Are they the same? Faber Castell Black Edition VS Derwent Chromaflow (with guest star Prismacolor)

I got a message from a viewer who received a Derwent Chromaflow by mistake in an order of Faber Castell Black Edition pencils. He wondered if they might be made in the same factory or use the same formulation because they felt so similar. Faber Castell Black Edition Pencils are made in Brazil and Derwent Chromaflow are made in Britain so I didn't think that could be the case but the odd addition in his order was really curious and I had to compare the pencils side-by-side. At the end of the video, I did a quick comparison of Prismacolor as the Crhomaflow remind me of Prismacolor as well.

What I found between my 36 set of Faber Castell Black Edition (FCBE) and Derwent Chromaflow (DC) 72 set:
*The colors were not exact matches, you could combine the FCBE 36 set and the DC 72 set to expand your colors.
*The FCBE left more wax buildup and had a shinier surface.
*The DC felt more pigmented across the range.
*The FCBE used less pressure to lay down color but layering was more limited than with DC.
*DC has color names and numbers printed on the barrels and open stock is available.
*FCBE has no name or numbers and is only available in sets of 12 ,24 ,36 , and 50.

Bottom Line: These pencils are very similar in feel and lay down. If you like one you will probably like the other and you can combine the sets for more options. I think you could go with whatever set suits your needs or are available in your country. I also found Prismacolor to be very similar and (at least in the 2 colors I tried) were more pigmented. The FCBE and DC are both suitable Prismacolor alternatives although Prismacolor has a larger color range of 150 colors.

Credits:
Video production and Craft ideas: Lindsay Weirich
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0

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#thefrugalcrafter #watercolor #art

[ArtJourneyUK]

The Ergosoft pencils are by Staedtler, another German company.

The Derwent pencils are definitely made in Britain, I've been to the factory. And the "Made in Britain" stamp is very heavily governed

[juliacarvalho]

Hello!! I'm from Brazil and here the black edition is called faber castell SuperSoft and now we've a 100 colours box. I love them as a cheap option and good quality! Love the video!

[verap]

My husband went to Brazil last year for work and bought the FB SuperSoft 100, and the smaller sets (metallic, skin, etc.) for me. I really enjoy using them and they are fun to use!

[cazkiwinz]

There’s nothing quite like the smell of Derwent pencils… it really does it for me 😂😂😂😂🥰

[mjpete]

Hullo Lindsay, I know that as a customer in the USA we are quite spoiled! I purchased the Cezzanne color pencils from Jerry’s Artarama. They offered an introductory price of $29.99 for 120 pencils! Now if they just offered them open stock! I use mostly Prismacolor or Faber Castell pencils and the Albrecht Durer’s are just the best watercolor pencils, even though I reach more often for my Koh-I-Noor watercolor pencils! They are my first brand and not as expensive as FC and I seldom create only color pencil drawings. I have used pencils for adding to my watercolor paintings and I got the Square Brutfuner pencils after watching your videos and seeing how I can give them to younger relatives when they visit! Thank you for sharing that information! Lindsay, thank you for another wonderful video on pencils. We can see the hard work and thoroughness which you put into your videos, thanks again and have yourself a lovely day!

[Mizukiart.]

Hi dear! Thank you for these comparisons!! The set of 100 colors has the number color code on each pencil (I guess because of the complaints that the first smaller sets did not have it). Here in Latinamerica they're called "Eco Super Soft" and not triangular shape, but the rest is just the same. As you said, is about the marketing.
Greetings fron Argentina! Love your vids. 😘😘

[colourissy]

Thanks for the review.
ErgoSoft is from Steadtler, they are harder and less saturated than FC
The 'Black Edition' is more pigmented and is lovely to use. I managed to order a 100 piece pack and am enjoying them 😊

[MusingsFromTheDen]

So far nothing has made me want to abandon my beloved Polychromos, but I do like Chromaflow and would put them a very close second. 😊

[PoojaAnand]

Hi Lindsay! Just to add a little extra info to your fantastic review -- You are right Chromaflow is thicker than the Black Edition. Chromaflow has 3.5mm core while Black Edition has 3.3mm core.
On Amazon UK a set of 50 Black Edition is only £20.04 while the set of 72 Chromaflow is £71.10 on sale. As you can see the price difference is huge. A set of 60 polychromos is £84.52. They are also easily available in singles. I think here in UK and Ireland Faber Castle is a better buy since the quality as you said is comparable.

[septembermichaud]

Nothing beats a buttery soft Prismacolor! They will always be my favorite.

[nadeaner.cowley]

Great comparison, Lindsay!!! Thanks for sharing and much love 💙💜🩵

[coloringjenn]

I clicked on this video so fast, lately I have been using my black edition with .y chromaflow pencils. I love them both but I don't think they are the same, but very similar, can't wait to see your opinion.🥰

[titanic]

Hello! Lindsay! Thank you for your video!❤!💞!

[PursuingHeaven]

I LOVE my Faber Castel 100 Eco Super Soft (same as black edition). They are one of my favorite pencils in my line up and the Eco, while the same leads as the Black edition, are ROUND and have numbers.

[crystalfranklin]

This was a very interesting comparison! Thanks Lindsay!

[nattyw]

Enjoyed video, i like to learn about these two pencil sets, i lean toward derwent art supplies, but i do have a small set of faber castell pencils.thank you my dear for all your hard work on showing us the differences and how to spend our money wisely on art supplies..mikelle art mom✍👩‍🎨🎨

[suearcher]

Thank you for this review. I do have arthritis in my hands and love my Prismacolors. But, many of them are getting kind of short and I think the FC black just might be the ticket.

[kathypatterson]

thank you, Lindsay! You are always so thorough!

[vilvile]

Thanks to another youtuber, I’ve discovered a third set of pencils that would combine really well with these two, and they are the Crayola Signature (50 colors available). Very similar feel, and surprinsingly really good.

[nancyloomis]

I agree with another commenter: I doubt if FC & Derwent would ever produce pencils and that would be their product but under a major competitor's brand. That would make no sense. If someone ordered FV black and it came with one Chromaflow, then the seller he got them from must have been doing some funny business. A side note:
When I've ordered products that come from Amazon (fulfilled by Amazon and/or Amazon Prime) or another highly rated seller on Amazon, I have NEVER had the quality control problems that I see others complain about in some other reviews. People need to look carefully at who they're purchasing from on Amazon or Ebay and the like and make sure they have a good rating...a good customer service track record and what the return policies are.