HISTORY

Staedtler Mars GmbH & Co. KG is a German stationary and art supplies brand established in 1835, although the origins date back to 1662 in the city of Nüremberg, with Friedrich Staedtler determined to fully handle the process of manufacturing pencils from the lead to the wood, something that the council of the city disapproved. But Friedrich’s efforts were proven fruitful and obtained the permission to be in charge, so he could produce graphite, red chalk and pastel pencils in his industrial plant. This achievement opened new possibilities for other manufacturers in the same city, which is well-known for holding several famous pencil companies such as Stabilo and Faber-Castell.

Ergosoft pencils are recommended by the Scottish illustrator Johanna Basford, who suggests the Staedtler colour pencils, markers and fineliners. At the beginning I wasn’t sure of whether she was simply sponsored by the brand. Luckily, I have realized by myself that these pencils are worth their fame.

SPECIFICATIONS

Staedtler Ergosoft triangular pencils fall within the student grade, something that doesn’t diminish their quality. Each pencil comes with a lacquer that coincides with the colour of the lead. Its closed and shiny tip doesn’t allow us to see the end of the lead.

Ergosoft pencils are beautifully designed outside and inside. They are robust, handy and with a smooth texture (thanks to their anti-sliding system). They are triangular for a better gripping that also prevents the fingers from getting tired, as well as to prevent them from rolling on the table. The lead is wax-based (but does not produce a waxy effect), and it is covered with a white coat that is part of the ABS technology that avoids breakage. The leads are 3 mm, and so strong that makes this pencil ideal for children, as they resist almost everything.

This series present different details on each of the sides of their barrels. On the main one can be read the name of the company and the series. On the next one comes a barcode and an unknown code (number 157 corresponds to the pencil and the next is the colour number (for example: 157 – 43). On the third side appears a blank space to write the name (a good idea for children at school). Unfortunately, I have no information regarding the wood the Ergosofts are made of, but the brand states that it comes from responsible forests, which is always good news. These pencils have a light scent that comes from the external lacquering.

PERFORMANCE

As mentioned before, Ergosofts are suitable for colourists because of their nice colours that transfer well to the paper. The tips sharpen decently, although they last a lot before having to do so. These pencils don’t smudge and don’t spread crumbs when being pressed against the paper. In spite of all the tough features, the result on the paper is smooth and delicate, and you can achieve good blendings.

In this image I used 2 different green tones to check the blendability. The first sample shows the two colors alone, the second one has been blended with Derwent pencil blender and the third one with Derwent blender marker:

When I first bought the 12 colours set, I realized something that I liked a lot: instead of including the typical white pencil that comes in all sets, they substituted it for a more interesting and useful one similar to peach colour, which is great to be used as a skintone.

SETS AND PACKAGING

Ergosoft pencils come in sets of 12, 24 and 36 pencils, this last one being the biggest set. There are available in carton packages, plastic cases and tins.

Like I said, first, I bought the set of 12 colours that come in a sturdy plastic blue case that can be opened in the middle, so to be used both as a case and a displayer. The plastic case seems resistant enough to protect the pencils in case of an impact, but when I bought the Triplus Fineliners by Ergosoft (which also come in a similar case) the case arrived broken, so I would still advise to be careful when transporting the pencils. I wouldn’t store permanently these pencils in their case either.

So I was so excited with these pencils that I couldn’t resist to buy the 24 set, which I found at B&M for 9 pounds, a fantastic deal that can’t be beaten not even by Amazon. This set came in a tin with hinges that opens from the upper side. The pencils are displayed on a fragile plastic tray, also pre-sharprened and arranged by colours. I would also advise to be careful when transporting them, as I do not think the tin nor the tray will protect the pencils. Luckily they are sturdy enough by themselves.

COLOUR CHART AND DEMO

The colour chart is arranged by numbers, although some websites associate them with names This information is however not included in the Staedtler official site, so I won’t add it in the chart here.

The colour chart for the 24 set is this:

Here are some illustrations that I made using these pencils:

WHERE TO BUY

These wonderful pencils are available in Amazon, from 6-8 pounds (the 12 pencils set) to around 25 pounds for the 36 pencils set.

All the series of Ergosoft pencils in Amazon UK

Ergosoft pencils can also be purchased individually in certain shops such as Cultpens, and they cost around 1 pound each. I think it is the first time that I see student-grade pencils being commercialized independently.

CONCLUSION

Ergosoft tones are nice, easy to handle and a pleasure to work with. They require minimum maintenance, and the only handicap that I find is that, because they are student-grade pencils, they lack of a relevant lightfastness degree. This is really the only con I can mention about a set of pencils that is good even in the price (the set of 12 pencils costed me less than 6 pounds). More for less is impossible.
If you like colouring, don’t doubt it: Ergosoft by Staedtler are your pencils.

PROS, CONS AND RATING

The best: everything! The quality, the price, the colour chart…
The worst: they are student-grade pencils, therefore not suitable to work for a commission.

Rating: 10/10

MORE INFORMATION

Official site