Comments about Prismacolor Ebony Pencil:

I used to love these pencils. They were my go to sketching pencil but over the last four years I have had the worst experiences with these. One out of every dozen or so isn't shattered inside. They can't be sharpened. The lead is broken inside the pencil and as they are sharpened it continually FALLS OUT. It doesn't break off in the sharpener, it just falls right out. I stopped buying Prismacolor colored pencils for the same reason and for colored pencils only buy Faber-Castell Polychromos, Derwent,or Lyra now. Caran d'Ache, Derwent Lyra, Staedler, Tombow, Blick and even Reeves drawing, sketching, and drafting pencils are the pencils I'll stick with from now on.

Comments about Prismacolor Ebony Pencil:

I bought these pencils expecting them to make "Jet Black" marks, as it says on the package. These pencils do not make black marks, they make dark gray marks. The name EBONY is misleading. They are really just ordinary pencils, about #B6. I like my General's #6B pencil better--it does a better job of making different shades of gray. I will not by this Prismacolor product again.

Comments about Prismacolor Ebony Pencil:

Several years ago, I started using these, when Sanford Design Ebony pencils stopped being available. I don't know if these are a different pencil, or I just never noticed their serious shortcomings.

Positive, the marks can get really dark and the lead is smooth.
Negatives:

-very poor erasibility (nearly impossible)

-extremely limited mid tones (you get all or nothing)

-very poor blendability

-scans unevenly because it's sometimes shiny and sometimes dull.

I love a thick black pencil, and I thought this was my only option.
Thank goodnes, last week I decided to read reviews and see what's out there. I've had outstanding results with a General's Wide Compressed Graphite Stick for other projects, so I read about the General's Draughting Pencil. I'm making my first drawing with it, now. I got so excited, I had to write about it.

Don't buy the Prismacolor Ebony Pencil. Stop right now. Go to the General's Draughting Pencil, read the reviews, and save yourself grief.

Comments about Prismacolor Ebony Pencil:

I have read other reviews that complain of quality issues with the new Prismacolor brand of Ebony vs. the Sandford brand. I have not found any quality issues with the pencils yet and would encourage the use of these pencils as part of your art toolkit. They are great for sketching.

Comments about Prismacolor Ebony Pencil:

The "ebony" is the long established king of graphite drawing pencils. Great dense black on nearly any surface and easily shaded.
This is a prime example of a product that should be offered in BULK...at considerable discount.
Bulk packs of 100 would not be too strong for any serious artist.
How about a bulk pack of 100 for $39.95 with FREE SHIPPING??

Comments about Prismacolor Ebony Pencil:

I use these pencils for art class. It is a soft lead so the students can do rubbings and transfer images to make their name madalas. They also use it for drawing. It is a soft lead, so it can be messy.

Comments about Prismacolor Ebony Pencil:

Have been teaching art for many years. Purchase hundreds of Design Ebony pencil every year. Sandford Design Ebony pencils have been always reliable until they changed to Prismacolor. There is no posible way to shade the lightest area without blemish on your drawing. It does not have the softness and consistency.

Will not be purchasing this product again... Does anyone know of a comparable product to try???

Comments about Prismacolor Ebony Pencil:

I was amazed when I read some of the negative reviews posted about these pencils. I am a full-time professional artist and one of my primary mediums is very detailed pencil art. I use Prismacolor Ebonies to add "punch" to my traditional graphite pencils, and they work perfectly for this! I enjoy the slick feel of these pencils and how well they glide on to the paper. Yes, they are naturally dark valued, so you cannot expect to get a 100% full range of greys with Prismacolor Ebonies. They're not exactly the same as the old Design Ebonies. However, if you learn how to blend them with other pencils to cover all your values, you may like them as much as I do. I also have never, ever had a problem with the leads breaking. Just use common sense and sharpen them gently, and also don't ever drop the pencils. Two thumbs up.

Comments about Prismacolor Ebony Pencil:

I used the old Design Ebony pencils for everything from the blackest blacks to the most delicate grays. It seems impossible to pull a delicate gray from the Prismacolor version. The results are much grainier and darker, no matter how light a touch I use. I've been forced to use a variety of different pencils to get the effects I want instead of relying on the Ebony pencils I loved.

Comments about Prismacolor Ebony Pencil:

I use this product with over 100 1st through 6th graders every year and we go through many dozens. Sharpening the Ebony is not a problem when you use a pencil sharpener with sharp blades, no matter what type is used. I always tell my students not to bang or drop pencils. The lead inside the wood casing will break. I've found that pencils coming from Blick Art are almost always in excellent condition when they arrive and that is after traveling by FED EX in a box with many other items. I still think this is a good product and the best for teaching young children about values in their drawings.Some basic knowledge of pencil care would go a long way with many of these unhappy users. Soft leads equal darker values, so if you want dark values take care not to break the soft lead by dropping or grinding it into a dull pencil sharpener! I hope this advice helps future users.