Blackwing Matte Pencils, Set of 12

Blackwing Matte is the softest, darkest Blackwing pencil, with a graphite core around 2B hardness. Gift box of 12 pencils with matte black finish and black replaceable square erasers. Made in Japan with California cedar.

What makes Blackwing pencils so special?

Blackwing pencils are one of the most celebrated products in our industry, with a complex story spanning nearly a century: from their introduction in the 1930s, through the 1990s and 2000s when they were not manufactured, to a modern re-introduction in 2010. Originally manufactured by the Eberhard Faber Pencil Company of Greenpoint, Brooklyn, Blackwing developed a reputation as the smoothest, darkest pencils on the market. Their square, replaceable, repositionable erasers became a sought-after feature.

Then, Blackwing was discontinued. In the 1990s, during the beginning of the really bad years for office-supply companies, a series of mergers and acquisitions killed this beloved pencil. But, oddly, demand never dried up. Secondhand prices gradually rose until artists had to pay as much as $40 per pencil from the old, leftover Eberhard Faber stock. Professional animators were particularly attached to Blackwing, and many saw it as an indispensable tool.