Review: Apsara Platinum Extra Dark

I received this pencil free from Notegeist in my first order.  As far as I can tell other than some large quantity packaged on Amazon and eBay, Notegeist appears to be the only place to get just a few of these. Frankly, you’ll want at least one of these in your pencil case.

The looks of the pencil are very nice. It’s coated in a nice thick lacquer with silver and black stripes.  The end is capped with a simple black end dip. The imprint is even and not too deeply set in silver foil. It stands out well and is easily read.

The pencil sharpens with ease, though it appears to be made out of basswood and not cedar. I was able to sharpen it in any sharpener and to any point. It held a long point well.

As far as the core of this pencil goes, it’s nice and dark. While it holds a point reasonably well it doesn’t hold one nearly as well as an HB. It is fantastic and smooth. In my use I have not encountered a single bit of grit nor scratchy bit.