Back in early November, I happened across a tweet from Viviane Schwarz mentioning Blackwing pencils. Being of an easily intrigued persuasion, I looked them up on a Popular Internet Search thingy, read all about them, and immediately thought “PHWOOOOOR!” which I realise may sound a little odd to those of you to whom a pencil is… just… well, a pencil.

Any pencil that – once discontinued – subsequently starts changing hands on a certain Popular Internet Auction Site for up to $40 must be good, right? That’s $40 for ONE PENCIL.

And then someone starts making them again, and artists all over the place swear by ’em – a pencil that’s given resounding praise by such brilliant illustrators as folk like Viviane… well, it has to be tried.

They’re still rather hard to get hold of in the UK though, with only a few select places stocking them. I put…