What do these remind YOU of? Andstal Masters Colored Pencil Review

[@Blick_Art]

We haven't seen this exact set in person so we can't speak to these pencils specifically, but here are some thoughts on products in general that are presented in a way that seems suspiciously similar to branded originals. Everyone likes a bargain, but we believe artists deserve protection for the work they create, and likewise manufacturers deserve protection for the unique and excellent art supplies they develop. Manufacturers invest heavily in developing each color in an assortment, and devote significant resources to quality control, and testing (some of which is required by law in the US). A label that says "non-toxic" or "good lightfastness" only means something if that claim is backed by fact. ASTM-based lightfastness ratings and the AP seal of the ACMI are not just decoration, they are proof of actual, independent evaluation. ASTM D6901-15 means that serious artists can use colored pencils that meet the standards of permanent art, just like oil paint and acrylics.

[@fizbanpernegelf5363]

Also the manufacturing process based in Germany should be a lot more environmentally friendly compared to probably China. At least a lot more regulations in the EU. What I started to do was buying open stock a couple of pencils and giving the brand and line a try before buying a full set. Though that only works when there are open stock pencils available.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I don't think anyone would buy these thinking they were real polychromos so as long as people aren't fooled they can choose the real deal if light fastness and toxicity are important.

[@Skunkforge]

Art materials without proper toxicity labels are very suspicious. 💀

[@Blick_Art]

@@thefrugalcrafter We're not here to debate this particular item or any ethical issue. Artists waited decades for colored pencils good enough for permanent art, and a set of ASTM standards for this medium. We will always, always insist that there is HUGE value in the testing and product development that goes into great, branded art materials.

[@lechat8533]

@@fizbanpernegelf5363 I`ve seen quite some documentaries and since I can remember, I`ve been following Stiftung Warentest (for German and European products). You would be surprised and shocked at how "serious" the Germans take their regulations. The situation you are talking about was true till the 90s, after that the world changed. Take Nivea facial creams, for example, they have been sold for many decades although they were made with chemicals that caused skin cancer. Or what about chocolate? The most expensive brands are made with cacao which contains toxic metals which also cause cancer. Aldi`s chocolates, which were the cheapest, were the only ones that passed the test. Lindt and D`or products contained the most amount of toxic cocoa. My daughter lived and worked in Hong Kong and China for some time. She was ashamed to admit that she was from Europe. The Chinese work ethics, cleanliness, and production level are beyond compare. There is nothing that the Chinese industry isn`t able to produce faster and better than Western countries. While the Collective West was sleeping, the Chinese were schooling themselves and have been working hard. German products, even when they are made in Germany, aren`t what they used to be. And that also goes for China. China`s environment isn`t polluted anymore like it used to be. They flooded the West with cheap products because Western consumers wanted and bought them. But at the same time, they`ve developed their production quality to an enormous extent. They can literally make fun of the fact of how backward we have become.

[@starshinesoldier]

Another great investigation by Art Detective Lindsay Weirich! I’m super happy with my Prismacolors and Derwent Lightfasts, but it’s always interesting to see the side by side comparison of budget supplies versus the real deal.

[@hemjoo]

I'm pretty surprised that their pigment seems even a little stronger than the polys. Seems an interesting set to own for those who dont care much about light fastness. Not for artists but for the average hobbyists. I love the Polys but have found I need to supplement with Holbeins for a few of the lighter shades! Thanks for the detailed review. Much appreciated🙂 To add, you were fair and transparent.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Thank you

[@CreativelyKaren]

I just ordered these pencils on a whim. It will be interesting to see how they perform. Looking forward to finding out.

[@CrystalsColorStyle]

I found that the brand that puts these out is QiLi. They have a popular set with a Unicorn on the front of box. Idk if they're the actual manufacturer 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@tabbylynn4130]

Thank you for reviewing art supplies that are affordable. Love your time and effort you always put into your reviews.

[@sambabird7]

I don’t think Blick was “attacking” these pencils or those who want to purchase them. I think they were just expressing an opinion and alerting as to what the ramifications of buying these dupes might be. We can do what we want; what harm does information from different sources do?

[@sambabird7]

I personally like to get input from a well known art material supplier.

[@sunnycharacter]

All those grays and neutrals got me! 😍 It would be great to have a Pc dupe. I just ordered some open stock Polys on Jackson’s when they had the sale. I just caved and placed all my Polys in a nice pencil case. Always afraid I’d drop the tin. I believe if I had this one you got that I’d put them in a case.

[@itsdingus_6497]

My favorite part of the review: "I don't know what freaky thing happened in that factory." 🤣

[@thefrugalcrafter]

😆

[@lizbethy3214]

Very interesting and helpful! Looks like they'd be fun for adult coloring. Id love to have a pencil that weren't as expensive as polychromos but feel like the polychromos experience! Thats exciting because I think the polychromos are very expensive so since I already have the 150 prismacolor I can't justify buying the polychromos which I have no idea if I would even like!!!! Very helpful! Thank you! I saw these on Amazon and looked to see if anyone on KZbin that I like and trust, had a review on them, and you did! You're a jewel! Keep sparkling!!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@yazosoyo]

Thank you Lindsay for your great reviews on all sorts of pencils. Like all budget pencils are some sort of dupe to renowned brands. So, every brand deserves a review ❤.

[@mjpete27]

Hullo Lindsay, Boy Oh Boy! You are truly fastidious with these budget pencils! I am not sure if there are real budget options? I believe that we need practice to stay consistent with our artistic abilities and staying current with techniques with all of the different mediums. I know that lightfast properties are more expensive and that can be worth paying for! Pencil drawings take quite a bit of time to complete! I have made a drawing, even a painting that faded because of poor quality supplies. I have learned to scan or photograph my artworks as I finish. As printing quality has gotten so good your artwork has a chance of lasting even longer than original art! Thank you for sharing your expertise with us and showing us how these pencils swatch! Oh I love my Albrecht Durer’s I even purchased the Magnus pencils from Faber Castell! They outlast any other watercolor pencils I have ever used and they are so easy on your hands as the increased size is more of everything! Thank you Lindsay.

[@cheesim]

Thanks for showing us the difference! I think for us who love collecting colored pencils, this could be another interesting set to try. I love Polychromos pencils, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't try other pencils. I think I will get a set when it is more available in the US. Not familiar with Aliexpress seller and shipping 😅

[@eBookHoarder]

I am not an artist but purchased Polychromos so I could follow toutorials and color combinations. I would have gotten these instead since the performance is similar and the number system matches. That is why I got the Brutfuner pastel pencils. The price point for the Holbein was not realistic for me because I do not sell my work and could not recoup the costs.

[@rk3476]

You give the best, most thorough reviews! I would love if you would consider checking for color change in the budget brands of some of the more red violet to purple colors, when using fixative spray or water. Other colors like greens, blues reds, earth tones, yellows , etc. may move with water, but don’t change color. It’s a weird reaction. A lot of the budget sets have colors in that rich deep or bright pink to plum range, that change when sprayed with fixative, or if anything wet is applied over them (white gel pen, clear acrylic glitter paint, acrylic sealer, etc.) I think I’ve figured out it’s due to water solubility…some pigment changes color or washes away completely when wet, leaving only a fluorescent looking pink behind. The colors affected are often some of the prettiest, complex pink/purple range, but all the subtle differences disappear to leave a bright pink that is the same across most brands). For coloring books, fixative is really useful to prevent from rubbing color onto the facing page. I also sometimes like to add clear glitter or holographic acrylic paint over coloring book pages, and it’s disappointing to have the otherwise finished picture change color in a glaring, overly bright way. Right now, I assume all the water soluble ones do the same thing, but it might be valuable information if some don’t (in spite of being water soluble). Sorry such a long comment, but it’s challenging to describe the issue without an image.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I have had purple leech up through white pen. Never thought I was a budget pencil issue.

[@artonthecreek]

Well, nothing like a good “discussion item” over my morning coffee😉 Hey… bottom line, I appreciate your review. I think I’ll give them a go, because quite frankly this is a way for me to segue into FC Polychromos that fits my wallet. Im already replacing each worn Prismacolor with a Luminance; a lifetime endeavor and I’m enjoying that gradual transition. I’m still mastering colored pencils as an art by themselves, and I quite enjoy them. I wouldn’t dream of passing something off as made with professional art supplies unless, well, it was. I agree that the packaging and pencil styling similarities raise suspicion, but I will leave that to FC’s legal team to investigate. In no way do I think I’m getting the real thing. I am very interested, though, in trying something very similar and having access to a broad color range while doing that. This, in my mind, leads me to believe I will be advantaged with a more thorough sampling. I love the softer colored pencils and have used Prismacolor, Derwent and CD Luminance in many projects over watercolor & in simple sketches. I plan on using these to fall into one of my huge comfort zones, drawing many beloved Disney characters- this time entirely in colored pencil. Thank you for taking the time to share this honest review, Lindsay.

[@ladyinblack3398]

However on 2nd note these knock offs might not be a bad idea for traveling or on the go for local outings. You can leave your precious stuff at home and you are not out a ton of money if someone decides they like your stuff

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Yup, it's a good idea to travel with art supplies you won't be upset to lose.

[@deborahbloom4624]

If you love unique stationery packaging....which, we do know you do love special boxes, Lindsay.....do NOT order from Notebook Therapy! Their packaging is BEAUTIFUL! You might not be able to resist ordering stuff just for the cute boxes...

[@Beauty_Geek32]

It is insane that I barely see a difference in pigment between the original and the dupe. So good. By the way would you ever do a colored pencil workshop like you did with the alcohol marker?

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I'm planning on it:)

[@Beauty_Geek32]

@@thefrugalcrafter yay 😊

[@lallison2825]

I recently found the small bins from Target that make great project bins for colored pencils. I think they're drawer organizers? I just dump all pencils in one for a project and it keeps things corralled. Regardless, the review was through at always. I might need to make another aliexpress purchase soon

[@Julie-vy3oz]

I bought a polychromo set and a few Derwent Lightfast pencils, and a few Luminance and lots of Prismacolors. Polychromos are my least favorite. I actually like my good ol’ Prismacolors the most! They’re a deal and work great for how I use them! Thanks for the comparison.

[@eBookHoarder]

Agreed, I have Prismacolor pencils for days. I find bags of them at the thriftstore. I use them and share them and don't feel some kind of way when I sharpen them.

[@MusingsFromTheDen]

That's so naughty. Faber Castell is my favourite colour pencil brand so it's entirely possible I'm biased, but for me there's a reason Faber-Castell are the price they are. I don't see what sense there is in making budget versions of a colour pencil then not offering open stock as I'd have thought that would make them even more attractive as a cheaper option. I'm always suspicious when a brand has to shout about its credentials like 'HIGH QUALITY!' Methinks the manufacturer doth protest too much. 😂 I'd be really interested to see a comparison between the same colour these pencils, your older Polychromos and the current generation of Polychromos pencils. 🤔

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Offering open stock is acbig risk for companies and not viable until a certain amount if sets have been sold and then they have to guess what colors will be popular. I think most of these sets don't get used enough to get a color used up. I think there is a lot of collecting going on. It would be interesting to compare my old polys with new but I don't 2ant to rebut them 😆

[@dianamorariu9763]

I've been waiting for Lindsay to post this, I've seen these pencils on Amazon (I am in Canada and these pencils have lots of listings on Amazon here and have been around for a few months at least) and thought they were a Polychromos dupe, but didn't want to buy them until they got a proper review here 😄 😉 👏 Thanks for the video! Arrtx instead of Prismacolor and these instead of Polychromos, got it!

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Both are good dupes! I just saw them on USA amazon today pretty hidden.

[@notbroken4342]

I'm also in Canada and these recently came up when I typed Polychromos 120 into the search box. I went to look for them just now and they are not showing up when I do a Polychromos search.

[@dianamorariu9763]

@@notbroken4342 Who knows with these pencils, I did a search this morning while watching this video and they showed up 😕, the price was about $110 CAD

[@fizbanpernegelf5363]

It was only a matter of time until a dupe will be sold... I am still unsure how to think about the dupes. I mean I do have a the Brutfuner Macarons and plan on replacing with Holbein but there is still always a little bit of second guessing about that. For me it is always interesting to hear others prefer softer pencils because the Polychromos are my favorite pencil of all. I really enjoy that I have to work in light layers because it doesn't hurt my hands. No other pencil I ever tried had that sort of effortless lay down. Many other pencils make me press harder because I get impatient and then my hand starts cramping. Derwent Drawing and Colorsoft as well as the Caran d'Ache Luminance feel like they do not glide over the paper as silkily as the Polychromos. There is more pigment but also a slight hint of more resistance which leads to more pressure and cramping in my hand :(

[@phillipstroll7385]

I'm all about dupes. If a product of equal quality can be made less expensively it is the duty of the manufacturer to provide it to their customers. If they won't is our duty to go to the less expensive manufacturer. This is what forces free trade. Every manufactured item on earth is a dupe. Even our food. There is no such thing as natural seeds anymore. Our ancient ancestors genetically modified food. If they didn't we wouldn't have corn (originally maize), tomatoes (originally a form of the deadly nightshade) potatoes (also originally nightshade) cabbage, broccoli, bananas, orange carrots, etc etc etc. No one seems to complain or have ethical issues eating veggies. We don't have anything on this earth that's organic or original to its original form. All cattle has been genetically modified. Cattle originally were small. More akin to the size of a dog. Whereas original oxen were massive. Over 6 foot tall. Our ancestors breeded the two to get what we now call a cow. Organic chickens are very very tiny with minimal meat. Humans modified them. Nothing is organic. Even vacuum cleaners are dupes from the original. No one should ever have ethical, moral or financial issues with purchasing dupes. Even that which is claimed "sweat shop labor" in our terms isn't in theirs. It's a job paying wages to unskilled uneducated labor that otherwise wouldn't be able to put food on the table or a roof over head. If we don't buy that product this people do not eat. If we truly care about these things the thing we can do to benefit all is to lobby congress to ban the minimum wage. Which was created as part of Jim Crowe to keep people poor.

[@phillipstroll7385]

I've never used poly pencils so I wouldn't know. I have used Crayola, prismacolor and Martha Stewart brand pencils. Martha's were my favorite, but people complained they were too soft. Much much softer than prismacolor. Almost like an old oil pastels without the crumbly brittleness. I also like prismacolor, but I must say, I've never used just colored pencils. I usually use them to add sharp detail to neocolor II, watercolor and or gouache work. I'm not patient enough to create works solely out of colored pencil. Although that is a goal of mine. Learning patience. I'm working on it lol. Are polyC's softer than prismacolor?

[@lechat8533]

@@phillipstroll7385 I have and use different brands at the same time. Every brand has some tones that are special. But I must admit that I don`t like to buy 120 sets. 36 is my maximum because too many tones are overwhelming to me.

[@ladyinblack3398]

My favorites are the Polychromos. I do not like the smearing of the Prismacolors nor their low quality casing.

[@phillipstroll7385]

@@lechat8533 makes perfect sense to me. I'm the same with watercolor. I prefer a limited palette of primaries and a sienna. Sometimes I get wild and add an umber lol.

[@waymire01]

The thing for polys for me is the way they feel and mix. I've tried multiple popular poly dupes.. and some of them are very nice pencils (like my Markarts and Delis which btw are basically identical to each other although they are different colors.. and the markarts are already repackaged (identical) Nyonis) but they don't have the same soft ...but not smooshy soft, smooth soft... laydown and actual mixing of two colors when layered. The others tend to lay on top of each other so you can always see the individual strokes and transitions until you go in with a blender. They are more... sticky.. for the lack of a better term. Polys I can get smooth transitions and coverage with alone. So I would love to hear from someone who colors with polys regularly if they actually feel the same.

[@fizbanpernegelf5363]

I totally agree with you. I woul describe the Polychromos as silky soft when laying them down. And an additional bonus for me was that they work with nearly every paper. This stickiness is what I do not like in many other pencils because it means I need more pressure to move the pencil ofer the paper.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I think the stickiness is some wax content.

[@waymire01]

@@thefrugalcrafter I've come to the conclusion that you really have to take the wax/oil label with a bit of skepticism. Especially over the past couple of years when "oil" became the popular pencil to buy and every brand started putting it on the box. I've got "wax" pencils that behave more oily, "oil" pencils that behave more waxy.. and wax pencils that cover the gamut from dry and hard like a graphite pencil, to waxy and soft like a crayon.. and every combination in between. I pretty much just have to try a few myself to get an idea of what I'm working with.

[@ladyinblack3398]

LINDSEY DO YOU REMEMBER THE BRUTFUNER MACARRON ALSO HAD A SPELLING ERROR ON ONE OF THE COLOR NAMES WHICH WERE DUPES FOR THE HOLBEIN PASTELS. MAYBE IT'S THE SAME MANUFACTURER.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Might be. It came from the same seller.

[@gwensimmons_gigi1629]

Great detailed review Lindsay!! TFS!🙏🏾✨👍🏾💕🥰

[@vickyhendricks5357]

Good pencils. The price on these is all over the place, I've seen these for $59.00 to $119.00, so if you want try them, shop around. I wish the video reviews were a little shorter, but overall, good video. Thank you. ❤

[@twingytwango6971]

Faber-Castell also has a green box like that copied box. I purchased these copies but at the time I didn’t know. The photos in the online shop did not show the front so I didn’t know it is a knock off. I was kind of shocked when they came. I wanted to send them back after I got over the initial shock, but for the life of me I could not remember the seller. I have not unpacked them and i have had them since last October 2022. They were also very expensive which is why I wanted to send them back. These knockoffs are almost as expensive as a set of Polychromos brand new that I can buy from people selling on our local eBay marketplace.

[@RealMelodyBlue]

Love your channel. Very informative,. Thank you ❣️ for sharing!

[@sonyaoart]

How well do they hold a point? That would be the real test for me to determine if they're like Polychromos. Could I draw animal fur with these without having to sharpen every other minute?

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Yes. They hold a point very well unless you are using sanded paper.

[@brennagarciaasisabgelement7917]

Good to know, if I happen to see it in a thrift store I would probably pick it up. But since I got my polychromos on eBay exceptionally priced, I'm pretty sure it was at a thrift store, I seen a few art supplies have their pictures taken in perhaps a thrift store parking lot because of the backgrounds LOL. I'm not picky as long as they are what's advertised . I mean I saw a hole Lucas collection of half pans with the wooden box but they were selling it more then what Jerry's was selling it for of course I submitted a counter offer and they denied it and I'm like sure you can keep it. For my pencils I'm Grateful that everything checked out on the pencils prior to purchase I mean I examined the band The Pencil style and everything before I committed, my next set is prismacolor. I was eyeballing them this week at Blick but decided to pass since I got the ones you shared the pricing for LOL.

[@128titanic]

Thank you very much ♥️♥️.

[@ladyinblack3398]

These are on Amazon now and popped up when I entered Polychromos. Of course that is not what I was after but obviously Amazon is pushing knock-offs. That was 3 days ago. My real polychromos have a pretty glossy finish. The imitation of the green package. The fold over separate packages are to flimsy and cumbersome. I think 3 trays are more efficient.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

What country are you in? I haven't seen it on amazon USA.

[@ladyinblack3398]

@@thefrugalcrafter yes here in the USA. I saw it 3 days ago.

[@johnwaterman1579]

Sarah here - Great extensive review, Lindsey! I looked at them online, and low and behold they are made in CHINA! Yikes. Really? Not even owning up to giving these pencils a name. Copying !Faber Castels -- very shady and unethical, even bordering on illegal. I will support American made, German made, even Mexican made, but I boycott products made in China as much as I possibly can.... Thanks for all your product reviews! Keep up the good work

[@kathrynseton1]

I'm reminded of Trevor Noah's insightful quip; "If you turn the United States over, you'll see it says "Made in China." Sad? Definitely. Ironically funny? Yup! Good comedy is basically about getting us to take a lighthearted look at ourselves as we really are...while also holding out the hope that change is always [possible😊

[@charlesmangum3108]

I love Polychromos.

[@paulalister80]

Interesting look at these pencils, I’ve been slowly buying the Poly for a while, I’ve stopped though as I don’t use them and well I don’t actually like them that much, having said this I have 22 pencils left to buy and I will have the whole set so had a quick look see to see the price here $127 (NZ) without shipping umm no don’t think so, can always get those 22 pencils when I start using this set. Just a thought Lindsay maybe do a teachable class on pencils like the one on markers, just a thought mind. Gotta go today I’m going to a Freda class and having a go at drawing and painting influenced by her her paintings, so looking forward to a fun art filled day.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Have fun!

[@emilygoodwin5723]

I have been on colour pencil review withdrawal. Last year there were so many that came out. This year there seems to be very few if any. Personally now that I have been collecting for so long and I have saved to get the bigger brands. I just don’t feel the need for the dupes or budget sets. It has to be a really unique pencil for me to want to add it to my collection. But if some one is just starting then I see the draw. I felt the lure for sure. But I think at some point you make a decision to skip theses sets and put that money away for something special. But I mean yay thank you for the review

[@michaelagampe7685]

Guess everyone who bought this set has got this bronze - gold mixture !

[@LeeDee5]

I love Polys so this is difficult to see lol. I would never trust these for longevity but they'd probably work great in coloring books or sketch books.

[@michaelagampe7685]

One last comment, i got mine on amazon, aprx a month ago ! I'm from Europe. They were not too cheap, half the price of polychromos ! I bought them because i don't know how long they will be available. And now i save money to get the polychromos too ! BTW , did you also get one broken tip ? Greetings from Austria !

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I don't remember any tips being broken. They were really nice tho!

[@adriannabcustomfurniture]

Thank you for doing this review! I might have to try these! People in China used to copy my designs that I'd make for my products...but I was always told 🤷‍♀️ get over it. So now I just don't care 😂 if China wants to make copies of something, maybe the original company should have more patents...like I was told I should have more precautions for my designs lol also, if you are selling your art, make sure you have the real if that matters so much to you...for all of us who aren't selling all the artwork we do, who cares what products we use haha. Something for everyone, I always say.

[@Forgefaerie]

honestly I'm not sure they are being especially subtle. the duping is just so blatant, that they are only just barely skirting by the laws, I think.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

You might be right!

[@berolinastrassmann]

These pencils look sketchy...trying to copy a quality product without the credentials to prove the same quality is suspicious (safety, lightfastness, API, safety data sheets) It is easy to offer something cheap when your company does not need to invest in research development and testing, safety certification or quality control (what was going on with the bronze?) Swatches may indicate they are similar, and they try to ride on a recognised brand's coat tails. I want more info from products I buy to be confident as I use them. Yes, Polychromos have a high price point. But there are good quality brands that have a lower price point and offer quality, lightfastness and safety data. I prefer to save and buy the good stuff or buy good quality from trusted and proven companies at lower price point. Thanks to Lindsay for all the work invested in testing these. It gives us viewers a chance to make up our own minds with more background info. In my case, I would not buy these.

[@beckymacallester6898]

I'm agreeing here. Its like seeing a fake Rolex at a street market. If having it look like the real thing is enough because you can't afford the original, that's fine, but it shouldn't be confused with the original quality product. I don't need a "duplicate" of a pencil set. I'll get the best quality I can afford or save up for.

[@leonnehaaijman4709]

Ooof… if I were Faber-Castell, I’d sue for imitation.

[@ladyinblack3398]

A dead give away is the white paint under the casing color. All Chinese pencils seem to have that.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I think most pencils except for prismacolor (and natural wood) are primed before painting.

[@ladyinblack3398]

@@thefrugalcrafter i don't see that on my Polychromos or Holbeins

[@mkboyd6880]

Another great review. Thank you!

[@nattyw495]

Interesting video on a cheaper colored pencils..thank you for showingvus this art supply..mikelle art mon👩‍🎨✍🎨

[@danielleb.7055]

Thanks for this review. I'm not sure if this is the case for many people or not but my silver and gold (idk of there are any other metallics) but they are literally the absolute worst metallic pencils I've ever used. I tried sharpening ,coloring them down and everything I could think of. I kept looking at it like wth did they label this wrong lol. These pencils are expensive so every pencil should work wonderfully but I also didn't purchase my polys for the metallic. Have a great day

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I think the best metallic pencils I've used are the new reformulated derwent metallics. That said I don't have much use for them.

[@danyelhudon458]

I do think all economic coloured pencils like the Obos, Brutfunner , Macaron, Mitsubishi Uni, with theirs set of more #50, 100, #180, #250 pencils, we can find easily a perfect match with Polychromos or Holbein coloured pencils with their amount of colours it is offered! Who did their swathes comparison with the Polychromos (except for Macaron by Lindsay over here)? Personally, I am having more of these 4 chineese brands, so I am sure than I am having exactly the same coloured swatches with my 120 Polychromos oil leads! No further need to have more to replace some of my Polychromos used! 😊 Lindsay had presented some of these brands showing these chineese economic coloured pencils are very good and comparable with our common coloured pencils we are using frequently! 😊

[@braxma12]

Mitsubishi uni are definitely not budget set. And holbein are hardly artist pencil. They don't layer, they ate made with fat, so they are buttery, but fill the paper fast.

[@LauraRumble]

I can’t support fakes. They are cheaper for a reason - they’ve blatantly copied all of the design and branding work - so they haven’t paid graphic designer’s wages. If they are made in China they will not be paying anything like a living wage for a European or North American worker. Environmental factors should be taken in to account too. What wood is being used for the barrels? Is it sustainable? Are the factories working towards less waste and emissions? We should be considering more than the instant fix of cheap art supplies.

[@karinswartz3046]

It looks square barrelled on the cover , yet they are round barrelled. They look like Brutfuner 80 Oily set. I see that the neon tray looks exactly the same. I got my 80 oily from Andstel and they are nothing like the 120 squares which are quite good. I like the squares and Macaron Brutfuners, but the 80 oily are substandard in my opinion- they break and don't lay down well. They almost have a dense coated feel when they are put to paper. I used to dislike polys and only liked Prisma and squares, but lately, I have been experimenting with a set of 12 Polys. I have to say, that they work so well in Johanna Basford's book compared to anything else I have tried. I actually like how they blend and they are very vibrant. I can't believe that I actually want polys because a year ago, I couldn't stand them. They do have a strong odour that gets to me after awhile, but the payoff is worth it.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

what neon tray?

[@karinswartz3046]

@@thefrugalcrafter I just glanced one of the holders that held some of the coloured pencils in a bright yellow, pink and so on that reminded me of some of the neon type colours in the 80 oily Brutfuner set. Those pencils stand out in the 80 oily set as being a bit different from other pencils that I have seen and when I caught a glance of a row of pencils when you were unpacking the box, it looked very much the same as some of the pencils in the 80 Oily Brutfuner set. Does that make sense? Not quite sure they were specifically neon, but they were super bright and grouped the same and looked the same.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

@@karinswartz3046 oh! I was thinking a neon pencil holder. These are not like the Brutfuner oily. These are more pigmented and have a thicker, firmer lead.

[@karinswartz3046]

@@thefrugalcrafter I see. :) It was nice of Andstal to send them to you to review, the perks of being famous, lol.

[@leslieladyhawke]

Thx Lindsay!

[@keepyourshoesathedoor]

Did you like them any? I’m not into those and I’ve gotten polychromos on sale on Amazon but other places and I like how they are open stock in places but I can understand anyone who’d want these. Gotta do what you got to do.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I do kinda, I prefer a softer pencil but the pigmentation is too and they layer. I don't like to work in light layers tho. They are good quality, if you like polychromos they are very similar

[@eevee6005]

Amazon Canada is now flooded by these pencils & calling them Polychromos ( no one sells them as Andstal masters or whatever, all call them Polychromos); an attempt to mislead and defraud customers by unscrupulous companies (the manufacturer, who clearly tried to copy the graphics and put no name on the box so they could try to pass them off as Polychromos & the sellers using the Polychromos name). The price is also ridiculous, it is only 33CAD less than what I paid for the 120 FC Polychromos set at Omer Dessere (a Canadian reputable art store)two weeks ago during the creative member sale. This is really not okay, it’s simply dishonest and meant to rip off customers. There are honest budget pencils aplenty to chose from when on a budget or just wanting to buy one more set for variety, no need for these unscrupulous enterprises who try to mislead the customers copying and using the name of other established brands.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Wow, that's really interesting. I was sent these in August and quite confounded by them. Andstal doesn't use the word polychromos in their listing and they were kind of expensive for a no-name pencil. I hadn't seen them on Amazon until I Posted the video and a viewer said she had seen them. I had to dig to find them here and the listing caller them polychromos on Amazon which is super sketchy. I wonder who makes them? They are harder than the arteza, Marco tributes, brutfuners and Nyoni pencils but look similar.

[@mariram]

On Italian Amazon they are the first result that pops up when you search for polychromos. Set of 120 for ~125usd. Faber Castell is a brand I have respect for. I think their products are fairly priced. I won't be buying a dupe that doesn't even pretend not to be one.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Wow, that's almost as much as polychromos.

[@linnetkazemi7616]

This is off topic a little bit, but I have a general question and figured the latest post would be the best place to ask it. Being somewhat new to the world of art supplies, I have a running list of things I’ve had my eye on at Blick. With Black Friday/ Cyber Monday coming up, do you happen to know if Blick ever offers a sitewide coupon for these days or are their promotions just on certain items? Thank you so much for the help!

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Lately the stores will do a gift cards as a reward. Like spend $100 and get a $10 ecard sent to you in 2 weeks. I think it is because manufactures won't allow discounts on their products and most items are in the "no sales allowed" category these days.

[@linnetkazemi7616]

@@thefrugalcrafter That makes sense! Thank you for your expertise!!

[@OpalandOogum]

I just found this set on amazon as polychromos.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Wow. That's bold!

[@wanderingstar5673]

This review created a 🔥 firestorm!! 😮

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I know!

[@beckystawecki7519]

I believe Anstal is a brutfuner brand isn't it?? Or maybe I lost my mind!!! 😆

[@thefrugalcrafter]

They sell lots of brutfuners

[@ladyinblack3398]

I do not see a difference in pigmentation strength in the two flowers.

[@sylviecella9684]

AliExpress ONLY rips off brands, artists and emerging artists who continually find their art re-produced in mass without their consent! they truly suck

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I think Aliexpress is a marketplace like Amazon. You get legit products and sketchy ones.

[@tlyria]

To me it looked like they ran gold then started running bronze. Kind of like the mystery DumDum lollipops. Did anyone else have the set to compare?

[@Shylade]

I do think those who would buy a fake set were not the market Polychromos or Luminance now lightfast we’re working hard for anyway.. I think those companies were living the dream when adults (with money) and lots of time starting getting into coloring about 7 years ago now. (I’m not mad that places were sold out of the high end everywhere all the sudden -_-) … 😂 but those artist grade levels were always intended for those who take it all seriously. I don’t think they care too much about a dupe. Their customers know to never EVER trust anyone but them since forever… I would not mind a Lightfast Derwent Dupe.. you know asking for a friend.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Hobbyists using artist grade pencils is great actually. It depends the market and keeps the price down as well as encourages innovation. Let people use what they enjoy. It's not hurting anyone and it may keep the legacy brands in business longer.

[@lesleyegbert4807]

I recently swatched a couple of Blick Studio colored pencils immediately after swatching a couple of Derwent Lightfasts. I was surprised how similar they felt! Granted, the Blick Studio pencils aren't as muted, don't have as many colors (I don't think) and probably aren't as lightfast, but definitely worth a shot for the price. I know you wrote this comment a year ago so I hope this isn't too out of left field.

[@sherryscoloringandpaintingcorn]

how can they copy them so exactly and get away with not getting copyrighted?

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Because you can't copyright a untilitarian item. If they used FC's logo then it would be tradmark infringement but they didn't do that. They used similar branding to hint at the product but not reasonable person would be fooled into thinking this was faber castel polychromos.

[@petitsucrecatala9265]

are they similar to the deli pencils or are they more actually like thr polys?

[@thefrugalcrafter]

More like the polychromos in my opinion. The delis were a bit more waxy as I recall.

[@petitsucrecatala9265]

@@thefrugalcrafter thank you so much for the quick feedback :)

[@aprilgarcia8224]

What are the best dupes for Prismacolor premier color pencil

[@thefrugalcrafter]

Arrtx or Derwent chromaflow

[@aprilgarcia8224]

@@thefrugalcrafter thank you

[@01poppyblue]

Also Brutfuner Macarons. They look like Holbein pencils but draw and feel exactly like a prismacolour pencil. I love mine and use them side by side with my prismacolour and can’t tell a difference.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

@@01poppyblue good call, pastel palette tho b ut a nice paring with the arrtx since those are mostly brights.

[@wanderingstar5673]

Another really good Prismacolor dupe is Amazon Basic 72 set. This is their largest set. Priced really well and with Black Friday/Cyber Monday coming up Amazon does substantial markdowns on their house brand.

[@chevgage6210]

They're more likely duping goldfaber rather than polychromos

[@thefrugalcrafter]

The color names/numbers match polychromos

[@WhiteTiedBradley]

Leaving a comment ❤

[@RoseAngella]

💙

[@MoonSpinners]

It makes me wonder if Faber Castell could/would consider a lawsuit against this company for copying their product?

[@thefrugalcrafter]

probably not, they are a chinese brand and the laws don't cross over. They might be able to get Amazon to remove a listing but that's abut it.

[@MoonSpinners]

@@thefrugalcrafter …that’s really interesting. Thank you 👍🤗🇬🇧

[@tracyvis2101]

Good to know but I can’t see paying that much for budget pencils. I could buy three sets of budget pencils for that Price.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

I agree and they are more on amazon

[@justacatwhocantype]

SMOOTH PINTING right across from HIGH QUALITY - Don't get any more Chinese than that. And no, I would not buy them. I do not like buying Chinese stuff (I do once in a while, but I feel bad about it, and for a good reason) and there is no way that I am going to spend 70 bucks or more on a set of knock-off pencils that I know absolutely nothing about, and that cost the company about $5 to develop because they copied it and did not even bother to check for spelling errors. I like actual Polychromos, and I am going to keep buying those. And here in germany they are also not THAT expensive. Not cheap, but cheaper than many other artist grade pencils. If someone cannot afford the full set I would recommend buying a smaller set of Polychromos over buying a big knock-off set. Real Polychromos are extremely good at layering and mixing colors, a set of 36 is already plenty enough.

[@mftmaine]

Reality is that many times manufacturers will sell the same exact product under different names, with different labels when in fact it is the exact same product. You pay a higher price for the product from a well known company, less from the no name brand. This is especially true in certain industries, art products being one of them. Do your research, most types of products are made in one or two factories but can have many different labels, packaging and price points. Don’t believe me, do the research.

[@AafkeVultink]

polychromos dupe?

[@waymire01]

I see no issue in a company making a comparable product, ethically or otherwise. They are not claiming to be polys, THAT would be a counterfeit product. This is no different than buying a store brand of a branded product. I find the fact that they freaked out Blick enough to post a random attack in the comments to be quite hysterical... especially since their own store brands are relabeled branded products. 🤣

[@Blick_Art]

We're sorry to contradict you, but "dupes" of authentic, branded art materials are not remotely the same thing as legitimate private label items. We carefully choose each manufacturing source for every product that carries the Blick name and work closely to ensure these items meet our standards. Blick brand art materials are subject to the same relevant testing and labeling standards as any other brand we offer, and artists and educators can easily obtain any information they need to verify safety and performance for our products- unlike many overseas-direct lookalike items.

[@eevee6005]

They do sell on Amazon under the listing name of polychromos. I could not find them under any other name.

[@amyx231]

Lol. New vid surprise

[@phillipstroll7385]

Yes it is ethically acceptable to review and promote dupes. That's what a free market is all about. If the same product can be made less expensively, the company has a duty, ethically, to pricier it as such to their customers. If they choose not to do the right thing it is the duty of the consumer to turn toward the less expensive. That's how the market works and that is what forces free trade. If we aren't going to support free trade we might as well be communists.

[@DoveJS]

The Chinese are in theory communists so you're supporting their communism by buying their pencils and even if you buy from a company that isn't Chinese but uses Chinese factories, you're still supporting communism dollar by dollar. Of course, there's nothing inherently wrong with communism just like there's nothing inherently right about capitalism; the devil is in the details. 😉

[@twingytwango6971]

Save your money and buy Castle Arts. I like them better for a budget pencil. I really would not recommend these knockoffs.

[@demi3115]

Meh, rather buy the original european item than support chinese duping, but do whatever your integrity says.

[@thefrugalcrafter]

It was sent to me from the company. They didn't claim it was a knockoff of promote it in that way. Well, when someone uses one up they will likely buy a polychromos to replace it.