Palomino Pencils, yes, no, maybe so

My blogging, on line friend, Nikiraart generously sent me a Palomino and a Blackwing 602  pencil to try out.  The distributor, pencils.com, is selling them by the dozen and if you follow this blog you'll recall from my inventory I am not one without pencils.  I wrote and asked if they would offer half dozen mixed orders, but they said they haven't added that option.  I therefore resisted the temptation to add another dozen untested pencils to my shelf and grateful to Irina for her kindness.

The pencils are elegantly fashioned, terrific in the hand, the eraser actually works and of the two, the Blackwing 602 delivers a purer and blacker line and allows for much shading and detail.  It is intended for drawing.  I believe the Palomino Black is referred to as the writer, but they surely are interchangeable.

My single objection to these is the disappearing point, that is, the lead is so soft that it wears down quickly, and needs frequent sharpening. Palomino inaugurated a special Kum pencil sharpener for these, which I bought from the folks at Jet Pens.   I did watch several videos on how to use these special sharpeners.  However, mine may be defective or I may be lame because all it does is eat my pencil in the same way you see folks at food fests gobble--fast and greedily.

I notice in this video that pressure is exerted in hole #1:



But in the pencil.com video, Andy doesn't seem to be doing more than I am doing with this sharpener.



Using a more traditional 2 hole Kum pencil sharpener that I've had for ages seemed to sharpen the pencils with greater ease and success.

I sent off a quick note to Jet Pens because it is possible that the blades in mine are defective. 

Inventory: My Pencils

Some of my pencils on the Window Sill

Venus, one of the oldest pencils made in the US

After I posted about my new love affair with a Rhodia pencil, I gathered all my pencil cups together, and did an inventory by brand, not use or number.

It is amazing how many pencils I have and the variety.

• Alfabet (Carte d'autore) France
• Berol Verithin
• Biella Drawing pencil
• Blackfeet Indian Pencil (Writing)
• Bruynzeel Design
• Bruynzeel "Fullcolor" Design Watercolor 12 pencil set
• Bruynzeel "Fullcolor" Design Pastel
• C.A.B. writing pencil
• Conte Fusain Charcoal (France)
• Crayola charcoal pencil
• Cretacolor Aquarellith (Austria)
• Cretacolor Drawing
• Cretacolor Monolith (similar to Bohemia)
• Cretacolor Sigma (funky)
• Czechoslovakia Bohemia Works M Grumbacher
• Derwent Watersoluble Graphitone pencils
• Derwent Inktense 24 colour set
• Derwent Graphitint in various colours
• Derwent Metallic Pencils
• Derwent Signatures
• Design Drawing Pencils (assorted sizes)
• Eberhard Farber (USA)
• FC Pitt Pastel Pencils
• FC Pitt Oil Based Pastels
• FC Grip 2001 that is somewhat similar to the Rhodia in shape
  
• FC American
• FC Design
• FC Polychromas
• Fantasia Pastel
• General Pencil Drawing Kimberley
• General Charcoal
• General Layout
• Koh-i-noor 12 watercolor set
• Lyra Rembrandt Polycolor
• Nava (Italian)
• Prismacolor (Assorted)
• Rhodia Orange writing pencil
  
• Sanford Col-erase Set
• Stabilo Softcolor
• Stabilo All (glass)
• Stabilo Carb-Othello 48 Schwan coloured charcoal pencils
• Start Sketching (an English pencil)
• Start Colouring (an English watercolour pencil)
• Venus Drawing

Some of these pencils have a history, if not by use, than purchase. Take the Alfabet (Carte d'autore) France, although made in France, I bought this lone wolf pencil in an art shop in Catania (Sicily) in 2004. I tried to buy more on line to no avail. It is a unique pencil in that it is also oddly shaped and of a wider diametre than most pencils.

My Bruynzeel "Fullcolor" Design Watercolor 12 pencil set I purchased in Raleigh, NC at Askewe-Taylor because I knew these wonderful Dutch pencils were being discontinued and the price was slashed in half. I had some loose Bruynzeel's I had been buying one or two at a time in a New York City art store, but they discontinued them before I could make much of an inroad and gather together all the wonderful colours in the collection. One of my art acquaintances in Utrecht (the Netherlands) discouraged me from getting too attached as the availability dwindled. I haven't opened the box since I bought these in 2006 and seem to be hoarding them until...some wonderful moment arrives and I take them on a joy ride.

And don't confuse the "Full Colours" with the Design line of pencils, as they are two different animals, or is that vegetable?


My Koh-i-noor watercolor set of 12 has travelled with me from one place to another because it is the smallest, most compact of all the watercolour pencil sets I own and does respond well to most papers--including Moleskine.

FC Pitt Charcoals are among my favourites while most Prismacolour pencils, among the most popular and favoured by most of my art friends at Scribble-Talk, just doesn't seem to suit me and I have a set of those I'd like to sell.

And strangely, the Eberhard Farbers (USA) are still not sharpened and the company appears to be owned by Sanford.

And some tins:

Derwent Graphitint (12)

Cretacolor Arino
Contains:

• 1 Monolith solid pencil-size stick of pure graphite
• 1 Nero extra-soft black drawing pencil
• 1 black charcoal soft pencil (#1)
• 3 chalk pencils (White, Sanguine, and Sepia)
• 1 pastel stick (Sanguine)
• 1 charcoal stick
• 1 kneaded eraser
• 1 paper blending stick

I think I have twice as many pencils, by quantity, as fountain pens.

An affair to remember: A Rhodia Pencil

Can you remember the first time you held a pencil?

I can't but I know I had a romance with my crayolas early in life, and that romance lead to a long term love affair with all things that write, engrave, or make marks.

One day sometime in the early 80s, I was in Newport (RI) at Arnolds on Thames and they had on the display counter a new lacquered black pencil with an exciting tactile sensation. I still have the box I got when I bought two hand-fuls of these Bohemians. Today, I went down to my labyrinthine (read cellar) to see what condition these pencils are in and how many I have left. A few and all ready to draw!

You might imagine that pencils always existed but in fact they've only been around for about 500 years. The history of pencil manufacturing is as fascinating as the pencil itself.

And Bob Truby has one lovely collection of pencils at his site.

My love affair with the Bohemia Blacks is not over, but I am not by nature a monogamist and I discovered on Thursday that I could easily see myself in a long term relationship with the triangular Rhodia pencils, also lacquered but in Rhodia-orange, with black wood throughout, black ferrule and black eraser. And to top it off I read these pencils are made from my favourite tree: the Linden.