Caran d’Ache Edelweiss Wooden Pencil Review

Caran d’Ache generally make quite expensive things, some of which are quite nice. One example is the Swiss Wood, which isn’t expensive when compared to, say, a Ferrari but at £3.50 a piece is not exactly a budget pencil. It’s lovely though. The Edelweiss, on the other hand, costs about 70p.

Price: $1 (USA)
Lead grade options: F, HB (being reviewed here), 3B
Barrel colours: Red (HB), blue (F), black (3B)
Barrel shape: Hexagonal
Eraser?: No

The Edelweiss is a very smart red with crisp white writing. There’s a little picture of an Edelweiss flower on the side, along with all the usual information and the FSC logo.

On the opposite side there’s the usual barcode.

The lead is a little light for an HB but, perhaps as a result of this, it holds its point fairly well. It’s fairly smooth but every now and then you hit a slightly graining patch.

I’m not sure what the wood is but it’s quite possibly cedar. It sharpens very nicely.

Overall this is a perfectly reasonable pencil but in this price range I’d pick a Staedtler Noris or Tradition.

Pros

Looks pretty
Keeps a good point
Good value

Cons

Pale writing for an HB
Very hard to get in the UK (I bought mine from CW Pencils, which makes it a little pricing by the time it’s travelled across the Atlantic)