Comments about General's Draughting Pencil:

I bought this pencil based on another review stating that this was a good Ebony alternative. It is not. It is a fine pencil and fun to sketch with, but it is not in the same category as an Ebony.

This is a hard, somewhat scratchy pencil. It stays sharp for everlongtime, thanks to its hardness. It is not very dark. This seems about comparable to an HB grade Derwent graphic pencil.

A Prismacolor Ebony is soft with a buttery laydown. It is also messy and will not keep a point, my only beef with it.

I enjoy this pencil and I'll going to buy more, but it's not the deliciously soft and creamy Ebony, nor is it capable of soul-rending darkness like an Ebony.

Comments about General's Draughting Pencil:

Finally, a super-dark thick core pencil that you can actually draw with. I'm making my first drawing with it, now, and I felt so excited I had to write about it. I've been using Prismacolor Ebony the past few years, since Sanford Design Ebony dissappeared. Maybe I was young and naive, but I loved Sanford Design Ebony. With the Prismacolor, I can't make a good drawing to save my life. Look at my review there for details.

Anyway, the nightmare is over! Enter General's Draughting Pencil! This is awesome. It's dark. It erases beautifully (I'm using a kneaded eraser). It blends easily with finger or
stump. Getting a range of delicate mid-tones is easy. I hsaven't tried scanning it, yet, but it's sheen appears much more even than the prismacolor. It can get shiny if you use a lot of pressure, but it seems to even out with a little blending. In any case I notice very little glare or unevenness in shine. Wow! I just thought that was the price for getting a soft dark pencil. Not so!

Finally, one tip (pun intended) These come out of the box pretty sharp. At first they seemed pretty scratchy and dissappointing, but I kept going, using substantial pressure to blunt and round the tip, then I was pleased. I highly recommend these, if you like a soft, dark, thick core pencil.

Comments about General's Draughting Pencil:

Great for practice, very solid pencil that is made in the states.

Comments about General's Draughting Pencil:

These pencils are terrific for sketching! Nice, soft laydown of tone on paper. My favorite!