Palomino Blackwing 602
The company
Let’s be clear from the start - if you are reading a blog about pencils then the odds are you already may know more about the history
of the blackwing pencil than I do. There is no way I can, or probably should, try to cover the history here. Suffice to say that this
review is for a modern, current, Palomino Blackwing 602 - and not a classic (unobtainium???) blackwing.
The main website for the current blackwing is blackwing602.com
See the references section for more links for more info.
The pencil itself
The review is for the 602. I believe when generally folks refer to a Blackwing, this is the one they mean, but there are currently three blackwing variants:
- Blackwing 602
- Blackwing Pearl
- Blackwing
each with different hardness - the ‘blackwing’ being the softest, and the ‘blackwing 602’ being the hardest.
As you can see in the picture, you can get all three as a ‘set’, which I have. One day in the future maybe I’ll review the other two blackwings.
Blackwings have a few interesting features. There is the iconic non-round eraser, which is adjustable. tbh, I don’t use a pencil eraser that much - 95% of my pencil use is writing and note scribbles, and if I get something wrong I tend to just cross it out. Still, this is a nice eraser and a nice feature that it is adjustable and even replaceable.
What irks me a little though is that it is broader than the pencil body - this prevents me from using any blackwing stubs in my Derwent pencil externder. This is not a cheap pencil, it might be nice if I could squeeze every last bit out of them…
Anther thing that occurs to me is that this pencil feels longer than standard. Maybe that is the eraser extension - I’d really have to go measure it to confirm.
How does it write
Accordingly with its reputation, this is a pretty smooth pencil. It glides well, and produces a good dark line. I quite like it, but I have been through a couple of these and I can note that they do wear down and need resharpening significantly more often than most other pencils.
Do I like the Blackwing 602? Yes. Would I say this is my ultimate everyday pencil - well, hard to say yet - I have about another 50 various pencils to try yet before I try to make that sort of choice. Can I recommend you try one - yes, sure. They have a reputation for a reason, and it is as good as any introduction to quality pencils, and they are moderately available.
Sourcing
Generally I have sourced these off the internet, but I did acquire the mixed selection pack from a University art/book shop (though it was not in the U.K.), so it may be worth seeking through local art shops and bookshop stationery departments as well. may be worth searching
References
Oh, where to begin - maybe just a link to the wikipedia article as a hopping off point.