I didn't want to be that guy, but... Blackwing Matte pencils are the real deal. I've heard so much about them and took the plunge, and yep. They're purty good. The value range I can get is impressive, and as a self-described lazy person, if I can do an entire drawing with only one tool, I absolutely will. This allows me to do that. The way the graphite goes down on the paper from these is just special, too. It's like charcoal, but with that buttery smoothness of graphite. Like drawing with chocolate. I couldn't be more impressed. And they are fairly shine-free, so that's cool as well. They are expensive, though, but honestly, it might be the best graphite pencil I've ever tried. So for all the art supply nerds out there, add this one to your list! Having some fun with them, I did a couple of quick 30-45 minute sketches, just to see how far I could push a single pencil. We got a winner, folks!