Blackwing Volume 55, behind the design

The Blackwing 55 celebrates the Golden Ratio. It’s a reminder to slow down and savor the beauty around us.

We designed this pencil using the Fibonacci sequence, a series of numbers that approximate the values of the Golden Ratio. As you'll see in this design, the width of each color block is the sum of the widths of the previous two color blocks. In mathematics and other areas, the same formula for the Fibonacci sequence is applied. Each sequential number is the sum of the two that precede it. Each color section of the pencil is as follows: 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, & 55mm respectively.

Our design for the Blackwing Volume 55 draws inspiration directly from the natural world. The Fibonacci sequence appears in things ranging from the ridges of pineapple to the uncurling of a fern. These natural objects all follow the ratio between numbers in the Fibonacci sequence, a value of 1.61, which has been referred to as the Golden Ratio.

Learn more about how the Golden Ratio appears in nature here.