The Blackwing 602 has spent the better part of a century being quietly indispensable. Its firm graphite was made for people who write a great deal and write quickly, which is why the barrel still carries the old promise: Half the Pressure, Twice the Speed. John Steinbeck favoured it, Chuck Jones drew with it, and plenty of people still know it by its earlier name, the Palomino Blackwing 602.

In the hand it is long, light and evenly balanced, the gunmetal grey barrel smooth under your fingers. The firm core holds its point well and lays down a clean grey line that doesn’t smear into the next paragraph. A square gold ferrule holds a pink eraser that you can pull further out as it wears, and replace when it is gone. It is a pencil that makes you want to write rather more than you strictly need to.

Why You’ll Love It

• Speed Without Effort: You notice within a page or two how little pressure it needs, and long writing sessions end without the usual ache in your fingers.
• A Point Worth Keeping: The firm graphite always holds a sharp tip, so you stop reaching for the sharpener every few lines.
• An Eraser That Lasts: As the eraser wears down you simply slide it further out of the ferrule, and when it is finally spent a fresh one fits straight in.

Details

• Brand: Blackwing
• Model: 602
• Type: Graphite pencils
• Quantity: Set of 12
• Graphite: Firm
• Barrel: Gunmetal grey with gold imprint
• Ferrule: Gold, square
• Eraser: Pink, extendable and replaceable
• Wood: Californian incense-cedar
• Country of Origin: Japan