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Sanford Design Ebony Sketching Pencil, Black Matte Barrel, 12 per Pack (14420)

List Price: $8.29 Price: $7.21 You Save: $1.08 (13%)

Product Details Get rid of of 12 Pencils Overenthusiastically tip. Thin barrel.

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Customer Reviews

Ebony Pencils are Great!
I have used Ebony pencils since I was young and find that they write darker and clearer than other pencils. They are also great to use on crossword puzzles.

2007-12-10 | Staci (Tallahassee, FL United States) | Helpful Votes: 1 | Rating: 5

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SANFORD Mirado Black Warrior Wood Pencil, F #2.5 , Black Matte Barrel, Dozen

List Price: $3.80

Product Details Reward round cedar pencil with a black matte drain gives off a sophisticated, professional look. Made in U.S.A. PMA Certified nontoxic to assure the health and safety of children and adults alike.

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Sanford Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencil Set 72/Tin with New Colors

List Price: $113.89

Product Details Colors are undeniably blended, slow to wear and waterproof Thick leads prevent breakage Intoxicated-quality pigments for a rich color saturation

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Customer Reviews

They Chose the Right Name -- "Premier" -- When They Named These Pencils
There are many excellent colored pencil brands available today, with some of the premier labels being Caran D'Arche (Switzerland), Conté (France), Faber Castell (Germany), Talens (the Netherlands) and Koh-i-noor (Czech Republic). Each pencil brand has its own loyal following, and it is certainly true that the performance characteristics of each leaves a unique "signature" on paper (i.e., the experienced eye can sometimes tell which brand of pencil was used for a different piece of artwork by examining luminosity, reflection, depth of color, and others). I have used all these brands myself, having brought back from Europe entire sets from various manufacturers, and often in different sub types ("artist," "student," and so on). Some also have added touches that really make a pencil set shine, including rounded triangular shafts with subtle inlaid grips, bonded coatings between the lead and the pencil wood to minimize lead shattering, and soft textured surfaces for improved gripping and comfort. Some sets are now even beginning to adhere to the lightfastness specifications as developed by the Colored Pencil Society of America.

So, what should we think about a set of American made colored pencils when they are competing with these premier brands, some of which have been in business for centuries? The answer might be surprising to hear: after using all these brands for an extended period of time, I can say that these Prismacolor "Premier" pencils easily hold their own against the world's best colored pencils.

What are the characteristics of the Prismacolor "Premier" pencils that make them so good?

1. Smooth, silky, and rich laydown of color
2. Little smearing, even when laying down dense patches of color
3. Ability to blend colors as needed
4. Wide range of available colors
5. Relatively inexpensive (by comparison to other premium brands)
6. Availability of the Prismacolor "Verithin" pencil sets, which duplicate the colors of the "Premier" line pencil by pencil (matched by color codes), but in an extremely hard lead that permits a high level of sharpening for detail work which will not quickly wear down.

At first glance, it might seem that these Prisamacolor pencils are expensive, but when one reflects on the fact that some of the more "esoteric" (for lack of a better word) pencils can run upwards of $3 - $4 per pencil, the Prismacolors are nothing short of a bargain. (If you hunt long enough, you can even find the large set of 120 pencils that comes in a two tiered wood case with lining to house your collection and you'll still be paying far less per pencil than other high end brands.)
But the proof is certainly in the putting. Get one of these in your hands, and lay down some color on a sheet of paper and see if you don't experience the very thing I am describing here. These are rich and smooth leads with an almost creamy feel. That's not to say you can point them up to a needle: you can, but you just must be careful not to press too much when doing so in order to keep the point from breaking. You can also use these in a duller point to lay down large swaths of rich, deep color. (Again, pairing this set up with the "Verithin" set can be very helpful for detail work.)

Are these pencils perfect? No. There are a few issues, some minor, but nevertheless relevant for this review:

1. Lead shattering seems to be an issue for the company. My first set had no less than 10% of the pencils shattered all the way down to the end, rendering all those colors useless. This is either manufacturing problems, or some improvement in the cases in which the pencils are transported and sold is required to further reduce shock from transport. It is an unacceptable result when purchasing a large pencil set.
2. Along those same lines, it would be wonderful if Prismacolor could look into a similar technology such as Staedler uses in its colored pencils, which is a coating of inner material between the lead and the wood to reduce breakage. I've never had a single Staedler pencil break on me yet. Not one.
3. The triangular shaped shafts of both the Faber Castell and Staedler pencils is in my view a superior design than the round format of the Primscolors, allowing greater control and improved comfort.
4. The Prismacolors do not use any type of friction coating on the outside of the pencils to help improve grip. Both Staedler and Faber Castell do (and in different manners), and this adds immeasurably to their performance characteristics.
5. The printing on the shaft of the Prismacolor to identify color name and code can be almost illegible, with blurry, imprecise lettering. In some lighting conditions, the markings are nearly impossible to read. (The newest editions of the Prismacolors seem to have addressed this, but don't count on getting those in the boxed sets anytime soon until existing stock is sold and replaced with new models.)
6. The Prismacolors are not "finished" on the end with any type of cap or closure, and the pencils also arrive unsharpened. (Compare the Faber Castells, which both come fully sharpened and are mounted in a manner that makes them resistant to any type of breakage during transport; these also, as most other brands, have a nice finishing cap on the end of the pencil.)

Let me be clear. These minor quibbles all fall away once you get one of these in your hand an experience how they perform. These are simply a delight to use, and many artists swear by them. After using them myself, I can see why. I still am extremely impressed with the best of the offerings Europe produces, but these Prismacolor pencils deserve to be counted right among them. If they ever addressed my minor quibbles above, they might vie for a role as a de facto standard with one or two of the other most expensive brands three times their price.
Five stars for performance. Five stars for price. Five stars for fun. And five stars for rich , creamy, deep color!

Note: Although these pencils come in many sizes of sets, I recommend the 72 color set. This gives you a wide range of colors, and does not run you into issues with the larger sets where you have multiple colors so close to one another you cannot easily see the difference. Of course, if you want the beautiful wood case, you'll need to get the 120 set.

2010-04-18 | A Reader | Helpful Votes: 2 | Rating: 5

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Prismacolors Never Fail
Prismacolors are the only color pencils I use for my art projects. As an art student and long time user I highly recommend this brand. Their products never seem to disappoint me. I went to a museum exhibit recently and notice a great piece done exclusively in prismacolors so if the professionals are investing in this brand you know it is good.

2010-02-11 | Sunday Breakfast Enthusiast | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Excellent, Excellent
Excellent product, excellent price, excellent delivery/customer service. Did a lot of research on these pencils and couldn't find a price to even come close. This was a gift for my niece and she was beyond thrilled!

2010-02-05 (RENTON, WA, US) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Prismacolor: The Holy Grail of Colored Pencils
I ordered a set of 72 Prismacolor pencils as a Christmas gift for my older son. Art is a hobby with him and he'd mentioned how much he liked Prismacolor. Having done some little work with this brand in the past, I could understand why, and so went to Amazon.com to see what was available.

I was amazed to find the set of 72 at a price I found not merely reasonable, but a bargain of the rarest sort. I ordered them at once and wish that I'd had a camera to catch the look on my son's face when he opened his present on Christmas Eve.

He told me today that he still hasn't used them yet--"Mom, this is lie the Holy Grail! I'm still gewtting used to having a set like this!"

I think this was probably one of the best choices I could have made!


Tags: Holy Grail of colored pencils, excellent price for the value

2010-01-08 | not-so-starving author (Fayetteville NC) | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Quality Product
These pencils are really great They are quite soft so you can get a nice even coat across the paper. Because they are so soft though you will have to sharpen them often especially if you are pressing hard while you work. This is to be expected though of any colour pencil that is soft.

I did an art project for my class & when I was finished presenting my artwork my class mate asked, what medium did you use? When I remarked colour pencils she was shocked lol. She could clearly see the difference between the Faber-Castell pencils she was using and my Prismacolor pencils.

This is a quality product. I just wish I had the 132 set! :)

2009-12-11 | Helpful Votes: 0 | Rating: 5

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Where can I find old Sanford pencils with the Sanford logo on it?

Apr 23, 2008 by jprc1125@sbcglobal.net | Posted in Drawing & Illustration

It has to have the Sanford logo on the pencil.

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Actually, I still get them all over the place (but I live 16 miles from Sanford, ME. where they used to be manufactured many years ago and contracts can run deep). I'd say check the Pearl paint website, frankly or if you can go into one of their stores, better, because I go occasionally to the one in Cambridge.

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Need a SANFORD Accent Dry Pencil Bible Highlighting Kit #26074 Don't want to buy online,want to go store & get

Nov 18, 2007 by Miranda Girl | Posted in Drawing & Illustration

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Local Christian bookstore. If they don't have it they can probably order one.

Where have all the Sanford Eagle # 2 pencils gone?

Nov 02, 2008 by sugrdady03 | Posted in Drawing & Illustration

I was in walmart,office depot,office max, staples, you name the store I've checked it not one in FL, have carried them anymore. I remember when i was in school they were all over. they were used alot because tbey sharped easy, only downfall was it wrote kinda light. I used them when I did my drawings especifically because it was so light was a good outline pencil. I was wondering if anyone know what happened to those really good pencils.

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I dont know but can can buy them online here are some sites

Where do you buy Sanford Col-Erase pencils??

Jul 30, 2007 by dynamic_disaster | Posted in Drawing & Illustration

i don't want to have to order them over the internet... does anyone know of an office or art store that carries them? they're the colored pencils that are erasable... i've never used them, someone just recommended them to me.

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Corporate Express

Discount office supplies .com

How do I get watercolor pencil out of a white tee?

Oct 06, 2008 by martyr.deangelis@ymail.com | Posted in Cleaning & Laundry

Okay, My girlfriend drew a seal or a heart on my back with a Prismacolor Watercolor red pencil by Sanford [WC2924]. The next day I showered, dried off quick, and put on my White tee. At school my friend noticed the pencil bled through, and let me now, this shirt a lend from a friend so, garbage isn't a good idea. I tried spray&wash stick and spray, salycic acid[sp?][acne remover] and bleach for 2 five minute periods. I put it through the wash after each attempt!
Help please!

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Sard wonder soap is wonderful. You should have done this first though. I use a nail/hand scrubber too to help lift a stain. Bleaching (diluted of course) needs a longer period of time, perhaps even overnight. If it is an expensive shirt ask a dry-cleaner to help - They have lots of magic potions for stains.