HOW BLACKWING PENCILS ARE MADE

Watch a short film on the Blackwing pencil-making process from graphite formulation and woodworking in Japan to final assembly and packing at Blackwing's headquarters in California.

A first-ever in-depth look at the Blackwing pencil manufacturing process.

Blackwing pencils are expensive and difficult to make. We're here to pull back the curtain on the entire Blackwing pencil-making process from Japan to California and finally into your hands.

This film outlines each stage of production, including how our premium graphite is pressed and cut, how multiple layers of lacquer are hand-applied to achieve our signature smooth finish, and finally how each pencil is tipped, imprinted, and hand-packed for sale.

Only Blackwing pencils combine the best graphite in the world, the best wood in the world, and generations of craftsmanship to create an exceptional pencil.

From our buttery smooth graphite to the luxurious multi-lacquer finish to our signature square ferrule with removable and replaceable erasers, explore the Blackwing difference.

BLACKWING VOLUME 574
NATIVE AMERICAN ART PENCIL

For centuries, the Indigenous people of North America have preserved their histories through art. As more and more Native Americans were displaced by westward-expanding colonialism, art became a vessel for preserving their culture as well as their history. Their daily lives were recorded through paintings, songs, stories, and dances.

Native American art is both functional and beautiful, acting as a bridge to Indigenous cultures and offering a unique perspective on their history. These works enrich the lives of all North Americans, providing a window into the world through Indigenous eyes.

The Blackwing 574 is our tribute to Native American art and the 574 nations that use it to assert agency and identity. We worked with Kaw, Osage, Lakota artist Chris Pappan to design a pencil that evokes geometric patterns found throughout many Native American expressions of culture. Each pencil includes our firm graphite.

A portion of the proceeds from this release will be donated to the Cheyenne River Youth Project and their mission to provide enriching arts programs to Lakota youth on the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation.

 

Blackwing volume 574 pencils - tribute to Native American art


About Blackwing

Our roots go back to the 1930s, when it was the pencil of choice for legendary award-winning creators among the likes of John Steinbeck, Quincy Jones, and others. After being discontinued in the 1990s, we revived the Blackwing brand to reintroduce these beloved tools to a new generation of artists and writers.

Today, we craft premium pencils, notebooks, and analog tools known for their craftsmanship, design, and focus on helping people slow down in their daily lives.