Prismacolor Premier Verithin Colored Pencils, Adult Coloring, 36 Pack

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

Love that pencils are thin, handle well.And THE COLOR!! Definitely Prismacolor, these are well-pigmented, layer so we'll, colors have depth & vibrancy, soft, perfect

Good

I purchased the Prismacolor 36 set of Verithins because it is 1/3 the price ($15-$18) of a comparable set of Derwent Studio pencils (another hard lead pencil line, which it turns out that I'm not thrilled with - much wider core and dusts like crazy). I like to do a lot of edging, outlining and texture and these are perfect for that. I also find these are great for doing detail work and coloring small spaces, like in Daria Song's The Time Chamber storybook (gorgeous and charming -- available on Amazon, buy it! or the similar The Time Garden).QUALITY: I have a light hand and like to build and layer color, so I have not had any problems with coverage or crumbling lead. I use these colored pencils for adult coloring books. They are worlds above Crayolas, for those trying to decide on making the switch. The color is much more vibrant and lasting (I find Crayolas begin to fade before I'm even completed the page, resulting in me reworking the same areas repeatedly). The Verithins hold their sharp point longer as well. I this far haven't found anything comparable to the Verithins I also like that Verithin colors complement my Prismacolor Soft Cores, in both use and color names.FACTS: There is some misinformation in some reviews that I'd like to clear up:1) These are NOT made on lead! Like most colored pencils these are made of wax2) The warning on the back of the box about washing your hands after use ONLY applies to the metallic Gold pencil, because it contains copper. This info comes direct from Prismacolor.COLORS: As others have noted, the Vertithin line has a limited number of colors. However, they layer nicely to create custom colors so the color line is more flexible than it appears. And as others have noted, they are indeed blendable if using a light hand and layering, though they made for that. (I've even had success blending Crayolas and other cheap pencils when doing the same, though with much more effort and to lesser effect.)If, like me, you'd like to see more colors I encourage you to write Prismacolor and let them know. The more comments they get the more likely they are to expand the line.SHARPENING: I sharpened all 36 Verithinswith a simple Mobius & Ruppert Brass Round 2-Hole Sharpener or Grenade/Bullet Sharpener (available on Amazon, cheaper at Blick). It didn't take long at all, put a movie on and have at it. I didn't experience any shredding or breakage, no problems of any kind.After reading many reviews I suspect others' experience with breakage is due to either receiving broken leads damaged in transport due to the insufficient packaging, or sharpening technique (see below). I think that having to fully sharpen the Verithins from scratch -- and wondering if they're going to break in the process -- is the barrier to purchasing, so...SOME TIPS I'VE LEARNED:1. Many sources state that when sharpening colored pencils by hand you should hold the sharpener in your dominant hand and turn the sharpener, not the pencil. Turning the pencil instead (as most of us are used to doing) can stress the wood and torque the lead.2. A dull blade will start shredding the wood. Try changing blades.3. Run a simple graphite pencil through the sharpener periodically, like every 6-8 pencils. This cleans the sharpener and maintains the blades.If that doesn't work for you:I actually do this odd hybrid method of sharpening, where I turn both the sharpener and the pencil simultaneously. (I don't know why I started doing this; it just happened.)1. Place the sharpener so the blade side is facing the floor or away from you, with your palm facing upward.2. Then rotate the sharpener towards you with one hand while simultaneously turning the pencil away from you with the other, in one smooth movement. It's kind of similar to the movement you make when wringing out a wash cloth.3. Repeat as needed.*If it feels more natural to turn the sharpener away from you, then switch hands and do the reverse movement.I get nice full, sharp points with this method. Though it goes against conventional wisdom, I hold the sharpener in my left (non-dominant) hand because I find that turning towards me is a more natural movement. Again, don't know why.And if that still doesn't work for you:I suggest trying a helical sharpener. Some reviewers have had success with that style.A final tip:To extend the longevity of the points and the pencils, get an artist's sanding block. This is essentially a stack of sanding paper attached to a plank. A cheap one ($1-$2) will do the job, you don't need something expensive. When the tip starts to blunt, slide it along the sanding paper to resharpen or bevel. This re-points the tip without losing any wood. I find this lasts 1-2 rounds between full sharpenings.Hope that helps.

Nice

great for coloring small things in your coloring book