DerwentWC PENCIL 12 CLR SET TIN

I've never had a problem with Derwent products, until now.Pros:I love the flat, simple paint job. Non-reflective, I was able to easily read the information on the pencil.The color produced dry was lovely, and when activated with water, vibrant.Cons:The case the lead cores were placed in: Cheap wood, very flakey. The thin layer of paint did not disguise the fact the casing was poorly sanded. I was afraid I'd get splinters! I was also afraid if I sharpened them, they would shatter. If the wood was this poor, what kind of binder did they use on the wood to hold it together? When I did sharpen them, they made the noise of broken spaghetti. The pencil was twitchy in my hand, as the blade glided through the open gaps and ground through the stronger flakes.The paint job on the end of the pencil dried too fast. Drops of paint, that I think should runoff before it drys completely, had solidified on the end. Purely cosmetic, it looked cheap.The leads were misaligned in the center. When sharpened, on one side, the wood never shaved off, leaving a wooden bit that went to the tip of the lead. On the other, it was much farther down.I wrote the seller and told him my experience. He gave me options, I chose to have them replaced, and I had a new set of pencils the next day. I am super happy with the seller.The second set of pencils:Pros:Still love the matte paint job.The color produced is still lovely!Cons:Mainly cosmetic in this set. They were better sanded, no fear of splinters. I could see the seam where the two halves were glued together, but eh, I can with other brands, too. It was fine.Although still not perfect, I found a sharpener that compensated for the lead misalignment, which seems to be better in this set.This set also had the little blobby bits at the end of the pencil. But when I rubbed over them with my thumb, color came off. I think somehow, shards of lead had melted, then hardened and stuck to the end of the pencil, likely though shipping. Cosmetic, does not impact the usefulness of the pencil.This got a 3 star rating because the first set was rubbish, but the second set was good. I split the 5 star rating in half.

Already having a few inktense pencils, I found gaps in the colour range. So pleased with this box of 72 as I can now access far more colours and blend others in a new way. Fully recommended for all those who work with textiles or artists materials.Certainly a good value box. It opens up a whole new range of possiblities.

A few of the nails were split when they arrived so were unusable. Amazon refunded me and I bought another set which were fine.But make sure you use a quality pencil sharpener as recommended by Derwent; apparently using a cheap one can affect the pencils lifetime and quality.

The 6 full-length WATERCOLOUR PENCILS come in a blister pack, measuring around 23.25 cm x 9.25 cm.The pack contains one each of the following colours (although the right is reserved to replace if unavailable for any reason):01 ~ ZINC YELLOW15 ~ GERANIUM LAKE37 ~ ORIENTAL BLUE45 ~ MINERAL GREEN59 ~ GOLDEN BROWN67 ~ IVORY BLACKEach pencil measures around 17.5 cm in length and is already sharpened, ready to use.The hexagonal barrel is a dark blue, with a silver coloured flash before the dipped end, which is similar to the core/point to aid easy selection.Embossed on each in silver-coloured lettering is:~ ENGLAND ~ DERWENT WATERCOLOUR ~ The COLOUR NAME & the COLOUR CODEIn use, they are versatile and sharpen well with a  decent sharpener , without losing half the pencil in the process, in my experience.From the back of the blister pack:'Probably the most versatile pencil ever made, producing an amazing variety of drawing and painting effects. Use wet or dry on wet or dry paper to create subtle watercolours or bold, vibrant images.'ooOoo'Great watercolours pencils that offer the control of a coloured pencil and can be mixed with water to create interesting colour flows. They're not as bright as  INKTENSE pencils , so they're ideal if you like to do more subtle watercolour paintings.The soft texture of the core makes them easy to blend and layer and you can create a variety of effects by adding water, from bold images to delicate washes.Watercolour pencils are not permanent so once the colour is dry you can re-wet it and move it about again.' decent sharpenerINKTENSE pencils

Nice colour range, which correspond to many of Derwent's Artists (water resistant) pencils. I like the simple numbering system on them (1-72 !!) Also, they are named.. The colours are not as intense as Derwent's Intense pencils - but that is what I wanted, as they seem more realistic for landscapes. Colours mix nicely. They crumble a little bit when using them, but that doesn't bother me. Nice to use wet or dry and you can wet them again after drying if you wish. Nice tin, though plastic inserts holding the pencils are a bit thin and 2 corners have already broken. Good set to take out. I am enjoying using them.