Blackwing One-Step Long Point Sharpener Review

(Update: Blackwing sent me a replacement sharpener, and it is working as well as I expected the first one to work. I tested both sharpeners on new, unsharpened Blackwing Volumes No. 3 Ravi Shankar pencils. The original performed as poorly as it did previously, and the new one performed as well as all of the praise that has been heaped on it.

Original sharpener, top, new sharpener, bottom.

Blackwing is sending me replacement blades for the first sharpener to see if we can narrow down the issue. With the way the second sharpener performed, I would have no hesitation recommending it to anyone looking for a premium pencil sharpener experience.)

New sharpener, left, old sharpener, right. If you didn’t have anything to compare it to you might think the original sharpener was fine, but comparisons show it wasn’t.

--Original Review--

If there is anything I have learned about Blackwing over years of reviewing their products, I have learned that you should always wait until version two of their accessory releases to make your purchase. The new Blackwing One-Step Long Point Sharpener is no exception to that rule.

I can't argue that this isn't a compelling looking sharpener. The design is modern, and fits Blackwing’s new art style and aesthetic. The big problem with it is that it doesn't sharpen pencils well. That's kind of its job, right?

I was able to quickly test out this sharpener at the Baltimore Pen Show earlier this year and felt that it performed poorly. I chalked that up to the moment, and the minute or two I had with it. I looked forward to receiving my own model to test at home to see what I missed the first time around. Nothing, apparently.

On paper, the sharpener should give you a short, sharp, clean, concave tip on your favorite pencil. I was able to get sharp, sometimes. Other times, the tip of the graphite broke off inside the sharpener, despite my trying different hand pressures when sharpening. At least three times for this review alone I had to unscrew the top to retrieve a snapped lead.

Sharpened with Pollux, top, and Blackwing One-Step, bottom.

Concave I could get, too. The problem is that the concave cedar was left ragged and messy. The results looked terrible. Worse than any other sharpener I recall using. To use this sharpener was an exercise in frustration.

There is no pencil sharpener I own that isn't better than this one.

Side by side tests were the most telling. Blackwing's own Two-Step Long Point sharpener is far superior, and is half the price. So is the KUM Masterpiece, and the glorious Pollux, which is what this sharpener strives to be. The results show that it’s not anywhere close. The desktop Uni KH-20 sharpener is a far better investment if portability isn’t required.

Yes, all of these fall into the expensive sharpener range, but at $20, so does the Blackwing One-Step Long Point Sharpener. If you are paying this price, you expect performance commensurate with that. It's not in the ballpark, and is close to unusable - especially when compared to every other sharpener in existence.

Hyperbolic? Sure. But this sharpener continues a long line of version one Blackwing products that perform poorly. Hopefully there is a version two in the pipeline that works as well as the most basic sharpeners on the market. Until then, there are numerous better choices.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Caran d'Ache Fixpencil Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

Mechanical pencils aren't my main niche, but I do appreciate them and always jump at the opportunity to try something new. Up until I tried the Fixpencil from Caran d'Ache, I had never used a lead holder before. What's a lead holder? It's a specific kind of mechanical pencil that holds a large piece of graphite with a clutch system. Instead of small (0.5mm, etc.) lead sizes, you can use larger 2 or 3mm lead for much greater control and variance.

Just like a wood case pencil, the larger graphite core used in a lead holder wears down the same way. It's a tool used by drafters and artists, and you can probably imagine why it is such a useful tool for anyone who uses graphite.

While the Fixpencil version that I have uses 3mm lead, you can find lead holders that use 5+mm lead! That's a thick chunk of graphite! Of course, you can also use different lead grades with these pencils, from the standard HB to other grades on either side. The lead I'm using is 3B, which lays down a thick and dark line with very little pressure. The point wears down very quickly as a result of this, so it's not the best lead for general writing. But, if you're a drafter or artist, you can probably put this lead to much better use. The ability to hold the pencil at a sharp angle and quickly shade in an area is quite a treat. And, you can easily control the amount of lead that protrudes from the end of the pencil. I imagine this comes down entirely to use case and personal preference, but it's something you can only get away with when using the thick lead core that lead holders use.

Aside from the fascination with this unique type of writing instrument or drawing tool, it's still a pencil. It makes marks when you move the graphite end on paper, but what else does it do? Well, for one, it looks fantastic.

Based on the famous Caran d'Ache 849 line of pens and mechanical pencils, the Fixpencil features some very familiar lines. The hexagonal barrel tapers down to a smooth cone at the front of the barrel, and the shiny chrome clip accentuates the industrial barrel with a subdued elegance. The cap on the top of the pen (red in my case) is chosen randomly when you purchase the pencil. You'll receive either a red, blue, or black with the pencil, but you can also purchase other colors separately in order to easily distinguish different lead types if you use several of these pencils at once.

The inside of the cap (or button) has a hidden lead sharpener that you can use in a pinch. I wasn't too happy with the wide tip it sharpened onto the lead, so I recommend using a better sharpener to get the point you want. Just remember to be gentle because the lead will snap easily if you bend it the wrong way!

Pushing the cap or button down releases the clutch jaws around the lead. You can hold the button down and use your fingers to adjust the amount of lead that protrudes from the tip. Once you're happy, just release the cap and the spring-loaded jaws hold the lead tight. Once you're ready to pack up, just open the jaws again and hide the lead inside the body. When the jaws are empty, they close together to prevent the lead core from sliding out. Nifty!

Writing with the pencil is incredibly comfortable. The hexagonal shape of the barrel and the smooth cone feel great in the hand, and there's enough texture on the barrel to provide good grip.

The clip is really strong and has no problem securing the pencil to whatever you clip it to. As an added bonus, it also keeps the pencil from rolling away when you lay it on your work surface. There isn't much branding on this pencil, aside from a tiny Caran d'Ache Fixpencil logo (and the lead size) underneath the clip, and a small "SWISS MADE" logo above the clip. The branding is small and adds a touch of elegance to the pencil.

There are plenty of lead options to keep you happy and occupied with your art. The lead cores are about 3.5 inches long. The amount of time they last comes down to how you use it and how soft or hard the lead grade is.

If 3mm is a little too large, there's also a 2mm version of the same pencil.

You'll know if this pencil is something you'd enjoy using, and the price is also low enough to make it a great option. The Caran d'Ache Fixpencil is a great tool that offers a ton of flexibility.

(Goldspot provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Viking Collector's Pencil Boxed Set Review

There is something about Viking’s branding that is extremely appealing to me. It’s very simple, yet striking and recognizable. But it’s not just the logo that I’m a fan of - I’m a fan of their products too.

I bought the Viking Collector's Pencil Boxed Set a couple of months ago, which followed on the heels of my purchase of the Special Edition Viking X Caran D'ache 849 Pen Set back when we visited CW Pencil Enterprise in late 2018. So, you could say I’m a fan of the classic look and excellent quality of the Viking brand.

The pencil boxed set contains 14 pencils in total, covering the core of Viking’s pencil offerings. Specifically, it contains:

2x Viking School Pencil (HB)

2x Viking Office Pencil (HB)

2x Viking Element Pencil (HB)

1x Viking Election Pencil in 2B

1x Viking Election Pencil in Red

1x Viking Double Hole Sharpener

1x Viking Black Plastic Eraser

1 each, Rollo Pencils in 2H, HB, 2B, 4B, 6B, 8B

I’ve had experience in the past with the Skoleblyanten, aka the School Pencil, and it is a good basic offering. If we lived in Denmark, this is the pencil my kids would most likely be using day in, and day out. It is better than most basic yellow #2 pencils, but it doesn’t rate much higher than that.

The Skjoldungen, known as the Office Pencil, is a clear step up from the Skoleblyanten. While still marked as an HB, the graphite is smoother and darker, and has a deep red/burgundy barrel that reminds me of another great pencil marked for office use, the Mitsubishi 9850.

Taking it up one notch further in the main Viking lineup is the Element 1 Writing Pencil. No Danish translation needed here, but may I suggest “Bedst,” because this one is the best of the bunch. As Viking’s premium writing pencil, it should be. The core is dark and smooth, and the pencil barrel is finished in smooth matte black for a great feel. If I’m buying more of any pencils in this set, this is the one.

Two of each of the standard writing pencils are included, which should keep me busy for a while, but there is so much more to go! For starters, the Viking Rollo pencils are their artist series pencils, featuring a range of graphite cores from 2H to 8B.

I’m not as dialed into pencils as I am pens, but I felt some inconsistencies in this series. For example, as someone who likes firmer cores, the 2H seemed far too light in color. It looks more along the lines of at least a 4H. And for some reason, the 2B core felt different than any other, and was lighter in shade than the HB core. I may be picking nits though, as the rest of the pencils performed as expected, with 4B the standout among them all.

The highlight of the Viking Collector’s Boxed Set are the two Election Pencils, one with a traditional graphite core, and a second with a red core. These pencils are amazing! They both have a tiny hole drilled towards the end of the barrel for attaching to your local voting desk, or anywhere else you don’t want people to run off with your pencils. During non-voting days, they are jumbo pencils that look great and feel great. I love these so much for what they are, and what they represent.

Rounding out the set are an eraser and pencil sharpener, although I must say that the sharpener is pretty terrible. I don’t expect any small, short point sharpener to be great, but this one is barely passable. The jumbo hole for the big pencils does its job well enough, but the smaller hole for standard pencils is too inconsistent to not be frustrated with constantly. Use any sharpener besides this one for the basics.

The eraser is surprising good, although with only a few corners in use so far I think I would chew through it quickly if I were a big eraser user. It does a fine job cleaning up these Viking graphite marks.

What can I say, I love Viking’s aesthetic. And thankfully, the product is pretty good too. As a whole, their products fall into the not-quite premium, but above the basics middle-ground of pencils. That’s a good place to be in my book.

(I purchased these pencils from CW Pencil Enterprise at full retail.)

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