Blackwing Volumes 292 Pencil Set | Keith Haring

Keith Haring was one of the most renowned of the young artists, filmmakers, and performers whose work was in conversation with urban street culture of the 1980s. Inspired by the graffiti artists whose marks covered the city’s subway cars, Haring began to draw in white chalk over the black paper used to cover vacant advertising panels.

As early as 1980, Haring began exhibiting in galleries and museums around the world, but continued to participate in public projects, producing murals, sculptures and paintings to benefit hospitals, underprivileged children's groups and various community health organizations.

When he opened his Pop Shop at 292 Lafayette Street, he thought of it as a physical extension of his work, a place where everyone was welcome to experience his art. He believed in using commercial projects like the Pop Shop to reach people who would otherwise never come in contact with his message, a legacy that lives on today in this box of pencils.

Volume 292 is the tribute to Keith Haring. Each pencil features Haring's dancing figures and the balanced graphite. Each pencil contains the same balanced and smooth graphite core found in other Pearl pencils. It is softer than the graphite found in the Blackwing 602, but firmer than the graphite found in the Blackwing Matte, and a favorite among calligraphers and illustrators.

Blackwing Volumes 292 Pencil Set | Keith Haring measures:

- Box: 8.25'' L x 1.75'' W x 1.75'' H

- Pencil: 8” L

Blackwing’s roots date back to the 1930’s when the 602 model was first introduced by the Eberhard Faber Pencil Company. Over the years, the pencil with the unique rectangular eraser became synonymous with quality. Then, in 1998, after several corporate acquisitions, it was discontinued, but not forgotten. In fact, fans began paying as much as $40 on eBay for a single Blackwing pencil.

Artists soon noticed that Palomino’s range of premium pencils compared favorably to the Blackwing 602. They began asking Palomino to consider reviving the Blackwing brand, complete with its defining rectangular eraser. Palomino founder Charles Berolzheimer, whose family’s roots in the pencil industry date back to the mid 19th century, used the company’s unique supply relationships to re-introduce Blackwing pencils in 2010 featuring California Genuine Incense-cedar and premium Japanese graphite. The pencil has drawn rave reviews from users and national media attention.

In the last few years, Blackwing has grown from a single pencil into a culture. It’s a culture that encourages and empowers creativity in all forms, especially in our nation’s schools. In fact, a percentage of every Blackwing product sold benefits music and arts education at the K-12 level.

- Recommended for ages 10+

- CHOKING HAZARD: Small parts, not suitable for children under 3 years old.

- Works best with Blackwing dual sharpener (sold separately)