--- title: "General's Charcoal Drawing Kit No. 15: What's Inside" canonical: "https://stationerytimes.com/guides/generals-charcoal-drawing-kit/" description: "General's Charcoal Drawing Kit No. 15 explained: its 13 pieces, the 557 charcoal pencils and Charcoal White, how to use them and where it's made." category: "Accessories" type: "Drawing kit" published: 2026-10-23 updated: 2026-10-23 author: "Ellis Penhale" publisher: "Stationery Times" sources: 5 products: - name: "General's \"The Original\" Charcoal Drawing Kit No. 15" brand: "General's" brand_origin: "United States" made_in: "United States" material: "Charcoal and carbon pencils in wood, compressed charcoal sticks, kneaded eraser, sharpener (General's contents list)" price_band: "$$$ ($20–75 per item, typical US retail, October 2026)" manufacturer: "General Pencil Company (New Jersey)" model: "15" gtin: "044974155571" url: "https://generalpencil.com/product/15/" --- # General's Charcoal Drawing Kit No. 15: What's Inside > General's "The Original" Charcoal Drawing Kit No. 15 is a 13-piece charcoal set from General Pencil Company of New Jersey. It holds five 557 charcoal pencils (HB, 2B, 4B and two 6B), a Charcoal White pencil, three charcoal sticks, a white stick, a carbon sketch pencil, a kneaded eraser and a sharpener. Amazon says it is made in the USA. - URL: https://stationerytimes.com/guides/generals-charcoal-drawing-kit/ - Category: Accessories - Author: Ellis Penhale - Published: 2026-10-23 - Updated: 2026-10-23 ![General's Charcoal Drawing Kit No. 15 laid out: six charcoal pencils, a carbon sketch pencil, four sticks, a kneaded eraser and a sharpener](https://stationerytimes.com/images/raster/generals-charcoal-drawing-kit-16x9.png) *The 13 pieces of the kit, drawn in proportion.* Original drawing (SVG): . Drawings © 2026 Stationery Times, reusable with credit under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). ## Product facts | Product | Brand | Brand origin | Made in | Material | Released | Price range (typical US retail, October 2026) | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | General's "The Original" Charcoal Drawing Kit No. 15 | General's (by General Pencil Company (New Jersey)) | United States | United States | Charcoal and carbon pencils in wood, compressed charcoal sticks, kneaded eraser, sharpener (General's contents list) | – | $$$: $20–75 per item | - Made in (General's "The Original" Charcoal Drawing Kit No. 15): United States. Amazon US's listing says "Made in USA" and "This product is manufactured in united states" (read October 23, 2026). General's own site was behind a bot check when we tried to read it; PencilTalk describes General's New Jersey factory. Source: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000AMPCNS ## Key takeaways - The kit has 13 pieces: 6 charcoal pencils, 4 sticks, a carbon sketch pencil, a kneaded eraser and a sharpener. - The five black 557 pencils come in HB, 2B, 4B and two 6B, per a retailer's copy of General's contents list. - General's says its Charcoal White can be worked over black charcoal, used on colored paper, washed with water, fixed or erased. - General Pencil Company was founded in 1889 and makes pencils in its own New Jersey factory, built in 1924. - On October 23, 2026, Amazon's listing showed 4.7 stars from 828 ratings and a 21st-place rank in Drawing Charcoals. ## What is General's Charcoal Drawing Kit No. 15? **It's a 13-piece starter set of charcoal pencils, sticks and accessories from General Pencil Company, the New Jersey pencil maker, which calls it "The Original" Charcoal Drawing Kit.** General's says its charcoal pencils, made to its original formula, give rich, black lines for drawing and sketching. The kit adds white charcoal for highlights, sticks for broad areas, and an eraser and sharpener. ## What's in the kit? **Seven pencils, four sticks, a kneaded eraser and a sharpener.** This is General's contents list, as a retailer reproduces it: | Piece | Code | Count | |---|---|---| | Charcoal pencil, HB, 2B, 4B, 6B | 557 | 5 (two 6B) | | Charcoal White pencil | 558 | 1 | | Carbon sketch pencil | 595 | 1 | | Charcoal stick | 957 | 2 | | Compressed Charcoal White stick | 958 | 1 | | Wide compressed charcoal stick | 960 | 1 | | Kneaded eraser | 139E | 1 | | All-Art sharpener | S-650 | 1 | Another retailer's listing gives slightly different pencil grades, so check the box if you need a particular one. Amazon lists the package at 9.3 × 3.8 × 0.5 in (236 × 97 × 13 mm). ![Chart of the kit's 13 pieces by type: five black charcoal pencils from HB to 6B, one white pencil, one carbon pencil, four sticks, an eraser and a sharpener](https://stationerytimes.com/images/generals-charcoal-drawing-kit-contents.svg) *Five grades of black, two whites, one carbon pencil.* ## How do you use charcoal pencils and sticks? **Block in large areas with the sticks, refine with the pencils, and lift highlights with the kneaded eraser or add them with white charcoal.** In general, the softer 6B gives the darkest, smudgiest line and HB holds a finer point. General's says its Charcoal White can be worked directly over black charcoal to lighten it, used on colored paper, washed with water and a brush, fixed or erased cleanly. White charcoal shows best on toned paper such as the [Strathmore 400 Toned Tan pad](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/strathmore-400-toned-tan-sketch-pad/) or the [Canson Mi-Teintes pastel pad](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/canson-mi-teintes-pastel-pad/). ## How does charcoal compare with graphite? **In general, charcoal is blacker and matte but smudges and breaks more easily; graphite is shinier and cleaner to handle.** Many artists combine the two: graphite for linework, charcoal for deep darks. | | General's Charcoal Kit | [Derwent Graphic](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/derwent-graphic-pencils/) graphite | |---|---|---| | Darkest mark | Deep matte black | Dark gray, with some shine | | Smudging | Easily; needs fixative | Less | | White highlights | Charcoal White included | Eraser only | | Grades | HB to 6B | 13B to 9H | For more pencils, see our [best drawing pencils](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/best-drawing-pencils/) roundup. A soft kneaded eraser such as the [Faber-Castell Art Eraser](https://stationerytimes.com/guides/faber-castell-art-eraser/) is a common upgrade to the kit's eraser. ## Can you buy General's charcoal pencils separately? **Yes. General's sells its 557 charcoal pencils by the box of 12 in single grades, and its white charcoal pencils in packs of 12.** That's the cheaper route once you know which grades you use. On October 23, 2026, Amazon's box of twelve 557 pencils in 6B showed 4.5 stars from 168 ratings and 100+ bought in the past month. Amazon also lists a 557 bundle in 2B, 4B and 6B, and a 12-pack of General's white charcoal pencils with 314 ratings. General's also sells larger charcoal sets, such as its five-piece charcoal pencil kit. In our Amazon US search, the No. 15 kit had the most ratings of any General's charcoal listing. ## How much does the kit cost? **It sits at the bottom of our $$$ band ($20–75), counted as one item.** Open-stock General's charcoal pencils are cheaper one by one if you only need a few. On October 23, 2026, Amazon's kit listing showed 4.7 stars from 828 ratings, 100+ bought in the past month and a 21st-place rank in Drawing Charcoals. ## Where is General's charcoal made? **In the United States: Amazon's listing says the kit is made in the USA.** General Pencil Company was founded in 1889, and PencilTalk describes its New Jersey factory, built around its machinery in 1924. ## Frequently asked questions ### What is in General's Charcoal Drawing Kit No. 15? Thirteen pieces: five 557 charcoal pencils (HB, 2B, 4B and two 6B), one Charcoal White 558 pencil, two 957 charcoal sticks, a Compressed Charcoal White 958 stick, a wide 960 compressed stick, a 595 carbon sketch pencil, a 139E kneaded eraser and an S-650 sharpener. ### Is General's charcoal kit good for beginners? Yes. It covers pencils, sticks, white highlights and an eraser in one inexpensive box, enough to try every way of working with charcoal. ### What paper should I use with charcoal? Paper with some tooth that holds the powder, such as a toned sketch pad or a pastel pad. Toned paper lets the white charcoal show. ### How do you sharpen charcoal pencils? Gently, with a sharp blade or the kit's sharpener; charcoal cores break more easily than graphite. Many artists sharpen with a craft knife and shape the point on sandpaper. ### Does charcoal need fixative? Charcoal smudges until it's fixed or framed under glass. General's says its Charcoal White can be fixed like black charcoal. ### Is General's charcoal made in the USA? Yes. Amazon's listing for the kit says made in USA, and General Pencil Company makes its pencils in New Jersey. ### What's the difference between charcoal and carbon pencils? They're different formulas with a different feel on paper. The kit includes one 595 carbon sketch pencil, so you can compare the two yourself. ## Sources - [General Pencil Company: #15 "The Original" Charcoal Drawing Kit (behind a bot check when read October 23, 2026)](https://generalpencil.com/product/15/) - [Drafting Supplies Dew: "The Original" Charcoal Drawing Kit, 13 pieces (General's contents list and Charcoal White description)](https://www.draftingsuppliesdew.com/generals-15-original-charcoal-drawing-kit) - [Amazon US: General Pencil Gen15 Charcoal Kit (made in USA, ASTM D-4236, 9.3 × 3.8 × 0.5 in; ratings and rank read October 23, 2026)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000AMPCNS) - [Amazon US: General's Charcoal Pencil 557-6B, box of 12 (ratings read October 23, 2026)](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0049IV2J2) - [PencilTalk: General's Kimberly review (company founded 1889; New Jersey factory built around its machinery in 1924)](https://www.penciltalk.org/?p=2395)