Blackwing Volume 143 Pencils Box of 12
Blackwing’s story begins in 1934 with the birth of the Eberhard Faber Pencil Company’s Blackwing 602. This pencil is well-known for its cult following which included notable artists of various disciplines including, author John Steinbeck, composers John Williams and Quincy Jones, and many more. After a period of time which saw the pencil’s acquisition by several companies, the machine that produced the system’s ferrule and eraser system broke, which resulted in its discontinuation in 1998, leaving its devotees to scour secondary markets for Blackwings, sometimes spending $40 for an individual pencil. In 2008, California Cedar Products Company acquired the name Blackwing and in 2011, released an approximation of the original Blackwing 602 under its Palomino division. Although the Palomino Blackwing does not retain the original’s graphite formula, it has still maintained an enthusiastic following of hobbyists and collectors.
- 8" in length
- The Blackwing Volume 143 is a tribute to Frida Kahlo. Each pencil features soft graphite and a floral design inspired by Frida’s iconic imagery. Looking inward became a defining theme of Frida’s work. Through her celebrated self-portraits, she explored identity, pain, and passion using bold, vibrant colors to express her inner world. Her work honored Mexican and indigenous cultures while offering an unflinching examination of physical pain, emotional struggle, and the women’s experience.
- The model number 143 is a nod to the 143 paintings commonly attributed to her over the course of her life.
- Soft graphite
- Pink eraser clip
- White matte imprint and blue eraser
- Box of 12