Who’s No.1? Here’s Every Blackwing Volumes Pencil Ranked By Rarity

In 2015 the California-based Blackwing company, then known as Palomino, introduced a new line of pencils which immediately caught the attention of writers, illustrators, and pencil collectors alike. Featuring the iconic adjustable tip eraser made famous by Eberhard Faber a generation ago, the modern era Blackwing Volumes pay tribute to “the people, places and events that have defined our creative culture.” Every three months a new Volume is released. However, because they are produced in limited quantities and have grown steadily in popularity, some of the early models are downright impossible to find today.

I’ve ranked each Blackwing Volumes limited edition pencil on a scale of 1 to 10, based on how rare and therefore desirable I believe it to be (1 = most rare). Prices shown here are for a single pencil and will often, but not always, correspond with rarity. Pencils are listed by release date, newest first.

Updated December, 2022. This list is refreshed on a regular basis, so check back often to see what’s changed. — Bobby

PencilRelease
Date
BNP
Price
Rarity
Rank
Blackwing Volumes 192  Lennon-McCartney lyrics

Dec. 2022$5.009
Blackwing Volumes 7  Animation

Sept. 2022$4.0010
Blackwing Volumes 55  Golden Ratio

June 2022$4.0010
Blackwing Volumes 200  Coffeehouses

Mar. 2022$4.2510

Blackwing Volumes 93  Corita Kent


Dec. 2021$4.5010

Blackwing Volumes 651  Bruce Lee


Sept. 2021$4.0010

Blackwing Volumes 64  Comic books


June 2021$4.259

Blackwing Volumes 223  Woody Guthrie


Mar. 2021$4.259

Blackwing Volumes 6  Small businesses


Dec. 2020$4.508

Blackwing Volumes XIX  Voting rights


Aug. 2020$4.507

Blackwing Volumes 3  Ravi Shankar


June 2020$4.508

Blackwing Volumes 840  Duke Kahanamoku


Mar. 2020$4.758

Blackwing Volumes 155  Bauhaus School


Nov. 2019$8.506

Blackwing Volumes 42  Jackie Robinson


Aug. 2019$4.758

Blackwing Volumes 10  Nellie Bly


June 2019$4.757

Blackwing Volumes 811  Libraries


Mar. 2019$10.005

Blackwing Volumes 4  Mars


Dec. 2018$7.506

Blackwing Volumes 33 1/3  Vinyl records


Sept. 20186

Blackwing Volumes 10001  Miyamoto Sensei


June 2018$6.756

Blackwing Volumes 54  Surrealism


Mar. 20185

Blackwing Volumes 16.2  Ada Lovelace


Dec. 2018$7.756

Blackwing Volumes 1  Guy Clark


Sept. 2017$8.256

Blackwing Volumes 73  Lake Tahoe


June 2017$12.255

Blackwing Volumes 205  Silk Road


Mar. 2017$14.005

Blackwing Volumes 530  California Gold Rush


Dec. 20164

Blackwing Volumes 344  Dorothea Lange


Sept. 2016$19.004

Blackwing Volumes 56  Joe DiMaggio


July 2016$15.004

Blackwing Volumes 24  John Steinbeck


Mar. 2016$21.003

Blackwing Volumes 1138  Science fiction


Dec. 20152

Blackwing Volumes 211  John Muir


Sept. 20151

Blackwing Volumes 725  Newport Folk Festival


June 20151
PencilRelease
Date
BNP
Price
Rarity
Rank