Blackwing drawing pencils are seen on Monday, April 23, 2012. RICHARD B. LEVINE/Newscom. Find it on Newscom.com: lrphotos068969
By Frances Roberts and Richard Levine
I bet you didn’t know that there was a “cult following” for pencils. Not just any pencils. Art directors don’t wax poetic about No. 2 Ticonderogas. Proof readers don’t wear their Staples generic pencils done to the nub. Apparently Blackwing brand pencils have quite a following. “Half the pressure, twice the speed”, is the company’s motto and to those that love them they wear them right down to a stub. Witness the fact that on eBay, an unused vintage, single pencil can go for $40.00. For that much money we’d wear down the pencil to the stub too. Continue reading →