Blackwing Volume 211, a tribute to John Muir

When we started brainstorming ideas for our second Volumes edition, we knew we wanted to show a different side of the program. The 725 was a musician’s pencil: loud and in your face. The 211 is just the opposite: subtle and subdued.

Here’s a short excerpt of the insert that comes with each Volume 211 set:

“John Muir was a writer, poet, and artist, but most notably, he was the most widely recognized environmentalist in American history. Perhaps his biggest accomplishment was being the key figure in the founding of Yosemite National Park.

We pay tribute to John Muir and his impact on creativity and the environment with the Blackwing 211. The John Muir Trail, the premier hiking trail in the United States, starts in Yosemite and continues 211 miles through the Ansel Adams Wilderness, ending at the highest peak in continental United States, Mount Whitney.”

The 211 not only pays tribute to John Muir and the hiking trails of Yosemite in form, it’s function was also designed with the outdoors in mind. It features a firm graphite core designed for long walks spent sketching in nature.

Our headquarters are based in Stockton, CA, about 100 miles west of Yosemite National Park. We share our hometown with the University of the Pacific which houses the John Muir Papers, the only collection of notebooks, sketches and writings by Muir himself.

We took a trip down to the archives and looked through Muir’s drawings. While we were browsing, we discovered a drawing he drew of Half Dome and the Merced River. Inspired, we decided to take a trip to Yosemite and find the spot where John Muir created that drawing. The trees are a bit taller today, but the river and the rocks are just as beautiful as ever.

In addition to the 211 pencils, subscribers will find a little something extra in their subscription box. We’ll talk about that more once subscribers start receiving their shipments. We hope you enjoy the Blackwing 211 as much as we do. Now get out there and sketch something!