#PALOMINO BLACKWING 602 UPDATE#

Unlike the new Backwing pencils, the Hi-Uni pencils are available in singles or dozen boxes. If softness is what the user is after, the Hi-Uni line is definitely a place to look.

#PALOMINO BLACKWING 602 UPDATE#

If I get one, I will update this post with my new findings. If you have a Hi-Uni in B and a vintage 602, let me know how close they are. The rounded top of the Hi-Uni pencils might make the process of 'hack winging' the Hi-Uni easier to get a more authentic Blackwing experience. I am taking a guess that it will be soft like the 2B, but a bit lighter, and very similar to the vintage 602. I do not have a Hi-Uni in B, but I plan on getting one at some point. I have never heard anyone compare the Hi-Uni in B or 2B to an original Blackwing 602. The Hi-Uni pencils have a similar 'feather smooth' quality to them, which speaks to their quality and the precision of craftsmanship when making them. It is this trait that made the pencil so famous, and why so many people liked the 602 in the first place. I personally like this feeling, and it helps me to discern the pencils the vintage Blackwing 602 is well-known for its soft, 'feather smooth' writing, like it advertises on the box. It is not so much smooth like its German counterpart as it is soft like a powder. The Hi-Uni pencils have wonderful Japanese graphite. Further testing lead me to conclude that, were the Hi-Uni a B, it may actually be the closest thing to a vintage 602 that is made and accessible in modern times. That being said, the Hi-Uni is darker and softer than the vintage 602. It is slightly harder than the softest Blackwing, but is noticeably softer than the Pearl.

This was the main testing paper, and a pocket-sized Cahiers collection Moleskin ruled notebook was a secondary writing surface, to feel more differences ( the paper is not as smooth, and allows me to get the nuances of the graphite better).įirstly, it seems like the Hi-Uni 2B has a feeling similar to if Palomino had a pencil in between the Pearl and original Blackwing. Noting this, I decided to use the best paper I have: Clairefontaine in a 21 x 29.7cm (~ 8.27 x 11.69 inches, rounded) spiral notebook. This goes for all pencils using better paper yields better results. The original Blackwing 602 may be the world's most famous pencil, but it sure doesn't feel like it when using cheaper paper.

One of the most important things of the pencil-writing experience is the paper you write on. I own all of the main Palomino Blackwing pencils (minus the Natural), and a vintage Blackwing 602, so I compared them to the Hi-Uni. Think softest Palomino Blackwing, but a 2B. Immediately I noticed that it was an extremely soft pencil. Recently, I acquired the Mitsubishi Hi-Uni in 2B.

Palomino blackwing 602