Faber Castell Black Edition Colored Pencil Review

[@lenim2462]

I was horribly bullied all through out highschool for 8 years to the point of suicide. I know exactly what you mean when you say that your daughter is sick with anxiety going to school in the morning. There were so many times I cried and screamed begging my mother to not force me to go in the morning. Im sorry if this come off as oversharing but i just want both you and your daughter to know that she's not alone and things get much better after high school. I feel for you as my mum was in the same position as you. Keeping her phone on, texting me throughout the school day. You sound like an amazing father keep doing what you're doing.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

My daughter read your post before going to school this morning and she turned round and said to me. “Daddy, that would have been so hard for that person to share such a personal and horrific event in their life, but they did it anyway to make me feel better.” Amelia was so honoured that you shared this and it really helped her as so ma h of the amazing messages left on various videos have made her feel. Thank you so much and I think it is terrible you had to go through so much hurt for so many years.

[@lenim2462]

@@TheArtGearGuide I'm really glad that I could make Amelia feel better. Thank you for both you and Amelia for being so empathetic. I can tell Amelia is a beautiful girl inside and out with as kind a response as that. Whilst what happened to me was awful and I still live with the many effects of it, you can turn pain into light. I managed to pull through and I know Amelia will too. Especially with a dad like you looking out for her.

[@igdlackbig]

@@lenim2462 yo dude how are you Hope you recovered from that I will sub to you if it makes you feel better

[@LunaBianca1805]

I think, it is great that you shared this. Never been as far as being pushed to the brink of committing suicide, but I had my fair share of being bullied, social anxiety and not wanting to go to school - I think that what helped me most was knowing that I'm not alone in that! So, I stand by "Sharing is caring"

[@deborahraenelson]

It's wonderful that you're there for your daughter. She'll remember your loving support all her life 💕

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Thank you so much Deborah you are far too kind. I really appreciate your kind words thank you

[@TmarkN]

I'm watching your video 3 years since you posted. I just recently bought a set of 24 Black Edition and I was happy to see that they now have numbers printed on them and the Faber Castell website has the color names. I made my own chart with the names and numbers. I really like the pencils because they have some colors that I don't have in my Goldfaber set of 48. Thanks for your video.

[@laurentarmu9845]

What an amazing comment about children losing interest in art because companies do not make quality products. Thank your for bringing this to attention. We have so few devious minds working in their fields today for this exact reason; and it goes for art to mathematics to agriculture - every field. Humanity needs to make quality feasible products. And they can, and still make a good profit, most just don’t. And this is what needs to change in society. Believe it or not spiritual awakenings provide this change and growth!! May we all progress with this 💕

[@karendodge4865]

Amelia my heart is with you, I know all too well what bullying is like. I was tortured the majority of my school life. I am extremely proud of you for taking this big step. I feel your pain and your anxiety lean on your parents and I hope you know there are hundreds of thousands of us all over the globe cheering you on and praying for you. Harry never ever apologize for answering your childs call you are an awesome father. Thank you for the review like your position on children using them. I love to color with my grandsons.

[@watercolourartincapetown2919]

Hope your daughter is feeling better, so sweet of you to be so concerned for her.

[@cazumbandoartmaddy1728]

wow, its bizarre how these pencils are marketed overseas. Brazil is the place where faber castell's childrens grade pencils are produced. we have these pencils in 12, 24 and 50 count, the 24 and 50 in plastic cases and the 12 count being in cardboard case. and the bodies are round, not triangular! and the image that is marketed for us is a nice peacock feather drawn over white and black background. a lot of us broken artists are loving these pencils because they're buttery soft compared to the classic color. i'm glad you said they are the closest thing to prismacolors, since there is no way we here in brazil can afford such material with how deep we are in recession and how our currency is very worthless near the dollar.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Hi Maddy thank you so much for sharing this information with us I really appreciate. I wish I was in a financial position to help artists get art supplies, I always feel sad hearing about artists not affording supplies. Make sure you check out my Black Widow video where I am going to be giving away 3 x 48 sets of Black Widow Monarch Colored Pencils. bit.ly/2YEaf2e I will also be doing more giveaways before Christmas so always keep watching the channel for the free giveaways. I always open the giveaways to anywhere in the world not just the UK so everyone can take part.

[@lauraespinosa938]

Opa br aqui slsjalaak achava que era unica

[@thomastesla9107]

Those are called fc super soft pencils. FC black edition pencils are the new version of them.

[@natalieduarte3913]

@@TheArtGearGuide I'm from Brazil as well and Faber recently released a 100 pencil set of these black SuperSoft line. Mine was delivered today and they blend like a dream without the lead being too soft/breaking easily. I was curious because I had never seen a review of these pencils from foreign YT channels and here in Brazil they're a best seller. the 100 colors include 6 pastels and 6 neon colors, it's a great selection. I loved your video, it's great to learn more about the differences between the Faber lines depending on the country. And your channel is just wonderful, I found it when I was looking for reviews of the Graphitint and it was so complete it convinced me to buy the set, and I love them!!

[@LeeDee5]

Hopefully your daughter has an easier time with school. We are just online strangers but I hope she knows that we all wish her the best and that she is not alone.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Dee I have to tell you, that the messages and beautiful words all of your write on my videos or send private messages absolutely make her face light up. She can’t understand how all you amazing people are so nice to her because she was told every day by these girls that she was ugly, useless, her family didn’t love her and she would be better of dead. So when you guys write your heartfelt words, they really do make her day and I mean that from the bottom of my heart.

[@bethwaller1789]

You are such a good dad!❤ Hugs to your little girl.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Thank you so much Elizabeth you are so kind

[@sueellens]

I agree about naming the colors. I learned with a 64 box of Crayola crayons. I learned color names and differences at a very young age: burnt umber, yellow ochre, periwinkle, yellow orange, etc. Thank you for the review. I’m hoping your daughter has a great year at school.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Thank you so much SueEllen for your incredibly kind words regarding Amelia. I think you are right, having the Color names will help children grasp Color names which can only be a good thing regardless if they enjoy art or not. Thank you so much

[@stevemurray6543]

Great review. Very thoughtful and your reasoning is spot on. I just love the black barrel, reminds me of the black widow. Thank you for this. Keep being the dad that you are. I know your daughter will shine through this time with you and your wife's guidance. Stay well and remain positive. Best of wishes to all your family.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Steve as always Sir you are a true Gentleman and Scholar and good friend. Thank you so very much for your kind words and incredible support I can’t even begin to explain my appreciation.

[@littlegamer2669]

Thank you very much for this good and labour-intensive review. It is so funny. I am retired and starting to get interested in colouring books and crayons these days. When I was a child, I used to colour in books, but they were very simple. It's so funny that the only crayons I have are the 36 Black Edition. So it is very interesting information for me that these coloured pencils are of good quality. Thanks for that. And many greetings from Germany. If I stick to the hobby and produce something good, I will order the pack of 100.

[@Sarah.lux.]

Hi! Brazilian speaking here. I bought these pencils last year, they come in at a different plastic package in Brazil. I highly suspect they were created for the Brazilian market. They're one of the bestsellers locally for coloring books for adults as well. They're really fun to play around with, nothing compared to my polychromos set or the Pablo, but I really appreciate them for drafting.

[@fma24789]

Brasil são 12, 24 e 50 cores.

[@fma24789]

Brazil is 12, 24 and 50 colors.

[@Nat.ali.a]

Agree, and become bestseller, then FC sees the niche in the market and launches it in other countries. The same with the 100 pack, brazilians flooded FC costume service asking for more colors than the 50 pack, after it also became a bestseller, FC launched the 100 pack in other countries.

[@carolmorante4476]

Hi! These supersoft colored pencils are great. I have a set of 50. They are round and each pencil says: FSC ECO SUPERSOFT (logo) Faber Castell. They come in a plastic case. I live in Peru.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Thank you so much for letting me know this, a set of 50 sounds perfect, I just felt they were so nice that 36 wasn’t enough. Hopefully Faber Castell will introduce the 50 set here in the UK, EU and US. Thank you so much Carol for letting me know this.

[@carolmorante4476]

@@TheArtGearGuide You are welcome!

[@esdrasmelo8569]

Here in Brazil, we have sets of 12, 24, 50, 100 besides the skintones, cold and hot tones. Their name are different (Faber Castell supersoft), the shape is round, the boxes with 24 and 50 comes with a plastic case, the 100 colors set comes with a cardboard case and with numbers to iddentify the colors. personaly, I love how this pencils work and it's a good alternative to use instead of the professional ones

[@isabeljohnston5020]

Thanks a lot for the wonderful review. Here in Latin America we have 100 and 50 count box of them and they are marked by number. They’re a joy to use.

[@herbcroneart]

Love a coloured pencil review! In this sort of situation I have just stuck a bit of paper around the barrels with 1 to 24/36/48 on them and just done a swatch chart accordingly.

[@ellietodd393]

It was obvious at the beginning that you were really concerned about your daughter but still wanted to keep helping your followers. Its why we watch everything you do. Best wishes for her school experience.

[@susanjerrell9220]

I'm starting to want every colored pencil Ican afford. Your Disney characters look fantastic. I agree that you have to give kids a decent product. Otherwise they'll thibk they weren't good at art when no one could be good at it with bad supplies. Sure hope Amelia had a good day. I hate that she has to be anxious just to get her education. 🤗💖

[@rayvirgoe7231]

I have these, and they have them numbered now. You are absolutely positively right, they are beautiful colors to use. Love your review.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

I am so glad they’ve started to add a number to them, it will certainly make life a little bit easier. Also thank you so much Ray mate for you incredibly generous comment. Nothing makes me happier when I hear from someone that they agree totally with my review of a product. It helps me know that what I am doing is right and helping some people at least.

[@rayvirgoe7231]

@@TheArtGearGuide No problem. You took the time, you deserve some appreciation. And don't lose that accent--It's perfect!

[@annalisamanderville1364]

Great Dad, being there to support your daughter💚.. Best wishes for a safe and happy school year for Amelia.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Thank you Annalisa you are too kind, thank you so much

[@darryl2304]

I’m always a bit late for the party. Just one year this time. Thanks for the review on these, I’m a poly and prisma user and on this video I bought them, always thought they were just for kids, and I love them. You are right they are very close to the prisma’s, very bright and lustrous on the right paper, fingers crossed for more colours and some colour codes. If it ain’t happened yet it probably won’t. Thanks again mate. Subscribed. 👍

[@alina.kuptsova]

Thanks a lot! I have a set of 12 and i like to use them to make one-colored studies, i like the way they perform in this case. Now i know that i should also try them on a smooth paper to get the most of them.

[@Flashy.Colors]

Hi Harry, so glad to hear that your daughter is doing well and I'm sending her and all your family my best wishes. I have these pencils since last year and they're a joy to work with, so soft almost buttery I'd say. My set has 50 colors and they came in a plastic case, they're made in Brazil, most Faber Castell pencils and products we have access to here in Latin America are made in Brazil, their name in Spanish is Faber Castell Super Soft and is a shame as you perfectly pointed out that they don't have color names on the barrels.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

She is doing well at the minute but I show her all the wonderful messages you guys have left on the videos and they make her smile everytime. You all are amazing and I only wish you knew how much your wonderful messages are helping my daughter. Thank you so much for letting me know about the set size in Brazil, a 50 set is much better and I hope Faber Castell release a 50 set here in the UK US and EU. Thank you so much

[@lauraespinosa938]

@@TheArtGearGuide In Christmas a Brazilian send you a pencil case for super soft, the are my favorite pencils under of derwent coloursoft .

[@badsworthcats]

I just bought these in a blister pack from eBay for £6.49, happy to share the link if needed

[@wanderingstar5673]

Thank you for the review. I wasn’t aware of these and they would be great for my grade school grandchildren. It’s so wonderful that you put family first. Amelia is blessed to have such a wonderful family. If all the bullies had such a family , they wouldn’t be bullies. 🙏

[@bryanaespinoza4181]

Wow Nice Review a Lot details loved. The pigments of the pencils beautyful and rich color .... Sad to hear your daughter is being bullied ay school tell her she is strong and to not to listen to those losser hugs to You and your daughter

[@LindaIrwin7328]

Great review! These colors are so vibrant it makes me want to use them! 😁 I agree about giving children good products to help encourage their creativity. It's not always easy to do for every parent however I'm happen to see a company like Faber Castell create a set that is geared toward children. You are so talented Harry. Are you self taught if you don't mind me asking? Amelia will come through this because she has loving parents to support her. Prayers going up daily for the entire family. Nothing is worse than seeing your child hurt and suffering. Huge hugs for Amelia. 😊❤🙏

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Hi Linda thank you so much for your beautiful comment. One of your previous comments was so beautiful and Amelia was so happy after reading it. To answer your question I am indeed self taught, although it’s not really self taught I guess. I have watched you tubers do videos and read books and magazines on techniques. I’ve been drawing for about 4 years now that’s when I started teaching myself with just practise.

[@LindaIrwin7328]

@@TheArtGearGuide I would do anything to help Amelia. No child should ever suffer at the hands of others. My granddaughter, Madison and I both send Amelia huge hugs. 🤗🤗 You are beautiful Amelia!! ❤ Harry, I am a baby beginner and I watch lots of KZbin videos. I hope I can become half as good as you one day. I know it takes lots of practice. Your art work is beautiful. Sending prayers up for the family and praying Amelia is having better days at school. Please tell Amelia she is beautiful and she is so loved. Hope you and your family have a good night. 😊🙏

[@carolinafranzoy7787]

in latin america there is a 50 color set, in clear plastic package,thanks for the review Harry

[@HeatherBryant22]

Continued prayers and gentle hugs for your daughter. I really wish these had both names and pigment info, they would be nice to add to my arsenal of pencils.

[@shannonwolff2599]

Heya, I'm from Canada and back when I was a kid the big name in coloured pencils was Laurentian. Every year we got a new set of 24 pencils to go back to school with and they all had both a name and a number on them which made them easy to identify. When I got a bit older they came out with a lot more colours and I had a 60 set of them. I know that I relied on the names to know which pencil I was using on a drawing back then and although it may not make much difference to a very young child, by the time I was 10 I was using those names and numbers so i think Faber Castell need to really consider putting a name and/or number on the pencils. It may not have been a complete deal breaker for me back then (besides Laurentian was the only brand widely available) it did help and i think it would help children learning how to use and blend colours. Just my opinion but as an adult, given the choice I would buy pencils with a name for my grandchildren before I would buy a set without.

[@vi.vivi.borges]

I Love this Pencils. Here in Brazil we have a 50 set Faber-Castell SuperSoft Pencils.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

They are a really nice pencil and I think a 50 set would be awesome, I hope Faber Castell eventually sell the 50 set here in the UK. Thank you so much for letting me and for leaving your comment I really appreciate it.

[@claumimartz]

Thank you so much for your review Harry. Faber Castell is one of the most popular brand of Art materials here where I live. And lots of love to Amelia and your family 🌻

[@rashi5532]

I really like black wooden pencils 😍😍😍

[@pamsanby8506]

Love your Disney characters! I learnt to draw at age 11, using Disney! Thanks for another great review! 🤓

[@bostonblackie9503]

These are available in North America but I had to search them out on Amazon. Right now they are promoting Goldfaber in NA. Perhaps closer to Christmas they will concentrate on these. I love the Goldfaber! Would recommend them to anyone starting out, to me they beat Prismacolor by a mile. I agree about putting names on pencils, only problem with Goldfaber, with the exception they can break after sharpening. I wouldn't like to see more colours the sets start to become too expensive. Plus the smaller set you start out with the more you get to know your pencil and create colours you don't have. If you want more go with FC Classics. Not everybody has the money to fed their kids and spend on colour pencils, crayola wouldn't be so popular if they did. Thanks for the review!

[@sneaks6635]

One of your best reviews. :D Very informative and seeing the difference in using two different types of paper was great. Always putting your daughter 1st is just perfect. I wouldn't expect less nor do I think anyone here would. No apologies needed. I am very happy that she is able to make it to school again and that changes have been made to keep her safer and help her feel more confident. God bless

[@daryllynn5406]

I absolutely love these pencils so much that I bought the 💯 count as soon as I could!!! Ps: they have numbers on the pencils now

[@MileinaJuarez]

Blessings to your daughter. I was bullied in school. One time so bad that my father found me unconscious at our door. I just had my 30ths birthday and all the bullies from school are unsuccessful and unhappy today. I think greater justice exists but sometimes it takes time. It seems people that had hard times often become a better person because of it.

[@artistiQUO]

Here in Brasil this is one of the most popular pencil from Faber-Castell! It’s a great one.

[@hegelinmutlaktozu8070]

I've watched ur multiple videos, u r successful bro

[@koppsr]

Oh please test out the 100 set!!

[@TheArtGearGuide]

I’d love to, but they are impossible to find here in the UK, even on Amazon and EBay I can only get the 50 set but not the 100. As soon as they become available I will definitely review them

[@zedhussain9139]

​​@@TheArtGearGuide Hi Harry. Just thought l would let you know that Amazon uk now stocks the 100 set. l have my eye on them but am holding out. Thank you for all your informative reviews.😊

[@greyleva]

I noticed something engraves on the pencils... may i know what was that for? Thanks very much.

[@FairytaleSF]

By the way, the most similar pencils to Prismacolors are the Colleen pencils IMO. Have you tried them?

[@mackoycas]

Good Day! In your own preference, can you consider these pencils an artist quality pencils? Thank You.

[@mafaldamaluka]

In Brazil, we have only the 12 (

[@tatatikah]

These pencils look just like the Faber castell super soft sold here in Brazil.

[@timidkitten1709]

How curious. These are very very similar to the "Super Soft EcoPencils" (also by Faber-Castell) that are made in Brazil, *yet not quite the same*. The Super Soft are also black, but they have a round barrell (also with no color name or number) and come in a clear box with a picture of a peacock feather on it and in sets of 50. They're very inexpensive school-grade colored pencils that are popular all throughout South America. A good value for the price I think.

[@FairytaleSF]

I got these pencils last month, I love them, but I've had problems with sharpening... The triangular barrel makes it difficult to sharpen them without breaking the lead or cracking the wood. What sharpener do you use? Thank you!

[@ranamcmahon7653]

Awww...bless her heart 😯❣ I like the pencils, beautiful colors. I won't be able to use them because I have trouble with my hands.They do a beautiful job though.

[@carmellelapointe7583]

Use a Tihoo battery sharpener! These are great and also has a manual option. Love it!! Very reasonably priced on Amazon.

[@FairytaleSF]

@@carmellelapointe7583 I've purchased the Dhale 133 and it works great too! It works with all the pencils. No breakages anymore =)

[@carmellelapointe7583]

@@FairytaleSF I had that one too, but love this one way more!!! The price was excellent too, three extra blades included 😉😊

[@fri8601]

Just bought these due to this review, however it looks like the manufacturing of these may have changed. they are still made in Brazil. But they are nowhere near as opaque as they appear in this video, they also now have color numbers on the pencils. The opacity is still above the classic range. But the cores are not particularly soft (softer than the classics though). I wonder if they have made changes to the manufacturing process?

[@TheArtGearGuide]

I’m sure they have, my review was done a couple years ago now I think. They have also got a 100 set of them but I can only find the 50 set in the U.K. This is why I try to revisit a product after a few years, when Arteza first hit the shelves, a year later they had made some crazy changes to their pencils.

[@fri8601]

@@TheArtGearGuide they are still nice, I don't regret the purchase. Also I only discovered your channel recently. Your reviews are great. Glad you are going to keep going with it. Also looking forward to your top list for professional quality pencils! :) As light-fast grading is something that doesn't really matter to me. I prefer a bargain haha.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

I hear you on the bargain, we all love a bargain. 😂😂 and thank you so much for your lovely comments.

[@linah_samman]

I'm thinking of buying some coloured pencils and I was wondering, are these better or the faber castell classic ones?

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Sorry for the delay in replying to you, that is actually a really difficult question to answer, but if I really had to chose one, for me personally I think it would be the Classic Color. For me, the Classic Color just blend and layer better, the Black Edition seem a bit more wet if you understand what I mean. So, with the Classic Color, they feel a little dry when making marks on the paper and it is this dryness I think that allowed the pencil to blend better, with the Black Edition, they feel like they have a lot more wax and oil in them hence the wet reference. I hope this helps

[@linah_samman]

@@TheArtGearGuide Thanks for the reply 😊 I think I'll go for the classic ones then and it's probably better since I found them cheeper than the black edition

[@sayakaorsolic2147]

I saw these a fiew wheeks ago on sale on Croatian on line store and was thinking of buying them. I liked the way they look. 😂 Thank you for one more great rewiew. I think i have a fiew more reasons (excuses) to buy them.

[@beckymacallester6898]

I just got a set of 50 on eBay - sent from Argentina. It seems the 50 set is only available in south america? the brand is FC but it says made in brazil (where they have their forests, i think). The packaging is a plastic clamshell with all the wording in Spanish and what I am guessing is Brazilian Portuguese. Interestingly, these pencils are round, unlike the 36 pack reviewed here. They are stunning gorgeous pencils! i can't wait to color with them.

[@gata1887]

I am from Ecuador (south america) and yes, we do get different products here than what you get in the US or Europe (although we are more in sync with what Europe gets than US). Here you can get the 100 Pencil set for around $15 and they are really good. They do come in a plastic blister and they are round, made in Brazil.

[@Nat.ali.a]

Triangular pencils are not very popular in Brazil. Probably why they went with the round barrel in our market

[@mnamdari1523]

Would you please tell me which one is softer? faber castell classic or faber castell black edition?

[@TheArtGearGuide]

There really isn't too much difference, but if I had to chose one, I would have to say that the Faber Castell Black are a little bit softer than the classic. Thank you so much for your question and you're support.

[@mnamdari1523]

@@TheArtGearGuide thanks a lot 🙏🙏🙏

[@MrRafaarte]

Mas esses são os mesmos que os Super Soft aqui do Brasil, muito bons por sinal!

[@lauraespinosa938]

Sim pra mim são os melhores lápis da linha escolar, eu gostei bem mais do que o clássico

[@amybaker5241]

Good review, and good dad.

[@bampidraws]

Awesome video Ty 👍🫶

[@heyblondie9499]

I put numbers with a white pen on the pencils Ps i use a electric sharpener its work fine.

[@liannielsen4430]

I have just see a 50 set by Penstore around 250kr. And i Think i Will by Them 🇩🇰🎄

[@_Obey_]

Cool, didn't expect you to review them. Now I definitely will be getting them, they've been on my wishlist for months now but I still hesitated to buy. Do you think they will work well for coloring books and mixed media with copics?

[@sandywedmore1238]

Well wishes to your daughter, damn bullies if only they realised what they put other people through! I’m interested to purchase the pencils though, great review!! Thank you

[@ahphuu2410]

I like fabercastell

[@miguelmartinespejoramirez3311]

The Spanish name for these is Supersoft....and they come in a set of 50 count...

[@lauraespinosa938]

Qué? En Brasil tiene esto estuche de lapis de color, yo tengo el estuche de 24

[@astridgarcia888]

Se llaman igual. No hay traducción en español.

[@miguelmartinespejoramirez3311]

Astrid Garcia A Perú han llegado con estuche de plástico y el rótulo no dice Black Edition, solamente la palabra suelta SuperSoft.

[@Flashy.Colors]

@@miguelmartinespejoramirez3311 Yo tengo los mismos lápices, y es cierto lo que dices, aquí en Costa Rica también se llaman Super Soft y son 50 lápices en un estuche plástico.

[@rebeccamyott7041]

The Faber-Castell website says nothing about making these black pencils for children. What they do suggest is that the pencils are for children "14+ years old." Fact checking is always a good thing.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

I hope what I am about to say doesn’t offend or upset you or make you look silly as this is not my intention. When people watch my reviews, and I do the same thing, we all tend to watch a bit of the video and as soon as we hear what we are looking for we stop the video or stop listening. I have been reviewing colored pencils for about 8 years now, on my channel I have a few hundred reviews recorded. From about my second or third year into reviewing products, I developed relationships with all of the major coloured pencil manufacturers, including Faber Castell. When I conduct a review I always reach out to the contact I have working for the company. Most of the time it is email exchange but occasionally I am fortunate enough to talk on the phone. When I spoke to my contact at Faber Castell Germany, not the U.K. outlet, the individual I spoke with there told me that the Black Edition are marketed towards the younger artist. However, these are all guide lines, the Polychromos are marketed toward artists, but that doesn’t mean only artists can use them. I’ve been using them for years and I would not consider myself an artist. I was told, by my contact at Faber Castell, that the Color Grip are non toxic and so children as young as 5 and up, are safe to use them. The reason I was told 5 and up is because, it was explained to me that art companies recommend crayons, softer products for very young children, ruling out accidents with products like pencils. Next are the Classic Red and Black Edition which are marketed towards Young Artists, what I was told was from roughly ages 8 and up. Then there is the Goldfaber, more of a student grade pencil and again if you want to place an age on it, from about 15 up. However, they are all just guidelines. When a company market products, their packaging does a lot of the selling without the company ever having to place an age on the box. The Color Grip, Classic Red and Black Edition are all packaged with bright colors and what they consider young artwork. But the reason they don’t advertise ages on the packaging in the same way Movies do is because, whilst the Color Grip have a triangular barrel to help young children place their fingers in the correct position getting ready for creative writing, as well as plastic bubbles for better grip; adults can and do use them and Faber Castell are not going to shout at an adult for using such pencils. Placing huge age guidelines on packaging would in a lot of cases prevent people from buying them. Some people, and I know not all, but some people if they are say aged 13 and see a set of pencils with an age stamp plastered on the packaging 5-9, they would avoid buying them. But that doesn’t mean a 13 year old can’t use them and more importantly could still create gorgeous artwork with them. But to answer or reply to your accusation, Faber Castell don’t say that artists can use the black edition either, but they do. They don’t say adults can use the color grip on the packaging, but they do. I fact check every product I review and if I am unable to communicate directly with the company, ie some of the Chinese Manufacturers, if I am unable to ascertain certain facts about a product, then I mention this in the review and openly refer to it as speculative on my part until I can obtain the facts. I’m not really sure what your rude statement was in aid of. I would have had much more respect for you had you of asked me questions. Where did you get this information from Harry, What makes you say that that they are marketed towards kids etc? And you do know, that in the Western World, 14 is still referred to as a child or kid. The term Child or Kid is a lose term, it covers a huge demographic. 18 plus are adults, we can nitpick and say 14 is a teenager, but that category doesn’t really exist in the art world. It tends to be Kids, Student and Artist grades. Grading art products is very different to grading other products. A 10 year old could be a wonderful artist, if that were the case, that 10 year old would not source art supplies according to his or her age, the products are sourced as I mentioned, Kids, Student and Artist, it’s really as simple as that.

[@jkkater]

For me the are medium hard not super soft.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

You are so right, we all individually will experience our own sensations when using pencils and it also depends on our past and current trials with other pencils. If you have used 100 different pencils most of them really soft then you will compare them to that and the opposite would be the same to me. It would be good if I could work out a system to be more accurate and relatable, I’ll work on something and hopefully incorporate it soon. Thank you so much really appreciate it

[@kemmi7]

Do you have any knowledge whether they are wax or oil based?

[@kciNjr17_Portrait.Artworks]

I like it so much..

[@lylebobroske5172]

So many of us can certainly relate to this cruel problem. Myself included, back in the day. Even my niece recently. Kids at school can be so mean. Would you mind sending me your mailing address so that I can send you something for your daughter. Something very helpful. For more private reasons. Karen from Canada.

[@cateyes3813]

That's no good about your daughter having such a tough time at school. I hope it's nothing like bullying. Anyway, how do you think or have you already tried these pencils on Vellum Bristol sort of paper? For that is the paper I use for coloured pencils. I've never tried coloured pencils on any paper that could be described as smooth etc as I like to have some tooth because (I'm very inexperienced) most KZbins I've watched seem to recommend using some sort of Vellum Bristol paper and I found for myself that I get a far better showcase of a pencil's pigmentation on paper with tooth. They look beautiful though and despite the no name/number (usually a dealbreaker with me), I'm definitely considering them. I'd just have to create my own number and maybe engrave it on the swatch tip at the end of the pencil. But yes, what's it like with Vellum Bristol? 👋 Hi from Australia 🇦🇺

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Hi Melinda, they are a bit better on Velum as opposed to the Mixed Media. I am in bed at the minute but when I get up in the morning I will take a photo of them on Velum and message it to you on your KZbin account as that might help you. My Daughter Amelia has unfortunately been bullied for three years but things are getting better at the minute. She is not in the same class as these bullies and without sounding horrible this COVID thing has been a bit of a blessing for her because the school keep everyone in bubbles so even during lunch and break they aren’t allowed to walk about the school and cross contaminate so she feels safer that they won’t bump into each other. I’ll take that photo tomorrow and send it off to you. Thank you so much

[@chosenheir3055]

I'll stick to my black widow pencils

[@MPetrovich23]

Great review!! You’re such a good Dad!!! I hope your daughter had a good day in school. It’s a shame that school is such a place of anxiety and bad memories for her. Kids can be so cruel! Give her a big virtual Hug 🤗 for all of us.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Thank you so very much Michelle, I show Amelia all the wonderful messages you guys send and has had a profound effect on her thank you so very much

[@TheArtGearGuide]

The Black Widow are beautiful pencils and there is nothing at all wrong with sticking to a pencil you already love.

[@chosenheir3055]

@@TheArtGearGuide thank you.

[@chosenheir3055]

@@TheArtGearGuide nice review. I got black Widow pencils because of your review.

[@danettetrostle7173]

😎

[@angelashortall9778]

what is this?

[@angelashortall9778]

feel liike i should have heard of these. wild morning im having.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

They are quite strange in that they come from a really prominent pencil company but a lot of people have never heard of them, hopefully reviews like this can help spread awareness