(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)
Every time I use Blackwing pencils, I get picky about pencil quality. They spoil me. With good quality materials and endless interesting designs, using them is always a treat. The only hardship I run into is that they're so long that they don't fit in most of my pencil cases until after I've used them down a bit. So, I guess my complaint is that there's too much of a good thing.
This stunning edition is the Blackwing Volume 574, a tribute to Native American art and the 574 nations. Blackwing worked with Kaw, Osage, Lakota artist Chris Pappan to develop this design that pays homage to traditional geometric patterns. The orange, cream, and burgundy shapes are outlined by thin lines of gold and there's a gold colored ferrule that holds a black eraser.
This set of pencils contains Blackwing's firm graphite core, which still feels very soft to me. It lays down a bold, saturated line, and it wears down quickly, requiring fairly frequent sharpening (if you're writing a lot, which I usually do). It's a smooth writing experience, and I think it would also be excellent for sketching. It sharpens very well with the Blackwing sharpener, or any sharpener designed to give a long point.
The pencils come in a set of 12 in a nice lidded box with a pencil sketch of a Native American on the box band (also drawn by Chris), along with a larger version of the pencil's geometric art. The box of 12 sells for $32 at Vanness Pens, and while that's a lot for a box of pencils, these are excellent pencils, AND a portion of the proceeds is donated to the Cheyenne River Youth Project, which is a grassroots and woman-led nonprofit organization that provides enriching arts program to Lakota youth on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation. So, buy a box or ten, and have an excellent writing experience while supporting a good cause.
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