Hard to Break, Easy to Love

HOKUSIGN is a new premium pencil inspired by the work of Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849), Japan's most famous artist. The stationery company Kutsuwa imagined a pencil that would allow the user to reproduce the intricate, precise lines of a Hokusai woodcut: this would require both extreme strength and superior darkness. These are difficult qualities for any pencil to balance because dark pencils are generally soft, and therefore prone to breaking.

Hokusign uses a unique approach to overcome this classic pencil problem. The narrow lead (2 mm) is supported by an incense-cedar case and infused with a special polymer that helps the core resist breaking. Even at unusual angles and with high pressure, it's difficult to break a Hokusign.

But don't worry, just because it's strong doesn't mean Hokusign is pale or scratchy. We were impressed with the depth of blacks and the smooth laydown of this unique pencil. You can see in our test photos that the pencil is capable of very fine, very dark marks when sharp. (And it stays sharp for a long time!)

This set of five includes one each of grades HB, B, 2B, 3B, and 4B: a complete range for drawing and sketching.