Vacation Photos: Blackwing in the Canadian Rockies

Palomino Blackwing in Jasper and Banff National Parks, Alberta, Canada.  Enjoy.

Pencil Smackdown: General's Kimberly 2B vs. all the Palomino Blackwings

A historian and scholar of art and tattoos accustomed to the Blackwing needs a pencil for the archives that doesn't have an eraser.  I do not have a huge collection of wooden pencils, and I am more of a mechanical pencil gal, but I thought maybe the General's Kimberly 2B might suit.

Any fellow stationery nerds? I use Blackwing pencils, but they're no good in archives, as they have erasers. What's a good alternative?
— Dr. Matt Lodder (@mattlodder) May 17, 2014

How does the Kimberly compare?  Being a fan of 2B lead, I only have the Kimberly in 2B.  Writing with it is enjoyable.  The point is quite long-lasting.  The graphite is not as dark, but the pencil makes a wonderful noise on the paper (one sheet of paper on my wooden clipboard, shown).  The graphite does not smudge, except just slightly from very deliberate rubbing.

The Blackwings, all three, are favorites for wooden pencils and are well loved by many.

Left to right:  General's Kimberly 2B, Palomino Blackwing 602, Blackwing Pearl and Blackwing.

The side-by-side comparison of the Blackwings to the General's Kimberly makes me second-guess my earlier suggestion. Perhaps it would be better to get a saw and cut the ferrule off the Blackwing?

Oh, what we will do to and for our pencils! 

Sharpening a Palomino Blackwing Pencil

The Palomino Blackwing, the relaunch of the famous Blackwing Pencil

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Kum makes a special pencil sharpener with the Palomino Blackwing brand.  It is a 2-step long-point sharpener.

Getting started sharpening the Palomino Blackwing pencil with the Kum Palomino Blackwing sharpener is an exciting experience.

The wood comes off the pencil in a delicate curl.

The curl makes a crown.  The sound of this sharpener cutting the wood is fantastic.

When the lead hits the stop, we are done with the first step.  Notice that the blade did not cut the lead,  only the wood.  Notice how the blades are replaceable?

Next we sharpen the lead with the second blade.  It only takes a few twists to put a fine point on the pencil.

All done.  A perfectly sharpened Palomino Blackwing pencil.