With wax in its core, the Blackwing pencil was said to write faster than its competitors on the market, quickly earning a coveted status among creatives. Disney animators, artists and writers like Steven Sondheim and John Steinbeck added to its reputation. So why did these pencils reselling for anywhere from $40 to $200 almost go extinct?

WSJ explains why the Blackwing’s for sale today are different from the ones Steinbeck used to write “The Grapes of Wrath.”

Chapters:
0:00 The story of the Blackwing
1:28 Supply chain
4:12 Why the pencil disappeared
6:14 What’s next for the pencil?

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