

In the meantime, a company called California Cedar Products came out with a pencil under the Palomino brand that reminded some users of the original Blackwing. The internet was also growing at that time, which allowed Blackwing fans to not only share pencil stories but buy and sell the rapidly depleting stock online-sometimes for more than $40 per pencil. Eberhard Faber discontinued the Blackwing in 1998.ĭedicated Blackwing users quickly stockpiled all the pencils they could find. When the machine that made the custom Blackwing ferrules broke, demand was so low that it did not make sense to repair it.

Competition from cheaper, mass-market pencils shrank its small customer base even further over time. Author John Steinbeck and animator Chuck Jones specifically mentioned how much they preferred it.ĭespite this popularity, the Blackwing never sold well. It popped up in the hands of Truman Capote, Igor Stranvisky, and Quincy Jones, among others. Its slogan boasted that it provided “Half the Pressure, Twice the Speed.” Famous writers, artists, and composers seemed to agree. Its appearance was unusual yet attractive, and it was undeniably high quality. The original Blackwing was introduced in the 1930s by Eberhard Faber, a well-known pencil manufacturer (if the name reminds you of Faber-Castell, you’re not wrong-the two companies have historical family ties).Īlthough it was released during the Great Depression, the Blackwing was as much a premium pencil then as it is now. Planner Stickers, Pens, Stamps, and More.Japanese Stationery: What's the Big Deal?.The Difference Between Ballpoint, Gel, and Rollerball Pens.
