The Ergosoft pencils are by Staedtler, another German company. The Derwent pencils are definitely made in Britain, I've been to the factory. And the "Made in Britain" stamp is very heavily governed
My husband went to Brazil last year for work and bought the FB SuperSoft 100, and the smaller sets (metallic, skin, etc.) for me. I really enjoy using them and they are fun to use!
Hello!! I'm from Brazil and here the black edition is called faber castell SuperSoft and now we've a 100 colours box. I love them as a cheap option and good quality! Love the video!
@@miss_socrateshi where did you see this information? I am always trying to snag a 100 box whenever they release a manufactured set. They sell out very fast in Brazil. I am in the US.
@@ToWhateverEnd The new sets are already listed in some of the German online shops, plus it was confirmed by a FC employee on a German forum. That's where I got the information at least
They are my #1 pencils! I simply love Derwent. I have the Chromaflow, the Drawing and the Metallic from them. I also have from Faber-Castell a 12 set of Polychromos and a 12 set of black triangular. I have all the 5 sets and the 2 skins sets of the Black Widows pencils (for a total of 180). And finally I have 36 Prismacolor pencils. I have some other sets less knowned like Castle Arts, Kalour and Shuttle Arts. Some Crayola and the Marco Raffine. With all of those sets the ones I prefer are the Drawing and the Chromaflow. I have to buy the Colorsoft, the Artists and the Procolor sets but they are very expensive.
Hullo Lindsay, I know that as a customer in the USA we are quite spoiled! I purchased the Cezzanne color pencils from Jerry’s Artarama. They offered an introductory price of $29.99 for 120 pencils! Now if they just offered them open stock! I use mostly Prismacolor or Faber Castell pencils and the Albrecht Durer’s are just the best watercolor pencils, even though I reach more often for my Koh-I-Noor watercolor pencils! They are my first brand and not as expensive as FC and I seldom create only color pencil drawings. I have used pencils for adding to my watercolor paintings and I got the Square Brutfuner pencils after watching your videos and seeing how I can give them to younger relatives when they visit! Thank you for sharing that information! Lindsay, thank you for another wonderful video on pencils. We can see the hard work and thoroughness which you put into your videos, thanks again and have yourself a lovely day!
Thanks for the review. ErgoSoft is from Steadtler, they are harder and less saturated than FC The 'Black Edition' is more pigmented and is lovely to use. I managed to order a 100 piece pack and am enjoying them 😊
Hi dear! Thank you for these comparisons!! The set of 100 colors has the number color code on each pencil (I guess because of the complaints that the first smaller sets did not have it). Here in Latinamerica they're called "Eco Super Soft" and not triangular shape, but the rest is just the same. As you said, is about the marketing. Greetings fron Argentina! Love your vids. 😘😘
Hi Lindsay! Just to add a little extra info to your fantastic review -- You are right Chromaflow is thicker than the Black Edition. Chromaflow has 3.5mm core while Black Edition has 3.3mm core. On Amazon UK a set of 50 Black Edition is only £20.04 while the set of 72 Chromaflow is £71.10 on sale. As you can see the price difference is huge. A set of 60 polychromos is £84.52. They are also easily available in singles. I think here in UK and Ireland Faber Castle is a better buy since the quality as you said is comparable.
I really like the FB Black Edition pencils. I have the 50-piece set, and it offers a great range of colors, including some rare muted tones that I used a lot when creating spooky drawings with my Halloween Color Palettes.
I LOVE my Faber Castel 100 Eco Super Soft (same as black edition). They are one of my favorite pencils in my line up and the Eco, while the same leads as the Black edition, are ROUND and have numbers.
Thank you for this review. I do have arthritis in my hands and love my Prismacolors. But, many of them are getting kind of short and I think the FC black just might be the ticket.
Enjoyed video, i like to learn about these two pencil sets, i lean toward derwent art supplies,but i do have a small set of faber castell pencils.thank you my dear for all your hard work on showing us the differences and how to spend our money wisely on art supplies..mikelle art mom✍👩🎨🎨
I clicked on this video so fast, lately I have been using my black edition with .y chromaflow pencils. I love them both but I don't think they are the same, but very similar, can't wait to see your opinion.🥰
Have you tried derwent drawing? There are only 24 colors, but they do beat prismas. Bc they're so expensive and have a limited muted palette (which i love), i also use prismas, but i want to branch out and try luminance derwent lightfast or derwent chromaflow. Have you tried any of those? If so, how would you rate them?
Thanks to another youtuber, I’ve discovered a third set of pencils that would combine really well with these two, and they are the Crayola Signature (50 colors available). Very similar feel, and surprinsingly really good.
The black faber castell now come with color numbers in Brazil (at least in the new 100 color set). They are made close to where I live (and the same factory makes the Crayola pencils for the American market too). The Derwent pencil is probably a bit thicker... all derwent pencils I have are a bit thicker it seems.
Dear Lindsay, it is like you were following me the other in the stationary store and read my mind! 😮 I live in Germany and we don’t have Prismacolor at affordable prices here, so I am looking to a budget alternative and I was thinking that maybe the Faber Castell black edition might be it. After your comparison I think I will save up some more money and invest in Derwent. They seem to be an idea better than the Faber Castell black edition. Many thanks for all your reviews! They artverwandtere helpful! Greetings from wintery South Germany 😊
Having read some of the other comments, you might want to wait a couple of months to decide. It looks like the Black Edition 100 set will be released in Germany in April. It's out under a different name in South America already, and sounds pretty good... 👍☺️
I agree with another commenter: I doubt if FC & Derwent would ever produce pencils and that would be their product but under a major competitor's brand. That would make no sense. If someone ordered FV black and it came with one Chromaflow, then the seller he got them from must have been doing some funny business. A side note: When I've ordered products that come from Amazon (fulfilled by Amazon and/or Amazon Prime) or another highly rated seller on Amazon, I have NEVER had the quality control problems that I see others complain about in some other reviews. People need to look carefully at who they're purchasing from on Amazon or Ebay and the like and make sure they have a good rating...a good customer service track record and what the return policies are.
I didn't think so either (although many legacy companies white label their student ranges) especially with the country of origin being different. The viewer who reached out to me said he ordered them from Faber castell. I thought it would make an interesting video tho:)
The Ergosoft pencils,Lindsay, are made by Staedtler not FC, I have them,they are very nice and budget price,but quality is higher than “budget”. The Derwent Chromaflow doesn’t look anything like either one of those.
thx; u r the expert. I really do like Prismacolor...I just love to color the adult coloring books and adding some color to my cards I make for my family.
Great review. I ordered some Black Edition pencils from Amazon (US) last week, expecting they wouldn’t be numbered, but I was pleasantly surprised when they arrived and have numbers. So then I wondered if they are actually the Supersoft, but the Amazon listing and the packaging say Black Edition.
How do they compare on black paper? The Black Edition was specifically designed to be good on black paper, while the Chromaflow pencils were made to be a competitor to Prismacolor, which is thick and opaque and does pretty well on black paper for that reason. Id love to see who comes out ahead on black paper.
Thanks for the review,i just ordered the set of 100 Faber Castell black edition for 36 Euros in Amazon (Germany). I couldnt resist the price, its a Prime Deal day here today…. I will probably end up buying the Cromaflow anyway, because i suffer the colored pencil collector full set syndrom… but 130 Euros (Chromaflow) against 36 Euros for FC Black Edition, was an easy choice for me
Hi Lindsay i will watch this Interesting video as always and thanks for sharing with us what u know! I am always learning from your videos! Faber Castell are one of my fave brands tyfs! Your info about these are supplies! Very interesting! Have a great day!
What I have noticed after using the Faber Castell black edition is that a white chalky film develops over the colours on the page after a few days, I often have to wipe it off the pages to keep the colours looking somewhat vibrant.
Hi, I found with both sets of pencils that when i used my crank sharpener that it left an indented mark with them being thinner so I have to use a manual sharpener and it doesn't get them as sharp
How do the Black Edition blend? I was actually surprised at how well the Chromaflow do because most others with that slick/soft texture don't, they have to be layered.
Can you do a comparison between the Derwent color soft and the chromaflow? They're both wax based pencils with vibrant colors and seem to be aimed at colorists. I know the studio, artist and procolour are much harder but I'm unable to decide between the color soft and chromaflow to buy for my next set. I would love to have 1 Derwent set in my collection and I'm no artist but color in books. I can't try open stock where I live so I would love to have your opinion on both sets. Price wise they're about the same in my country so even that's not a difference and both come in 72 colors. How do I pick one?!
I have the skin set of coloursoft and a 24 of chromaflow. I've put them side by side and the chromaflow are more pigmented and softer with a very different texture. Coloursoft are dry and kind of crumbly and I don't find them very soft. Chromaflow are much more vibrant and have a smooth slide to them, reminiscent of polychromos. They are not a poly dupe more opaque and softer. I hope that helps. Chromaflow are available open stock but quite hard to find. Pretty much everyone sells coloursoft. Coloursoft are much thicker than chromaflow.
The Coloursoft are a better pencil and often they are the same price. They have a thicker lead too. They are a touch drier but they ate still soft and opaque.
Ive just got the 24 chromaflow and my first reaction was lush. They felt good in my hand. I never got that with the coloursoft. Im hoping I can mix both sets to work together.
@@josephinemitchell9504 I wound up buying the full set of Chromaflow. They have a lovely glide and great opacity, I find it hard to find opaque artist quality pencils other than Prisma, which I love but sometimes I want something different. I like to use a watercolor or marker base so I need opaque pencils to highlight over them. I think they have an excellent color range as well especially for only 72 colors. I do wish they were a bit thicker and the wood isn't the greatest, but that is true for all of Derwents products.
@@waymire01 I've got the colour soft out and up to press these and the chromoflow seem to work well together which for me is perfect. Now I have a set of 48 pencils from the two sets of 24. Many happy hours await us both I think.
One weird thing is that the larger set of faber castel black edition that comes in the tin has names & numbers on the pencils, so weird right?! Like why would they manufacture different pencils for the same line? 🤔 I have the 36 set & the 72 set & I thought was quite strange when I received them 🤷🏼♀️
Maybe the discrepancy was a return from a customer of the Faber Castell set, and the customer accidently gave one of their Chromaflows back, and then it was packaged and parceled up and given to your online friend as new. or perhaps in testing the Faber Castell factory bought the competitor to check it against theirs, as it could be compared to the Chromaflow, but then after this Faber Castell got one mixed up into the test, for resale. Interesting stuff, Lindsay x In kindred spirit, detective case closed! Australia x
wonderful video! 💗 I was wondering, if it's not too much trouble to answer, is there any specific brand you might recommend for a Prismacolor alternative? I live in Europe and they're unfortunately incredibly expensive here, I can only find them on Amazon and particularly at either 100€ for a 48 set or 130€ for a 72 set which sadly doesn't seem worth it considering they break so easily and get used up so quickly from what I've heard.. Polychromos are quite accessible here and definitely lovely pencils but unfortunately not fit for me as I'm mainly looking for an opaque, soft, pigmented coloured pencil that would be able to add nice highlights and such over markers, gouache, and watercolours!
If you're looking for opaque coloured pencils, I'd add getting some Derwent Drawing (or even a couple of Caran d'Ache Luminance) to Lindsay's list. These are the most opaque brands I know, and both work beautifully over watercolour. Whatever you decide to go for, I hope you get the results you are after! ☺️
@@jennyb-aeternabitart7436 Thank you so much!~ I got a set of the Faber Castell Black Edition for now but those seem so lovely for the (hopefully near) future, thank you! ^^
No. No way are they the same. Huge brands that pride themselves on making their own formulas and stuff. That said, similar is unavoidable. Cause colored pencils are wax, pigment, clay, maybe oil.
Hi, the ergo soft are by Stabilo. Are those FC black the Goldfaber brand? I didn’t know FC (Faber-Castell) made a black edition? Edit ergosoft is by Staedtler not Stabilo.
Glad to see this comparison. I own tons of Prismacolors, the 2 brands you compared look lovely, but looks like I don’t need to buy those now. I have a question, sorry if you have answered it in the past. I purchased the vast majority of Prismacolors back in 2009-10, do you think these old ones have breakage issues, as I have heard the newer ones do? I have only had one pencil continue to break. I also keep them in a protective case (not dropping them). Thank you for all you do for us artists and crafters❤️🤓👩🎨🎨😊
Here is my controversial hot take: prismacolor pencils are very soft and have always had breakage issues if dropped. I have been using them since the early 80s and the build quality did go down when they moved to Mexico (leads off center sometimes, skinnier barrel, paint job not as nice, presharpening) I fintbtjink the quality of the cores changed. I bought another full set a few years ago, 2017, and I havent had any issues with them. I use an electric pencil sharpener and they don't leave my studio. You probably have a pencil that was dropped. I'd get a replacement if that color and enjoy your pencils.
They did change some but are nowhere near the problem some make them out to be. They are no more prone to break than they ever were.. I've used them exclusively in the past (starting in the 1990's) and repurchased at least 250 in the last two years including a full set, multiple small sets, and a bunch of open stock.. I've had three with broken cores from the new ones and that is because I took about 40 traveling with me to work and was sharpening them with a single blade hand sharpener.. I basically abused them. They are very soft.. and you have to treat them properly both in storage and sharpening. They do best with a less sharp point in a helical sharpener. No twisting, torque, or dropping. That same softness makes them unique and able to do things no other pencil can. You can't have one without the other.
@@waymire01 Sometimes in the delivery operation! I saw multiple times delivery men throwing packages in their truck like it was only clothes in the packages; some of them don't care, and then you have a broken leads set of colored pencils.
I bet the reason a different pencil (maybe) ended up in a wrong box is because the companies have loads of other brands of pencils that they mess around with. They probably have them for comparison to their own pencils.
One brand from in Stein, Germany, one from Cumbria here in England and never the twain shall meet!. Similar manufacturing processes (both brands have "how we make pencils" videos here on youtube) but they 100% are not the same pencils. Now.. I shall watch the video and see the conclusion 😆
Derwent are made in England, yes, but the other isn't. If you check their magazin article online there's a really good article on this. Excerpt: FC currently produces 2.3 billion pencil units annually in three production plants worldwide. These comprise both graphite pencils, as well as coloured pencils in 120 different colours. Lined up end-to-end, the yearly output would fit around the equator ten times. Faber-Castell Brazil accounts for the majority of this pencil production volume, making it the largest pencil factory in the world. 😊
@MrsBarnabas I never said Faber Castell were made in England! They are a German company (from Stein), with a manufacturing plant in Brazil, doesn't make what I said incorrect.
i wonder if the faber black edition is the same or similar to the black widow s .i own a black edition pencil from action and black widow and the are the same .
You also gotta review the bic intensity coloured pencils! I use the 36 set alongside my 50 set of the black edition and a few of the bruynzeel design coloured pencils. They all blend like a dream and are opaque ^_^
I do have both pencils but chromaflow wins I think, still have new prismacolor from 1999. Thought I lost them but found them. Though at that time they came unsharpened
The cheap faber castell brand is called gold faber, is that what you think has the same lead as the black edition? Because I really love the black edition pencils.
The Goldfabers are harder and more translucent than the Black Edition (and more expensive). I think they were designed to be a cheaper, hobby option to the Polychromos, but somehow, they aren't really popular. Personally, I like the Black Edition better. I hope FC decides to sell the BE individually as well. Or even nicer, create a more pigmented, higher quality wax-based pencil to match their Polychromos and feel the Prismacolor gap here, in Europe. I like the Chromaflows, but from the reviews I gather that they are simply not that good as the Prismas.
@@thefrugalcrafter thank you for getting back to me. I really enjoy your videos, especially when I need some inspiration. You are an amazing artist. Thanks for sharing your talent.
@@thefrugalcrafter I searched your Amazon shopping favs so you could get a penny or two but those aren't on there. Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to me =) !
Play date with colored pencils? Sign me up. Haven't seen any tutorials lately. Hope you are doing ok. Maybe working on secret projects in the lab? Need playdates with Lindsay. ❤❤❤
I'm working on stuff. I feel like I am swimming through molasses tho. I started a gel printing cardmaking video today that will be up later this week. I feel like such a lazy turd at the moment. I need to get my crap together!
@@thefrugalcrafter Lindsay, I haven't noticed any break in your output, and often wonder how you manage to do so much so consistently! I think that some folk don't realise just how much work goes into making videos, full stop, and never considering the amount of time it takes to do the research side of making those videos! Maybe you should do a video explaining the actual process from end to end of researching, buying, checking prices so we don't have to do so, doing the art - *real time* how long it takes!) with a camera and all the other equipment to manage as well, then editing, voice-overs, uploading (with your slow internet, that must take ages and tie up your connection, too!). I get _really_ frustrated with folk who never stop to consider all of this when watching a time lapse 20 minute video, or the fact that our ArtTubers have a right to family time, holidays, sick days, still have to do housework / laundry / ironing / shopping / cooking and all the rest of everyday life!!!!!!! No apologies for the rant - I think folk need to know what _really_ goes on behind the scenes!!!
@@thefrugalcrafter doesn't seem like Lindsay's lazy. I don't know how you get it all done. Making videos is a lot of work. Know you were having some troubles. Sending lots of strength and hugs. 💕💕💕
The Ergosoft pencils are by Staedtler, another German company.
The Derwent pencils are definitely made in Britain, I've been to the factory. And the "Made in Britain" stamp is very heavily governed
My husband went to Brazil last year for work and bought the FB SuperSoft 100, and the smaller sets (metallic, skin, etc.) for me. I really enjoy using them and they are fun to use!
Hello!! I'm from Brazil and here the black edition is called faber castell SuperSoft and now we've a 100 colours box. I love them as a cheap option and good quality! Love the video!
100 box comes to Germany in April 🥰 also skin tone box!
@@miss_socrateshi where did you see this information? I am always trying to snag a 100 box whenever they release a manufactured set. They sell out very fast in Brazil. I am in the US.
@@ToWhateverEnd The new sets are already listed in some of the German online shops, plus it was confirmed by a FC employee on a German forum. That's where I got the information at least
I definatelly find them super soft! 😉
There’s nothing quite like the smell of Derwent pencils… it really does it for me 😂😂😂😂🥰
They are my #1 pencils! I simply love Derwent. I have the Chromaflow, the Drawing and the Metallic from them. I also have from Faber-Castell a 12 set of Polychromos and a 12 set of black triangular. I have all the 5 sets and the 2 skins sets of the Black Widows pencils (for a total of 180). And finally I have 36 Prismacolor pencils. I have some other sets less knowned like Castle Arts, Kalour and Shuttle Arts. Some Crayola and the Marco Raffine. With all of those sets the ones I prefer are the Drawing and the Chromaflow. I have to buy the Colorsoft, the Artists and the Procolor sets but they are very expensive.
Hullo Lindsay, I know that as a customer in the USA we are quite spoiled! I purchased the Cezzanne color pencils from Jerry’s Artarama. They offered an introductory price of $29.99 for 120 pencils! Now if they just offered them open stock! I use mostly Prismacolor or Faber Castell pencils and the Albrecht Durer’s are just the best watercolor pencils, even though I reach more often for my Koh-I-Noor watercolor pencils! They are my first brand and not as expensive as FC and I seldom create only color pencil drawings. I have used pencils for adding to my watercolor paintings and I got the Square Brutfuner pencils after watching your videos and seeing how I can give them to younger relatives when they visit! Thank you for sharing that information! Lindsay, thank you for another wonderful video on pencils. We can see the hard work and thoroughness which you put into your videos, thanks again and have yourself a lovely day!
You can get Cezanne in boxes of 6 of one color
Thanks for the review.
ErgoSoft is from Steadtler, they are harder and less saturated than FC
The 'Black Edition' is more pigmented and is lovely to use. I managed to order a 100 piece pack and am enjoying them 😊
Hi dear! Thank you for these comparisons!! The set of 100 colors has the number color code on each pencil (I guess because of the complaints that the first smaller sets did not have it). Here in Latinamerica they're called "Eco Super Soft" and not triangular shape, but the rest is just the same. As you said, is about the marketing.
Greetings fron Argentina! Love your vids. 😘😘
Thanks for sharing!!
@@petraproksch1341 Gerstaecker hat das 100er Set schon gelistet (es soll im April rauskommen). Bei uns heissen sie weiterhin Black Edition
@@thefrugalcrafter all of the sets have numbers now! thay changed that at some point
So far nothing has made me want to abandon my beloved Polychromos, but I do like Chromaflow and would put them a very close second. 😊
Hi Lindsay! Just to add a little extra info to your fantastic review -- You are right Chromaflow is thicker than the Black Edition. Chromaflow has 3.5mm core while Black Edition has 3.3mm core.
On Amazon UK a set of 50 Black Edition is only £20.04 while the set of 72 Chromaflow is £71.10 on sale. As you can see the price difference is huge. A set of 60 polychromos is £84.52. They are also easily available in singles. I think here in UK and Ireland Faber Castle is a better buy since the quality as you said is comparable.
The Drawing from Derwent are 5mm leads!! So creamy! The pencils are 8mm round.
I really like the FB Black Edition pencils. I have the 50-piece set, and it offers a great range of colors, including some rare muted tones that I used a lot when creating spooky drawings with my Halloween Color Palettes.
I LOVE my Faber Castel 100 Eco Super Soft (same as black edition). They are one of my favorite pencils in my line up and the Eco, while the same leads as the Black edition, are ROUND and have numbers.
Cool!
Thank you for this review. I do have arthritis in my hands and love my Prismacolors. But, many of them are getting kind of short and I think the FC black just might be the ticket.
Great comparison, Lindsay!!! Thanks for sharing and much love 💙💜🩵
You are so welcome!
Enjoyed video, i like to learn about these two pencil sets, i lean toward derwent art supplies,but i do have a small set of faber castell pencils.thank you my dear for all your hard work on showing us the differences and how to spend our money wisely on art supplies..mikelle art mom✍👩🎨🎨
I clicked on this video so fast, lately I have been using my black edition with .y chromaflow pencils. I love them both but I don't think they are the same, but very similar, can't wait to see your opinion.🥰
This was a very interesting comparison! Thanks Lindsay!
Hello! Lindsay! Thank you for your video!❤!💞!
Nothing beats a buttery soft Prismacolor! They will always be my favorite.
For the money I have to spend (my husband keeps me in good toys), and being open stock, Prismacolors are my favorite, too.
Have you tried derwent drawing? There are only 24 colors, but they do beat prismas.
Bc they're so expensive and have a limited muted palette (which i love), i also use prismas, but i want to branch out and try luminance derwent lightfast or derwent chromaflow. Have you tried any of those? If so, how would you rate them?
Thanks to another youtuber, I’ve discovered a third set of pencils that would combine really well with these two, and they are the Crayola Signature (50 colors available). Very similar feel, and surprinsingly really good.
You are right!
Thanks for the tip!!
Faber Castell Black Edition has a 12 color add on set - 6 neon and 6 pastel colours. That expands the total palette to 62
The black faber castell now come with color numbers in Brazil (at least in the new 100 color set). They are made close to where I live (and the same factory makes the Crayola pencils for the American market too). The Derwent pencil is probably a bit thicker... all derwent pencils I have are a bit thicker it seems.
5mm for the Drawing from Derwent!!
thank you, Lindsay! You are always so thorough!
Glad it was helpful!
Dear Lindsay, it is like you were following me the other in the stationary store and read my mind! 😮 I live in Germany and we don’t have Prismacolor at affordable prices here, so I am looking to a budget alternative and I was thinking that maybe the Faber Castell black edition might be it. After your comparison I think I will save up some more money and invest in Derwent. They seem to be an idea better than the Faber Castell black edition. Many thanks for all your reviews! They artverwandtere helpful! Greetings from wintery South Germany 😊
Thank you!
Having read some of the other comments, you might want to wait a couple of months to decide. It looks like the Black Edition 100 set will be released in Germany in April. It's out under a different name in South America already, and sounds pretty good... 👍☺️
I agree with another commenter: I doubt if FC & Derwent would ever produce pencils and that would be their product but under a major competitor's brand. That would make no sense. If someone ordered FV black and it came with one Chromaflow, then the seller he got them from must have been doing some funny business. A side note:
When I've ordered products that come from Amazon (fulfilled by Amazon and/or Amazon Prime) or another highly rated seller on Amazon, I have NEVER had the quality control problems that I see others complain about in some other reviews. People need to look carefully at who they're purchasing from on Amazon or Ebay and the like and make sure they have a good rating...a good customer service track record and what the return policies are.
I didn't think so either (although many legacy companies white label their student ranges) especially with the country of origin being different. The viewer who reached out to me said he ordered them from Faber castell. I thought it would make an interesting video tho:)
The Ergosoft pencils,Lindsay, are made by Staedtler not FC, I have them,they are very nice and budget price,but quality is higher than “budget”. The Derwent Chromaflow doesn’t look anything like either one of those.
I couldn't remember the name, it might be super soft? Or something like that.
thx; u r the expert. I really do like Prismacolor...I just love to color the adult coloring books and adding some color to my cards I make for my family.
Great review. I ordered some Black Edition pencils from Amazon (US) last week, expecting they wouldn’t be numbered, but I was pleasantly surprised when they arrived and have numbers. So then I wondered if they are actually the Supersoft, but the Amazon listing and the packaging say Black Edition.
What size set?
50
They may be rolling out slowly around the world then - the 100 Black Edition is apparently now listed within Germany. 😊
How do they compare on black paper? The Black Edition was specifically designed to be good on black paper, while the Chromaflow pencils were made to be a competitor to Prismacolor, which is thick and opaque and does pretty well on black paper for that reason. Id love to see who comes out ahead on black paper.
This is a really interesting comparison 🤔 I’d love to try prismacolor but it’s hard to buy in the uk
Very informative. Thanks for showing how you do the swatching.
Thanks for the review,i just ordered the set of 100 Faber Castell black edition for 36 Euros in Amazon (Germany). I couldnt resist the price, its a Prime Deal day here today…. I will probably end up buying the Cromaflow anyway, because i suffer the colored pencil collector full set syndrom… but 130 Euros (Chromaflow) against 36 Euros for FC Black Edition, was an easy choice for me
I suffer from the same affliction 😆
Hi Lindsay i will watch this Interesting video as always and thanks for sharing with us what u know! I am always learning from your videos! Faber Castell are one of my fave brands tyfs! Your info about these are supplies! Very interesting! Have a great day!
What I have noticed after using the Faber Castell black edition is that a white chalky film develops over the colours on the page after a few days, I often have to wipe it off the pages to keep the colours looking somewhat vibrant.
That's wax bloom, they are a waxy pencil.
Hi, I found with both sets of pencils that when i used my crank sharpener that it left an indented mark with them being thinner so I have to use a manual sharpener and it doesn't get them as sharp
Thanks for sharing!
How do the Black Edition blend? I was actually surprised at how well the Chromaflow do because most others with that slick/soft texture don't, they have to be layered.
I find the opposite, that the harder pencils layer and the softer ones blend. I think they blend well.
Can you do a comparison between the Derwent color soft and the chromaflow? They're both wax based pencils with vibrant colors and seem to be aimed at colorists. I know the studio, artist and procolour are much harder but I'm unable to decide between the color soft and chromaflow to buy for my next set. I would love to have 1 Derwent set in my collection and I'm no artist but color in books. I can't try open stock where I live so I would love to have your opinion on both sets. Price wise they're about the same in my country so even that's not a difference and both come in 72 colors. How do I pick one?!
I have the skin set of coloursoft and a 24 of chromaflow. I've put them side by side and the chromaflow are more pigmented and softer with a very different texture. Coloursoft are dry and kind of crumbly and I don't find them very soft. Chromaflow are much more vibrant and have a smooth slide to them, reminiscent of polychromos. They are not a poly dupe more opaque and softer. I hope that helps. Chromaflow are available open stock but quite hard to find. Pretty much everyone sells coloursoft. Coloursoft are much thicker than chromaflow.
The Coloursoft are a better pencil and often they are the same price. They have a thicker lead too. They are a touch drier but they ate still soft and opaque.
Ive just got the 24 chromaflow and my first reaction was lush. They felt good in my hand. I never got that with the coloursoft. Im hoping I can mix both sets to work together.
@@josephinemitchell9504 I wound up buying the full set of Chromaflow. They have a lovely glide and great opacity, I find it hard to find opaque artist quality pencils other than Prisma, which I love but sometimes I want something different. I like to use a watercolor or marker base so I need opaque pencils to highlight over them. I think they have an excellent color range as well especially for only 72 colors. I do wish they were a bit thicker and the wood isn't the greatest, but that is true for all of Derwents products.
@@waymire01 I've got the colour soft out and up to press these and the chromoflow seem to work well together which for me is perfect.
Now I have a set of 48 pencils from the two sets of 24.
Many happy hours await us both I think.
One weird thing is that the larger set of faber castel black edition that comes in the tin has names & numbers on the pencils, so weird right?! Like why would they manufacture different pencils for the same line? 🤔 I have the 36 set & the 72 set & I thought was quite strange when I received them 🤷🏼♀️
Hello! Thanks for another great video!!Where in your blog is the information on the lightfastness for the chromaflow pencils? Thanks 🤗
Should be on my chromaflow review post. There is a search box.
How pigmented is it for coloring on black paper? I love your reviews, keep up the good work 💕💕💕💕💕
They are opaque on black. Pigmentation varies on color.
LOL take your pencils out for a play date, that was a great suggestion 🫶🏻
Maybe the discrepancy was a return from a customer of the Faber Castell set, and the customer accidently gave one of their Chromaflows back, and then it was packaged and parceled up and given to your online friend as new.
or perhaps in testing the Faber Castell factory bought the competitor to check it against theirs, as it could be compared to the Chromaflow, but then after this Faber Castell got one mixed up into the test, for resale.
Interesting stuff, Lindsay x
In kindred spirit, detective case closed!
Australia x
Was it bought on Amazon? If so maybe the mix up occured there; a return wrongly placed with the other and not from the factory.
wonderful video! 💗
I was wondering, if it's not too much trouble to answer, is there any specific brand you might recommend for a Prismacolor alternative?
I live in Europe and they're unfortunately incredibly expensive here, I can only find them on Amazon and particularly at either 100€ for a 48 set or 130€ for a 72 set which sadly doesn't seem worth it considering they break so easily and get used up so quickly from what I've heard..
Polychromos are quite accessible here and definitely lovely pencils but unfortunately not fit for me as I'm mainly looking for an opaque, soft, pigmented coloured pencil that would be able to add nice highlights and such over markers, gouache, and watercolours!
Any of the pencils I sowed today as well as derwent Coloursoft and Arrtx are very good alternatives.
@@thefrugalcrafter thank you so much!!
If you're looking for opaque coloured pencils, I'd add getting some Derwent Drawing (or even a couple of Caran d'Ache Luminance) to Lindsay's list. These are the most opaque brands I know, and both work beautifully over watercolour.
Whatever you decide to go for, I hope you get the results you are after! ☺️
@@jennyb-aeternabitart7436 Thank you so much!~ I got a set of the Faber Castell Black Edition for now but those seem so lovely for the (hopefully near) future, thank you! ^^
No. No way are they the same. Huge brands that pride themselves on making their own formulas and stuff. That said, similar is unavoidable. Cause colored pencils are wax, pigment, clay, maybe oil.
Agree!
Exactly
As I said in the video....
Hi, the ergo soft are by Stabilo. Are those FC black the Goldfaber brand? I didn’t know FC (Faber-Castell) made a black edition? Edit ergosoft is by Staedtler not Stabilo.
Thanks, I misspoke, fabercastel makes these black edition and a round black barrel one using a similar lead.
Glad to see this comparison. I own tons of Prismacolors, the 2 brands you compared look lovely, but looks like I don’t need to buy those now. I have a question, sorry if you have answered it in the past. I purchased the vast majority of Prismacolors back in 2009-10, do you think these old ones have breakage issues, as I have heard the newer ones do? I have only had one pencil continue to break. I also keep them in a protective case (not dropping them). Thank you for all you do for us artists and crafters❤️🤓👩🎨🎨😊
Here is my controversial hot take: prismacolor pencils are very soft and have always had breakage issues if dropped. I have been using them since the early 80s and the build quality did go down when they moved to Mexico (leads off center sometimes, skinnier barrel, paint job not as nice, presharpening) I fintbtjink the quality of the cores changed. I bought another full set a few years ago, 2017, and I havent had any issues with them. I use an electric pencil sharpener and they don't leave my studio. You probably have a pencil that was dropped. I'd get a replacement if that color and enjoy your pencils.
They did change some but are nowhere near the problem some make them out to be. They are no more prone to break than they ever were.. I've used them exclusively in the past (starting in the 1990's) and repurchased at least 250 in the last two years including a full set, multiple small sets, and a bunch of open stock.. I've had three with broken cores from the new ones and that is because I took about 40 traveling with me to work and was sharpening them with a single blade hand sharpener.. I basically abused them. They are very soft.. and you have to treat them properly both in storage and sharpening. They do best with a less sharp point in a helical sharpener. No twisting, torque, or dropping. That same softness makes them unique and able to do things no other pencil can. You can't have one without the other.
@@waymire01 Sometimes in the delivery operation! I saw multiple times delivery men throwing packages in their truck like it was only clothes in the packages; some of them don't care, and then you have a broken leads set of colored pencils.
Thank you, Lindsay!
I bet the reason a different pencil (maybe) ended up in a wrong box is because the companies have loads of other brands of pencils that they mess around with. They probably have them for comparison to their own pencils.
Great share. Lots of good supply info
Glad it was helpful!
One brand from in Stein, Germany, one from Cumbria here in England and never the twain shall meet!.
Similar manufacturing processes (both brands have "how we make pencils" videos here on youtube) but they 100% are not the same pencils.
Now.. I shall watch the video and see the conclusion 😆
Lol you will have your opinion confirmed:)
Derwent are made in England, yes, but the other isn't. If you check their magazin article online there's a really good article on this. Excerpt: FC currently produces 2.3 billion pencil units annually in three production plants worldwide. These comprise both graphite pencils, as well as coloured pencils in 120 different colours. Lined up end-to-end, the yearly output would fit around the equator ten times. Faber-Castell Brazil accounts for the majority of this pencil production volume, making it the largest pencil factory in the world. 😊
@MrsBarnabas I never said Faber Castell were made in England!
They are a German company (from Stein), with a manufacturing plant in Brazil, doesn't make what I said incorrect.
@@MrsBarnabas That makes sense as FC grow their trees in Brazil too! ☺️
i wonder if the faber black edition is the same or similar to the black widow s .i own a black edition pencil from action and black widow and the are the same .
I'm not sure, I haven't tried them.
Thanks for the review 😀 would you say the faber Castell black edition pencils are better than the arrtx ones?
I think they are more opaque but not better.
@@thefrugalcrafter thank u!
Oooh! Which sharpener do
you use?
This one: www.amazon.com/dp/B078DZY9Z5/ref=cm_sw_r_as_gl_apa_gl_i_RZBH1AV05QVGGH1FY72A?linkCode=ml1&tag=frugalcrafter-20
Thanks Lindsay 💜
Any time!
You also gotta review the bic intensity coloured pencils!
I use the 36 set alongside my 50 set of the black edition and a few of the bruynzeel design coloured pencils. They all blend like a dream and are opaque ^_^
I haven't seen those
@@thefrugalcrafter Maybe it's because I live in Europe haha ^^;
Also Bic products are made in France.
@@Fluorite-Fox i thought the intensity even though cheap enough been small pounds were not up to much.
Fun fact: the corporation that owns PrismaColor also owns Rubbermaid. I went down a rabbit hole one day and found that out.
Yup, been that way for a long time.
I didn’t even know FC had a black edition. Hmmmm…..
I do have both pencils but chromaflow wins I think, still have new prismacolor from 1999. Thought I lost them but found them. Though at that time they came unsharpened
Those were the days!
The cheap faber castell brand is called gold faber, is that what you think has the same lead as the black edition? Because I really love the black edition pencils.
No the it's another line. Supersoft or eco soft. I'm not sure the of the name as they are not easy to get here.. They also have a black barrel
The Goldfabers are harder and more translucent than the Black Edition (and more expensive). I think they were designed to be a cheaper, hobby option to the Polychromos, but somehow, they aren't really popular. Personally, I like the Black Edition better. I hope FC decides to sell the BE individually as well. Or even nicer, create a more pigmented, higher quality wax-based pencil to match their Polychromos and feel the Prismacolor gap here, in Europe. I like the Chromaflows, but from the reviews I gather that they are simply not that good as the Prismas.
Hi, what did you used with the cotton swab?
Gamsol
I already have Prismacolor and Caran d'ache pencils. Can I use them together? Thanks
Yes you can!
@@thefrugalcrafter thank you for getting back to me. I really enjoy your videos, especially when I need some inspiration. You are an amazing artist. Thanks for sharing your talent.
Derwent chromaflow or Faber Castel Polychromos ?
It depends on what you like. Soft and opaque=chromaflow, translucent, firmer and keeps a sharper point: polychromos
Lindsay quick question, do you have a favorite white pencil ???
Prismacolor. I buy the whites in boxes of 12.
@@thefrugalcrafter I searched your Amazon shopping favs so you could get a penny or two but those aren't on there. Thank you so much for taking the time to respond to me =) !
Derwent Drawing Chinese White is mine! Love white pencils so I had to share mine, lol…
@@ToWhateverEnd that's a good one too!
Thank you @@ToWhateverEnd I’ll try that one out too, thank you for your input!
Great info! Thanks.
Glad it was helpful!
They look thinner because they are dressed in black🤣🤣🤣
😆
I thought so, too!
Play date with colored pencils? Sign me up. Haven't seen any tutorials lately. Hope you are doing ok. Maybe working on secret projects in the lab? Need playdates with Lindsay. ❤❤❤
I'm working on stuff. I feel like I am swimming through molasses tho. I started a gel printing cardmaking video today that will be up later this week. I feel like such a lazy turd at the moment. I need to get my crap together!
@@thefrugalcrafter Lindsay, I haven't noticed any break in your output, and often wonder how you manage to do so much so consistently! I think that some folk don't realise just how much work goes into making videos, full stop, and never considering the amount of time it takes to do the research side of making those videos!
Maybe you should do a video explaining the actual process from end to end of researching, buying, checking prices so we don't have to do so, doing the art - *real time* how long it takes!) with a camera and all the other equipment to manage as well, then editing, voice-overs, uploading (with your slow internet, that must take ages and tie up your connection, too!).
I get _really_ frustrated with folk who never stop to consider all of this when watching a time lapse 20 minute video, or the fact that our ArtTubers have a right to family time, holidays, sick days, still have to do housework / laundry / ironing / shopping / cooking and all the rest of everyday life!!!!!!!
No apologies for the rant - I think folk need to know what _really_ goes on behind the scenes!!!
@@thefrugalcrafter Aww... You are not lazy, maybe you are taking some time for yourself? 🙂
@@user-mv9tt4st9k I am totally lazy, it is my default setting. I and usually good at pushing through it tho LOL!
@@thefrugalcrafter doesn't seem like Lindsay's lazy. I don't know how you get it all done. Making videos is a lot of work. Know you were having some troubles. Sending lots of strength and hugs. 💕💕💕
They lay down totally different
YES! The Chromaflow is thicker!!!!!
The frugal detective 🎉🎉🎉
❤❤❤❤
A set of 12 Prismacolor premier pencils in an art store in New Zealand would cost me $44.99.
Yikes!
Black Edition is better for black paper, and they have 100 set