The Blackwing Pencil Making Process

Here's a quick behind-the-scenes look at how Blackwing pencils are made, broken down step-by-step!

1. Incense-cedar lumber is cut into blocks and then slats that are a bit longer than the length of a finished pencil.
2. A groover machine cuts grooves into the slats. This is where the graphite goes.
3. The graphite cores - made from a mixture of graphite, wax, and clay - are placed into the grooves.
4. A second grooved slat is glued on to the first, making a "sandwich." The sandwiches are clamped and allowed to dry before moving on to the shaping process.
5. The sandwiches are trimmed and sent through the shaper. Each sandwich produces eight hexagonal pencil sticks.
6. The pencil sticks are passed through a paint line. Blackwing pencils receive 10+ layers of lacquer to achieve their signature finish.
7. The painted pencils are imprinted using a hot-stamp machine that gives them their distinct gold foil branding.
8. The finished sticks are shaved and tipped with the iconic Blackwing ferrule and eraser.