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Blackwing 602 Pencils


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Ticonderogas made in Mexico or China? A world has been lost...

 

I believe that General's Pencils are still made in Jersey City, New Jersey, with supervision by a German pencil master who once worked for Faber-Castell. General's Cedar Pointe pencils are truly wonderful. And Musgraves, of course, are still made in Shelby, Tennessee.

 

I have heard a lot of good things about the Cedar Pointe and Musgrave's test scoring pencils. The only problem with the Cedar Pointe and the Musgrave pencils is that you have to buy them online and pay shipping.

 

I think I'll go to Blick Art Supply later today and try the Staedtler Mars Luminograph 3b and 4b.

 

Edit: I really like the way the black Ticonderogas look, but those HBs are just not satisfying to write with..

Edited by ramshacklemann
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Yes, it is too bad that General's and Musgrave suffer from such limited distribution. They are the last makers of well-crafted American pencils. Perhaps if you buy them in bulk you can save a bit on shipping, long-term.

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Ticonderogas made in Mexico or China? A world has been lost...

Actually, I wasn't that impressed with the American made Ticonderogas.

 

I believe that General's Pencils are still made in Jersey City, New Jersey, with supervision by a German pencil master who once worked for Faber-Castell. General's Cedar Pointe pencils are truly wonderful. And Musgraves, of course, are still made in Shelby, Tennessee.

I've been meaning to look into General Pencils. I sort of would like to see if I could get some of their #1 pencils. You've reminded me of that. Thanks.

On a sacred quest for the perfect blue ink mixture!

ink stained wretch filling inkwell

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I've been interested in the Cedar Pointe for a long time (ever since I read Humdog's post on pencil revolution) but the only source of Cedar Pointe pencils I can find is DickBlick.com, and their shipping charges just tick me off...a pack of pencils $2.39, shipping $7.95 (minimum)

 

The same goes for the Musgraves and Forest Choice (which is also supposedly a good pencil).

 

Buying in bulk unfortunately is not an option cuz there's only so many I can use.

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Try going to General's own website (check Google). Their shipping charges might be lower. Also, they hav a whole range of other pencils that rarely reach the stores. For the Musgrave, try PencilThings.com, which offers fairly reasonable shipping rates. Beware: PencilThings is a pencil-lover's paradise! They even sell the elusive Rhodia pencil...

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I've been interested in the Cedar Pointe for a long time (ever since I read Humdog's post on pencil revolution) but the only source of Cedar Pointe pencils I can find is DickBlick.com, and their shipping charges just tick me off...a pack of pencils $2.39, shipping $7.95 (minimum)

 

The same goes for the Musgraves and Forest Choice (which is also supposedly a good pencil).

 

Buying in bulk unfortunately is not an option cuz there's only so many I can use.

Just a thought:

If these are available in the store, maybe someone here can ship it to you for less?

"Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination."

Oscar Wilde

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I've been interested in the Cedar Pointe for a long time (ever since I read Humdog's post on pencil revolution) but the only source of Cedar Pointe pencils I can find is DickBlick.com, and their shipping charges just tick me off...a pack of pencils $2.39, shipping $7.95 (minimum)

 

The same goes for the Musgraves and Forest Choice (which is also supposedly a good pencil).

 

Buying in bulk unfortunately is not an option cuz there's only so many I can use.

 

For the Cedar Pointe, see if you can call the store and order by phone. Then negotiate the shipping charge. If they won't do it, cancel the order and you haven't lost anything.

 

Musgraves and Forest Choice are available at Pencil Things. Don will not charge you $7.95 for shipping a pack of pencils. I believe he tells you on his site what to do if you are only ordering one item in order to keep the e-commerce software he uses from charging you the full amount. And if not, email him. He's fast to respond, and a good person to deal with. He might even know a way to get you the Cedar Pointes.

 

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I've been interested in the Cedar Pointe for a long time (ever since I read Humdog's post on pencil revolution) but the only source of Cedar Pointe pencils I can find is DickBlick.com, and their shipping charges just tick me off...a pack of pencils $2.39, shipping $7.95 (minimum)

 

The same goes for the Musgraves and Forest Choice (which is also supposedly a good pencil).

 

Buying in bulk unfortunately is not an option cuz there's only so many I can use.

Just a thought:

If these are available in the store, maybe someone here can ship it to you for less?

 

I wish that were possible. I checked the Blick in downtown chicago and had them call all the Blicks in Chicagoland...none of them have any stock of said pencils (they all suggested buying online). Besides how can I keep asking someone anytime I want to buy something..? Somehow depending on someone to ship me a box everytime I need it does not sound appealing to me.

 

I will try General's website like Adiar suggested. But I think I may end up settling for Staedtler's 3B/4B just cuz they are locally available (at Blick's brick and mortar store).

 

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Do check the General's site as well as PencilThings. Don at PencilThings is the epitome of great customer service! And if you live in or near New Jersey, visit the General's factory in Jersey City! It is fascinating and fun.

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A digression from the blackwing, but I felt like sharing the information nonetheless..

 

After work I went to Blick Art Supply yesterday and picked up the following pencils -

 

Staedtler Mars Luminograph 100 3B

Staedtler Mars Luminograph 100 2B

 

General Pencil Company Kimberly 525 3B

General Pencil Company Kimberly 525 2B

 

Sanford Prismacolor turquoise 3B

Sanford Prismacolor turquoise 2B

 

Faber Castell Goldfaber 2B

(Couldn't find the 3B for the goldfaber)

 

Before I tell you what I found I must say this - I've been using fountain pens again for 5 months now (I used fountain pens for many years but there was a 6 year gap in between when I used ball pens and pencils) and I find that I don't like applying much pressure while writing. What this means is that I like using a pencil that writes dark and smooth without having to be pressed.

 

Of the lot the best pencil was the Staedtler 3B. This pencil writes a wonderfully smooth and dark line. The lead is luxuriously soft and a pleasure to write with. I would like to also giving a passing mention to General's Kimberly 3B as being ok. The kimberly 3B was nowhere near as smooth or dark as the Staedtler 3B but it still performed decently. The rest just plain sucked.

 

I found a big difference in lead smoothness between the Staedtler 3B and the Staedtler 2B. The 2B was rough and no fun to write with, the 3B ran circles around the 2B.

 

As an aside: I also purchased a Caran d Ache (spelling?) eraser because I was curious, no good. Staedtler's Marsmatic is awesome.

 

Ok back to discussing about the blackwing...

 

 

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Could one of you lucky folks spare a blackwing or two for me to try?

I am cross posting here with Marketplace.

 

Pleeeeeeaassse????? Pretty please????? :-)

 

I would like to try them before driving myself to distraction watching them go for hundreds a box on eBay.

 

Please email me at janinekozanda@astound.net or PM.

 

Thanks!

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A digression from the blackwing, but I felt like sharing the information nonetheless..

 

After work I went to Blick Art Supply yesterday and picked up the following pencils -

 

Staedtler Mars Luminograph 100 3B

Staedtler Mars Luminograph 100 2B

 

General Pencil Company Kimberly 525 3B

General Pencil Company Kimberly 525 2B

 

Sanford Prismacolor turquoise 3B

Sanford Prismacolor turquoise 2B

 

Faber Castell Goldfaber 2B

(Couldn't find the 3B for the goldfaber)

 

Before I tell you what I found I must say this - I've been using fountain pens again for 5 months now (I used fountain pens for many years but there was a 6 year gap in between when I used ball pens and pencils) and I find that I don't like applying much pressure while writing. What this means is that I like using a pencil that writes dark and smooth without having to be pressed.

 

Of the lot the best pencil was the Staedtler 3B. This pencil writes a wonderfully smooth and dark line. The lead is luxuriously soft and a pleasure to write with. I would like to also giving a passing mention to General's Kimberly 3B as being ok. The kimberly 3B was nowhere near as smooth or dark as the Staedtler 3B but it still performed decently. The rest just plain sucked.

 

I found a big difference in lead smoothness between the Staedtler 3B and the Staedtler 2B. The 2B was rough and no fun to write with, the 3B ran circles around the 2B.

 

As an aside: I also purchased a Caran d Ache (spelling?) eraser because I was curious, no good. Staedtler's Marsmatic is awesome.

 

Ok back to discussing about the blackwing...

 

Thanks for this review, ramshacklemann. I don't consider it a digression, because we're all looking for a pencil that could approach the Blackwing. I find it edifying to read about pencils that I have not yet tried.

 

I'm glad to know that the General Pencil Company Kimberly 525's and the Faber Castell Goldfaber are subpar and not worth buying. Of the other pencils you tried, I own a Staedtler Mars Luminograph 100 2B and also a 4B. I much prefer the 4B.

 

I also have some Prismacolor Turquoise pencils, although in a different grade than yours. I bought a dozen 4B's several years ago on a recommendation from Pencilpages.com. In an article about the Blackwing 602, Doug Martin wrote that the Turquoise 4B had the same graphite core as the Blackwing. In a June 2004 revised version of that article, he acknowledged that the Turquoise 4B's graphite core was in fact not the same, but the closest match that Sanford currently has in production.

 

I ended up using my Turquoise 4B's to the point where they are all stubs, but that was only because I was happy to have a pencil that laid down a darker line than the ubiquitous No. 2's that accumulate in everyone's desk drawers and pencil cups. Having bought some Palomino 2B's recently, I found all those Turquoise 4B's at the bottom of my pencil cups and tested them alongside the Palomino. It was no contest. The Palomino was such a pleasure to write with, in its smooth contact with paper, and in its effortlessly dark line.

 

 

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One contender that we have left out is the Oxford Helix, a British pencil. Though manufactured in China these days, the pencil has a lovely, smooth, dark lead. Like the Palomino, it requires more frequent sharpening. The barrel is a dark blue with gold lettering, and the wood casing has a unique rose glow. It is a pencil well worth trying. It is available in this country exclusively from Pencilthings (of course!).

 

I'd just like to add my defense of the Philippine Mongol. The No. 1 grade is pretty dark. I think that it is a respectable daily use pencil, superior to the Ticonderoga or anything from Papermate. With a KUM two-step sharpener (one blade cuts the wood, the other the lead) it sharpens to a nice, efficient point. I think of it as a top-notch office and school pencil.

 

Thanks for recommending the Musgrave Test Score pencil. I've never tried that particular model, only the classic Musgrave green pencils. I'll give it a try!

 

Meanwhile, who knows...Perhaps somehow the Blackwing will come back. Look at Sheaffer: they're reconsidering the Targa!

Edited by adair
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Well, what can we do to persuade Sanford/Papermate to resume production? Any ideas?

 

I am writing a letter to Sanford. I tried sending a comment to Sanford via their website, but their system allows messages of 255 characters or less. I need more space than that to lobby for a return of the Blackwing.

 

Their address is:

 

Sanford Corporation

Attn: Consumer Affairs

2707 Butterfield Road

Oak Brook, Illinois 60523

 

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Thanks Shoog and Adair.

 

Shoog - General's Kimberly 525 3B is not bad, it is nowhere near as good as the Staedtler Luminograph 3B, but it is decent. The main difference I find is in the smoothness and softness of lead. The Kimberly 2B though is not all that good.

 

I have heard lots of good things about the Palomino, but I am satisfied with the Staedtler 3B, I think I'll stick to these 3Bs for now. I've stuck one of those pencil tip erasers on my 3B, so it even has some heft to it now.

 

Adair - I don't know much about the Helix pencils, I saw they are available at pencilthings. Good to know they are good writers.

 

Quite frankly (and this may sound terrible) I kinda don't care whether Sanford brings back the Blackwing or not. The reason being - if Sanford's current pencils are any indication to go by, any new version of the Blackwing will suck a** compared to the Blackwing of old. It's almost like asking to be disappointed. That is my opinion.

 

Happy penciling ya'll. I love fountain pens and pencils. :) :bunny01:

 

 

 

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When you think about it, we live in a period of rebirth for the quality pencil. True, the days of my childhood, when you could go into a simple drugstore and select from a dizzying array of great pencils (Wallace Invaders, Venus Velvets, Pedigrees, Mongols, Park Avenues, Blackwings...) are gone. But with the advent of online purchasing, there really is a good selection of well-crafted pencils available again. PencilThings gives you a sense of all that can be had. California Republic is responsible for spearheading this pencil revival, not only through their famed Palomino but also through their excellent other lines, including The Golden Bear, Prospector and Forest Choice. Golden Bear has the finish of a Palomino, and is actually a better pencil for writers. It doesn't give quite as dark a line as the Palomino, but at the same time it doesn't require as much frequent sharpening. The Prospector is the "budget" pencil of the lot but is still superior to Ticonderoga or any of the Papermate lines. (It also has a lovely logo!) Forest Choice is a very good pencil, comparable to the General's Cedar Pointe. I only dislike the presence of the web address on the barrel---I'm old-fashioned. And most of the superb German pencils are alive and well, including Faber-Castell, Staedtler, Lyra and Stabilo. So, despite the loss of the Blackwing, all is not bleak. If only Sandford/Papermate would restore the lines that it inherited to their former glory. It is sad to see what has become of the once-great Mirado and the Black Warrior.

Edited by adair
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I just picked up a box of Eagle Mirado 174 "Chemi-sealed" #2 (medium soft) pencils. It's a neat looking box in good shape and all twelve pencils are in it although their erasers are dried up. Does anyone know how much I should sell these for...perhap in the marketplace?

The box looks like this.

"Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination."

Oscar Wilde

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Are there any pencil leads out there for mechanical pencils that come close to the Blackwing's?

You are what you write

More than you are what you say

But, do more than write

(my haiku)

 

-----------------------------------

 

- No affiliation with any vendors or manufacturers mentioned above.

- Edits done for grammatical purposes only.

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Autopoint makes and sells rich black "B" leads for various mechanical pencils, including 1mm. They have other degrees of hardness as well as other colors besides black. It is amazing that this company still exists and that they continue to manufacture very good and interesting mechanical pencils. They have an extensive website. Faber-Castell leads for 0.5 in "B" are also very nice.

Edited by adair
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