The Fascinating Story of the $40 Pencil

✏️The Blackwing pencil gained popularity due to its smooth writing and unique design.

💰The discontinued Blackwing pencils became highly sought after in the resale market, with prices ranging from $40 to over $200.

📈A different company successfully revived the Blackwing brand, recreating the smooth writing experience but facing challenges in reproducing the exact formula.

🖊️The core of the Blackwing pencil contains graphite, wax, and clay, carefully balanced to achieve the desired darkness, smoothness, and point retention.

🎨The distinctive features of the Blackwing pencil include its iconic ferrule, which resembles a paintbrush, and its flat eraser, allowing for precise or broad erasing.

What made the Blackwing pencil so popular?

—The Blackwing pencil gained popularity for its smooth writing experience and unique design, including its smooth graphite core and iconic ferrule.

Why did the Blackwing pencil get discontinued?

—The company that owned the Blackwing brand at the time decided to discontinue production due to the broken tooling required to make the pencil's distinctive clip and ferrule.

How did the Blackwing pencil make a comeback?

—A different company acquired the Blackwing name and successfully revived the brand by reproducing the smooth writing experience, although the exact formula of the original pencil remains secret.

What sets the Blackwing pencil apart from others?

—The Blackwing pencil stands out for its smooth writing, distinctive design features such as the ferrule and flat eraser, and its cult status among artists and pencil enthusiasts.

Why are Blackwing pencils more expensive than regular pencils?

—Blackwing pencils are priced higher due to their high-quality materials, craftsmanship, and the unique writing experience they offer compared to regular pencils.

00:00The Blackwing pencil gained popularity for its smooth writing experience and unique design.

00:50Discontinued Blackwing pencils became highly sought after in the resale market, with prices ranging from $40 to over $200.

01:33A different company successfully revived the Blackwing brand, recreating the smooth writing experience but facing challenges in reproducing the exact formula.

02:11The core of the Blackwing pencil contains graphite, wax, and clay, carefully balanced to achieve the desired darkness, smoothness, and point retention.

02:42The distinctive features of the Blackwing pencil include its iconic ferrule, which resembles a paintbrush, and its flat eraser, allowing for precise or broad erasing.

03:24The Blackwing pencil gained popularity for its smooth writing experience and unique design, including its smooth graphite core and iconic ferrule.

04:06The company that owned the Blackwing brand at the time decided to discontinue production due to the broken tooling required to make the pencil's distinctive clip and ferrule.

05:17A different company acquired the Blackwing name and successfully revived the brand by reproducing the smooth writing experience, although the exact formula of the original pencil remains secret.