Holbein Colored Pencils

The Art Gear Guide Written Review - bit.ly/2uCzvsR
Since making this review video of the Holbein Colored Pencils there has been a change, primarily with regards to availability. One of the biggest issues for artists in the US and UK when it came to spending the vast amounts of money on a set of Holbein Colored Pencils was the inability to purchase replacement pencils as and when needed.
Thanks to Jacksons Art here in the UK, this is no longer an issue as they have sourced open stock Holbein Colored Pencils. to the best of my knowledge they ship globally but this is something you would need to check before making a purchase from them. Jacksons Art is a highly reputable art store in the UK, excellent service and incredibly professional so you can order from them with absolute confidence.
Jacksons Art - bit.ly/2SpxA3Q
www.holbein-works.co.jp/englis...
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Thank You
Finally, thank you so much for all of your support, without all of you, this channel and The Art Gear Guide would simply not be the same. Thank you so much.

[@aryahavinfun5682]

This is a seriously warped video. You spent 8 minutes altogether (2:20-6:40 & 8:40-12:20) telling us about the quality & performance of the pencils. Big thanks for those parts!! and almost 10 minutes altogether bemoaning the cost & availability issues! No thanks for that irritatingly repetitive waste of time. 1-3 minutes total on the cost & availability problems would have sufficed to get your points across clearly, possibly allowing for more time for in depth product discussion, which is what we want to see.

[@pattydenny9]

Gisela Rodriguez - seriously?? 😳 this gentleman does this out of the goodness of his heart. Free, I might add. No one forced you to watch it.

[@basenjipoppy]

Patty you are sooo right, Harry is a gentleman. Maybe Gisela Rodriguez should watch some of Harry's other reviews and get to know him first before leaving a crappy comment. Makes me upset, Harry does this because he loves to do it and he takes it seriously. I know Harry doesn't mind constructive criticism, because that's just him, he wants to put the best reviews out there that he can. Watch some more of his reviews Gisela and you'll come to love Harry like we all do. Peace

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Gisela Rodriguez your right, I'll definitely try better next time. I have a written review that you might prefer.

[@aryahavinfun5682]

Patty Denny: Yeah, SERIOUSLY. I've been watching Harry's art supply review videos from long before he became the Art Gear Guide, and I've witnessed & appreciated his growth as a reviewer and as an artist. I've greatly appreciated both the information given and the sincerity with which his reviews have been presented. That doesn't mean I can't critique his videography when he stumbles. His decision to present his reviews for free or otherwise has no relevance to the critique of the video itself.

[@aryahavinfun5682]

PJ mush: As noted above, I have been watching Harry's videos for a long time, and have been impressed with the improvements made over time in their quality. I just had to note this one as a regression, and I love Harry's efforts to help us all. Don't assume that criticism of a particular presentation indicates unfamiliarity with a given presenter's worth and development over time.

[@alisonbranagan8914]

Jackson's Art Supplies in London have recently started selling them online, both open stock and some sets.

[@DD-d6d3]

Harry, I love your down-to-earth style. Please don't change a thing about how you do reviews! It's like I'm listening to a good friend. I don't want it to be all businesslike.

[@TsukabuNosoratori2]

Coming back here because these pencils are now finally available in the US via blick. I'll be getting the set of 50 pastel colors plus a few extra. Blick also sells them open stock so I won't have to worry about running out, and can even add more to my collection down the line. Good things come to those who wait, eh?

[@TheArtGearGuide]

I have written an exclusive review for Color Magazine about the Holbein Colored pencils and where they can be purchased open stock and I will of course be adding an update to my own channel. You are so right good things come to those who wait.

[@robstrickland1939]

Hi Harry, Thanks for the Holbein video. I've been waiting on one of the top KZbinrs to do a review on these. I thoroughly enjoy all of your videos and even watch the ones with products I'm not much interested in. I originally logged in today to watch your review on the Derwent Studio pencils but then saw the Hobein . In the Studio video you were so happy to have 802 subscribers and you kind of opened yourself up on how grateful you were to have that many subscribers. One of the reasons I think you are a really awesome reviewer is that you aren't afraid to put yourself out there and let us know what is going on in your life. I've never thought that you ramble. Anytime I'm interested in a colored pencil brand I search your videos first. You are my favorite colored pencil reviewer and I look forward to watching more of your videos in the future. Sincerely, Rob

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Rob Strickland Rob mate thank you so much for your incredibly kind words. I remember that video and thinking 800 was huge. I have just over 4000 now and just can't believe it. But this is why I do so many giveaways, I am only where I am because of you and all the other awesome people who watch the videos. Without you guys I'd be nothing at all and I know that. I just want to try my best and give back to this awesome community and giveaways is the only way I know how.

[@michellec9368]

Great review, now that I'm done giving that no so kind lady something nice to think about, I do own the 150 set. The only reason I do is that I came into a small amount of money back in December and that was the first thing I got, and basically the last. When you do open the wooden case and see the top row of primary, the middle of pastel and the bottom jewel tones it's makes you almost cry because they are so beautiful. That's something I think sets them apart is the selection of pastels, they also have a soft white and some other unique pencils. I to am no artist but my justification was all the recent lost I had experienced and I like you I was in a deep depression. I worked as a nurse all my life and now I'm home with health issues, I easily and repeatedly keep breaking my bones, then I lost my Dad, my husband of 32 years no longer wanted to be married, Right after he left tho I had my Mom move in with me and took care of her for 2 1/2 years, broken legs and all, but she passed away last October. My parents are from Ireland and came to the US when I was 8 and since I never had children and all my relatives are back in Ireland I'm alone now and these pencils make it easier. Sorry too much information I guess but it's what I tell myself to justify my guilt about ridiculous amount I spent for them. However, I will try to contact Holbein also about individual pencils, they sell paint and other products here so I don't know why they can't throw a few cartons of pencils on the slow boat over too? I'll of course let you know if I hear something but I won't hold my breath after hearing about your positive experience with their customer service department. Take care

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Michelle C Hi Michelle nobody ever gives too much information on my channel. I am always hear to listen to people via their comments, I have been there and needed people to talk to and know how important it is. I am so sorry to hear about your situation, you have truly had a terrible time and so I can totally understand the release you get when you open a new set of pencils and start using them to help take your mind of things. Please never think what you have to say is not important or too much, I love hearing from you guys and if I can help in some very small way then that is a bonus. I think it is wonderful how art has helped me so much and how so many others have also been helped by art. Thank you so much for sharing your story with us and as I say I am always here if you want to talk via private message and thank you so much for your support.

[@lmainello4896]

Hello Michelle! My name is Lauren and I'm an avid colorist like yourself. I was wondering how you are doing now that a year has passed? I sincerely hope that the past year has been kind or at the very least kinder to you. I'm asking because you seem like you must be an extremely strong person to have endured all that you did in such a short time period without giving up. Hopefully this message will reach you and you would be so kind as to reply to it. If you're too busy or unable to reply then that's absolutely fine, I understand how life can be. I will be praying for you and sincerely hope to hear from you though!

[@leeknight5462]

I was just checking out colored pencils, looking to see what was new, and I came across a review you had done on Kalour colored pencils... I enjoyed it so much, I decided that I needed to look for your KZbin channel! I am so excited to have found you! Your reviews are delightful and informative. I am looking forward to seeing all of your videos! Cheers from Canada😊

[@sharedaccount392]

Amazing review! I love how your so enthusiastic in your videos! Hope you hit a million subs soon!

[@PaintinHiding]

this was sooo useful! thank you so much! 😆🥰 would you happen to have a resource link for the set swatched on black paper?

[@bpositivehandmade]

Harry! Thank you SO much for this review! :) I'm saving up for the big set of these and you've confirmed that this is the brand I'd like to get. I've said before that I trust your reviews, so thank you! 😇

[@jennyb-aeternabitart7436]

Jacksons now sell them openstock in the UK. Which is awesome! 😊 In terms of laydown, these are my favourite pencils. They are so smooth and pigmented, and it is just a pleasure to use them. But the lightfastness ratings don't seem to be directly equivalent to any other brand. Which means I can't use them in anything I want to hang on the wall for a long time until I test them alongside some of my other pencils (I don't want half of the picture to fade faster than the other half...).

[@laurakenney100]

They look beautiful. Thanks for the review.

[@paigeme886]

Thank you! I've wanted a good review of these!

[@TheMidnightAssassin]

The pencils are now available as open stock and in sets on Jacksons jn the UK. I've just bought some open stock from there. 😊

[@sapphiremanga]

My brother went to visit friends in Japan. So, I asked him to buy me the Holbein woodcase. It is beautiful. It was not cheap, but it was my birthday present ;-)

[@elisacavaliere1446]

Accurate review! Thank you very much, it's a pleasure to watch your videos ☺

[@eldee9842]

I really enjoy how soft and blendable they are. They have a Prismacolor like softness. But I personally think they don't hold a point for very long at all, and they wear down very quickly.. I pair them with the FB Polychromos (which are better for detail work) and they make a great team.

[@jannsteiner]

Harry, has anything changed about the availibility of those pencils in the UK? Here in the Czech Republic there is an online shop that sells them in various sets and open stock. They have been available here for about a year.

[@scentmonk7324]

I had my eye on the 150 set of these a while ago, but i decided to go for the 120 set of polychromos instead mainly because i am also able to obtain them open stock.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

That is the biggest problem with these pencils, I absolutely love them, but if you live in Europe, America or Canada, you are going to find it incredibly difficult to replace pencils and even order them in the first place. I just wish Holbein would expand to other parts of the world. Thanks mate for stopping by and leaving your feedback.

[@silkspinner7010]

Thanks for the review, excellent as always.

[@WandasFaith]

hi, thanks for the review. my question is, how well does the pencil hold up to sharpening? and also, does the lead break when you sharpen?

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Hi there, the Holbein pencils sharpen really well and keep their point as well. I think the internal core for them is a little bit like the Faber Castell Polychromos in terms of their robustness.

[@danettetrostle7173]

Thankx Harry! They are beautiful..

[@juditharowland3461]

Holbein is available in the USA now, 2022,. The 36 pc set is on sale for $105.99 and you can buy them open stock at Dick Blick for $3.20 per pencil. I agree on your evaluation of cost. Derwent Lightfast is outstanding and far less in cost, even after Brexit.

[@sheshechic]

Does the Soft White come in the set that you have? I ask because it is the best of the whites made by Holbein and artists prefer is over even Prismacolor Premier's.

[@artesallano3823]

Thank you for this review!

[@KenPaul66]

I finally bit the bullet and purchased the 150 set of Holbeins' last month. I used a Japanese shopping service called Buyee and ended up paying $300.00 total. One thing I've noticed, they are almost identical to Polychromos in built and application. So, folks - if the Holbein pencils are too hard to locate where you reside, might I suggest the Farber Castell Polychromos which is much easier to purchase everywhere.

[@East17au]

Is there no purple in the 36? Id like these but only one lady sells them open stock and they arnt avail in Australia. I worry that of they are this difficult to get how do we get a refund?

[@mariaraqueloliver9014]

Te felicito y agradezco por subir este completísimo video,ya que en lo personal te lo había pedido-Queria preguntarte que diferencia encuentras entre los Holbain que son a la cera y al aceite con los PROCOLOUR de Derwent?Ya que supe que estos últimos tienen estas mismas características-Muchas gracias¡

[@Oakie222]

Harry, I just talk to Debbie at Holbein America and she said they have no intentions of going anywhere because of the pricing, testing and the health and safety they have to go through to go into other countries. 8-14-17.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Nyoka Sanders Hi Nyoka thank you so much for that. I can understand why Holbein don't have plans to branch out but it's a shame because they really do have a wonderful set of pencils. Thank you so much for this information and I got your message on Facebook also. Thank you.

[@ellariel7457]

Nyoka/TAGG: This makes sense, in that it tracks with the general rumblings I've heard about the lack of availability and of information both. I'm only repeating hearsay here, but the speculation of smarter artists than I is that some of their ingredients (pigments, perhaps?) potentially might not pass muster with U.S. (and especially California?) safety and toxicity standards (i.e. - California aside - ASTM Standard Practice for Labeling Art Materials for Chronic Health Hazards which, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, requires a review of all art materials to determine the potential for causing a chronic hazard. Art materials that are found to pose a chronic hazard must bear a warning label). Based on Holbein U.S.'s response, that might have an internal logic for them; i can't imagine how many sets they'd have to sell just to cover testing, even if all ingredients worked for U.S. law, much less the possibility of relabeling -- or worse, from a business POV -- reformulating if any fell outside the guidelines. May well be talking out of my hat here, having no idea of the product safety regulations in either U.K. or Japan, beyond an impression that EU (still for U.K., atm anyway) safety standards are generally more stringent than U.S. But to my eye, Holbein's response does seem to support the "word on the street." Thanks so much for passing it along!

[@Sharon-pb7so]

Thank you, I saw this just in time, my son and DIL are on their way to Japan right now, they land in 3 more hours from the US! I told them to keep an eye out for these pencils but just get the pastels. Knowing my son he'll get the biggest set in the store.

[@addie7043]

They are now available at Jackson's. www.jacksonsart.com/en-au/search/?limit=60&q=holbein+pencil

[@lavernehodge3320]

Really nice review!! Thank you!!

[@orkidbox]

I love these pencils too. They are soft and creamy but have very little breakage issues. Polychromos and Holbein are my faves.

[@petic4302]

Thank you for this video and for the possibility to communicate with others!

[@melaniesalavante]

Super helpful info, as always! Thank you!:)

[@CannabisIsMedicineUK]

I have these, I love the unusual colours, especially the muted and pale tones, and they remind me of prism as in performance, although I think these are softer and need sharpening more than prism as. I have ordered twice now from the Japanese guy whose links have been posted on this thread and it's been easy to get the, open stock. It costs 2.40 dollars each plus 5 dollars commissions and took about 2 weeks to arrive in uk

[@leslied9801]

I've got my eyes on the 50 set of Pastel toned Holbeins. They are only available in Japan and on Ebay for over $100 last time I looked.

[@mehditorkamani9890]

Same availability problem here in Australia. Not much different from the UK or the US.

[@sapphiremanga]

Thank you for the review.

[@mfdoom1898]

Man I want to try these so bad. I have the 150 prismacolor set and 24 polychromos set . I really would love to try but all my money goes to raising my daughter. I hope to win one of your give aways! Thanks for the video

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Adam mate I take my hat off to you, despite your love for pencils etc, you put your daughter first and anything after your little girl is a bonus for you. If I ever get a spare set or something like that I will certainly keep you in mind and try to help you out my friend where I can. Keep doing what you are doing for your rewards will be much more valuable than art or supplies. Your little girl is lucky to have such a loving a caring Dad. Thank you so much for stopping by my friend

[@SandovalAlondra]

I didn’t have money for my Faber-Castell 120 set well I had the money but I had other responsibilities to take care of first.... but I am a very inpatient person when it comes to art supplies so what I did to get my hands on them was I used credit card that I really don’t use and bought my Faber-castells that way I can pay my color pencils on minimum payment lol 😂 not a wise choice but hey I got them... but I really do want the Holbein or the Caran D’ache 😫

[@aliencreation8744]

They don't appear to be easily available here in Australia either...

[@pichum4st3r]

I was waiting for this review.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

I hope it has been worth the wait and I am so sorry it has took so long. Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting.

[@kennethreeve2988]

Hi Harry great review I love these pencils but the Price put me off and also replacing the pencil that you have more than other

[@marilyngcrafts]

Holbein has a USA distributor, and I think I read somewhere that the reason they don't sell the pencils here is something about the pencils themselves. I think it was something to do with the lightfast rating or something like that.

[@selbarton]

Marilyn G They refuse to pay for toxicity tests. So the pencils might be perfectly legal levels for other countries, but they won't jump through the hoops to prove it.

[@apaturairis2820]

Waiting for this review

[@sebastianholebrook230]

Great video, I love that colors

[@paigeme886]

Hi Harry, thank you so incredibly much for this review. As always all your reviews are amazing. I noticed someone below asked do you think these or lightfast ( or luminance!) May be nicer/ better feeling to use , or smoother ( you said they are incredible to use ☺️). I know you always say that all pencils are different and have their place etc, but I realise would love to know if you had time ( seriously love to know more than you could imagine! Or if you prefer lumi over lightfast?). I’m so incredibly sorry but it would be incredible! ☺️ I hope you are planning on having an amazing Christmas and are doing well 💙

[@lynwilliamson8303]

Thank for your honest reviews. Because of your reviews I have changed my view of coloured pencils completely. Since starting in this medium about 6 months ago I have sold more work than ever of my paintings. I also have introduced many children to colouring and drawing in this medium. I invested in Polychromos, Luminous, Derwent Coloursoft (which for the price point I LOVE) and after a rocky start now building up some of the newer product of Prismacolour. I am about to try to secure some Holbiens......I can't help myself......Living in Australia they are available if you make an effort. But I am wondering if the brands I have already mentioned as just as well and up to the job.....Maybe the mystique of these Holbiens is clouding our judgement. But that aside the Japanese certainly produce beautiful art supplies. By the way the Prismacolour blending pencils is brilliant! Keep up the sterling work my friend.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Lyn Williamson Lyn thank you so much for that lovely comment. I know what you mean. I just had to have these pencils, even if it meant the kids had no food for a month lol. But I know what you mean. The other pencils you have mentioned are the among the best in the world, no doubt. All the really amazing CP artists use them. Livening Down Under you might have more luck sourcing them but find that all out first before buying them. Thank you so much.

[@alejandrooliverosv.8555]

Hi Harry. Is Holbein better than Derwent Lightfast??

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Oh that is a tough question, let me take a day or so to test them both and I’ll come back. I don’t think one will be better than the other in any case, but I think one might offer something different over the other. Sorry I couldn’t answer you outright but I will do my best my friend

[@cynthiacarpenter8606]

In the US you can buy lots of different sets from sellers in Japan through ebay. I just purchased the 50 pastel colored set for $132.49. Open stock pencils are available too at US $4.56 ea at the time of this post.

[@marcwheeler4406]

I know I'm coming really late to this review I do like watching you layering colors and doing the circles......I'm learning alot about colored pencils do u have a review on derwent inktense pencils? I went looked at your list that pulled up but I found derwert light fast....I'm going to watch that after this to learn about light fast not sure if they are the same. As the inktense.....wow color me impressed on the price of those holbein pencils..that's almost half house payment or car payment or 2months of gas electric bill or waterbill...wow....✍🎨

[@sharlenelam6034]

Amazon Japan sells them. Got mine last year during the Holidays for less than $275 with shipping. Open stocks site has been listed on your comments multiple times.

[@karnidina]

I do wish they would sell Holbein colored pencils internationally and make it easier or a little more affordable. Even a small set of these would be cool to try if they would just dip their toe in the pool. The reviewers ,bloggers, and artists I have seen talk about this pencil usually do favor them.What you say sums it up. That the cost and the availability is a big issue.There would be worry when a pencil would run out. Especially if it is how you do commissions . Even for a hobbyist it would be a pest. -------- The reviews you do are in depth and I appreciate them. I was here a few months ago sifting through all of your reviews for different pencils at that time because it's so conflicting on picking a pencil or a set. For quite a while I was super concentrated on Caran D'ache luminance or Pablo, and for a short tiny while I was looking at Holbein. It is funny because I did not get any of those. If you pay for a set look at it as an investment. Your reviews actually did help me buy an artist quality set. Also, you referred me to a kick butt artist ,Lisa,from Lachri Fine Art. Two awesome things in my book.(Which compacted and helped me make the decision on faber castell polychromos. Beautiful pencils btw.) Your in depth reviews about what you think about pencil quality, feel, coverage, cost,and etc is what is lovely.(sometimes the history is cool too)Don't know why I didn't subscribe before but I should of. Sort of have an art supply addiction or curiosity I should say.-Anyways random added comments I felt needed adding.-

[@lyndaryan8030]

Love your reviews, continue to be you. We in Australia can not get them any easier than you unfortunately just so you know as you wanted to know. I got mine just yesterday but had to order from Amazon U.S and also had to pay a bomb in postage. Absolutely love the colours, wish we could all get them open stock to replace them when we need too. I will be scared to sharpen them cause they will run out lol Thank you for everything, your videos are very relaxing and full of important information. Ignore the nasties xo

[@mettainacan7813]

Hello, thank you so much for your review. Could I ask you a question? I just bought a small tin of 12 pastel holbein from ebay. Do you think its legit to get them from ebay? Is there any knowledge of counterfeit ones going around? thank you so much

[@TheArtGearGuide]

I know lots of people that have purchased them from eBay and they have indeed been legit. Is there something about your set that makes you think they are not real Holbein? If there is let me know and I will try to help you out if I can. The only place you can buy them is really eBay or Amazon, they are really difficult to find, if not impossible to find in art stores in Europe, North America or Canada. Apparently the reason for this has something to do with the toxicity testing standards that colored pencils are required to meet in the US UK and Canada; Holbein Colored Pencils don't meet them. I have written a few emails to Holbein Japan and asked them more about this as I think if they sold their pencils in the US, UK, EU and Canada. But I got the impression that to change the pencils to meet the standards would mean changing their pencils core and they aren't prepared to do that. On a positive note, you got a beautiful set, the Holbein Pastel shades are just gorgeous, I don't think there is a set of pencils with such gorgeous pastel shades. Thank you so much for your comment and let me know if there is anything I can do to help and why you feel you may not have legit pencils.

[@mettainacan7813]

@@TheArtGearGuide Thank you, its good to know that other people have bought them from these sites and its all been successful! The pictures look great but until I actually get the product I won't know for sure. What made me dubious? Well, firstly the fact it said location Japan, but then it said "ships from china" made me a bit suspicious (but the seller has 100% positive feedback and seems to stock all the Holbein line plus other Japanese products). Then the fact they sell Holbein on pages like aliexpress who are known for counterfeits (they don't actually have pencils but they do have holbein watercolours, and I've seen on aliexpress very realistic counterfeits of makeup palletes/ jewellery) . I suppose as long as the pencils are up to par then there is no reason to doubt. Its just as you said a very frustrating experience. I'm just hoping that I don't love the pastel set so much I want more because they are a bit of a headache to buy as you said yourself.

[@orkidbox]

Hi Harry, I think you can get these on order open stock if you use Amazon japan in combo with Google translate. There are also buying agent sites like Rakuten and Buyee that you can check out when you need a top up if people really want to get this set. I have it and it is amazing for the convenience colors, neutrals, pastels etc. and its dry but creamy feel. They are also just as sturdy and well made as Polychromos

[@soucky1]

Thank You! I was waiting for this review, they are spectacular but they are pricy to Canada at Amazon they are 485.00 + the shipping coast so they are to expensive for me!

[@shiahinata]

thank you for the review, i bought the 100 colored pencil set from amazon japon, in my country its sold for unit, but only it sell the 12, 24 and 36 set and is more expensive that bought it in amazon japan, anyway if i waste a pencil i will can replace it :D

[@lyndaryan8030]

love your reviews, been wanting to try these pencils for ages but they are not available in Australia that I can find. Very pricey from Japan too :-(

[@gingerblue]

If US/Uk distribution ever happens, I wonder if prices will drop significantly on these Holbein pencils. Does anyone know in the Japanese market how these pencils cost compared to other premium pencils? That might give an idea of what the price *should* be for these (and might eventually be, if US/UK art stores decide to carry them) vs. what the price is to get them imported. I really think all the vendors selling them are REALLY inflating the prices.

[@EarthenCavy]

Thank goodness I have friends in Japan, because I NEED that ice green!! 💖

[@mettainacan7813]

Ice green is my favourite colour, they can get it open stock now in shops like Jacksons, Ice green is also in acryla gouache

[@BeardedBarley1]

You can find it in open stock at Dick Blick.

[@yowgiaoart5630]

Lovely 😊

[@harveysonic3047]

Thought you might like to know that you can now buy sets of these and the full range of single pencils from Jackson Art supplies in the UK hooray! Singles priced at £3

[@julierutherford3150]

Jackson’s art supplies now supply open stock of Holbeins.

[@craftygirlpurple626]

As always wonderful review of these colored pencils as you and a few others reading their comments that these are some nice pencils but I'm hearing ones say that Prisma colored pencils are still on top thank you for sharing this I truly love what you are doing keep these videos coming very helpful have a bless one

[@TheArtGearGuide]

craftygirl purple62 Thank you so much Craftygirl. Yeah it appears Prismacolor is still top of the game. I'm going to buy myself a 150 set of Prismacolor and review then properly. If you look through my reviews I've not done them yet. I have two 72 tins which I bought fairly new to drawing so I didn't really know a lot about caring for them, correct sharpening etc so I want to try again with them.

[@craftygirlpurple626]

I love a set of my own I just can't buy any may be one I will have a set of my own

[@gingerblue]

Interesting to note: Amazon US pulled ALL Holbein pencil listings yesterday. ALL of them. I don't know what is going on, if manufacturing changed or the toxicity stuff was reported or what, but they are no longer permitted to be sold on Amazon's site.

[@gingerblue]

Also, how opaque are they on toned papers? You showed the swatches on black paper, but didn't talk about how they compared to other pencils in that regard. A lot of us work exclusively on toned papers, and that is the most important part of your reviews for us (which most reviewers don't even bother doing, so thank you for that!) :) Thank you!

[@edspencer5122]

Great vid - thanks for covering most subjects very well. Sorry you had worthless comment by some ignorant viewer - you did great!

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Thank you so much Ed I really appreciate your kind words and support.

[@scruffy281]

Are the ingredients safe in these pencils?

[@TheArtGearGuide]

+Debbie Lee how do you mean Debbie, safe over what? I know that Derwent advertise their pencils as not having any animal products in them, is this what you mean?

[@selbarton]

The reason they are not sold in the US and some other countries is because they will not have the toxicity tests to determine the answer to your question.

[@jjsmakeupobsession323]

Blick sells in the USA. I love watching your videos, don’t change yourself because of what a nasty person says.

[@michellec9368]

Hi I know this is an older review, but my second time watching it I believe. Just an FYI on eBay US I found one seller from Japan that does sell these individually, all colors too. I love the white and soft white so I ordered one of each and it took about 2 weeks again because it coming from Japan. They are not as crazy as your find at $14 theirs are $3.75 each that includes shipping, if I remember price correctly since I purchased mine months ago? It’s still a lot, it’s similar to the Luminance price range. I was lucky enough in 2016 to get a set of 150 and do love them so, they remind me of Polychromoes, look like them too. Take care happy creating.

[@tracyboswell9333]

I just found on ebay in australia you can buy open stock

[@sheilasinghal2922]

Thanks for this very helpful review! Ignore anyone who thinks they could do better. 😊

[@smokey5lbc1]

Hello again Harry. 🙂 This is my last KZbin video for the evening. I’m actually about to purchase the Holbein 50 set pastel on Amazon (import) here in the US. [Hit send to soon.] I used to work for a Japanese company for 6 years, and I understand how difficult it can be to get items outside of Japan or Asia. Have you or any of your viewers tried Etsy or Rakuten? Etsy has a quite a lot of Japanese resellers. Rakuten is like a Japanese Amazon (if not familiar, start with Rakuten Global before trying Rakuten; RG is tailored to foreigners). I tried buying from Amazon Japan, but I couldn’t always get direct delivery to me (also, your Prime membership doesn’t carry over). There is a work around for all of this using that delivery system where a courier will take delivery on your behalf (in Japan) then send to you, but I’ve never done this. I’m frugal to a point; I’ll always pay more to minimize the stress. 😑 If I can think of other ways to get items from Japan, I’ll let you know. In the meantime, aside from Holbein, I think most of what I’ve seen so far on your channel (that is Japanese) can be found here in the US at JetPens (online retailer in California). I know that doesn’t help you there in the UK. I’ll keep thinking. 🤔

[@tanyachmilar2975]

I was told by the company that because the pencils have lead it is hard to distribute to other countries 🇨🇦

[@kimbearlysoriginal4276]

I own these pencils. They are wonderful just like Art Gear Guide has stated. They do sell them open stock. Just placed an order for them. They remind me a lot of Prisma pencils. They do seam to lay down thick. I own Luminance, Polychromos, Prisma and the Holbein. + Many others. I will have to say that Prisma is still my favorite. I have not had an issue with breakage. Hope this helps. www.wakuwakumono.com is where you may buy them online. Have a super day.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Awesome Kimbearly you are a star, I will look into the link and see. Is this just US but or do they ship world wide do you know? Thank you so much

[@capyboppy]

Harry, I thought I had told you about this guy who gets them open stock for a five dollar fee. Maybe I just thought I had:-). A few others have also mentioned this link.

[@capyboppy]

They do indeed lay down thick and I went from liking them, to not liking them to loving them. As you may have found out the lighter the touch when laying down the better. Therefore they are great for those who like to just colour with one layer; but with a very light touch you can get several layers.

[@kimbearlysoriginal4276]

They ask what Country your from when ordering. I am sure they send worldwide.

[@kimbearlysoriginal4276]

I would agree 100%

[@adelinenicholas922]

I'm starting to think that all colored pencils are pretty much the same. And for that reason I'm moving on. Ive got the pencils I need. Good channel.

[@lyndaryan8030]

Noi open stock in Australia either unfortunately

[@krankywitch]

In Australia we can get these on eBay and Amazon, sets only, no open stock, but $500 for the 150 set is way beyond my budget. I don’t understand why our art stores don’t stock the pencils, as they all sell the Holbein watercolours. 🤔

[@jennyannart]

I am in Australia and haven't found them here. The only way I could buy them is amazon or ebay and I'd also paying an extremely high price. Added to that there are many amazon sellers that will not ship to Australia.

[@annprince5298]

Sliwolfette I agree with you no need to watch and be rude about . They are expensive pencils, they may be excellent but just saying

[@pattihanson7921]

On eBay Canada you can get open stock for 5$ with free shipping

[@ellietodd393]

They are now available on Ebay Australia if you are a millionaire. I am saving for a 12 pack of the pastels. these are about $50.00 Australian. Love your reviews.

[@patriciathomas3855]

I got my 150 set a few months ago. I did purchase from an amazing man on eBay. The price was the same as if I purchased in Japan. No mark up. I can’t say enough about his person, unfortunately I can’t find his name. He may not have them any longer.

[@theresafugate1528]

This is an ebay link for US, they are about the same price as faber castell polycrhomoss or a little more now days. I'm sorry I did not check out the shipping. I will go do that now.

[@theresafugate1528]

Ok, shipping is 52.00, however this is for the largest set. I did see other sets for much more, however there were also smaller sets 12 pencils for 36.00. So if you are able to buy from Ebay US easier, it may be much less for you.

[@Oakie222]

Your very welcome

[@Watcher1852]

you have done a great job with this review Thak You but the price is what frightens me I am a very poor person oh thanks for the artwork great job again

[@helencruz5]

There are now sold in America at dickblicks.com. I purchase mine from Japan but can get my open stock there.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Hi Helen, thank you so much for your comment, I’ve updated my written review of the Holbein because since making this review, they are sold open stock in, as you say, Blick’s; but also Jackson’s here in the UK. It really does make owning these gorgeous pencils so much more desirable. Before this, buying a set of them was a difficult decision to make, because, when you run out of one pencil, which we are inevitably going to do, replacing that one pencil was either never going to happen, or become an expensive and tricky sale to make from Japan. It is so good that Blicks and Jackson’s have stocked up on them and hopefully more stores will follow, because the more stores that stock, the more competitive the pricing becomes. While only one store in the US and literally one store in the UK sell them open stock, for us Colored pencil artists, they could sell them at any price they want. However, I do think the pricing in both stores for open stock Holbein are very reasonable. Thank you so much for your comment Helen and your support I really appreciate it.

[@ooXChrissieXoo]

Thanks for the review! I have been waiting for this for a while XD I'm gonna buy my Holbein when I go home for visit.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

I take it you are from Japan, you a so lucky, I have seen some of the art stores in Japan on videos, they just look out of this world. My youngest daughters friend is from Japan and she heads home from time to time, I think I am going to have to pass them some money and see what they can get for me lol .

[@ooXChrissieXoo]

Oh my bad! I'm actually from Taiwan, but most of our stationery/art supplies are imported from Japan and Europe, but yeah I know what you meant with the art stores. OH I need to send my wallet to babysitter when I go out lol The problem is the standard is high and if your product (very few care how good it is) if it doesn't look cute, classy or comes with a nice package; it is bad product. I always tell my uncle, Asians are taking good things for granted.

[@claritzairosario68]

These pencils are very expensive!!!, and they are hard to find at Jackson's Art supplies. Another negative thing about these colored pencils, that they do have lightfastness ratings...the reality is that they are in doubt. I saw a video of Lachri Fine Art, where she write the company about the lightfastness, and they did not know how to answer her, they did not give her specific information about this matter. If you want to sell your product, you must know the importance of lightfastness. If you don't need it, (lightfast) You can enjoy this pencils.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

The video you have just watched of mine was up long before Lisa put hers up. But in that period of time, I learnt a lot more about lightfastness and made a updated video on the Holbein. But what you also have to understand is Lisa sells original art and so to Lisa and artists like her lightfast is the number one priority and this is fine. However I am not an artist I am first and foremost a reviewer and in my experience there are a lot more people who just want a good pencil, regardless of price or lightfast ratings. There is so much more to Colored pencil art than lightfastness but while we are on the subject of lightfastness, none of it is accurate anyway. There are only two standards concerning lightfastness ASTM and Blue Wool. LF 1 is the highest lightfastness on the ASTM scale yet on the Blue Wool scale 1 is the least lightfast and 8 and 7 are the equivalent to ASTM LF1. Now if lightfastness was an exact science there would only be and could only be a right or wrong way to do things, but this is not the case. LF1 is = to 8 and 7 Blue Wool. LF2 is = 6 Blue Wool. LF3 is = 5 and 4 Blue Wool. LF4 is = to 3 and 2 Blue Wool and finally LF5 is = to 1 Blue Wool. I completely understand individual artists putting so much faith in the lightfast system but not to the point that they condemn products just because they are not lightfast to their standard. There are a wide range of artists, Colored pencil enthusiasts, art hobbyists and crafters out there each with a different opinion, a different need and different skills. When I first started out reviewing I fell into this trap of only putting emphasis on highly lightfast pencils and the same with the wax and oil myth around Colored pencils. But I realised what I was doing and after about two years of research, contacting Chemists at Colored pencil factories, email after email to ASTM etc, I learnt that what I was doing was wrong. The only reason I mention lightfastness in my reviews now is because I know there are artists who need to know and so I supply the information. Also to the best of my knowledge Lisa contacted Holbein US and when she contacted the company Holbein Colored pencils were not allowed to be sold in the US because they didn’t meet US toxicity laws so it was little wonder whoever she spoke to didn’t know a lot about the pencils. I was fortunate enough that my son was studying Japanese at School and I asked him to help me compose an email to Holbein Japan, it was like pulling teeth because I think what I was sending in the email was very broken Japanese. After months of asking they connected me to a broken English speaking employee from their marketing department but I didn’t do much better. I concluded after about a year of back and forth with them that the lightfast testing on Holbein was in house testing. They later came out about a year after and said their lightfast testing was ASTM but that they completed the testing in their labs. Well the A in ASTM stands for America and I know that when Derwent wanted to get the lightfast pencils tested they had to send the pencils off to America, Arizona if I am not mistaken, I don’t have all my notes on me so I am replying to you by memory. I used to write reviews for Colored Pencil Magazine and when I purchased the 36 set of Holbein to review Lisa knew the editor and spoke to her before the review was supposed to be published saying that she thought the Holbein review shouldn’t be published. But I had a different take on things, I don’t think we should be reviewing just lightfast pencils because that would mean we only review about 8 sets of Colored pencils, my opinion was that I wanted to review all pencils from the most expensive to the cheapest giving all the information and allowing other people to make up their mind if they wanted to buy the pencils on review or not. We all have different things we will and will not spend our money on, some people think spending £20 on Colored pencils is stupid because they could get alcohol or cloths with that same amount and that is okay because we are all different. I just feel like for me at least it is not up to me to tell people what they should and shouldn’t be spending their money on and it is certainly not up to me to tell them if what they spent their money on was a wise choice. So long as they have all the information it is up to them.

[@claritzairosario68]

@@TheArtGearGuide oh, ok Harry, thanks for that! You are right, not everything has to be about lightfastness, I get that. I started understanding this issue, watching videos here on KZbin. But, many thanks for this valuable information! Very interesting!

[@nwaltz59]

Wakuwakumono is an awesome service, I get my Holbein here also 😊

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Nancy Waltz hi Nancy thank you so much I definitely think I will be promoting this site on my web site for Holbein lovers to reach out to. Thank you so so much.

[@lawrenceshuda]

W.O.W.

[@jamesaritchie1]

I really hate Holbein pencils, and it has nothing to do with the price. They just aren't as good as several other brands, on top of which they're highly toxic, and not lightfast to anything like what the company claims. They're a perfect example of the old adage, "If you want people to swear they love your product just charge more than anyone else does for theirs" Smallminded people always think price equals quality, but just a few scientific tests with these pencils prove they're junk. Don't fall for it folks. These are not good pencils, and you do NOT want them around children, pets, pencil biters, or sunlight.

[@TheArtGearGuide]

Wow that is some hatred for an art supply, it’s almost like a set of Holbein Pencils done a number on your or stood you up. You are right about the lightfastness of the pencils, I’ve been trying to pin the company down on explaining to me which standard they used for lightfast testing ASTM or Blue Wool. I was told in an email that it was ASTM, but what makes me a tiny bit suspicious about this is, companies pay a lot of money to have their products ASTM or Blue Wool lightfast tested and so when they get it done, they advertise the fact on the packaging and website, none of which has happened with the Holbein. I do take issue with your statement “Smallminded people always think price equals quality” I think that is a bit harsh. I like to think People as individuals can spend their own money how they and as much of it as they like and think what they purchased was the most amazing thing in the world, doesn’t mean they are small minded. If you don’t mind me asking what scientific tests did you do to discover their toxicity levels. Holbein US tried to take me to court for not mentioning in a review that the pencils are not sold in the US, so they are a company that like to take people to court I’d be interested to know what test you did and what your findings were.