Prismacolor Premier Verithin Colored Pencils

The price for these Prismacolor Verithin pencils was just right. I'd been keeping an eye on them for awhile, and this set showed up for less than $15(Fall 2012 price) so I ordered this set of 24 pencils. I love the Prismacolor Premiere soft core pencils so much I asked for the big - really big - set for my birthday. :) The only problem with the soft core, and the reason I got the Verithins is that they can hold a sharp point temporarily, if you're careful, but it's wasteful and annoying to repeatedly put a sharp tip on the same pencil repeatedly when the pencils run more than $1-2 each retail. These Verithin pencils are the answer to the problem of a sharp point which you can't get with the soft core Prismacolor pencils.These are HARD leaded pencils, as advertised. Be careful with your paper, as these will hold a point sharp enough to tear it. I recommend having a hard surface beneath your paper, etc. when coloring with these, a soft layer underneath will cause 'drag' and allow more punctures or tiny rips in your paper. I have already used these with the teeny tiny border around the pics in a coloring book from Dover, which had some very small, intricate design elements. Results were excellent!You may wish, once you try these, for more matching colors than are available, but many of these are chosen to cover a specific color 'group', such as orange-reds, crimson reds, blue-violets, bright greens, etc. Included with the colors are white, a light gray and black. THESE ARE NOT PRESHARPENED. If you prefer not to have this chore to do when your pencils arrive, you'll have to pay more for pre-sharpened Verithins.This package turns into a nice, very well-designed 'easel' for ease of choosing pencils. Be sure to open the cardboard package carefully the first time as the easel feature will be ruined if you rip the bottom tab or mangle the perforation which runs across the front and at an angle up the sides of the package. If you haven't opened this sort of case/easel before, it's easiest to slide the interior holder with pencils out of the bottom of the package entirely, then open the outer package along perforation, make sure easel feature is sturdy enough to hold upright...then carefully slide the interior case with pencils back inside. Some find this a silly or inconvenient annoyance, but having my pencils displayed point up without having to unpack or repackage them each time I use them is a plus.The barrel of the Verithin is hexagonal, which is billed as a no-roll feature, and has the location of manufacture (Mexico), color # & color name stamped into the barrel in English and French. There are several color numbers featuring a 1/2 after the digits. I'm not sure why, but those colors tend to be matches for several colors, rather than an exact match for just one color. All in all, an excellent buy.UPDATE 3/20/2013: Since I bought this package of Verithins I've been very happy with them. I really do wish I had a larger color selection, however. If the price per pencil is comparable, I recommend going straight to the 36 set, or whatever the total number of colors made for the Verithin line happens to be. These pencils are VERY useful and hold their points seemingly forever (as compared to regular 'soft core" Prismacolors. There is one small issue I wanted to mention, though it isn't a deal breaker, for sure! I tend to use more pressure than needed with my colored pencils - or any pencils, for that matter! When I apply too much pressure with the Verithin pencil, it doesn't snap the point (very good!) but it can wear through the paper (depending on quality and type, of course) in only one or two layers, which limits blending, erasing, etc., which I feel are important functions any colored pencil, hard or soft. I've learned to use them more delicately, and read an online excerpt from an art instruction book (whose name I've forgotten, so sorry!) which recommended less pressure, more layers. Seemed good in principle. It works - no more ripped pages if I am careful and patient - but it does increase the amount of time spent in adding color to some relatively small areas.Sharpening: The Verithin Prismacolor pencil is smaller in circumference than their soft core colored pencil, and can be sharpened in a regular #2 type pencil sharpener. I recommend a manual sharpener, even for the first, tedious sharpening of the pencil. A battery/electric sharpener would obviously be of great use the first time you sharpen the Verithin pencil, but if it drags or warps or causes the lead to 'bend' inside the pencil ("no - break" coatings aside), you will find yourself with 1/4 to 1/2 inch bits of colored pencil lead falling out repeatedly with future sharpenings. A regular hand-held sharpener, anything from the most basic metal blade in a metal or plastic housing to brand specific sharpeners will work for the Verithin pencils. My preferred sharpener for my Prismacolor pencils is the Prismacolor Premier Pencil Sharpener which has two blades specifically designed for Prismacolor pencils - one for the thicker soft-core premiers, the other for the Verithin or graphite pencils they make. A great second choice is the Trio sharpener by Faber-Castell, made in Germany. Not only does it work extremely well on Faber pencils, but on every other kind of pencil I've tried in it! The Faber Castell Trio Sharpener is a nifty little piece of superb engineering & design, and being made in Germany, is precise, VERY sharp & consistent. (I've reviewed it here on amazon, for more info)All in all, I am happy with my purchase of Verithin and stick to my 5 star rating. I do wish Prismacolor had a woodless pencil design such as Derwent's Aquatone (that's a watercolor woodless pencil) or Koh-i-noor's fantastic Progresso line, which are oil-based woodless pencils, regular or water-soluble. The "Art Stix" Prismacolor offers simply don't appeal to me for a variety of reasons, foremost that I can't sharpen it like a pencil. Until then, Verithin is your best bet for fine detail work in colors matching Prismacolor's other quality pencil types.An Enthusiastic Colorist in TX

I love these colored pencils. The leads are harder, of course, than the Farber-Castell Polychromos and the Koh-I-Noor Polycolors that I also use and prefer over Prismacolor Premiers. I can use with these other brands, however, and have had no problems with smoothness, layering, or blending. Because the leads are harder, they don't break as easily as softer-lead colored pencils, and I have had no difficulties sharpening them (I use a manual sharpener). The variety of colors has suited all my purposes. As I got this set on sale, they were a great value. Highly recommend.

Pencils are nice to hold and colors are bright

I had a rough experience with this the first week so I am finally rewriting this review now that I have been able to cool down and check them all.First off, the colors.They're pretty vibrant as they say they are. Some colors more than others, but overall every box offers a strong and healthy shipment for you to pick and choose from. They're also relatively easy to blend as well, but for some of the better results you're actually better off using older Crayola color pencils to aid with the blending. Colors like white or red or orange blend perfectly when mixed with this brand, but be careful as most Crayola color pencils won't play nice due to differences in the lead...wax? and can make it impossible to fix later on. Overall very strong colors.Maintenance.Prisma pencils are rather sturdy when it comes to coloring as I have used them for the past two years. HOWEVER. Unlike what the box says they are NOT as durable as they claim. Prisma color pencils are actually very susceptible to sudden impacts such as dropping them at an angle or bending them too hard. they're very easy to break even among normal pencils for some reason, particularly the lead inside. the lead is pressureproof. It can take a decent amount of pressure before snapping even when you sharpen it to a fine tip. However as stated before, sudden forced impact can cause a multitude of shatters within the lead, making it near impossible to sharpen without wearing down the pencil. These pencils are sturdy and resistant but they are not immune to mishandling. I would not recommend these for children as you could very easily lose a lot of money compared to crayolas, but if you're a seasoned artist with a semi-decent grip then go for it.Prisma color pencils go as far as color pencils can go, offering a stable grip thanks to their hexagonal shape. They can become slippery and difficult to hold if your hands get greasy or oily but overall they are firm and get the job done well. The one downside is that because their lead is so firm they can easily start to tear the paper if you're not careful. I would reccomend filling an area with a soft color cover to wear the lead down a little so that once you start pressing down hard, the paper doesn't get torn as quickly.Overall a really good brand, and a really good product. My apologies for my explosion in the last week, I was not myself but that does not excuse my ill review I formerly had as a result of my actions. Hope you guys enjoy your color pencils for they can last you for several years depending on what you do.