Blackwing Collaborates with TRAVELER’S COMPANY

We've teamed up with our friends at TRAVELER'S COMPANY to create a new capsule collection dedicated to our shared love for all things pencils and paper.
Yosemite National Park - Mountains - Starr King Group from the South West

Our Favorite John Muir Sketches

Last year, we released the Blackwing 211, our tribute to John Muir and his impact on the field of naturalism. Muir was a noted explorer, but he was also an avid sketcher. Our hometown of Stockton, CA is also home to the University of the Pacific…
Finished Record

Record Store Day 2016 – How A Record is Made

This Saturday 04/16/2016 is Record Store Day, and we’re stoked. Like pencils, records are part of the analog world where every action has an tangible, visible or audible reaction. I’ve collected records since I was a kid going to punk…
Steinbeck Pencil Length

The Steinbeck Pencil Length

John Steinbeck was very particular about his pencils. In addition to his 24 pencil ritual, John was also conscious of the length of his pencils. Once his pencils reached a certain length, commonly referred to as "the Steinbeck length," he would…
Steinbeck Typewriter

John Steinbeck’s Typewriter

John Steinbeck was known for writing his novels out by hand. Later in his career, however, he was forced to introduce a typewriter into his daily routine. John’s son Thom shared what brought about this change, and how his father coped with…
Steinbeck Print

Inside the Blackwing 24 Subscription – An Unreleased Portrait of John Steinbeck

By now, many of our subscribers have received their shipments containing the Blackwing 24, our tribute to John Steinbeck. In addition to pencils, past subscriptions have included extra goodies, including an Incense-cedar pencil slat with a map…
Blackwing 24

Volumes by Blackwing – Vol. 24

To round out the first year of the Blackwing Volumes program, we wanted to pay tribute to one of our personal heroes, John Steinbeck. Designed under the guidance of his son, accomplished author Thomas Steinbeck, we’ve attempted to create what would have been John Steinbeck’s ideal pencil.
Our Day with Steinbeck

Our Day with Steinbeck

He entered the room with a presence befitting of his pedigree. His slicked-back hair and low-cropped beard had long since conceded their color, but his eyes were still piercing blue. His baritone was rugged but gentle: “I understand you’ve come here to talk about my father.”
Roll-on Printing

The Process Behind the Blackwing 1138

Last week, we unveiled the Blackwing 1138. If you haven’t already checked it out, read the scoop here. This post will make a lot more sense if you do. With the reveal, the focus was on what was on the pencil; how we took the entirety of…
Blackwing 1138

Introducing Volume 1138

It's here, our third Volumes release, the Blackwing 1138. We're calling this one "the sci-fi pencil." Movie and science-fiction buffs probably already have an idea why. This pencil has a story to tell. Literally. Any “Intro to…

Subscriber Unboxing Video

Blackwing Volumes subscriber Pat Hannon posted this awesome video of him unboxing his Blackwing 211 subscription.