Faber-Castell Classic Colored Pencils

Pros:

Low Cost

Durable Core

Faber-Castell Reputation

Cons:

Average Blending

Requires Quite a Bit of Application Pressure

Underwhelming Styling

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Faber-Castell Classic Colored Pencils Review

Updated by Brandon F. on August 17, 2023

The Faber-Castell Classic Colored Pencil set is Faber-Castell’s popular student-grade offering.  These pencils try to adhere to the reputable and proven success that Faber-Castell has had in their other pencil sets while doing so at a much more affordable asking price. 

You will see some noticeable differences in how these pencils behave compared to other Faber-Castell examples.  This can make them better in certain scenarios and worse in others.  They come with a hexagonal barrel, a 3.3mm wax lead, and fall into the budget price range.

Visual Appeal – 3.5/5

The visual “wow” factor here won’t be on the level of the more expensive Faber-Castell lines but, compared to other sets of equivalent costs, it is more than acceptable.  We found the darker greens and blues particularly good.  Being a harder core, you will have to apply a bit more pressure to really get the color you are after.  Also, the blending isn’t great here so the colors that come in the package are what you are going to have work with.

You can create some in-between colors but we recommend using a solvent to get a bit of a blending boost.  Package sizes range from very small to medium in size so we stress going for a larger set size if possible. The smaller sizes simply have too many color gaps in them.

Usability and Durability – 3.5/5

The key point with these pencils is their hard lead.  This lead is quite resilient which makes it excellent for classroom applications (since we know how hard kids can push down on pencils).  Also, being a hexagonal barrel, you get very good control and grip.  Another added benefit of the harder lead is that they can be sharpened to a fine point which makes them good for highly intricate areas of an art piece.  The 3.3mm core is a good size and finds a nice middle ground between being large enough to color some serious area but small enough to allow for a sharp point.  The hard lead does come with some negatives, however.

As we mentioned above, the blending is a bit lackluster.  Don’t go in expecting the industry-leading blending that the more expensive Faber-Castell sets have.  Also, the application is not going to be as buttery and smooth. 

You will feel more “scratching” effects than other higher-end colored pencil sets.  And the color that comes out will not be consistent, so you may have to make a few passes to get the desired texture you are after.  However, for the price, they are more than acceptable from a usability standpoint.

Packaging and Presentation – 3/5

The Faber-Castell Classic Colored Pencils come in a standard thin cardboard box similar to many other budget pencil lineups.  You won’t find any of the fancy metal cases and attractive embedded internal pencil shelving here.  We recommend swapping the pencils out of the box and putting them in a pencil wrap if you have one as it will be much easier to manage the pencils. 

The pencils themselves are also simple in design.  The barrel comes in a solid color that matches the color of the pencil and the pencil brand name and color designation are stamped in silver leaf.  There isn’t any sort of multi-color base or white dip on these pencils.

Cost – 4.5/5

One of the biggest selling points with these pencils is their asking price.  They are very affordable and compete with many other budget pencils on the market while having the unique benefit of carrying the Faber-Castell name.  While these obviously won’t compete with the more expensive pencils out there, they are still very good for the price.  You will get a large percentage of the special experience that comes with Faber-Castells but without as large of a monetary sacrifice.

Overall Ranking – 3.5/5

Faber-Castell Classic Colored Pencils take the proven Faber-Castel name and apply them to a much more affordable entry-level set.  The cores are hardened and aspects such as blending and color output are lowered some but the result is a durable and simple pencil that is great for a classroom setting. 

This particular set of pencils is designed to be competing with the Crayola and Reeves colored pencil sets and, in that aspect, they do quite well.  However, for those hoping to enjoy the incredible feel and application capabilities of Faber-Castells premium sets but for a fraction of the price, you will be underwhelmed.  All in all, this is a fine choice for those on a tight budget and looking for something simple.