi-Uni, Mono 100 or even Kitaboshi's own pencils) or even western ones (Staedtler, Caran d'Ache) you'd hardly feel any difference, but it has massive marketing and it's expensive so you're inclined to think it's better.

[@Crazytesseract]

People are so blinded, they do not even want to be convinced by your honest comment.

[@Ivy_Panda]

I think you've completely misunderstood the point of the video. He talks about how the pencil feels good to use because of its presentation and outright says "None of this matters in a pencil, it's not going to make you draw better" However, I totally agree with his conclusion. I could have a pencil that writes just as well, and feels just as good in the graphite, but the Blackwing makes me *_want_* to write. That alone makes the Blackwing worth it to me.

[@sougenshio]

@Ivy_Panda No, I didn't. My point is that the claim about the "legacy" of the current Blackwing is illegitimate and I'm warning about it. The fact that both you and the video author are easily influenced by the presentation and the claims of Palomino's marketing department is irrelevant to the point that the legacy the current Blackwing claims was usurped by an inferior product using second-rate Japanese graphite (as opposed to the first rate ones used by the likes of Uni/Mitsubishi) and is not the same one that was used by all the famous musicians, writers and animators from the past. Anyway, if what gets you going and gives you the desire to pick up a pencil is paying $27 for a box of Kitaboshi 9500 B pencils worth $9 with a different coat of paint, a weird ferrule, and a spoonful of marketing rather than the desire to create then more power to you, but I'd rather not get fooled by misleading advertising and warn others about it.

[@fauxshowyo]

also, love the ending message. Still upset about the loss of KJG honestly, who got me back into art in the first place. Feels like the end of an era.

[@laurelsilberman5705]

This was an extremely helpful review on multiple levels. Thank you. RIP Kim Jung Gi.

[@mrk131324]

For the US the Blackwing was a welcome return of a quality pencil. For the rest of the world, the Japanese (esp. Mitsubishi) and German pencils (FC) were always there.

[@DinnerForkTongue]

There are also the Indian pencils. They may be budget-friendly, but the majority is not cheaply made, they're pretty dark and smooth especially for their price point.

[@Psychy]

I think the "feeling cool" when using the pencil comes from the fact that you are utilizing a tool that past great artists have used -- and, in a subtle way, you feel a sense of belonging, sharing your creative journey with them. You are part of their group. I have a box of Blackwing 602s. I do find it bit easier to create gradations in my drawings, but I could still get the same effect with any other graphite pencil. Pencil brand doesn't matter to me; I'll make it work. However, the Koh-I-Noor Hardtmuth pencil eraser is one such tool that I will always keep in reach.

[@endezeichengrimm]

The regular Palomino pencils (orange body) were just as good and cheaper. Seems like they don't make those anymore.

[@kazzy3308]

when the production value of a yt channel hits you in the face like a brick

[@safaiaryu12]

Well... Guess I gotta get one now.

[@commenter4799]

The graph of the law of diminishing returns should look roughly logarithmic, not with a dip at the end. As a rule, one wouldn't expect to pay twice as much and get a worse product. I love Blackwings, but I don't like sharpening all the time. 2B lead in a .5 or .3 pencil is smooth without the dulling. Cheaper, too. I'll probably still order more Blackwings.

[@bubblegumnex_]

I think a lot of the value from the Blackwing comes from it's convenience. The ferro makes it difficult for the pencil to roll off a desk.

[@mjgilbert5475]

You spent $8 a piece? Where! I can buy them down the street for $2.95/each

[@DinnerForkTongue]

This whole video sounds like those "In the defense of the iPhone" vids that people make to justify their sunk-cost fallacy. But I appreciate you having a modicum of self-awareness mixed in with all the gushing.

[@TamilVolk]

Great Video! Really want to get one now. Been using a dollar store pencil for a month. It was okay. I used it with good quality professional paper I had stored from my old art classes. I ran out. I started using a dollar store paper as well, and that changed everything. Cheap pencil with cheap paper made a better expereience for me. The texture was not fighting me. Lines became smoother. I think paper played a big part for me as much as pencils do :)

[@YagikoEnCh]

I own one and it feels really good, but I still prefer the hi-uni 2b purely because I love how the pencil looks, the combination of maroon, black and gold is absolutely gorgeous. I’d maybe consider the black wing if they made matte ones without erasers

[@CJBradley]

Yes they are.! I use Blackwing 602 and Pearl pencils. I have lots of different graphite pencils some of them very good and only 3 bucks a pop for 12 but the Blackwing is the best in terms of design, quality and performance. A box of 12 costs £29.00 in the UK but they last a long time and i could eat twice the cost of a box at a local resteraunt in one sitting.

[@sharp77_]

Love this style and 21:9 format. R.I.P. Kim Jung Gi

[@R0s3456]

i unfortunately never saw the hype cause i was more of a mechanical pencil fan and still prefer them over wooden pencils .(all im mainly digital now) I will have to pick some up but i don't think my mind will change unless it does and converts me back to traditional!

[@DinnerForkTongue]

I'm with you on preferring mechanical pencils. Wood pencils have their charm and the whole ritual of sharpening is an experience unto itself, but you can't beat the convenience, consistency and longevity of a pacer. If you really want to veer into wooden pencils again but can't get Blackwings for an agreeable price, take a gander at the Japanese brands. Mitsubishi, Tombow, Kitaboshi, Midori, they all offer stupendous value.

[@Az181]

you know I have this pencil I didn't know that they had that reputation. it's a good pencil though

[@skiesquiggles7319]

What a good video god damn

[@byulstar3597]

✨

[@levantos]

RIP Kim Jung Un 🕊

[@izzaweihaas]

The narrative and video shots are sooo. juicy and hot. Runs to buy some.

[@fabiss23]

you can't buy talent and practice hours/days/weeks/years etc.

[@electro_4723]

For the first half of the video I wasn't convinced that it was worth it, if I'm honest. And then you started talking about how it made you want to draw more specifically because this is an incredible pencil, and it's thrown me for a loop. It's making me think about how much/little we value our experiences with certain type of gears and a bunch of other stuff I can't really formulate at the moment. This is a phenomenal video, the editing is incredible and the narrating is extraordinary. Gear matters. Gear matters. Gear matters.

[@retardno002]

It really depends what you're drawing and how. I wouldn't use the Blackwings for realistic drawing, they're too soft and dark, you need more range and different textures, a set of Faber Castell 9000 would do for that, but for one-pencil illustrations it's amazing indeed. The only thing I find that comes close to it is the Tombow Mono 100 in terms of lead, but that lacks an eraser. Although you can put one on with a bit of creativity. Or just stop using one, you're sketching anyway. 😅 I fell in the trap of getting a bit too much gear... Just a friendly warning in case you follow that mantra for too long.

[@she__khinah]

What I get from this video is: Gear doesn't matter. The story's from which we infer the value of our gears does matter. It doesn't matter if the pen is even a bit better than normal pencils what matters are the stories of famous people like Steinbeck using the pencil. It doesn't tell you that gear matters, but that we are humans that are embedding themselves in a narrative from which we derive what we value and what we don't value. You can either adapt your gear to the narrative or try to change or escape the narrative.

[@martyjean]

Well, I bought the pen you shilled and enjoyed it, I guess I'm buying this pencil...

[@kortic_eye]

🖤🖤🖤

[@Frank50505]

RIP Kim Jung Gi.

[@ThinkTankIllustration]

I love blackings. In the US $27 for 12

[@aog1747]

I bought a pack of them for about $30 they arnt too too expensive

[@LoveBystroem]

fuck, that was a good video

[@GS-vb3zn]

I hope nobody tells this guy about Leica cameras.

[@ChromaMoma]

Q3 in the cart already

[@samankucher5117]

i am not good at understanding sarcasm.

[@grahamparr3933]

Overpriced status symbol, for the pretentious only.

[@CommentReader]

YES. exactly!!!

[@DinnerForkTongue]

Like Apple products.

[@grahamparr3933]

@@DinnerForkTongue true.

[@enrikwolf8875]

.

[@enrikwolf8875]

Wait Kim Jung Gi is dead..

[@MattPin]

@@enrikwolf8875he has been for at least a month now, such a great artist, he is the reason I started art in the first place.

[@bigblue6917]

Sorry but long before you were born the photographer Bert Hardy proved that it was not the gear but the user of that gear which counts. If you think that owning an expensive pencil makes you a better artist that is all in your mind.

[@DinnerForkTongue]

​@Divergent_Integral That sounds like a crutch, honestly...

[@ArabKatib]

It is a 2B pencil..

[@byronmillanicia3384]

😂😂😂 really!!! I wonder what would had happened if the doctor who helped your mother when you was born didn't have the right tools made with the proper materials for the task!!! 😂😂😂

[@huseyinotgun3672]

No its not.

[@Kingdom7United]

Your comparison of a camera to a pencil was very silly. In the photography community gear only matters to a point. As to why you decided to compare an $8 pencil to a $400 camera is beyond me.

[@twohandsandaradio]

Because the camera doesn't make a better photographer... or does it? Just like the pencil doesn't make a better artist... or does it? Snap on tools make a better mechanic? I think your comment was very silly. Watch the video on replay until you understand.

[@Blue_Nova707]

Hey parrot can you stop being so boring and repetitive?