Review on Caran d'Ache Grafwood: Premium 15 Piece Round Tube Set for Exceptional Drawing by Sasha Hsiao

I really like these pencils. I'm not much of an artist but I use graphite all the time and have several other kits including the Faber Castell 9000, Mitsubishi Hi Uni and Staedtler. These are my favourites. I love their size (slightly larger than usual), I love how they are custom tinted depending on the level, and I love their incredible smoothness. The 4H is going to be very light and in my experience only the Mitsubishi 10H is lighter in a Mitsubishi kit. The only thing I don't care about about these pens is the can, which is a silly idea. You have to throw away all the pins to see which one you use and also the pins that rattle in them. However, I'm not sure if the set is worth the extra money it's worth. I think the Faber Castell 9000 is quite comparable at a much lower price. (Although I have to say I have Faber 9000 jumbos pencils that only go up to HB and I don't know how smooth Faber pencils are below that grade). I actually like them more than Hi Unis and Staedtlers, but not much better either. They are far superior to the Derwent graphic pens that I have used for many years, but so are the other three brands. I guess I'd say if you have a little extra cash and/or don't use pencils very quickly, I'd get these. However, you shouldn't feel bad or feel like you're missing out if you buy any of the other high-end brands, all of which are cheaper. ETA: I like the can a lot more now than I did then. The first. And I still love this set very much. As of 2020, they're now cheaper than the Mitsubishi Uni Hi Uni, at least in the US. They have fallen in price but the quality has stayed the same. Wonderful!