A Review of the Classic, Round Pencil.
(click images for flickr link)
For the first post on this website, I thought I'd review the venerable Papermate Mirado Black Warrior. I've been using versions of this pencil since I was a kid in elementary school, and it was definitely one of the first "good" pencils I used - a definite step-up from the Dixon #2.
Fit/Finish:
Since the move of all Papermate production to outside the US, the Black Warrior underwent a couple of major changes:
--> graphite more rough
-->paint now matte black as opposed to glossy
(click images for flickr link)
For the first post on this website, I thought I'd review the venerable Papermate Mirado Black Warrior. I've been using versions of this pencil since I was a kid in elementary school, and it was definitely one of the first "good" pencils I used - a definite step-up from the Dixon #2.
Fit/Finish:
Since the move of all Papermate production to outside the US, the Black Warrior underwent a couple of major changes:
--> graphite more rough
-->paint now matte black as opposed to glossy
Even still, the new Mexican-made Black Warrior still satisfies, with relatively uniform foil stamping and no paint chipping near the ferrule, a problem seen on earlier, US made examples. The paint on the ferrule itself is uniform as well, with the trademark red ring prominent. The ferrule on this particular example does, however, sit a bit above the clearly indented original location, which is a bit odd.
Performance:
The core is, while a bit rough, not very "scratchy" and lays down a relatively dark line. Point retention is very good, and I'll post a before-and-after shot of the point writing this page (8.5"x11" standard). The round shape and matte finish make this an easy pencil to write with for long pieces, and the point retention definitely encourages just that.
The core is, while a bit rough, not very "scratchy" and lays down a relatively dark line. Point retention is very good, and I'll post a before-and-after shot of the point writing this page (8.5"x11" standard). The round shape and matte finish make this an easy pencil to write with for long pieces, and the point retention definitely encourages just that.
The familiar Pink Pearl eraser on the back of the pencil is average, but erasability in general is strong: [eraser test].
Overall: At $3/dozen on Amazon, this is definitely a worthwhile pencil to pick up. 4/5.
Overall: At $3/dozen on Amazon, this is definitely a worthwhile pencil to pick up. 4/5.