Faber-Castell Black Edition: Colored Pencils in Black Wood
Faber-Castell Black Edition colored pencils have black-stained wood, a triangular barrel and a soft, highly pigmented 3.3 mm core that Faber-Castell says shows on light, colored and black paper. Sets run from 12 to 100 colors, including neon, pastel and metallic packs. They sit in our $ band per pencil, and origin varies by set.
On this page
Product facts
- Product
- Faber-Castell Black Edition colored pencils, 36 colors (US box FC116436; also sold as FC115156)
- Brand
- Faber-Castell
- Brand origin
- Germany
- Made in
- Not stated*
- Material
- Black-stained FSC-certified wood, triangular; SuperSoft pigmented core, 3.3 mm (Faber-Castell)
- Price range
- $under $5 per pencil (multi-packs divided by the count)
- Rate it
Notes on these facts
- Made by Faber-Castell AG, Stein, Germany. Country of manufacture not stated: Faber-Castell's German and US pages don't state a country of manufacture. Galaxus listings, seen in search results, give different origins for different Black Edition sets (China, Vietnam, Brazil), so check the box. Price: example listing.
- Price bands are typical US retail, checked October 2026.
Key takeaways
- Faber-Castell US lists a 3.3 mm break-resistant core, bonded along the barrel by its SV process, in a triangular black-wood barrel.
- The 36-color box was #12 on Amazon US's colored-pencil best-seller list on October 22, 2026, with 4.5 stars from 10,331 ratings.
- Faber-Castell sells sets of 12, 24, 36, 50, 72 and 100, plus 12-color neon-and-pastel and metallic boxes.
- Faber-Castell's German site says the SuperSoft core is pigmented for light, colored and dark paper.
- Faber-Castell doesn't state a country; European retailer listings give China, Vietnam or Brazil, depending on the set.
What are Faber-Castell Black Edition pencils?
They’re Faber-Castell’s colored pencils in black-stained wood, with a soft, heavily pigmented core meant to show on black paper as well as white. Faber-Castell’s German site sums them up as “Schwarzes Holz und Supersoft-Mine: Farbe pur!”, black wood and a supersoft core: pure color.
They’re popular in the US: the 36-color box was #12 on Amazon US’s colored-pencil best-seller list when we checked on October 22, 2026, with 4.5 stars from 10,331 ratings.
Faber-Castell Black Edition specs
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Maker | Faber-Castell AG, Stein, Germany |
| Barrel | Black-stained wood, triangular; FSC-certified wood (Faber-Castell) |
| Core | SuperSoft, highly pigmented, 3.3 mm; SV-bonded against breakage |
| For | Light, colored and dark paper |
| Sets | 12, 24, 36, 50, 72 (roll, Germany) and 100; 12 neon + pastel; 12 metallic |
| US 36 box | FC116436 (EAN 4005401164364); also FC115156 |
| Pencil length | Not published in the sources we found |
| Price band | $ (under $5 per pencil in sets) |
| Made in | Not stated by Faber-Castell; varies by set per retailers |
The 3.3 mm core figure comes from Faber-Castell’s US page for the 100-pencil box. The US pages also describe the pencils as pre-sharpened, with the end dipped in the lead color so you can find a color in the box.
How thick is the 3.3 mm core?
Thinner than Faber-Castell’s 3.8 mm artist cores, but half again as thick as a #2 pencil’s graphite. That leaves enough color to fill large areas while still holding a point for lines.
Do Black Edition pencils work on black paper?
Yes; Faber-Castell designed them for it, saying the strong pigment load works on light, colored and dark paper. The 36-color box includes white, peach, lime, mint and light blue, the pale colors that stand out most on black.
Faber-Castell doesn’t say whether the core is wax- or oil-based, only that it’s SuperSoft.
Is sharpening a problem?
Some buyers say so. On Faber-Castell’s German product page, reviewers report wood splintering and points breaking with a single-blade sharpener, and one says a drum (crank) sharpener fixed it; others praise the bright color and smooth laydown.
We haven’t sharpened a full set ourselves yet; the hands-on slot above covers both sharpener types.
Which Black Edition set should you buy?
Start with the 36-color box; move to the 100-color set only if you want the pastels and neons too. Faber-Castell US lists its 36 as reds, oranges and yellows, greens and turquoises, blues and violets, pinks, browns, white, dark grey and black.
| Set | Item | What’s in it |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | 116412 (box), 116413 (tin) | 12 colors |
| 24 | 116424 (box), 116425 (tin) | 24 colors |
| 36 | 116436 / FC115156 (box) | The US best seller |
| 50 | 116450 (box) | Germany |
| 72 | 116418 (pencil roll) | Germany |
| 100 | FC116411 (box), FC116490 (tin) | Adds pastels and neons |
| 12 specials | 116410 neon + pastel, 116415 metallic | Effects on dark paper |
On October 22, 2026, Faber-Castell’s US store listed the 36-color box at US$22.
For other first sets, see our best colored pencils for beginners.
Black Edition vs Polychromos and Prismacolor: which should you choose?
Choose Black Edition for affordable color on dark paper, Polychromos for lightfast artist work, and Prismacolor Premier for the softest wax blending.
| Black Edition | Polychromos | Prismacolor Premier | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core | 3.3 mm SuperSoft | 3.8 mm oil-based | 3 to 3.8 mm wax-based |
| Barrel | Black wood, triangular | Green, round | Painted the lead color, round |
| Colors | Up to 100 | 120 | 150 |
| Made in | Varies by set | Germany | Mexico |
| Price band | $ | $ | $ |
For water effects instead, Faber-Castell’s Albrecht Dürer pencils dissolve into a wash. Our best colored pencils roundup ranks the artist sets.
Where are Black Edition pencils made?
Faber-Castell doesn’t say on the pages we read. It’s a German company from Stein, near Nuremberg, as our Faber-Castell history explains, but it said in 2021 that it had its own factories in ten countries.
Galaxus listings in search results give China, Vietnam or Brazil for different Black Edition sets, so check the box.
Frequently asked questions
Are Faber-Castell Black Edition pencils good for black paper?
That's their purpose. Faber-Castell says the highly pigmented SuperSoft core gives strong color on light, colored and dark paper, and the set includes white and pale colors for that.
Are Black Edition pencils wax- or oil-based?
Faber-Castell doesn't say on the pages we read; it calls the core SuperSoft and highly pigmented. For an oil-based Faber-Castell pencil, look at Polychromos.
Why does Black Edition wood splinter when I sharpen it?
Some buyers on Faber-Castell's German site report splintering and broken points with single-blade sharpeners; one says a drum-type sharpener solved it. Use a sharp blade and don't over-point the soft core.
How many colors does Black Edition have?
Up to 100 in Faber-Castell's largest US set, which adds pastels and neons; the classic boxes hold 12, 24, 36 or 50, and there's a 72-pencil roll in Germany.
Are Black Edition pencils artist grade?
Faber-Castell US files them under Playing & Learning and calls them suitable for all ages, not under its artist range. Its artist pencils are Polychromos and, for watercolor, Albrecht Dürer.
Is the Black Edition made in Germany?
Faber-Castell doesn't say. Faber-Castell is a German company from Stein, but retailer listings give China, Vietnam or Brazil for different Black Edition sets.
Sources
- Faber-Castell (Germany): Black Edition Buntstifte, 24er Metalletui (116425; black wood, SuperSoft core for light, colored and dark paper, triangular, special bonding, FSC wood, customer reviews)
- Faber-Castell (Germany): Black Edition Buntstifte, 50er Kartonetui (116450)
- Faber-Castell (Germany): Black Edition Buntstifte Stifterolle, 72 Farben (116418)
- Faber-Castell (Germany): Black Edition Neon + Pastell Buntstifte, 12er (116410)
- Faber-Castell US: Black Edition Colored Pencils, Box of 100 (FC116411; 3.3 mm SV-bonded core, triangular, pre-sharpened and color-dipped)
- Faber-Castell US: Black Edition Colored Pencils, Box of 36 (FC115156; 36-color list)
- Faber-Castell US: Black Edition Colored Pencils, Metallic, Box of 12 (FC116415)
- Amazon US: Faber-Castell Black Edition Colored Pencils, 36 Count (B086WNYTPZ; model FC116436, GTIN 04005401164364, 4.5 stars from 10,331 ratings, #12 in Wooden Colored Pencils, read October 22, 2026)
- Amazon US Best Sellers: Wooden Colored Pencils (October 22, 2026)
- Galaxus: Faber-Castell Black Edition, 12 pencils (country of origin listing)