Creative Ways to Use the Blackwing Pearl
Friends and fellow pencil-heads, I am obsessed with the Blackwing Pearl. Now, my obsession with pencils is well documented on this site (where was the Pearl last year when I was crafting my pencil-themed Kentucky Derby chapeau?), so the fact that I am geeking out over our newest addition to the Blackwing family should come as no surprise to you. But seriously, I love the pearlescent finish and stark contrast of the black logo on the barrel, and I really love the graphite weight. I can wear down Palomino Blackwing lead in nothing flat (I tend to write like I’m punching the paper), and the Blackwing 602 lead isn’t quite dark enough for me. The Pearl, however, combines the best of both worlds and delivers a pencil with darkness and durability.
The pencil represents a tool for unbounded creativity, and the Pearl is no exception. Might I suggest the following ways to incorporate the Blackwing Pearl into your pencil rotation?
Creative Ways to Use the Blackwing Pearl
Happily Pencil After
Friends, I know that I’ve finally lost my rocker, but come on – how cute would the Blackwing Pearl and the Palomino Blackwing be as a wedding-cake topper* for the creative types in your life? You can see my five-minute interpretation here, but I’m sure that those of you who are crafty with a glue gun could make some adorable mock-ups**. If you want to incorporate your favorite pencil into your wedding day, but don’t want to go quite that far, the Blackwing Pearl would be a simple, chic tool for signing guest books, or a sweet and unexpected wedding favor for your guests (maybe with a pocket notebook?).
Leading the Trends
Whether it be on dip-dyed skirts or highlighted hair, ombre is a huge fashion trend at the moment. Why not use our whole Blackwing family as inspiration for an on-trend ombre manicure? Using a gradient of pearly white to matte black, from your thumb to your pinky, creates a modern, pencil-inspired manicure that has some serious polish. If you have a punky black nail polish in your arsenal and want to give it a Palomino finish, consider picking up a matte topcoat that can be applied to any nail polish for an instant Blackwing effect. Bonus points if your give yourself gold metallic french-tips to mimic our classic square ferule!
The Dude Would Approve
You’ve already heard my spiel on mixing the perfect Blackwing martini, but somehow the martini doesn’t seem quite right for the Blackwing Pearl. Might I suggest a Blackwing Pearl White Russian instead? Typically a White Rusian is shaken, not stirred, but you can give it a swish if you wish with your pearl – remember, a pencil or a long, thin wooden spoon conducts less heat than a metal implement, which makes for a cooler, smoother vodka-based beverage. If you want to echo the Pearl’s classic black eraser, might I suggest serving your Blackwing Pearl with a stack of Oreos? The Ann abides.
*The motto “Half the pressure, twice the speed” does not appear on the Palomino Blackwing or the Blackwing Pearl. For newlyweds, this is not the advice we would want to give you for marital bliss!
**I don’t recommend sticking wood or graphite for an extended period of time into something that you plan to eat – for ease’s sake, I slipped a straw over the ends of my pencils to keep them from spoiling the pictured cupcake. If you plan to take this idea, chat with your baker for creative solutions to this particular conundrum.
I just ordered a box of the Blackwing Pearls to test drive with my studio group. I’m a big fan of the Golden Bears for it’s excellent eraser so it will be interesting to see how the Pearls measure up.