According to Crayola LLC, only 1% of US households don’t know the Crayola name!
The makers of very famous crayons and so much more, it is no surprise that Crayola (founded in 1885) makes a woodcase pencil. Perhaps it is surprising that this pencil is so hard to find.
Like other large manufacturers, the items one can find here and there are not always in the official catalogue or website. Such is the case with this pencil, which I don’t find mentioned on any Crayola website.
The pencil itself is labelled “Sketch Crayola Pro”, while the packaging suggests the name “Sketchers Pro”.
The package has three pencils in HB, three in 2B, and one each in 4B and 6B. The packaging gives no information about pencil details or the country of manufacture.
The pencils are round and finished in matte black. They have silver lettering and grey dipped ends. The end colour varies with the grade.
The pencils sharpen easily. I can’t discern the type of wood, but it is agreeable from an end user perspective. I hope it isn’t an endangered species!
The HB and 2B pencils have very ho-hum leads. Scratchy and smearing! About what you would expect from a discount pencil. The 4B and 6B are much more interesting. I suspect most children never experience these softer grades, which float across the page. Just by including these two pencils, I think the set partially redeems itself.
Curious, I don’t think I have ever seen those before. Kids certainly seem to enjoy doodling with the softest pencils in class.
Crayola does not produce any pencils themselves. Essentially all their pencils marketed in North America are produced for them by Faber-Castell in one of two factories either in Brazil or in Costa Rica. My estimation looking at the grain and finish as well as fact that they are graphite pencils is that these are produced in Brazil. The wood looks like the plantation grown pine that is used predominantly at thier Brazilian operations. I have heard but do not know as fact that the standard Crayola 12 count color pencil box actually sells more units each year than any other single packaged item within the Faber-Castell brand family itself (i.e. the most popular pencil SKU produced by Faber is actually not even a Faber brand).
Crayola used to sell a brand of graphite drawing pencils named “Portfolio” that had multiple grades that was produced by a now closed supplier in Chile. My guess is this product is really trying to focus on that target which is older than typical Crayola brand to extend the name and is not used by Children quite as much.
Alberto, that’s interesting to learn.
WoodChuck, thank for this comment. There are many brands out there with unspecified origins – one tends to guess they are all made in China, so the information about Faber-Castell is very welcome.
The “Pro” suggests “professional”, which isn’t Crayola’s general market, and I don’t see professional artists using these – but the name might appeal to older students.
WoodChuck, it’s very interesting that Crayola doesn’t make their pencils themselves, though now I know why their colored pencils seem to be of higher quality than the cheap graphite pencil.
As for the Crayola Pro Sketch pencils, I think I may have seen it in one of the thrift stores (Target or Walgreens) or maybe one of the office supply stores. It is not common, but I know I have seen these pencils somewhere because they look familiar to me.
This is very weird. Found 2 on the street and picked them up. Couldn’t for my life find out about them. As stated nothing on the web or images on google apart from this article so far. Is there a chance that these could be used for only promotional use and not for public domain? For example just given out to artist or animators to get there name across or somethings?
Mewgaming02, these were definitely a commercial product, sold at retail. Note that this post was published in 2010, so the product may no longer be around.