The Mysterious Blackwing Palomino Eras Special Edition 2021

Hmmmm.... It's a bit of a mystery

Blackwing Pencil fans, something interesting is going on with these, brand new “special edition” Blackwing Palomino Eras pencils in blue and orange.  This is the second in what looks to be a series of Eras pencils. 

The first edition Blackwing Eras came out quietly in the summer of 2020 as a way to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the re-birth of the famed Blackwing602 brand, rising from the ashes of history to become the glorious phoenix we know today.

The first Blackwing Eras pencil’s styling in dark grey was a nod to the brands retro past and must have struck a chord with fans because The Paper Seahorse and all other Blackwing retailers sold out before we could put them out on the shelves. 

This was something we had come to expect from the limited-edition volumes, but Eras are not part of the Blackwing Volumes program.   Both the original Eras, and this 2021 version have “Special Edition Pencils” printed on the box, unlike the Blackwing Volumes box which reads, “Limited Edition Pencils.”  The Volumes pencils also sell-out quickly and are very collectable and their value increases.  The 2020 Eras also sold out quickly, were not re-made, and also have become a hot item for enthusiasts.  So, are we to believe that the new, 2020 blue and orange Blackwing Palomino Eras will also have a limited run?  We don’t know. The only link to these pencils on the Blackwing website, is through one of their blog posts. It’s a mystery!

What we do know is that like every other Blackwing pencil is crafted from California incense cedar, the finest Japanese graphite and of course, the famous square ferrule, and replaceable eraser. Specifically, this year’s Blackwing Palomino Eras feature:

• Extra-firm graphite
• "Palomino orange" or “Palomino blue” barrel
• Signature gold stripe
• Gold Blackwing Palomino imprint
• Gold ferrule
• White eraser inspired by the Palomino pencils of the past

We find the brighter, yet still retro colors, combined with a crisp white eraser to be a fresh look in a pencil for summer.   What do you think?  Comment below.